While I doubt this will win me any sympathy, I must confess: it can be hard to fully relax during a treatment when I’m covering a spa for an article. My mind keeps drafting and redrafting the piece as the therapist works, which is exactly what happened as my spa technician at The Peninsula Beverly Hills wrapped my body in Mylar. I found myself thinking, “How do I describe the sensation of crinkling like a birthday balloon?”
To begin at the start of a decadent afternoon: I scheduled my appointment at the end of my Los Angeles stay so I could finish the business of the trip before indulging. It gave me the chance to arrive at the spa calm and settled, a peaceful interlude before my evening flight back East.
I stayed at The Peninsula Beverly Hills and was pampered from arrival to departure, both inside and outside The Peninsula Spa. Located on the hotel’s upper level, the spa sits beside the rooftop dining area, pool and fitness center. After changing, I explored the locker room and checked out the sauna, steam room and hot tub. When I was ready, an attendant led me to the serenity lounge, where water and light snacks are offered. I read Marie Claire while relaxing on a white-cushioned lounger until my therapist, Heather, escorted me to one of seven treatment rooms.
Although I didn’t try them on this visit, The Peninsula Spa is notable for being the first hotel spa in North America to offer treatments using Shiffa precious gem oils. These gem-infused oils, believed to have restorative properties, are featured in treatments such as the Precious Sapphire, Precious Ruby, Precious Emerald and Precious Diamond massages, the Gemstone Revival scrub and massage, and the Shiffa Gemstone Facial. The spa’s broad menu also includes massages, scrubs, hand and foot treatments, wraps and personal fitness sessions.
Given the variety, it was nearly impossible to choose. After some indecision, I selected the Moroccan Espresso Mud Wrap — my first body wrap experience — drawn by the fact that it included a scrub and finished with a full-body massage.
The treatment began with a spritz of Lavender Honey Balancing Mist by Naturopathica Holistic Health. The mist, designed to hydrate the skin and calm the mind, features lavender angustifolia flower water created by steam-distilling the flower’s essential oils.
Heather followed with an Espresso Mud Body Scrub. I enjoy the abrasive sensation of a scrub: its briskness contrasts beautifully with the later gentleness of a massage. The espresso mud scent filled the room in an unexpectedly pleasant way; despite ingredients that don’t suggest sweet florals — coffee Arabica, black silt clay, volcanic pumice, Indian tobacco, Indian sarsaparilla and shea butter — the shea softened the muskiness with a creamy undertone.
Then came the Mylar. I had pictured a softer, quieter cocoon, but the Mylar blanket was crunchy and surprisingly loud. Every tiny movement made a crinkling sound, and while Heather tucked me in snugly, I lay still and a little sweaty beneath the balloon-like sheet. The sensation was mildly claustrophobic; I was relieved when Heather released me. Still, the results were clear: after rinsing in the treatment room shower, my skin felt noticeably velvety.
The massage that followed was excellent. Heather used just the right pressure, lingering on the tense area between my shoulder blades and giving focused attention to my hands and feet — two areas I always wish therapists would spend more time on.
The Peppermint Foot & Body Cream used during the massage added another layer of scent to the room. Its sharp peppermint aroma balanced the earlier floral and musky notes. Key ingredients included peppermint essential oil for soothing aches, arnica extract to help reduce swelling, tea tree oil and wheat germ oil with lecithin and vitamins to relieve dry skin.
When Heather left the room I reclined on the table for a few extra moments. I usually hop up and rush out after treatments, but that day I lingered, savoring the richness of the experience. It wasn’t perfectly tranquil — the Mylar had interrupted the serenity — yet the treatment delivered tangible benefits from the first mist to the final stroke. I floated through the rest of the day feeling lighter and refreshed.
The Peninsula Beverly Hills
9882 S. Santa Monica Blvd.
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
tel 310 551 2888