Rejuve - The Spa at The Lalit Group of Hotels

Rejuve - The Spa, The Lalit’s signature brand is present at InterContinental The Lalit, Goa, InterContinental The Lalit, Mumbai, The Lalit Grand Palace, Srinagar, The Lalit Ashok, Bangalore, and The Lalit New Delhihttp://www.thelalit.com/. Rejuve spas will also be available at properties of the group that are still under development. These include Bekal (Kerela), Kolkata, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Chandigarh, Noida, Amritsar and Dehradun. And, and, Rejuve spas at Thailand and Dubai are also in the fray. At its Udaipur property, The Lalit Laxmi Vilas Palace, the spa is all set to re-open shortly.
Besides the regular salon services, what the brand also offers are yoga, a “patented” (you heard that right) color healing technique for body, mind and soul rejuvenation besides regular aroma, Ayurveda, herbal and natural therapies. Offered at Rejuve spas are pure essence of herbs and essential oils with healing colours and crystals for balancing the body’s energy centres (chakras). These are patented treatments that combine full body exfoliation, body massages and nourishing facials, while also using colours and crystals to clear stagnant energy.
Listed below are two signature treatments (a host of others are available too) that are offered at Rejuve

• Rejuve Aroma: Mandarin experience

Enhanced by vibrant Carnelian crystal to release stress, toxins and fatigue, this particular aroma treatment lasts for two hours, 25 minutes, and includes a shower, tamarind and cane sugar scrub, followed by a deep tissue massage and a gorgeous facial. Just in case you’re still recuperating from the amazing experience, the therapist also gives you that much needed “me-time” with Rejuve Signature tea for company. At Rs 4,500 ($90), this could be a good way to survive the summer.

• Also recommended strongly is Rejuve’s color therapy where Pam Mehra, a well-known “New Age therapist” personally gives you her signature colour therapy. These are systematic and balancing treatments, developed by her for holistic relaxation and rejuvenation of the mind, body and soul and aim at opening and thereby balancing the chakras too. While “The Emotional” therapy uses red and pink color crystals, rose and chamomile aroma oils along with soothing music, the ambience, complete with flickering light of the candles, helps in relaxing and balancing emotions, thereby opening the first chakra of the body. Then there’s also "The Peace" color therapy which uses shades of blue crystals, lavender and sandalwood aroma oils to help bring peace and harmony to the mind while also opening the fifth chakra of the body. The therapy takes 40 minutes (for each therapy) and costs Rs 2,000 ($40).
  Watch out for this space. In the next few posts, we’ll bring Pam Mehra to talk to us about color therapy and how it works for our body.
  Till then, listen to your breath and relax.
• $1=Rs 50
• Picture courtesy: the Lalit

FICCI E&Y 2009 report on the Indian wellness industry

The Great Indian Tourism story isn’t exciting in 2009. The economic slowdown, the terror attacks have hit the tourism industry big time and that’s a reason why Incredible!ndia www.incredibleindia.org, as part of its new initiative has announced special tie-ups and packages with wellness centres.Interestingly, the Indian tourism ministry is in the process of finalizing a scheme wherein a tourist visiting India for medical treatments will be offered additional treatments free of cost. Of course, the logistics will still need to be worked out but the tourism ministry is set to offer a healing touch. How? For instance, a person coming for a bypass surgery from abroad will be offered a complementary skin treatment package or an Ayurvedic therapy, for that matter. Since November 2008 (immediately after the terror attacks in Mumbai) the tourism — particularly the hospitality — sector is grappling with negative numbers of tourists. No wonder, the sector is now banking on medical tourism while also offering valuable add-ons. While the ministry is already in advance discussions with major hospitals like Apollo, Moolchand, Fortis and Wockhardt to offer patients complementary treatments, a clearer picture should come out soon. “Roping spa centre operators into the scheme for tourism India is a very conscious decision,” confirms a spokesperson.

