IT WAS AN EXPERIENCE IN FIRSTS during my recent trip to Bogotá, Colombia: my first visit to Colombia, my first time in South America, my first stay at a Grand Hyatt and my first Swedish massage — all at Zaitania Spa, the largest spa in Colombia, South America and the Caribbean, located on the third floor of the Grand Hyatt Bogotá.
After spending a couple of days at the hotel exploring the fitness center and joining a tour with the general manager, I was already familiar with Zaitania Spa before my appointment. The spa features 11 treatment rooms, including three designed for couples, a wide variety of therapies, massages and facials, a near-Olympic-sized pool with several smaller therapy pools, and a boutique offering high-end skincare and body products. The facilities stretch across the entire third floor, which explains why the new spa feels like a destination in its own right.
Locals can buy memberships and use a dedicated entrance and private locker cubby in the changing rooms, separate from hotel guests. Most visitors arrive early to find a locker, change into a robe and slippers, and spend time in the pool area before their treatment. I chose to finish some work in my room and skipped the pre-spa soak, saving the pool for another visit.
For my appointment, I wandered through the spa sampling the aromatherapy lotions while I waited. My masseur, Oscar, greeted me with a firm handshake and escorted me to the treatment room. He explained where everything was, offered small shorts and a top to wear, then left me to change and settle on the table.
After several days of walking around Bogotá, I booked a 50-minute Swedish massage — a perfect slot between work and dinner. Oscar returned about 10 minutes later, dimmed the lights and put on soothing music. The room filled with gentle scents of tangerine and vanilla, which were both calming and refreshing.
Treatment room © GRAND HYATT BOGOTÁ
The massage itself began with attention to my feet and legs, working one side and then the other. The therapist used a medium pressure overall — firmer on areas that needed deeper work, like my shoulders, and lighter on my arms and legs. I usually prefer a stronger, deep-tissue approach, but the treatment struck a comfortable balance: relaxing but effective.
One move stood out as unfamiliar but intriguing. Oscar positioned my arm behind my back with the elbow bent at a right angle and gently rocked my shoulder and arm side to side a few times. I believe the stretch was meant to loosen tight muscles; I didn’t notice an immediate change in tension there, but I did feel a subsequent release in my neck during the following stretches.
The therapist returned to focus on my shoulders and the base of my neck, where I’d carried the most tension, and finished with a soothing head massage. Near the end of the session I rolled over and spent a few minutes with a towel over my face while he applied light massage to my arms and the front of my legs. The music tapered off, and the treatment concluded quietly: Oscar packed up the sound system, thanked me and left me to get dressed.
Coming out of the session I felt more alert but relaxed — I had drifted close to sleep a few times. I noticed a floor-to-ceiling window covered by blackout curtains and wondered how different the experience would have been with sunlight streaming into the room. The bathroom was elegantly simple, with marble accents and a steam shower that tempted me to stay longer. The design and color palette were calming and understated, complementing the peaceful mood of the spa.
Before heading back to my room to change for dinner, I made a mental note to try the large pool and the therapy pools the next day. The entire visit left a strong impression: a professionally run spa with spa-grade products, thoughtful touches and experienced therapists, set within a luxurious hotel environment.
Zaitania Spa
Grand Hyatt Bogotá
Calle 24A, 57–60
Bogotá, Colombia 111321
tel 57 1 6541300
hyatt.com