The buzz: The Mandarin Oriental’s spa has always been a cross-river refuge for best-part-of-a-day spa treatments. Now though they’ve opened this new spot where you can duck in, get your nails done and be out in 45 minutes. The pedicures and manicures are also in collaboration with celeb French pedicurist Bastien Gonzalez, whose deal is all about mixing medical and cosmetic treatments for hands and feet. 

 

The decor: A luxurious blend of cream on cream with more cream creates a tranquil atmosphere—all very refined and with the requisite dash of Oriental colonial charm (louvered window shutters, richly polished hardwood floors) and the garden right outside your window. Let them know in advance and they’ll join two massage rooms together so you can cosy up with a buddy. 

 

The price: When the names are big, the prices are too. For Bastien Gonzalez’ pedicure and manicure, prices range from B1,200 (20-minute color touch) to B4,850 (75-minute complete hand and feet treatment). Facial treatments start at B3,350 for a 45-minute session, and B1,120 for a 15-minute add-on. Express massages start at B1,500 for 45 minutes while other body treatments start from B1,800. The waxing service, however, is quite affordable—from just B800 for women’s under-arm treatment. 

 

The treatments: Facials get right in there with full lip and eye treatment—kind of scary at first but amazing once you get used to it. Not as amazing as the Bastien Gonzalez hand and foot treatments, though, which are to die for. The staff are serious perfectionists—never a nail filed too short; never a cuticle scraped too roughly—ensuring your hands and feet will never have felt so soft. Trust us! We love their products, too, which smell as wonderful as they feel.