by Grace T. Kim
For spa lovers like myself, it is hard to experience a treatment that is truly unique and surprising. Quan Spa at the Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel steps up to the challenge and offers a fresh take on spa treatments that will satisfy any spa junkie.
Pronounced as “Chuan” in Chinese, this spa’s theme revolves around the name’s meaning: purifying water. They use high-quality water-based body products in the treatments, which leave your skin silky but non-greasy. Quan Spa’s greatest attraction is their Vichy showers, which is a rare find in any major city. I was fortunate enough to experience it in their signature treatment, called the Tropical Sand Rain Shower Ritual.
The spa’s ambiance is sensual, calm, and modern with touches of the Orient, which is also translated in their treatments. With a choice of Eastern and Western spa treatments for singles or couples, you will receive authentic techniques with a fresh approach. Each treatment room has its own exquisite en-suite bathroom and closet to provide absolute privacy and comfort. The treatment area is divided by a sliding door whereupon your spa therapist will greet you.
The first thing that you notice is a futuristic chandelier of shower heads hovering over a heated stone bed — a reminder of marble beds in authentic Turkish baths. Immediately, you get the sense that you are in for a treat. The therapist rhythmically massages their signature sand body scrub that foams and exfoliates the skin. All the while, the entire body continues to melt on the warm marble table.
By the time the Vichy shower begins, you’ll already be drifting away from the relaxing body scrub. The water is warm enough to melt away tension, and not too warm to wear you out. The showerheads are focused on various parts of the body, being monitored and adjusted by the therapist to ensure that every part of the body gets stimulated. The right pressure of the shower gives the added benefit of boosting your blood circulation, which keeps you energized, yet relaxed. And the sound and feeling of cascading raindrops are out of this world.
When you think it’s all over, you finish with a soothing body massage with a fragrant water-based body lotion that deepens your serenity. This is an absolutely sensual experience designed to create complete bliss and revitalization. This is my greatest takeaway from the Quan Spa’s Tropical Sand Rain Shower Ritual.
Where: Quan Spa, Renaissance Bangkok Ratchaprasong Hotel (BTS Chitlom)
Hours: Daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
How much: Tropical Sand Rain Ritual THB 2,500++ per person
