Shanghai Spa by Caroline Major

"For women who like fashion – they all do – Shanghai is a Paradise. It has all the attractions of Paris and more. A most marvellous range of merchandise and curios awaits inspection. It is of course important to remember that the ordinary rules for the maintenance of health and beauty apply in Shanghai.” From ‘All About Shanghai – a standard guidebook’ by University Press, Shanghai 1934.

Shanghai is a city made for business and deal-making, for staying up late and for speculation topped with just a spot of shopping. Once you’ve seen the handful of sites, there’s not much more to do, so I did what any 1930’s London lady would do and headed down to the reinvented British Club for some river air and pampering in the Evian Spa at House of Three. It was to be the start of a quest to get the low-down on where to get the best treatments in this stress-filled city.

Greeted by dapper doormen, the temptation to stop and shop in the classiest of environs for summers’ sparkling garments was inhibited by the clock. I wanted to be right on time so as not to miss a moment of my appointment. Costume National, Yves Saint Laurent, Vivienne Tan and Armani jostled for my attention but I breathed deep and quickened my step. I reasoned that Evian in France is so close to Switzerland that they were probably as clockwork as the land of chocolate.

In the foyer of the Evian Day Spa my heels sunk deep into the thick jade coloured carpet. I quickly slipped into daydream, of a mossy forest floor taking care to step carefully around the large boulders sunk into the hall. The ceiling soared over six floors above into a canopy channelling beams of sun-light into the all white, moss and chrome clinic. Spa Manager Marie Harrison greeted me and showed me around. Entire walls inlaid with jade, seashell, bamboo, wood, copper, gold and mother of pearl set up grand expectations. I wanted to wrap myself in the sheen of the jade and seashell rooms, but was disappointed to learn they were not equipped for the wet treatments to which I was about to submit. The low-lighted, luminescent corridors squeaked with the efficient sounds of rubber soled shoes rushing about.

A Japanese girl, dressed in crisp white, whisked me into a consulting room. Drinking from glass tea-cups we went through a consulting process. From an extensive list I contemplated firming and toning wraps, cellulite treatments, lifting and contouring facials and detoxifying combinations. Unsure which treatments would be the best for my post party, champagne soaked skin I submitted to a consultation which felt more like sales than therapy but I hoped, should I return regularly they would build a profile on me for better servicing my skin, body-type and life-style. Settling on two and a half hours of facial cleansing and a detoxifying massage I was sent off to change and a small shock. Behind the bright white swathes of fabric were communal changing rooms with hospital like divider curtains separating the long clinical corridor into cubicles.

After some time in the ‘relaxing room’ with tea and magazines my therapist came to collect me. She was confident and professional but took a few too many breaks to replenish supplies. Her attention to the details of my comfort was delightful.

Later that week at the other side of town, I checked into the Mandara Spa for more rejuvenation. The spa is set up to resemble a traditional Shanghainese home. Dark wood, deep red, moon-gates and golden lighting achieve a wonderful aesthetic, quite unlike other spas. Chinese rice-pots stand decorously in corners and lute music skips playfully about the courtyards.

At the desk and after a work-out at arguably the best gym in town the receptionist asked me about treatments. She suggested an aromatherapy massage. Always considering this a soft option I prompted her for more suggestions, but my questions were greeted with giggles. I conceded to the aromatherapy massage, using a Chinese technique and waited for my call into the warm and womb-like room. I folded my clothes neatly in the Chinese wardrobe and pulled up a pew on the Chinese sofa. My feet soaked in a mixture of warm water and rose petals. With gentle hands my therapist scrubbed away hardened summer soles and seduced me into relaxation.

Her strokes and shakes were firm, soothing and confident. Working her way up the back of my legs, kneeding the tension out of my shoulders and asking at all the right moments whether the pressure was right. What was wrong became apparent when it was time to turn for my stomach and face massage and I smelled halitosis. The last thirty minutes of what should have been bliss, soured like milk left curdling in the sun.

Over at the Westin, I booked a Banyan Tree appointment. Shanghai’s only brand name Feng Shui spa, I had high expectations. I was greeted in the lobby, in front of the impressive entrance; all red, curves and bonsai. Jariya Tantithakhon the Manager handed me a treatment menu and introduced the concept; seasonal, elemental, personal. Wood, Earth, Water, Fire and Gold. The idea is that you take a treatment suitable for your element, which is related to your birth-sign. The choice can change with the season. A genius way to ensure return visits to balance yourself at various stages of the year. Treatment rooms follow the same pattern, although it is somewhat more difficult for them to co-ordinate the choice of treatment with the room unless you choose your treatment at the time you book.

Inside a ‘wood’ room the gnarled and twisted tree trunks punctuated an otherwise minimalist space. My therapist directed me to the small changing room where I changed into a fluffy robe and slippers. When I sat on the soft sofa, she asked me to choose the incense I wanted to burn and checked my choice of music. A fabulous lemon-grass tea and gentle foot scrub later and I was ready for a Chinese style massage. It was to be the best I’ve had in China. The final cup of tea served with a plate of fresh cut fruit cemented this spa as the leader in Shanghai.

The last spa on my list was Dragonfly, a Singaporean outfit priced marginally lower than the major international brands. Of their three branches in downtown Shanghai I chose Dong Hu, for a late night after clubbing foot massage; a true treat in the early hours to soothe stiletto weary calves. A 2am closing time is perhaps their most competitive feature in subversive Shanghai. A very tasteful traditional Chinese interior with dark wood and dim lighting is let down only by it’s uncomfortable chairs inhibiting the relaxation that a very good foot massage can bring.

Each of the spas sported a fabulous interior, with diverse character and focussed treatment menus. Evian has the more clinical approach to body maintenance treatments. Their menu is heavy on slimming, contouring and lifting with full-service finishing; nails, make-up and hair. Their day packages make attractive 'reinvent-yourself' offerings and they have a separate upmarket barber's shop for men. At Mandara, the focus is more feel good with massage and scrubs on offer, and a small dark beauty salon tucked away in the corner to satisfy their contract with the hotel. Dragonfly is about wellness. Over at the Banyan Tree the menu is overwhelmingly set on re-energising, balancing and pampering and is highly personal. They have a small beauty salon and offer the best service for couples and friends wanting to share a treatment experience. What sets Banyan Tree apart though, in a market where the facilities are all good, is the service and the skill of the therapists. Banyan Tree has a majority of therapists from Thailand, their home market. They have a soft and nurturing side serving up ‘make you feel great’ energy. At the end, spa is only as good as its therapists.

All of the spas have membership programs which offer substantial discounts once you’ve paid a membership fee. With the international brands these represent great value if you travel and want to stay loyal to one spa. But in Shanghai we should be grateful. Three major spa’s offer a range of treatments at affordable prices leaving no excuse not to be buffed, polished and massaged to perfection After all this metropolis is all about putting ones best ‘face’ forward.