With a cleaning service in my apartment, and the temperature in NYC dropping by the hour, I found myself desperately seeking refuge* from the cold on Tuesday. But, where to go?
My suburban instinct told me to find an indoor mall asap, so I went to the only one I know of in New York- the Time-Warner Center. The only catch: I'd forgotten, for a moment, that everyone's out doing their holiday shopping. I quickly realized my mistake (it was a mad house!), and walked right back into the cold. Sigh.
Then, just as I turned the corner to find a cab, I found myself right in front of The Mandarin Oriental Hotel. Fate is a fabulous thing, isn't it? I went up straight up to the 35th floor and defrosted over a lovely lunch (the view is amazing up there)... it was perfect.
I still had a bit of time left to kill after my meal, so I popped into their Spa to see if they had a manicure appointment available. Lucky for me, there was a spot open right away (there are only two chairs) and I got an amazing manicure by a lovely woman named Cecelia. The entire treatment was customized with therapeutic scents, a chroma-therapy reading, as well as Thai massage. After the manicure, Cecelia lead me to their 'Relaxation Room', where the city truly meets serenity. The room has a wonderful view and a comfy bed to rest in while your nails dry. Now that's a proper manicure; It should be always be a treat, not a chore.
The only thing that was a bit off with my experience was that I was told at the spa reception desk that the manicure I was about to receive involved hot stones, paraffin, etc., but was given an entirely different manicure which didn't include either. The one I ended up having instead was fantastic anyway, but I was expecting what had been initially described to me, so I was a bit confused for the majority of my treatment. Aside from that little glitch, this spa couldn't have been a more tranquil, or elegant, environment and I'll definitely visit again soon for a series of their enticing treatments.
UPDATE:
I've just returned from receiving the other manicure I'd mentioned above (the Holistic Hand with paraffin and hot stones, $90/60 min), and have to say that it's far better than the Touch of Thai. The TOT manicure was fantastic, but the hot stone massage, hydrating masque, and paraffin treatment I received today were just unbelievable. On another level entirely. Highly recommended.
The Spa at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel
35th Floor
80 Columbus Circle (at 60th St.)
(212) 805 8880
[email protected]
* Refuge (rÄf'yÅ«j): Protection or shelter found in in the form of boutiques, beauty bars, and/or luxury hotels.
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