More urbanites now consider visiting spas a part of their lifestyle. As a result, spa owners are looking at making the experience a memorable one by selecting unique concepts and themes that create the right mood. haven checked out three showcasing constrasting design concepts and styles. One of them goes Moroccan, with colourful mosaic tiles and soft lighting that exude the charms of the African state. Another opts for a contemporary design that projects a fresh and clean mien, with an Oriental twist. The third spa features a colonial staff quarters that have been transformed into a place of relaxation high up in the mountains. Let the 'tour' begin ...

HAMMAM, BANGSAR VILLAGE II
Situated in a favourite neighbourhood mall in Kuala Lumpur’s affluent Bangsar is a Moroccan-inspired spa that has a mystical allure for all who enter. Nearly everything in the spa, from the huge carved wood doors at the entrance and the colourful and delicately arranged tiles to the technology used for the warm rooms, was imported from the African state. The warm rooms — there are two — were particularly challenging for architect and designer Kam Kah Zen of BEK Arkitek Bhd. “The technical side of making a spa was the biggest headache. We had to outsource the knowledge of the warm rooms from specialists in Morocco and they only spoke French. And they had different standards of mechanical engineering and we had to get our own mechanical engineers to interpret. Furthermore, the construction techniques and materials they used were completely different, so we had to find alternatives. That was the main problem but everything else was smooth sailing,” shares the affable twentysomething.

The interesting part about the warm rooms is that they use radiated heat unlike conventional steam rooms or saunas. There are copper pipes under the flooring isolated from the other parts of the mall by heavy insulation. Then, on top of the pipes, are materials with high-thermal mass that can retain heat for a long period of time. Part of the structure of the room is the parabolic ceiling which prevents condensation from dripping down on the customers. The water slides down the curved sides and is removed by an effective drainage system.

The rest of the spa is equally impressive, with Moroccan motifs of curved arches, niches and a Moroccan tiled fountain. The theme immediately transports one to another world, which distracts and helps customers to forget the stresses of modern living, enabling them to relax even before the treatment starts.

At Hammam, leaving one’s stresses at the door is not an option but a certainty, thanks in part to the decor and ambience.


HERBALINE BEAUTY HOUSE, SELAYANG
Just behind the Selayang mall, a suburban shopping complex in Selangor, resides an inconspicuous two-storey corner terraced house with high walls that has undergone an amazing metamorphosis. The 20-year-old humble abode is now the Herbaline Beauty House. There is no signage outside, so it is easy to miss but once inside, patrons will be pleasantly surprised at the contemporary yet quintessentially Oriental design. Although this Herbaline branch only provides facial treatments and is not essentially a full-fledged spa, it possesses many spa-like qualities. The decision for such a design came from the widely travelled owners of Herbaline. They’ve visited some of the best spas in the world and then incorporated some choice elements into the beauty house brief to award-winning interior designer Fendarie Su of Sante Fe Interior Architecture Sdn Bhd. Fendarie also had to incorporate into her plans a “journey” aimed at taking customers through the house to soothe frazzled nerves and tired bodies before receiving their facial treatments.

On entering the establishment, patrons have a private consultation before being led down a pebbled path and immersed in some spa-like treatments, starting with a soothing footbath and then some ticklish nibbling at the fish reflexology pool. Customers can then either spend some time in the meditation room or take a short rest in the sitting area before being escorted upstairs for their facial. At the end of the treatment, patrons are served a simple plain porridge and condiments before departing.

All these treatments are value-added extras to the facial prices, making it a value-for-money proposition amidst a cosy setting.


SPA VILLAGE, CAMERON HIGHLANDS
Up in Malaysia’s popular highland holiday spot stands the regal-looking YTL Cameron Highlands Resort with its special mountain spa getaway. This refurbished hotel — formerly the Merlin Hotel which was popular in the 1970s — boasts a unique spa in a two-storey structure surrounded by rugged terrain and greenery. Originally the staff quarters of the old Merlin, the building didn’t project any spa-like qualities, but to architect and designer Zaidan Tahir of GSD Interiors Sdn Bhd, it was a delight. “I was so intrigued by this building and told my client that I wanted to do something with it. To me, the surrounding environment was beautiful, with the hillside and the giant ferns caught my attention; and then the architecture of the post-war structure had this old charm,” he says. His client agreed to his ideas.

Zaidan initially wanted a secret garden theme but had to put that aside due to the immovable machinery that was situated in the front of the building. He tweaked his ideas and came up with a plantation concept, which fitted nicely within the space provided. This required building a high wall to hide the mechanical components and creating a long water feature.  

The spa interior is tastefully done, with the lower floor being where patrons have their special baths, be it rose, mint, chrysanthemum or strawberry-infused water contained in porcelain baths, an offshoot of colonial times. After the bath, patrons adjourn to the second floor where the treatment rooms are.

Like all other YTL Spa Villages, the one in Cameron Highlands is par excellence with its high standards. Visitors leave in a state of semi-stupor, making their way back to their rooms for some pleasant sleep embraced by colonial splendour.

This article appeared in haven, Issue #36, April + May 2009, the deco and garden publication of The Edge Malaysia