What’s On reviews Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal Ladies Who Spa package. Plus, info on Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara at Sir Bani Yas.

What’s more fun than a spa treatment? Two spa treatments is a start. Throw in pool access and dinner at a five star hotel and you’re really speaking our language.

The Ritz-Carlton Grand Canal’s Ladies Who Spa package starts in the hotel’s spa, which is a vision in shades of cream and beige and an array of textures, from marble to rough hewn tile. Even the towels and robes are chocolate brown – a quirky departure from the fluffy white norm.

First up is a 60-minute massage – your choice of Swedish, aromatherapy, or hot stone. Try the hot stone – it turns out the knots haven’t truly been kneaded from your shoulders until they’ve been dug into with the skinny side of a warm pebble. Next, it’s onto an hour-long facial – a hydrating treatment using fragrant oil – and head massage.

Ritz Carlton Grand Canal spa

A break in proceedings follows, so it’s time to make the most of the Ritz-Carlton’s terrace and pool before a shampoo and blow-dry  at Pace e Luce Beauty Salon.

Finally, show off the results at the hotel’s Chinese restaurant Li Jiang. The Ladies Who Spa set menu includes a tangy hot and sour soup, tender wok-fried beef, and mango tatin.

If you’ve got a birthday coming up, Ladies Who Spa is a one-way ticket to relaxation. 

Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 10pm, from Dhs4,520 for four guests. Tel: (02) 8188051. Taxi: Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi Grand Canal. ritzcarlton.com

Ritz Carlton Grand Canal spa

THAI TREATS ON SIR BANI YAS
The Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara on Sir Bani Yas Island, has a new spa menu that includes a 150-minute Essence of Thailand package, featuring a Thai herbal compress massage and an oriental foot reviver. Or try the 60-minute lime and ginger body scrub, a 30-minute Indian head and scalp massage and a 90-minute Desert Islands Romantic Retreat.

Desert Islands Resort & Spa by Anantara, Al Ruwais, Sir Bani Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 10pm. Tel: (02) 8015400. Taxi: Sir Bani Yas Island, Western Region. desertislands.anantara.com

Sir Bani Yas

GIVE STRESS THE HEAVE-HO
The Park Rotana has brought over a team of experts from London-based Aromatherapy Associates to reduce your stress levels and boost your immune system at their spa, Bodylines. A 90-minute session featuring the company’s cosmetics, oils and Swedish and neuromuscular massages, has the bonus of a free bottle of Aromatherapy Associates Rose Body Cream.

Bodylines, Park Rotana, Khalifa Park, Abu Dhabi, daily 10am to 10pm, Dhs385. Tel: (02) 6573373. Taxi: Park Rotana. rotana.com/parkrotana

Park Rotana spa

These articles first appeared in What’s On in June 2014