That wellness is high on the radar of Indian tourism is evident from the success that the Indian wellness services market has witnessed. According to the latest study by FICCI and Ernst & Young, the wellness industry — currently estimated at Rs 110 billion — will continue to remain buoyant and has the potential to sustain at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of approximately 30-35 per cent for the next five years. The FICCI-E&Y report, Wellness: Exploring the Untapped Potential, has classified the wellness industry into seven core segments within different products and services such as allopathy, alternative therapies, beauty, counselling, fitness/slimming, nutrition and rejuvenation. Of these, rejuvenation services such as spas, alternative therapies, ayurveda treatments and beauty services are expected to show growth rates as high as 30 per cent. At the same time, fitness comprising gyms and slimming centers are expected to grow by more than 25 per cent. Nutrition products, including dietary supplements, health food and drinks have shown a growth rate of 8-10 per cent, whereas allopathy as a segment was not classified due to its traditional linkage to healthcare. According to the report, the increasing level of activity is arising from the entry of several providers such as organised Indian and international players; expansion by existing companies to new product categories and regions; strategic alliances across the value chain, interest by private equity investors and also players in allied industries like hotels and real estate entering the wellness segments. The report also points to a trend of players moving towards offering a ‘one-stop-solution’ for all wellness-based needs by adding more products and services across various segments in wellness. In terms of payback and gestation periods, products such as health foods and drinks, dietary supplements and alternative medicines require greater investments, normally exceeding Rs 25 crore or more, says the report, with paybacks ranging from 3-6 years. At the same time, services such as ayurveda treatment, alternative treatment centers, salons etc require much lower investment and also have lower paybacks of upto three years.

* Picture courtesy: Aura

Summer packages at Soukya, Bangalore

The Indian tourism ministry, on its website http://visitindia2009.incredibleindia.org/ has begun advertising a lovely spa centre from Bangalore. Called SOUKYA Indian Holistic Health Centre, http://www.soukya.com/ it has announced its 2009 wellness packages for tourists.
A Basic Ayurvedic Rejuvenation programme for 21 days, complete with accommodation, food (vegetarian cuisine which also includes fresh, organic herbal drinks), daily consultations and dietary advice, treatments, yoga programmes implemented twice every day, along with complimentary use of recreational and swimming pool facilities, costs Rs 15,812 per day.
Other programmes at the Soukya centre include Shareera (Body) treatment that concentrates on weight loss using Naturopathic hydrotherapy, Yoga and Diet Simple Ayurvedic package. (Rs.19,057 per day for a 14-day treatment) There’s also SUNDAR (Beauty) treatment that spread over 15 days this treatment offers over 66 different therapies that include natural Ayurvedic products which are anti-ageing. Additionally, guests are also given mud and herbal packs. (Rs 19,942 per day).
The most expensive treatment is Shakthi (power) treatment that’s designed to rejuvenate and soothe and calm the nerves through specially designed Ayurvedic revitalising treatments besides mud packs, reflexology and even acupressure. This is ideal for corporates and foreign tourists who obviously don’t have much time on their hands. Spread over just seven days (the minimum time you have to spend at Soukya, the programme offers as many as 42 treatments for a price of Rs 27,022 per day.

Actually, for those of you planning to travel to south India, where a plethora of spa treatments are available anyway (*beware of touts and unclean places that pass off as spa centres) it would be a good idea to make Bangalore your base, try out Soukya treatments and then proceed to different destinations. Better still, round off your India holiday with a trip to Soukya and the luxurious treatments that it offers.

