Daily Pampering: Mandarin Oriental Prague takes the spa to a spiritual level

by Melanie Nayer on

Few places in the world combine pampering and prayer, but the Mandarin Oriental, Prague figured out a way to do it.

If you’re seeking complete harmony between mind, body and spirit, The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Prague might be the best starting point.

It’s the only spa in the world located in a former Renaissance chapel and preserves the remnants of its Gothic church under a glass floor.

The spa encompasses two floors and hosts six private treatment rooms. After the treatment, guests dress in robes and retreat to their hotel rooms through an underground passageway that links to the spa to the main building.

Spa treatments in the “church” start at CZK 800 (approximately USD $42) and can run as high as CZK 8,500 (approximately USD $450).

The cost of a religious revival in a spa? Priceless.

Luxury hotels still discounting in 2010

by Tom Johansmeyer on

If you didn’t book a luxury trip last year, don’t worry; you didn’t miss your big opportunity. Without a doubt, 2009 was hell on the luxury travel market. It was rough on just about every luxury business, frankly. And while the economy looks like its taking a step in the right direction this year, it’s not doing so fast enough for luxury travel providers. Look for another year of discounts, according to industry tracking firm Rubicon. Properties like the Four Seasons, St. Regis, Ritz-Carlton and Mandarin Oriental are going to have to bite the bullet again in 2010.

According to Rubicon, luxury hotels are booking more business at this point in the year than they did in the same period in 2009 – but only 4.6 percent more. Meanwhile, the average rate they’re fetching is off 13.2 percent. Clearly, the upscale properties are buying guests with discounts. Of course, luxury on sale still isn’t cheap. You’re looking at $325 a night instead of $389 a night a year ago, Rubicon reports, based on bookings made as of February 1.

“Hotel companies are not rushing to lift the rates and slow that tide of recovery,” Rubicon CEO Steve Swope told USA Today. “So the other good news is: there are some real bargains out there for consumers. Now’s a good time to get out and travel. In another 18 to 24 months, the rates seen today are not going to be there anymore.”

Mandarin Oriental ventures to the Middle East

by Melanie Nayer on

The Mandarin Oriental is taking luxury to a new island. Abu Dhabi Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC) signed an agreement with Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to manage Mandarin Oriental’s first Middle East luxury resort on Saadiyat Island, scheduled to open in 2013.

Mandarin Oriental Hotel and Residences, Abu Dhabi will feature 160 guestrooms and suites, the famous Mandarin Oriental spa and treatments, and six restaurants and bars. There will be a private beach club, access to the 18-hole championship Saadiyat Beach Golf Course designed by Gary Player, a fitness center and an outdoor swimming pool.

Saadiyat Island is being developed as environmentally-conscience retreat located 500 meters (a little more than a quarter-mile) offshore from Abu Dhabi city. The island has 11 miles of beaches, two championship golf courses and a marina. In addition the island will be home to the world’s largest concentration of cultural institutions, including the Zayed National Museum, the Guggenheim Abu Dhabi Museum and the Louvre Abu Dhabi which will be open in 2013.

Daily Pampering: A night with Sir Elton John, courtesy of Mandarin Oriental

by Melanie Nayer on

How much does it cost to see Elton John in concert at one of the Seven Wonders of the World in the Riveria Maya, Mexico? The Mandarin Oriental Riveria Maya has priced the 4-night package for two at $13,000.

That’s right, the Mandarin Oriental Riviera Maya has put together a luxury experience to celebrate Grammy-winning legend Elton John’s live concert in Mexico on Saturday, April 3, 2010. You’ll get tickets to Elton John’s concert in Chichen-Itza, one of the Seven Wonders of the World, and stay in a Beachfront Casita with views of the Caribbean and indulge in all that the Mandarin is known for – spas, pampering and privacy.

The “Sir Elton in Mexico” package includes:

  • Accommodations for four nights in a Beachfront Casita with an infinity pool and rooftop terrace
  • Two VIP concert tickets to see Elton John perform in Chichen-Itza on April 3
  • Private chauffeured round-trip transfers to the concert where guests can enjoy a selection of premium wines and canapes
  • Pre-show party at Mandarin Bar, the hotel’s outdoor bar and lounge, with music from our resident DJ
  • Personal butler on 24-hour duty
  • Signature spa treatment per person to rejuvenate after the concert
  • Nightly turndown including tailor-made bath rituals with scents of exotic flowers and aromatherapy oils
  • One dinner for two at the award-winning Ambar restaurant with special six-course tasting menu prepared with sommelier wine selection and VIP seating
  • Full daily breakfast for two
  • A chilled bottle of Veuve Cliquot champagne with Beluga caviar

This daily pampering is more like a long-weekend of pampering, but the concept remains the same. This package is only valid from April 1-5, 2010. Who’s in?

Want more? Get your daily dose of pampering right here.

Daily Pampering: Mandarin Oriental’s Signature Spa Therapies

by Melanie Nayer on


Simple pleasures are a blessing. Some people indulge in food and wine, others treat themselves to uninterrupted beach time, and some head for a day at the spa. Earlier this week, my colleague Annie brought you the Cabana Pedicure at the Four Seasons and Tom followed with luxury shopping in Los Cabos. Today, I offer you this pampering pleasure: the Mandarin Oriental’s Signature Spa Therapies (MOSST).

It’s more than a massage and aromatherapy hour – the MOSST takes into consideration your current emotional, mental and physical state and applies specific techniques to your nearly two hours of pampering.

You start with a questionnaire (filled out while noshing on cucumber water and banana chips) that asks about everything from your sleeping habits to your current state of happiness (or lack thereof). The purpose is to get a sense of your current environment – what hurts, what’s off, what’s right, what’s left, etc. The answers you submit today might not be the same answers you submit a month from now, thus each treatment is created different.

A therapist arrives and brings you into a ‘treatment suite’, which is slightly bigger than the city apartment you’re dwelling in. The suites feature a bathtub, a shower, a massage table and a changing room, and each suite features various flowers and scented candles. Simply put: If tranquility had a home, it would live in this room. As the therapist reviews your current state of stability, you soak your feet in rose-petals and bubbles. The Chinese foot soak is a traditional way to start any Asian therapy treatment and for good reason– the foot soak helps release toxins from the entire body, forcing you into a more relaxed state of mind.

You’re then assigned one of the five Asian elements — fire, metal, earth, wood, or air — and asked to pick out varying scents for your treatment that yin-and-yang with your current mood. About an hour later, after a full massage, you’re walking on air and breathing a little easier.

The price for the entire consultation starts around $280 and varies based on your location (and currency exchange rates).

Get your daily dose of pampering right here.