Spa Pampering in the City of Light: Le Spa at Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, Spa

Let’s face it: sometimes a day of Paris sightseeing can leave you feeling haggard. The ultimate pick-me-up? A relaxation massage at Le Spa at Park Hyatt Paris-Vendôme, a 250-square-meter sanctuary devoted to wellbeing. (Needless to say, some down time at Le Spa can also do wonders for weary and jet-lagged business travelers.) Located on the lower level of the luxury hotel, the spa is designed with Paris sandstone, mahogany and an onyx water wall. Walk through the door and you’ll feel instant calm. Perhaps it’s the spa’s signature fragrance, wafting through the air, that has that soporific effect, maybe it’s the soft music, or the warm Jacuzzi jets in the whirpool bath... Regardless, you’ll be relaxed and smiling in no time.

Le Spa embraces the true definition of spa (“Sanitas Per Aquas,” Latin for “healing by waters”) and so treatments incorporate the principle of hydrating the body for wellness and renewal. The spa’s wet facilities include a steam room and sauna, in addition to the afore-mentioned whirlpool. (Note: Swimsuits are required because the whirlpool is co-ed.) It’s possible to spend an entire morning or afternoon just using the spa’s wet facilities. If you book a treatment, use of the wet area is free. The four treatment rooms are spacious, zen-like spaces designed in a contemporary style and lit with candles; the couple’s suite also features balneotherapy. Colored lights in the room can be adjusted according to the specific treatment, just as each treatment is customized for individual clients.

Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome, Spa

Though it’s an intimate urban spa, the treatment menu is exhaustive, with everything from Deep Tissue Massages (160 euros for 60 minutes) and Reflexology (150 euros for 60 minutes) to Pure Relaxing Facials (115 euros for 45 minutes) and Body Scrubs using mineral crystals and a semi-precious gemstone balm to exfoliate and moisturize (110 euros for 40 minutes). Beauty products are by Payot, and the Verbena aromatic oil used in massages was created by the hotel’s perfumer Blaise Mautin. To prolong the relaxation after the treatment, guests are invited to linger in the lounge where their therapist will serve them acai berry juice and flavorful macarons.

Tip: Sandrine Josse, the Spa Manager ([email protected]; 011-33-1-58-71-10-09), is arguably one of the best massage therapists in the City of Light. Insiders tell us that Gabriel is quite talented, too.