Go on, indulge yourself

When we were offered this extraordinary treat from The Square Boutique Hotel & Spa in Umhlanga, we couldn’t believe our luck. Wow, what an invitation.

Staffers Claire Veitch, Sam Bird and I took up the offer on a Monday, and it was, we agreed, the most amazing way to start a week. At the luxurious and tranquil rooftop Spa, the smiling team, headed up by owner Jenny Pillay, ushered us through to our treatment rooms for the start of the most divine three hours we’d ever experienced. (Jenny and her attorney/developer husband Vejan are well known in the area).

Pictured above: (back) Claire Veitch, Sam Bird and Peta Lee with (front) Sindi, Justina and Mbali.

A full body exfoliating scrub, followed by a moisturising/hydrating algae wrap (during which we were securely wrapped up in clingfilm, like stuffed chickens!): after about 20 minutes, during which time the thick moisturising product was absorbed into our skins, it was wiped off and we climbed into big square steaming Jacuzzis for a Thalgo “Ocean Experience”, a sea bath to replenish and revitalise the skin. Ah, bliss. Lying back, totally relaxed, nibbling on fresh fruit kebabs and sipping iced water . . .

See picture gallery below

Claire and Sam, by the way, had Indian head massages while their body wraps were on, but I opted for a hand massage instead . . .

The cherry on the top was the wonderfully rejuvenating facial at the end. Interestingly, our entire pampering experience introduced us to a top-of-the-range product range called Thalgo, a French marine algae-seaweed based product: Thalgo, found only in the most exclusive and upmarket spas.

All three of us are now completely converted, and two of us have already booked our next facials . . . you have no idea how soft and smooth our faces, and limbs, for that matter, were, after the day’s experience.

Oh, and if you aren’t totally drooling with envy yet, we were also treated to an eat-whatever-you-like luncheon at the Cosmopolitan Restaurant at this swish city hotel.

Now read: Top Chef for The Square

Wonderfully helpful and friendly staff, with a menu that is so delectable, so hard to choose from, you might choose to do what we did: order a variety of dishes and share. Perfect! The ginger calamari was perfectly grilled (the sauce divine), the chicken wrap like no other chicken wrap we’ve ever tasted, the stuffed chicken breast out of this world . . . and as for the afters, death by decadence doesn’t even sum it up! Banana toffee cheesecake – oh wow! – and then there was an Amoretto crème brulee which was simply amazing. –  Peta Lee

Green with envy? Phone Jenny and her Aqua Spa team at 031 566 4562