From the moment I stepped into The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Singapore till the time I left the place, the experience was nothing short of bliss and luxurious. And it’s no surprise that The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Singapore is one of the two in Singapore that were given a five-star rating, the highest accolade, by Forbes Travel Guide in the spa category in 2014.

The pampering treatment starts when I walked to the reception to inform the staff that I had an appointment. I was quickly led to fill in a health questionnaire in one of the three, small but gorgeously decorated enclaves next to the reception desk. Even before I could complete the form, she returned with a cup of TWG’s Vanilla Bourbon tea, a cold face towel, and a pair of slippers for me to change into. But it was the Vanilla Bourbon tea that struck me that this spa really wants to give its customers the best experience. And these small details are what separate the good spas from the mediocre ones.

When I got into the changing area, I was particularly impressed with the small yet intimate changing room. You can tell that The Spa really thought through the customer’s personal experience. In every locker is a set of personal amenities, all individually packed and put together in a nice leather box. And the locker is probably one of the biggest and well-designed lockers for customers to leave their personal belongings.

Other than the usual shower cubicle and toilet, the small changing room is equipped with a sauna, steam room, and an experience shower. The sauna and steam room are petite and only allow two persons in each area at any one time. When I made the appointment, I was told to arrive 30 minutes before schedule to enjoy these facilities. Due to work, I arrived on time and didn’t have time to enjoy the spa facilities prior to my treatment. But I did after my massage.

Decorated in a smoothing palette of beige and dark brown, the treatment room is one of the most stylish ones that I’ve ever been. My therapists shown me two different essential oils and used my preferred blend, Reflect, for my treatment. I had one of the two signature heated treatments, the Oriental Bamboo. It is a full-body massage where the therapist uses warm bamboo sticks and firm pressure to release the tension in the body. It was so relaxing that I fell asleep about 10 minutes into the 90-minute treatment. When the treatment was completed, my therapist reminded me not to wash away the essential oil which will help to moisturise my dry skin.

I was offered more Vanilla Bourbon tea, dried fruits and nuts at the cosy tea lounge where I relaxed after the treatment. Again, special attention was paid to the reclining leather chairs equipped with an iPod dock so that spa guests can unwind further in the calming environment.

When I was dressed and ready to leave the place, I noticed that the spa actually uses Shiseido hair products, something most spas even the high-end ones don’t usually do.

If I were to nit pick , the only shortcoming of this spa is that they don’t have a Jacuzzi in the changing room. But other than that, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental is undeniably one of the best in Singapore.

The Spa
Mandarin Oriental Singapore
5 Raffles Avenue, Marina Square,
Singapore 039797
Tel: +65 6885 3533
www.mandarinoriental.com/singapore/luxury-spa/