I wondered after a visit to The Spa at Mandarin Oriental in San Francisco if it was possible to feel more welcome upon arriving for a spa appointment. Walking into the front desk area, I was soothed by the contemporary Asian design, featuring soft lighting and exquisite works of Asian art on the walls. The spa attendant who greeted me graciously offered me a delicious cup of herbal tea and then brought a tray for my shoes, put slippers on my feet and showed me to my very own spa suite.
With a spacious, full bathroom and cozy lounge chair, the spa suite is offered to guests as a place to relax in private after their treatments. Twenty minutes of “spa time” is included with every spa treatment to lounge, shower and sip tea as a soothing transition back to the “real world”.
After changing into a robe, I met my aesthetician, Jennifer, who was scheduled to give me the Mandarin’s Signature Custom Facial. I was impressed with how Jennifer took the time to explain to me in detail what she noticed about my skin and what she would do in the facial to help correct this. She had many helpful recommendations for me about skin care, yet was careful not to spend too much of our facial time talking, allowing me to relax and soak in the effects of the facial itself.
Her expertise came through in every aspect of the facial, I think I even fell asleep when she was doing extractions as I hardly even noticed them and was pleased to see that post-facial I had no tell tale “extraction marks”. The Aromatherapy Associates products used during the facial are as natural as can be and meet all my standards for green beauty: paraben, Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, Petrolatum, and Propylene Glycol free. They are not tested on animals and they even source ingredients that are free of genetically modified organisms. Best of all, the Aromatherapy Associates products are based on high quality essential oils, drawing on the healing power of flowers for their skin improving benefits.
Post-facial I took a long shower using the Aromatherapy Associates bath products and enjoyed another cup of tea on the comfortable lounge in the suite. Besides the private spa suite, the Spa also offers a tea lounge, where guests can rest and sip tea after their spa suite time is over.
The Spa at Mandarin Oriental offers a full menu of spa treatments, including several different types of massage, body scrubs and more.
222 Sansome Street, San Francisco, CA 94104, USA +1 (415) 276 9888
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