Ultimate indulgence ritual

Self-care is the buzzword for our era. Burning out is no longer cool – keeping balanced is. Doing it is not always easy however, unless you find yourself at Open Spa at Ibiza Gran Hotel. The pinnacle of Open Spa’s extensive treatment menu is the Ultimate Indulgence Ritual. The ritual starts from the very moment you’ve stepped over the threshold of this gorgeous, luxury hotel. Walking through the grand reception past the friendly faces of guest relations, bellboys and concierge into the golden light of the inner courtyard provides the first inkling of what is to come. Pure, luxurious and well-deserved indulgence.

As the doors swing open to the spa welcoming area, the eye is immediately drawn to the display of luxurious bottles and tubs of creams and serums but there’s plenty of time for that later. The ambience is gentle and immediately comforting. Before you’ve even been escorted to the changing rooms, the expert hands at this temple of wellness have taken you subtly into their care, guiding you towards some kind of spa nirvana. The Ultimate Indulgence Ritual commences with the spa’s signature Open Aqua experience. This heavenly water circuit is like a modern version of a Roman bathhouse; a vast hall of smooth lines and natural light with a choice of hydrotherapy pools and rooms that induce extreme feelings of pleasure. Take a sip of lemon or cucumber infused water, slip off the fluffy robe and into the waters. Your self-care is truly underway.

The Dynamic Pool is a good place to start with its variegated temperatures, swan neck jets, cascades and submerged spouts. Step through the shallow Way Kneipp pools for contrasting cold and hot. Follow this up with a spin in the Jacuzzi with its inbuilt bubbles bed before shocking the system into euphoria with the cold-water pool. Pass through the Swedish sauna, the Hamman, the salt inhalation room, the ice fountain and myriad choices of shower. As you recline on a heated day bed you’ll be gently reminded of the treatment to come. A therapist waits at the doors of the private treatment rooms with a big smile and an open face. The Ultimate Indulgence Ritual starts with a conversation about the condition of your skin and muscles. A row of Anne Semonin vials stand at the ready while the highly trained therapist explains which is ideal for your skin type. Open Spa at Ibiza Gran Hotel is the one and only location in Ibiza where you can try this globally-renowned luxury skincare brand and each unique product is both cutting edge and healing at the same time. The science is all there, but as far as you’re concerned… simply lie down and let your therapist work her magic.

There are few words to do the Ultimate Indulgence Ritual justice but let’s just say you deserve to have this experience. The back exfoliation that begins the process is the perfect summertime treatment to slough off dead skin and prepare you for the beach as you feel the years being wiped away to reveal glowing skin beneath. Select Anne Semonin body products are used, designed to improve the tone and elasticity of the skin while uplifting your mood at the same time. Then comes the rhythmic, hypnotic full body massage, again tailored to your specific skin and body needs and completely, utterly, out-of-this-world amazing. Promising flawless skin is a big claim but as the therapist begins the pièce de résistance, your Anne Semonin facial, the possibility becomes more apparent. At some point, you’ll lose track of the various uplifting, energising, tension releasing, circulation boosting, detoxifying, relaxing (and more) facial massage techniques and bespoke combination of specialised Anne Semonin serums being used. You’ll lose track of the present and slip into some kind of other world, one that is inhabited by clouds and a dreamlike atmosphere where the air is perfumed, but not overly, and the bed melts from under your body. And that’s totally ok. Remember, there’s time for all that later – right now, your job is to surrender to bliss.

The gentle voice of your therapist brings you back up from the dream world and somehow you float towards the relaxation room where she’ll lie you down, make you a herbal infusion and bring you a bowl of healthy snacks. As you lean back, warm slippers magically appear on your feet and a warm wheat pack over your shoulders. Apparently, it’s been a full 110 minutes since you entered the treatment room but time moves at a different pace here; in fact, it’s almost like time stands still. As for the flawless skin, Open Spa do not make promises they cannot keep. You’ll see a dramatically different glow in the mirror as you depart the changing room – skin is smoothed, plump, luminous and completely rejuvenated. Perhaps while time was standing still, your therapist was turning back the clock! At the same time, you experience a deep feeling of inner peace; of total relaxation. All in all, the Ultimate Indulgence Ritual at Open Spa is the kind of self-care that really matters – one that takes you out of yourself and puts you back together in the best possible way.