Montcalm Hotel Spa, London
No chocolate for Lent didn't stop Fiona Wilson from trying a chocolate body wrap in the hope for smoother skin and fewer cravings
USP Put visions of melted Dairy Milk bars out of your mind; the cocoa and paraffin wax mixture that is smeared over your body is not for eating. There was a novelty value attached to the idea of being covered in chocolate, but I was dubious about what benefits I would gain from it. Nor was I certain that this was the way to beat temptation. However, the treatment claimed to harness the “hydrating properties of cocoa” and the “exfoliating qualities of natural sugars”, so I was promised glowing skin afterwards.
A quick search for “chocolate body wraps” on Google showed me that it is quite the rage at the moment, with spas around the city offering the treatment. At £85, Montcalm appears to be offering a typically priced experience.
Ambience Well-clad guests spin through the ever-revolving door of the bustling hotel but the spa facilities, which located beneath ground level, exude calm, quiet, relaxed sophistication. The Montcalm Hotel, which is a short walk away from Park Lane, has only recently introduced a spa to its facilities. As I pad along the long corridors in my Montcalm-branded slippers and fluffy white robe, I spot just one other person using the spa’s facilities, which include a tidal flow exercise pool, a monsoon shower that pours 50 litres of water over you per minute. It is free to use for guests, with visitors needing to pay a small premium to use the facilities. On a quiet day, this would be good value for money.
Quality of experience My treatment takes place in a couples’ room, with the spare bed used to balance the tray of oils and salts that will be used today. The rooms are low lit, clean and simple. When I lie down, the lights are brought even lower and I’m asked if the temperature of the room is suitable. I barely notice the music in the background, and there are no other noises to distract me.
The session begins with a brief consultation with Lauren, my beauty therapist. She asks me about problem skin areas, though she doesn’t follow up on how the treatment might improve them. Once my medical history and expectations have been recorded, she talks me through what will happen today. Everything is explained clearly and methodically, so nothing comes as a surprise.
By my bed is a tub of melted chocolate goo, which is the cocoa and paraffin wax mixture, that warms slowly. Before it is applied, I am given a salt scrub to exfoliate and prepare my skin for the treatment. Although this is a firm treatment, the combination of the smell of chocolate, the low lights and the knowledge that this was doing my body some good helped to clear my mind and I felt as though I could fall asleep.
Once this stage was completed, Lauren began placing towels around the sides of the bed. The chocolate wrap, I am told, is the messiest treatment they offer. She scoops globs of the chocolate and paraffin wax mixture into a bowl to cool for a few seconds before lifting them out and smoothing them over me. It stings a bit at first, partly from the temperature – it is on the hot side, even when she turns down the temperature – and partly from the salt, which is catching any cuts and scrapes. Once the mixture has been applied, I am swaddled in warm towels while we wait for the wrap to dry. In the meantime, I am given an Indian head massage. By this stage, I am warm, relaxed and I feel pampered.
Afterwards Lauren begins to peel off the chocolate in long layers. I take a shower to get rid of the remnants of the mixture before I am moisturised. A trail of chocolate follows me from the bed to the shower, and I keep finding bits stuck to me, which is frustrating. What makes up for this are the immediate effects the treatment has had on my skin: it is soft and smooth, and I feel cleansed – something I didn’t expect – and de-stressed. Any dry patches of skin that were there before have now gone.
A couple of days after the treatment, my skin is still noticeably softer than it was before, though the effects are wearing off rapidly. It’s a high-maintenance treatment. I’ve been told that if I moisturise regularly, I can expect to feel the benefits for a week or so.
Many guests who have had the treatment have said they wish they had booked a massage afterwards, but there are many other relaxing post-treatment options at the spa, from heated loungers to saunas and steam rooms.
In-crowd If the guests milling about the lobby were anything to go by, you can expect the spa’s regular clientele to be well-to-do 30 and 40-somethings, stressed business executives and tourists.
Food Tempting though it may be, you can’t eat the chocolate concoction that is being spread over your body. However, if the rich smell of warm chocolate proves too much of a temptation, you could book yourself in for the Montcalm Chocolate Indulgence afternoon tea, which includes a decadent hot chocolate with scones, a gianduja and praline chocolate slice and a Swiss white chocolate and mandarin tartlet. This costs £23.50 per person.
Wallet watch £85 for a 60-minute treatment
Need to know: The Montcalm Hotel, 34-40 Great Cumberland Place, London, W1H 6BP (www.montcalm.co.uk)
Writers name
Fiona Wilson, Times Online 05-03-2010
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