HOW does a travel story start? I usually start mine with a story of “home.” The hotel, after all, is the first stop of every destination.
It’s where we drop our bags, do the mandatory bed and bath check, the compulsory selfie shot and social media posting hashtagged with “home for two days” before heading out to explore the area.
The recent trip to Bangkok was a diversion from the routine. A pleasant one, I will admit. Never in any of my travels abroad was I whisked from the lobby to the spa after a quick check-in with my luggage attended to.
There’s always a first time for everything and Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park made it happen.
I confess a spa treatment was what I needed after a day of traveling.
Arriving in Bangkok in the evening, flopping in bed would have been order, but the much-welcome delay only guaranteed a restful night ahead.
The dimly lit path to Marriott Marquis’ wellness locale is adorned with a big pond of water. Water is Quan Spa’s energy.
“Quan means ‘spring of water’. Water, the source of all life, can cleanse physically and spiritually. It represents all things good and pure, including health and wellness. At Quan Spa, we draw on these restorative qualities to provide a haven of calm, tranquility and wellness,” shared Nicha, the receptionist.
Nicha breezed me through the treatment essentials – welcome drink, the health questionnaire and preferences. This was the initial step to personalize my spa experience.
I was presented with the spa menu. The treatments, which blend Thai tradition with modern therapies, were categorized into the “Immerse,” the spa’s Thai take of the Japanese onsen, the mineral bath; “Touch,” the massage therapies which lists like Bespoke Herbal Harmony, Deep Renewal Massage and Thai Heritage Massage, among others; “Refresh,” a luxurious treatment that rejuvenates, detoxifies and re-hydrates the skin; “Caress” focuses on the facial treatments; and the “Spa Escapes” is the truly indulgent therapy for men and women which combines select treatments.
With a spa menu like Quan’s, it will be a dilemma for anyone to pinpoint one treatment. Everything offered was quite tempting to try.
But I stuck to my practice as first-time visitor to any spa—ask for the recommendation from the experts on how to treat my current condition or go for the signature massage. The spa’s signature massage is always my best bet. By experience, it presents the spa’s unique technique that can address a client’s need.
In the late hour, the spa’s signature ritual, which would take 180 minutes, was out of the question. Coming from a long journey, Nicha recommended the Deep Renewal massage, a massage therapy that will relieve tense muscles.
After selecting my preferred oil, I was introduced to Natty, my therapist, and she ushered me to a spacious private room with a separate tub and steam/shower room. I was to summon her back with a knock on my door after my pre-therapy preparations.
Natty described each component that went into my warm foot batch. After which, I was ready for my massage.
As the warm oil was poured on my back and Natty worked on my tense muscles with her hands and elbows, I knew it was going to be a restful hour ahead.
I fell into deep sleep.
Natty’s gentle nudge woke me up. The therapy was over and all signs of muscle tension were gone.
The “Touch” therapy did its wonders. The Deep Renewal Massage was indeed an effective treatment to boost my circulation and energy flow. It left me refreshed and back on the game. And my next game was slumber event.
I left one beautiful spot in the hotel and entered another. My room on the high floors with a view of the pool, the Benjasiri Park and the starry Bangkok sky were the perfect lullaby that drew me to sleep as my head and the fluffy pillows met.
Quan Spa is at Bangkok Marriott Marquis Queen’s Park in 199 Skhumvit Soi22, Klong Ton, Klong Toey, Bangkok, Thailand.
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