Chardonnay and champagne oil treatments at new Le Spa Four Seasons Hotel George V, Paris

A regal Paris retreat

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The spa at the Four Seasons Hotel, George V is a godsend when you want a bit of time-out from the busy streets of Paris. The morning after our epic meal at Le Cinq, we were still feeling full and a bit bleary eyed from the cocktail of fantastic food and wine we’d consumed the night before. So we skipped breakfast and headed down to the tranquil spa to ease ourselves into the day – and (hopefully) work off some of those indulgences with a few laps of the pool.

The pool area is gorgeous and I felt a sense of déjà vu when we downed towels onto our pool loungers beside painted murals, opulent cornicing and a ceiling painted like a sky of fluffy clouds. If I remember correctly, the spa at The Four Seasons Sydney – where I visited in 2011) has the same chic design. Either way, as we swam lengths of the pool and dipped into the hot bubbling Jacuzzi, we felt our bleariness lift. Plus, there was no one else with us, so it was blissfully quiet.

As I say, if you don’t want to face traffic and crowds of people on the Champs-Élysées, the Spa at the Four Seasons, George V will instil calm in the most stressed of people.

After pressing LG in the elevator, we emerged into a serene reception where the staff were as smiley and attentive as they are in the rest of the hotel. Yet they spoke in calm and hushed tones which I think is paramount in setting the tone in a luxury spa. First impressions were amazing. Like I’ve said before, the welcome you get across the Four Seasons, in my opinion, is always so warm and really adds to the experience.

After a tour of the amenities, Mr C and I went into our respective changing rooms where you will find thick toweling robes, sturdy flip flops, and all the shampoos, conditioners, body lotions and toiletries you will ever need (they use Sodashi range). Plus, you’ll find Parlux hairdryers and a fridge stocked with Little Miracles drinks.

In each of the men’s and women’s changing rooms, you’ll also find a steam room and (very hot) sauna where I completely zoned out underneath the twinkly lights that fill the sauna ceiling. There are also large shower areas and lockers to stow your belongings. I noticed they were constantly being checked and cleaned by staff, so everything looked immaculate and never out of place.

While Mr C did some more swimming and relaxing, I went for my appointment. I was booked in for an Energising Parisien Experience and I COULD. NOT. WAIT.

As expected, the whole experience across the Spa at the Four Seasons is orchestrated with precision.

I allowed myself enough time to unwind in the relaxation room to start with. It has four day beds covered in soft giant cushions and each surrounded by luxurious white curtains. There are also chairs with footstools, chilled water, dried fruit and my favourite – the Four Seasons ginger tea, which I couldn’t get enough of. The room is filled with just the right glow of light and the walls are covered in beautiful grey illustrated wallpaper. By the time Eric, my therapist, walked in to greet me, I had been able to unwind and clear my thoughts.

The consultation form that he handed me asked the all important question: ‘What do you want to get out of this massage?’ There were three boxes – which if I remember correctly – were relaxation, energy and stress relief (or similar). Of course, I ticked all three and sheepishly handed it back to Eric. ‘If that’s possible,’ I joked. Perhaps I was asking too much.

Personally, I swear by deep tissue massages and I think it’s the only way you can truly sort out serious knots and built-up tension. Very soon, I’ll be sharing my stories of the authentic Thai massages but for healing and deep relaxation and lasting effects, a deep-tissue treatment like the Energising Parisien Experience is the answer.

And I’m not exaggerating. This massage really impressed me. People write online spa reviews every day and sometimes, it can be hard to differentiate between which spas really are the best, because they tend to blend into the same ‘it was nice, it was relaxing’ kind of descriptions.

The best way I can explain this massage was that Eric, the therapist, had clearly worked on oodles of clients, to the point where he almost had an innate ability to detect problem areas. Using acupressure point stimulation, he pinpointed built-up tension and then expertly applied pressure to help ‘dissolve’ the strains. In between this, he used strong, sweeping techniques to really warm the muscles and work on knots. He used surprising stretches, like pulling my arm behind my head whilst simultaneously massaging it, and all the extra luxurious details were there, such as the chime of miniature cymbals to start the treatment and placing multiple hot towels on my back before massaging my front.

To counteract the deeply relaxing deep-tissue techniques, he applied vigorous ‘tapotement’ style tapping to energise and awaken the body. Put simply, this massage had some serious welly. I felt like my body had had a top to toe MOT and had been forced out of its habitual state of tension. As Eric said, I had a ‘two-stone weight on my shoulders.’

After relaxing some more in the lovely room (where I could have retreated to all day), it was ready to face the world (there’s also a gorgeous public area where you can peruse the newspapers, order food and get light refreshments). After thanking my therapist once again for one of the most amazing treatments I’d ever had, I asked him to remind me of his full name.

Then me and Mr. C went to the rooftop for afternoon tea time and enjoying magnificient view over Paris city and Eiffel Tower...

And Rose champage and caviar for apero didn't hurt...

I left the spa at the Four Seasons with some gorgeous spa goodies and feeling, funnily enough, relaxed, energised and free of stress.

Until next time x

Thank you to the spa at The Four Seasons Hotel George V Paris for the Energising Parisian Experience which costs 195 EUR for 50 minutes and 260 EUR for 80 minutes. Huge thank you also for the bag of goodies, including the Swiss Perfection Montreaux Cellular Facial Treatment set, and Carita facial creams. All opinions here, including that Eric has healing superpowers, are my own.

For more information on the Four Seasons Spa, visit the Spa website, follow the hotel on twitter, Facebook, Pinterest, Google + and instagram.

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