Even in Milan time he has chosen a place where to stop. It has chosen well, I might add. After searching in every corner of the city, time, tired of the noise and traffic, decided to go up to the sixth floor of the Excelsior Hotel Gallia, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Milan. And there, in the Shiseido SPA Milan, it found peace.
The wonderful SPA, which opened last year in May, is the only one in Italy with the famous Shiseido name, and with its area of over 1000 square meters, it is the largest in Milan. The space is developed around the Japanese concept of Omotenashi, which expresses the desire to involve guests in a regenerating sensory experience, unique and unforgettable. To pamper myself with such experience, I decided to book the Journey of Refinement treatment: an exfoliating ritual and a subsequent toning massage, for the total duration of 90 minutes. Ideal for those who, like me, want to enjoy a precious moment by themselves.
When I arrived in front of Excelsior Hotel Gallia, I felt like I was Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman: catapulted into a world of luxury and wonder, I immediately felt the part. At the entrance, majestic and beautiful, I learned how to get to the SPA. To reach the elevator, I went through a long corridor, where light shone enchanting reflections on the marble floor: imagining myself walking in this space felt magical. I am that kind of person who struggles to relax: my mind is always flooded with thoughts and ideas, I am always looking for new involvements and incentives, with the risk of being unable to stop, never able to regain possession of myself. Well, after an afternoon at the Shiseido Spa, I felt much closer to myself, my feelings, what I really want and which direction is worth taking.
Every gesture within the SPA is accomplished with professionalism, calm and delicate elegance. Each word is pronounced almost touching silence and slowing breath. Each space gives a sense of balance and harmony, celebrating the perfect integration between the elements in marble, glass, steel and platinum. While in the SPA for a treatment, it is allowed to spend all the time you want exploring the different spaces: sauna, turkish bath, relaxation room, swimming pool… my favorite place remains the salt room, where the temperature is ideal to surrender to complete relaxation.
The most special moment of the whole experience took place at the end of treatment, when my therapist invited me to sit down in the calidarium for the tea ritual. The caldarium is a small marble space, in an almost-circular shape, of which walls emanate warmth. Listening to the background music and sipping the delicious orange tea, I felt as if I lacked nothing: I was there, in touch with myself, and I had everything I needed.