I was in Paris for about a week to unwind and spend time with my friends late July. I had a list of places I wanted to visit, coffees I wanted to drink and spa treatments to try. Naturally, when Helene and I spoke to each other about a spa experience at the Four Seasons George V- I was absolutely thrilled. Paris epitomises grace, class and elegance with with an indomitable sense of style that no other city in the world has been able to adopt. The proof is in the iconic Four Seasons Hotel George V, situated strategically in the 8th arrondissement. There is never a dull moment around here with a lot of tourist activity and corporate offices around this area. I took a train that day into the city centre and ran to the hotel afraid that I wouldn’t make it to the appointment in time.
The entrance to the hotel, is grand and all kinds of opulent with the most incredible flower decorations I have ever seen. The people at the front desk are friendly and hospitable and speak every language you can fathom. The service, as you would imagine, is streamlined and seamless. A few moments in, a lady walks me into the spa for a treatment I’ve been waiting for. I spent all of July travelling through Romania, Madrid, Alicante, Paris and was exhausted and really needed some TLC. Helene, head of PR and Marketing at the Four Seasons tells me that she will meet me post the treatment.
I help myself to an apple and a cappuccino before the treatment begins. The ‘Le spa’ is one of the finest spas in the city with murals of the Versailles, a gorgeous pool and stunning treatment rooms named after Marie Antoinette. You feel like you’ve entered a wellness sanctuary when you are actually in the busiest, most touristy part of the city. There is a plethora of treatments available from anti ageing facials, diamond eye contouring, but ‘A stroll through Versailles’ is a must if you have the time and the money. This incredibly indulgent treatment lasts a little over 2 hours and costs about 450 Euros in all. The treatment starts with an indulgent orange blossom scrub, followed by a massage with warm shea butter and concluded with a decadent milky facial and macarons. This signature Four Seasons treatment has been curated with Marie Antoinette’s beauty rituals in mind. If this doesn’t leave you feeling like royalty, we don’t know what will.
The spa uses Sodashi and Carita products for facials and Skinjay for the shower experience. A relaxation room fully equipped with state of the art amenities steam rooms, headphones and comfortable recliners is available for guests who arrive before their rooms are ready so you can catch up on your reading, hydrate with a hot ginger tea.
Helene suggested that I spend 30 minutes in the hammam, followed by the Sodashi exfoliation and scrub. The Sodashi treatment is the perfect ritual that gently scrubs away impurities, leaving behind glowing skin thats soft to touch and healthy. The scrubbing helps get rid of dead skin cells, while oxygenating and soothing the skin. The massage therapist allows you to choose your natural exfoliant amongst special Sodashi blends: smooth Jojoba beads for a gentle exfoliation, revitalising Vanilla & Sandalwood for soothing body tensions, mind and spirit or Dead Sea salt & Green tea for an invigorating exfoliation. I’m in love with the scent of fresh vanilla pods so I picked the vanilla and sandalwood immediately and the therapist and I started to discuss our favourite Four Seasons properties. The ritual is concluded with a liberal application of the Sodashi aromatic body cream that leaves your skin feeling hydrated, nourished and smooth to touch. The treatment lasts only about 50 minutes and is perfect for busybodies who need some serious R &R. Unlike most other treatments at this hotel, this ritual costs only 195 euros which isn’t a bad price to pay in these luxurious surroundings for baby soft skin that is healthy and luminescent.
Sodashi is an Australian skincare company that focuses on purity, natural ingredients and holistic wellness solutions. Sodashi is a sanskrit word that means purity and wholeness and this is what the company bases its philosophy on. They are 100% organic and chemical-free, blending aroma-therapy, biochemistry and Ayurvedic tradition to create a holistic product that is eco friendly and kind to your body. I woke up refreshed from my treatment. My skin felt more supple, smooth and noticeably healthier than before. I popped in to the sauna for a few minutes to help facilitate better removals of the toxins before I proceeded for the ‘Skinjay’ shower experience. The Skinjay capsules look no different from coffee capsules but are a revolutionary way to enjoy your shower post an invigorating treatment. This Parisian company aims to change the way you think about your shower experience by making it decadent and more indulgent with active essential oils that are designed to either calm you or leave you feeling energised. All you need to do is pick the capsule of your choice, attach it near the shower hose and enjoy the experience. The capsules themselves aren’t that expensive but it’s a really great way for spa guests to end their spa experience as it leaves you feeling lighter, calmer and more at ease. 10 capsules cost about 30 Euros.
Special thanks to Helene Avril for working it out at such short notice and to all the staff at the spa for making my stay truly memorable. I walked out with an unbearable lightness in me and walked a few miles around glorious Paris before making my way home that day. I highly recommend the services at ‘Le Spa’ and cannot wait to be back to try the Marie Antoinette package so I feel like I’ve been spoilt rotten in the most beautiful city in the world.
Quick Notes-
Cost 195 Euros
Duration- 50 minutes for the Sodashi scrub and 20 minutes for steam and sauna
Verdict- highly recommended.
Four Seasons George V
31 Avenue George V, 8th
Tel 01 49 52 70 00
www.fourseasons.com
http://www.fourseasons.com/spa
