The Palace SPA at the Hotel Palace Berlin treats each guest like visiting royalty.
When you spend as many days on the road as we do a SPA experience is not just a luxury it's a necessity. Long hours spent on a plane flying to wonderful destinations around the world does have its drawbacks mainly in the form of dehydrated skin, and of course, the kinks in the neck and the back that come from sitting so long, despite the "comfort" of the airline seats.
Fortunately, there is a wonderful remedy for these minor travel problems in the form of a SPA experience. When we arrived at the Hotel Palace Berlin in March 2007, we immediately booked SPA treatments at the Palace SPA, and were ready to be pampered and we were.
The Palace SPA features Decléor natural products, and since we are very familiar with that renowned international product line, (Debra) elected to have a facial to help alleviate "flying stress" while (Edward), a confirmed chocolate aficionado, decided to experience their new Hot Chocolate Massage.
Our therapists, Kirsten Melzer and Bernard Butler, welcomed us to the Palace SPA and led us off to their treatment rooms where we spent the next hour undergoing complete relaxation and soothing treatments.
Debra: One of my main complaints regarding flying is that my skin gets very dehydrated during a flight despite my applying lotions and spritzing my face with Evian water throughout the flight. Of course, drinking more water during the flight, should it be available, alas I digress, would certainly help, however, I have found that one of the best ways to combat the dehydration is to have a facial shortly after I arrive at a destination. Not only does a facial provide the essential moisture that my poor skin desperately cries out for, it is also very relaxing, and when I emerge from a treatment my skin not only looks better, but I also feel very relaxed and am ready to start enjoying the destination.
Lying comfortably on the treatment table, with soft music playing in the background, Kirsten began my facial experience with aromatherapy to start the relaxation process, followed by a consultation to determine which products would best suit my skin. The preliminaries established we were ready to take the first step to gently cleanse the skin. After the cleansing, my face fairly shouted for joy! My skin was now prepared and ready for the next step, a mild peeling to exfoliate the skin, which was feeling better and better, and I was becoming more and more relaxed.
By the time Kirsten was removing the peeling lotion, I was well on my way to sleep, and when the facial massage started which stimulates the acupressure points, I know that I was definitely counting the proverbial sheep. Sometime during my "nap," after she completed the facial massage, she applied a restorative mask to my face. By the time that the facial beauty treatment was over, from which she had to gently wake me from my slumber, my skin was glowing with a new freshness. Gone was the dull, dehydrated look of my skin, and while I may not have looked years younger, I certainly looked perhaps a few months younger, and as I see it, I will take every opportunity to shave a few months off whenever I can with a SPA experience.
With my "new" skin and feeling refreshed, I decided to explore the rest of the 800 square meter SPA with its sunny fitness room, solarium, inviting swimming pool and whirlpool, dry and wet sauna, and a most interesting "Ice Grotto" which I had to experience. Imagine you are snug and warm from your facial experience or just emerging from the sauna, and suddenly you open the door to the Ice Grotto and enter a room where an icy blast awaits you with ice on the walls and ceiling with an ice fountain against one wall. Naturally the urge to try this experience was too great for me to miss, and when I entered I was hooked. If I was still semi-asleep when I when I entered, I was now fully awake, and was wondering about the possibility of installing an Ice Grotto in my house to help jump start me on slow mornings.
Next came the dilemma of where I should like to spend a moment of relaxation, in the round relaxation room reclining on an orange chaise inside next to the fountain filled with yellow roses, or sitting outside in the pretty garden in the sunshine. I elected to go outside and then realized that it was March in Berlin, and although bright and sunny, it was still not quite warm enough to sit outside in a SPA robe.
When I returned inside, I found a most unusual bronze basin filled with water on a stand in a corner, and when I read the instructions, it instructed guests to wet the handles with the water in the basin and then rub the handles to create a harmonious sound. Of course, this appealed to the child in me, and I immediately had to try this "toy" which I also loved, and decided that this definitely would be an interesting conversation piece that I should like to add to my home. Usually when I visit a SPA, I end up purchasing small products; however, after this SPA visit, I was envisioning how I could ship the Palace SPA home piece by piece!
Edward: Okay, Swiss or Belgium, 60%, 70% or 80% dark chocolate, which would it be for my Hot Chocolate Massage? The anticipation nearly drove me crazy, but like a true chocoholic I remained in control. Bernard, my therapist and the creator of the Hot Chocolate Massage at the Palace Spa, answered all of my questions as he walked me through the process. I must admit that there was a bit of a let down when I was informed there would be no samples, however being a true professional I kept my focus. Bernard explained how he studied aromatherapy and has over 200 aroma scents that he works with to create a personalized aroma for a client, which is his unique way to create a luxury experience. But for my massage, we were to venture into the world of hot chocolate. This unique massage is a blend of shaved cacao with oils, which is then heated before being applied to your skin. Bernard explained that the cacao was very good for cleansing your skin as well as replenishing essential moisture. The combination of a massage working out the tension in my neck while the aroma of chocolate wafted through the air was like being put into a trance.
After a very relaxing and educational massage, I was ready to take a nice soothing shower and wash the chocolate off my skin. But, as Bernard had informed me, the scent would linger for a bit, which was an added delight. The scent is definitely not overpowering, it is like faint cologne, and it will take on a slightly different aroma with the oils of your skin. The massage was perfect for my aching muscles, and the hot chocolate made my skin feel soft and supple; I was ready to tackle another day exploring Berlin. Afterwards, we relaxed with cups of tea before venturing out to begin our day.
The Palace SPA is open Monday – Saturday from 6:30 am – 10:00 pm, and on Sunday from 8:00 am – 10:00 pm.
Palace SPA
Hotel Palace Berlin
Budapester Strasse, 45
10787 Berlin
Germany
Telephone: +49 30 2502 0
Fax: +49 30 2502 1109
Email: hotel@palace.de
www.Palace.de
Read other articles on the Hotel Palace Berlin in the Hotels and Resorts, Restaurants, and Chefs' Recipes sections.
Read other articles on Berlin and Germany in Destinations, Hotels and Resorts, Spas, Restaurants, Chefs' Recipes, Arts and Antiques: Performances, and Music Scene sections.
For more information on Berlin and Germany, please visit: www.Berlin-Tourist-Information.com and www.ComeToGermany.com.
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