In these booming days of spas, there are always going to be some wild and wacky treatments available all in the name of wellness. And the trends catch on quickly. Just a few years ago fish pedicures seemed unique but now it seems there's a school of flesh-nibbling carp in exposed tanks feasting on gnarled feet on every corner in Thailand. And decadent caviar or gold leaf treatments feature on every signature spa menu at five-star hotels. What's left to try? Here are some of the newest and incredibly unusual spa resorts and treatments available around the world.
Pan pipes, creeks flowing, birds chirping, Enya – the music played in spas never seems to have the charms to soothe the savage beast. Enter musician Debora Vonwiller who will play her violin live in the room while the masseuse gets to work during the Violin Touch treatment at Zurich's Dolder Grand hotel. Vonwiller believes vibrations from live music evoke a strong emotional response and deepen relaxation. You can choose from two 45-minute compositions – an Asian-inspired song or Soul Detox, a peaceful melody. See thedoldergrand.com.
Spending five minutes with five snails crawling across your face leaving a trail of slime might not be everyone's idea of a rejuvenator but a spa in Tokyo says the live molluscs' mucus contains anti-ageing antioxidants and proteins with the added bonus of removing dead skin. The facial is called Celebrity Escargot Course and is on offer at Ci:z.Labo in the Ebisu district of Tokyo. The snails are organically fed on greens and carrots and kept in a room set to 20 degrees. The spa also sells snail-slime extract cream. See ci-z.com/sp-esthetic/escalgo.
If there's going to be a Swarovski body bedazzling treatment available anywhere in the world, of course it has to be in Las Vegas. At Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino you can book in for a Crystal Body Art treatment which involves a full body cleanse and a scrub before a personalised consultation on the location and style of your chosen Swarovski body art. There's even a couples package for matching sparkles. If you choose to stay longer in the spa you might want to check out the Arctic Ice Room featuring falling snow. See caesarspalace.com.
Designed to look like a giant womb, the treatment room at the Corallium Spa at Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort in the Canary Islands has really been thought through. Dim lights, red drapes, red walls, lots of velvet, even the entrance to the womb room – modelled on the birth canal – features pink carpet. The hotel describes the music as "breathy", an attempt to recreate noises heard while in utero. Corallium Spa at Lopesan Costa Meloneras Resort, lopesan.com/en.
Weary midtown Manhattanites will soon have a super spa funpark in their own backyard with the opening of Premier 57 Spa Castle. Occupying three floors of a building on East 57th Street, Premier 57 is an "East meets West country club" modelled on a traditional Korean bathhouse. There's a lot to explore, In "Sauna Valley" you'll find a Himalayan-salt room, an Infrared Lounge and an Ice Igloo. There's a swim-up bar, a foot reflexology station, a neon-lit aromatherapy lounge and the curiously named Events Tub. There's even a chamber gilded in gold in this adults-only themepark. There's already a more family-friendly Spa Castle in Queens, New York, right near LaGuardia Airport. Premier 57 Spa Castle, New York, see spacastleusa.com/57.
The idea of an underwater treatment room among clownfish, stingrays and corals with just the sound of the Indian Ocean lapping against the glass walls sounds calming, provided you're not claustrophobic. Lime Spa in the Maldives claims to be the world's first underwater treatment space. They offer a signature 180-minute underwater experience including a massage and an application of Anne Semonin's Radiance Ice Cubes. Following the massage, you'll retire to the relaxation pod and sip tea while enjoying the aquatic view. Take it a step further by getting in the water while underwater by stepping into Lonu Veyo, a salt-water floatation pool using minerals found in the Indian Ocean. See huvafenfushi.peraquum.com/lime-spa/.
Imagine lying face down on a massage table as a python is plonked down near your nethers, another at your feet, and then another weaving its way up your spine towards your head. At the Bali Heritage Reflexology and Spa in Jakarta you can choose to undergo this treatment. They say that the movement of the snakes and the adrenaline triggered by extreme fear has a positive impact on the one's metabolism. The spa also offers tickling therapy, without the snakes, and a gorilla massage session. See balifootspa.com.
Forget hot stone therapy, you can now opt for hot golf balls instead. At Abu Dhabi's Atarmia Spa in Park Hyatt, Saadiyat Island you can book in for a 90-minute deep-tissue Quiro Golf massage. Balls are warmed with menthol and rolled over tired muscles. Other hotels are beginning to offer a similar treatment but this is the pick as there is a golf course next door at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club for more relaxation. See abudhabi.park.hyatt.com.
There are hot and cold treatments but Haikoo spa in Porvoo, Finland has taken it to another level with the Super Cold Treatment. The experience involves sitting in an icebox cooled at -110degrees for a few minutes in a bathing suit with mittens, earmuffs and felt footwear. While it's said to release stress, aid sleep and boost the immune system, the treatment can also be risky – stay any longer than the requisite time and you'll risk hypothermia and death. See haikko.fi/en.
We've all read that a glass of wine can actually be good for your health so it makes sense that immersing your body in a barrel of red wine just might have some benefits. At the Spa de Vinotherapie Caudalie south of Bordeaux in France, they claim the experience strengthens the blood and promotes youthfulness. While you're there, you can explore the terroir of the vineyards before embarking on a merlot wrap or a cabernet body scrub. The treatments are so popular they have now been introduced to hotels as The Plaza, New York and Marques de Riscal in Bilbao, Spain. See sources-caudalie.com.
