Paris, July 09, 2009 ? Sofitel Luxury Hotels have chosen the symbolic date of July 14 ? Bastille Day in France ? to launch their new So SPA by Sofitel concept in London and Marseille.
Sofitel has gone for the option of open spaces to create areas of conviviality and exchange.
Therapy at So Spa by Sofitel is presented in a way similar to the menu of a French gourmet restaurant, another area of Sofitel-style excellence.
Les Entr?es (Starters), lasting 30 minutes, are designed for busy urbanites looking for rest and relaxation after a busy day.
Les Plats Principaux (Main Courses) and Les Desserts take an hour and feature body massages, facials, hot-stone massages and other delights intended to nourish the body and soul.
So SPA by Sofitel has also designed its own range of therapy products, So Exhilarating and So Rejuvenating, exclusive treatments enhanced by Sofitel music played on So SPA iPods to create a unique experience.
All the massage tables boast a version of the celebrated Sofitel MyBed, featured in all Sofitel Luxury Hotels and now converted for spa therapy for optimal comfort and perfect relaxation.
So SPA at Sofitel London St James In creating So SPA at Sofitel London St James, the brand is placing its central London hotel fairly and squarely inside the British capital?s spa world. This first So SPA by Sofitel has teamed up with two undisputed beauty experts and ambassadors of French cosmetology in its most sophisticated form, Carita and Cinq Mondes.
It will also be the very first opening for Cinq Mondes in the UK.
Set inside the former head office of Cox’s & King’s bank, an historic building in the district of St James, the establishment oozes classic British elegance colored by a zest of French-style hospitality specific to Sofitel.
The menu also features a few exclusive therapies such as Petit D?jeuner Bonne Tenue for business travelers with little time to spare, whose suits are pressed and shoes polished while they make good use of the sports room and steam-bath. Martinis & Manucures, Pintes & P?dicures and Scrunch (a scrub version of the brunch) are other amusing variations on the traditional spa theme.
Meeting up and creating ties? two philosophies placed at the heart of the So SPA experience.
In true British style, patrons meet at the spa?s Tea Bar, a social venue for enjoying a cup of tea along with a French macaroon while indulging in a manicure or pedicure.
For people keen to develop their Zen-inspired interior cool, the Tea Bar reserves a relaxation corner in a mezzanine, a real sanctuary of peace and quiet to refresh the mind and soul.
To deliver another quintessentially British experience, London?s first SPA majordomos are assigned with assuring the constant excellence of service standards.
Majordomos welcome visitors as they arrive, supervise the initial consultation and propose made-to-measure service by way of a multitude of small details.
For instance the choice of music, composed especially for So SPA, depending on the mood and preferred therapy, the selection of
essential oils and scents diffused in the therapy room, room temperature, a selection of teas to enjoy after the therapy and a choice of pillows.
After therapy, the English-style tea ceremony at So SPA enables guests to choose their favorite tea from a selection containing the most appropriate virtues: a sweet anti-fatigue blend or a nourishing infusion.
To prolong the ceremony at home, guests are invited to choose the bath infusion they prefer from the five on offer.
In addition to the 5 therapy booths, including a twin model, the area features a traditional.
Turkish steam-bath, Dornbracht RainSky showers for aromatherapy and a private relaxation pool (Astorina).
Also available at So SPA are manicure and varnish products from the French brand O.P.I. with a range of colors sporting evocative names like You Don?t Know Jacques, I?m Fondue Of You, A Oui Bit of Red and Tickle My France-y!
Last but not least, guests at the Sofitel London St James can also enjoy the new So FIT fitness center: 100 m2 offering the very finest equipment and most notably the very original AlphaSphere by Sha, a multi-dimensional experience space that consists of a play on
sound, light, warmth and movements ? combining a unique quality of in-depth relaxation with vivifying and energizing effects.
So SPA at Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port
A second So SPA by Sofitel will be unveiled at the Sofitel Marseille Vieux Port.
At the very heart of the old fortifications of Marseille, the finest address in France?s city of the south will open its So SPA in an area of 600 m2 wholly dedicated to wellness and beauty.
In addition to the So FIT fitness center, enhanced by a relaxation pool, relaxation beach, sauna and steam bath, the So WELL area will feature a ?duo? therapy suite with sea-view, 3 private therapy rooms and a private sun-deck with the old port providing the panorama.
Aside from signature therapies, the Carita brand will administer its unique know-how by way of totally original therapies combined with exceptional products, for example the made-tomeasure renewal facial care adjusted to each skin?s own needs: replenishing cool care, soothing pampering care, delicious nourishing care or matifying balancing care.
Sofitel Luxury Hotels will continue to roll-out the So SPA concept worldwide with a number of openings scheduled for the months and years ahead in Rabat (Morocco), Vienna, Bahrain, Abu Dhabi, Mumbai, Mauritius and Bangkok.