*Soukya package rates (excluding taxes) valid from April 1, 2009 till September 30, 2009.
* Meals served are primarily vegetarian. Low fat, low salt and very little spice.
* No smoking and alcohol allowed on the property
* Select treatments cannot be done on women when they have their menstural cycle
* Cash, cheques, debit and credit cards (Visa, Master and American Express) accepted

Green tea spa treatments

I was speaking to a friend about spalendor.blogspot.com and she was kind enough to tell me about this very unique spa in the heart of Kurseong. Nestled in the midst of tea gardens in north East India, it’s a wellness resort which specializes in — what else — tea massages besides other therapies. My friend, who has experienced a green tea facial here (60 minutes, Rs 400) swears by it, claims that the perfect ambience and the trained therapists with their amazing skill make a trip to this resort a truly memorable one. Called the Cochrane Place, the resort offers yoga and pranayama sessions, Ayurvedic treatments, in addition to what they call, Himalayan Spa.
Cochrane Place is on the outskirts of the main town and is essentially a restored British colonial home. One of the best things about engaging in spa sessions here is the fact that you’re gently teased by the aroma of Darjeeling tea, gardens of which surround the entire property. Not surprising then that many guests opt for tea spa treatments here. While the green tea facial is there, there’s also an ayurvedic “leaf-bag massage” especially created to relieve body aches and pains (Rs 750 for 45 minutes; Rs 800 for 60 minutes).
Do give their website http://www.imperialchai.com/ a look to find out other details. While at it, I also suggest you take a look at one of the tickers which advertise an interesting site called calcuttawalks.com. Cochrane Place has just announced some of its new packages and maybe you’d like to give this place a try this summer.

Incidentally, Delhi's Galaxy Hotel (pitched as India's first lifestyle hotel complete with five-star services, spa and shopping centre) does a unique body wrap with green tea extracts that are mixed with multani mitti (Fullers earth) and sandalwood powder which makes the skin feel younger and lighter. Green tea is said to have anti-oxidant properties which detoxify the skin. This treatment is available for Rs 950 and lasts for a luxuriating 45 minutes.
Happy spa holidaying, then.

* picture courtesy: Cochrane Place

Meeting hairstylist Kim Robinson

When I met Kim Robinson, a celebrated hairstylist who has dressed the likes of Jackie Chan, Kate Moss and many, many other celebrities, I was stunned by how charming he looked and behaved. He's set shop in The Aman that only recently launched in New Delhi.
Kim's interview was published in Business Standard Newspaper. http://www.business-standard.com/india/

Introducing luxury hairdressing
Kim Robinson has styled the manes of celebrities ranging from Kate Moss to “big names” in India who fly down to Hong Kong for a haircut! Now, he is in India, finds Abhilasha Ojha

What brings you to India?

We are opening our salon at The Aman New Delhi. I’m really excited about the entire venture. I have been attached with Aman Resorts in Beijing and have a salon in Singapore too but it’s good to be in India, especially because a lot of my Indian clients wanted me here.

So, you have styled Indians?

I cannot reveal names but many Indians especially fly down to Beijing or Hong Kong or even to Singapore to get their hair styled by me. These are people who are big names in India.
Why don’t you reveal some names to us? (Laughs) No, I can’t do that. But watch out for a limited edition book that we’ll bring out by the end of 2009 on Indian beauties whose tresses have been styled by me. We had bought out a similar book, 30 Years of Orient Beauty, talking about some of the very popular artistes, models and actresses in south-east Asia who have, over the years, been styled by me.

You’re perhaps the only hairstylist in the world who specialises in what’s called a dry cut. Is that right?

Yes, not many in the business cut hair without wetting it. My concept of cutting hair is to treat it like a garment. You cannot wet a garment before wearing it. Spraying water on the hair just before cutting it flattens it completely, dissuading both the client and the stylist to know how a hairstyle might look in the long run. So I cut hair dry and then, say a week later, I ask the client to come back so I can see if I’ve done a clean job. It’s similar to how people do garment fittings.

Wow, that’s taking a haircut very seriously.

(Interrupts) It’s never just a haircut. What we want to introduce in India is luxury hairdressing. We’ve got spa treatments for hair, we’re using the best products and believe it or not, I’m constantly developing techniques not just to cut hair but also to maintain it in the long run.

Photo courtesy: Kim Robinson