A Luxurious Way to Start the Holiday Season

The couples suite at The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental. Photo courtesy of Mandarin Oriental.

I had the great luck of previewing the Mandarin Oriental Boston’s new, seasonal Frankincense Massage Ritual at their beautiful spa. The hotel is lush in itself, but the spa is a wonderful departure from the hectic hustle and bustle outside. I arrived 30 minutes early to take advantage of the 16,000-square-foot spa’s facilities including the Quart crystal steam room, bathing suit optional vitality pool, and the relaxation lounge where your spa therapist greets you. When you first arrive at the spa they invite you to take a seat while they check you in and exchange your shoes for slippers. They also offer you hot tea and a warm hand towel before showing you into the changing rooms and giving you a toiletry kit with toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, and a razor. After changing into a soft robe, I grabbed a towel and ducked first into the steam room, alternating between that and the nearby ice fountain before finishing with a quick dunk into the vitality pool. I then headed into the lounge where sofa-like chairs are fitted with blankets for your comfort and a table held dried fruit, pumpkin seeds, almonds, tea, water, and fruit. My therapist, Kenny, showed me to one of the nine treatment rooms and I took a seat in the comfortable lounger as he started to explain the essence of the 80-minute treatment. I was intrigued that the ritual focused heavily on the feet and scalp, and as someone who loves having her head touched I was excited. The first step in the ritual was the foot treatment with sea salt, Mandarin Oriental's signature Quintessence oil and calendula from Cape Cod. Kenny gentle washed my feet with the water and dried them before excusing himself so I could settle onto the massage bed on my stomach. Kenny wrapped my feet in warm paraffin wax before using long, gentle strokes on my back with AromatherapyAssociates’ De-Stress Mind Body Oil made with wild chamomile, frankincense, and petitgrain oils. The scent was mild, but I was able to catch the frankincense, which having been raised going to church and spending a lot of time in them when I was living in Italy, was warm and nostalgic.  After I was sufficiently relaxed he had me turn over so he could work on my scalp. This, to me, was the best part of the treatment and I came close to sleep a few times. I very much enjoyed that my head, feet, and back were focused on and I could feel it when my treatment was over. As usual I felt relaxed and settled, but most interestingly to me, I felt longer and lithe. At just over five feet tall I welcome any opportunity to feel elongated. The treatment runs December 1-31, and costs $215 on weekdays and $235 on weekends.