'Do you like The Beatles?" is one of the first questions Maribel asks me during our consultation before the treatment starts. "Well, even if you don't, you don't have a choice. You'll just have to listen to it anyway," she quips.
This question is a disconcerting one and also completely unexpected, especially when we're standing on spa grounds. For those who must stifle a yawn at the mere mention of spas, let me get this out: LUSH Spa involves none of the lotus decor motif, spiritual "green" music, lemongrass tea (blegh) or welcome foot soaks that usually follow suit with Thai spas. Not that the latter is a bad thing, but if all that sounds like old hat and you're looking for something that's a little more far-out, the LUSH Spa branch at Hong Kong is a remarkably unusual encounter just a short flight away.
For an eco-conscious beauty brand known for its eye-popping, colourful rainbow array of products that are usually packaged in solid black containers and all aesthetics pertaining to striking, graphic fonts, I was itching to know what its spa incarnation would look like. Turns out you have to get to the spa through the LUSH store, which is situated in Soho Square. Maribel is keen that it's a little secretive and unseen to the unknowing eye, as visitors must go to the second floor of the store to take a private elevator that takes them up to the higher floors, where the spa is located.
LUSH Spa is situated in the heart of Hong Kong.
When the elevator doors open, you are greeted with a fluorescent sign with "LUSH SPA" in bold letters, but set against the interiors of an English country home. It's most welcome, especially when you're tired of whitewashed spaces and places pretending to be Marrakesh. After searching for the LUSH store amid Hong Kong's dizzying, sky-touching towers, it's an instantly warming getaway to step into -- an environment I should have suspected, considering that LUSH originated in Britain.
When a guest books a treatment, they will usually have the floor to themselves, which typically consists of a kitchen-like consultation room, the treatment room and bathroom. All is decorated with wood boards and authentic furniture that evokes the feel of a cottage -- the old-school books, vintage knick-knacks and wildflowers scattered everywhere help transport you to a cosy home in England, even though you are in the heart of one of the most bustling cities in the world.
While sipping on lemon-infused water at the kitchen, Maribel thoroughly asks me about my previous injuries and concerns, aside from the unusual questions on my artist preferences. In one of their signature treatments, Hard Days Night, I will be in for a full-body massage, infused with passive yoga stretches to relax and strengthen the body.
The treatment itself may not sound out of the ordinary, but the setting is what makes it fun. I change into striped, flannel pyjamas and above my bed are the hippy, trippy words "Let it be", projected onto the ceiling throughout the whole 75min. Save for that, the treatment room is dark and I am on a hazy cloud dozing off to Liverpool instead of, well, actual sleep.
Do it The Beatles way: Let it be.
Instead of dulling, spiritual tunes, I am intrigued to hear reworked Beatles classics, which Maribel presses points in sync to. Getting your body parts massaged and legs jiggled according to the beats of A Hard Day's Night, Here Comes The Sun and There's A Place is not exactly conducive to falling asleep, but it's an enriching spa experience if you aren't feeling slouchy. If you've ever had that weird need to listen to music and dance but at the same time feel too lazy to move, this option will have you feeling both refreshed and rested, as you teeter between sleep and getting stretched. Fans of the band will definitely love how the treatment is choreographed according to 17 different folksy, retuned songs, all of which can be bought as a CD at the LUSH store downstairs.
The winning element, however, is how skilled my lovely Spanish therapist is. The massage is all-encompassing to another level and irons out all the tight muscles in every single inch of one's body -- even at the side of the buttocks, which no one ever cares about. At the same time, yoga beginners will feel fantastic while doing stretches you'd probably not get to do by yourself. You're just lying there but will feel accomplished anyway, as Maribel does most everything for you. When that's all over, the therapist will let you catch a few zzzs before you are to change out of your jammies to enjoy some post-massage treats.
Namely, this means moving to another floor, where the kitchen is situated next to a leafy, balcony garden that lets in an abundance of natural light. The sight of the beautiful foliage and bright sunlight almost feels like being reborn, especially after being in such a dark and dimly lit room for most of the time. Earl Grey tea and jam cookies are served, and for those who have picked the Hard Days Night treatment, a bath bomb that you can unwind to later is a lovely souvenir to go home with.
This is a don't-miss if you love the Fab Four, but even those who aren't necessarily fans (like myself) will enjoy the innovative and sensual experience. I am already looking forward to my next visit after reading up on other treatments, which include bath and sea-themed pressure massages that involve blue lights and a sea of dried-ice smoke. It's a fantastic thing that a LUSH Spa in Bangkok is in the works (fingers crossed for 2020), so you don't have to fly to the ones in Hong Kong, Tokyo, Seoul, the UK, France, Spain or Brazil. When it does, it will definitely be an occasion to twist and shout.
For now, the closest LUSH Spa to visit is at Soho Square, 21 Lyndhurst Terrace, Central, Hong Kong. The Hard Days Night Treatment is HK$1550 (6,500 baht). Visit hk.lush.com/spa.
