Hectic Hong Kong life leaves most of us feeling frazzled, tired, and stressed, surely there can’t be a better way to relax, unwind and spend a totally selfish day being pampered from tip-to-toe, and be treated like the queen that you are for a day?

The Retreat in Repulse Bay has the answer.  Their signature treatment ‘Queen for a Day’ promises to indulge you in chocolate decadence, complete with body treatment and facial followed by a simultaneous manicure and pedicure to complete your day fit for a queen.

The Venue
Somewhat hard to find, The Retreat is situated on Beach Road, which is a hard left turn off Repulse Bay Road.  The rather irritable belching taxi driver dropped me off by 7-11, which at first glance does not look like a likely venue for a A-grade spa, but as we all know looks can be deceiving.  Upon entering The Retreat, I was greeted by a bright and airy reception.  One can immediately tell that no expense was spared in the design and interior of The Retreat, it is simply beautiful.   Its calm simplicity is where it differs from every other spa I have visited in Asia. Rather than going down the Asian zen-like interior route, the design team at The Retreat have opted for a clean, crisp, almost Miami beach chic, without a Buddha or a bong in sight.  The reception is also home to a Tony & Guy hair salon, and a fabulous health conscious cafe which offers a variety of snacks, salads, and home made smoothies and juices, the perfect compliment to a health spa.  The only shame is the window situation which I was assured is in the process of being fixed.  Running the whole length of the property will be floor to ceiling windows with unparalleled panoramic views overlooking Repulse Bay.  These are currently walled up due to planning bureaucracy, but once these are opened, The Retreat will have one of the best views in Hong Kong.

Mini Aura-Soma Introduction
My Therapist Carol first lead me into a room filled with hundreds of back-lit, beautiful dual coloured bottles.  Every colour combination conceivable was on view for me to choose from.  I was told to chose the four bottles that appealed to me the most, then Carol would be able to tell me about my personalty, talents, present situation and potential.  By interpreting the colours I chose,  Carol was able to tell me that I was very chilled out, relaxed, and happy.  I would expect that a beauty and spa writer would be very chilled out, with all the treatments reviewed, otherwise the spas would be doing something very wrong.  She then chose a particular bottle to take into the treatment room, which was to be opened and the colours’ energy was then said to work in alignment with the therapy.  I was also then ‘prescribed’ a certain shower gel which would help me in day to day life.  Although extremely charming, and enjoyable to hear about, I am always rather cautious about delving into ‘fortune telling’, as for the unsound mind, I believe that readings can be detrimental.  I was however assured that this was not fortune telling, but a heavily researched colour therapy that can aide you to a better path.  In fifteen minutes it is hard to tell if this is true, but it left me intrigued and interested to try a full consultation to find out what it is really about.  In the meantime, a little pink bottle came with me into room two…

The Treatment
Once inside the aqua and mosaic room, I derobed and was smothered from head to toe in rich, gooey dark chocolate.  I was then wrapped in cling film and covered in a heated blanket.  Although I was concerned that I would be cooked like a brownie, Carol informed me that the chocolate was extremely good for the skin, and would balance and hydrate my post Phuket sun-snogged skin.  While I was happily cooking, Carol started on the ‘Exotic Moisture Dew Facial’  and head massage, in which I found myself happily snoring.  I was then unwrapped from my cocoon and told to wash off the chocolate, which was a lot harder that I imagined as it was extremely sticky, but once clean my skin was as soft as a baby’s bottom, and left smelling of a bar of Dairy Milk.  Back on the bed I was treated to a collagen eye treatment to soothe my dark circles, and was sent back into a delirious snooze.  I was once again woken up, and left to dress.  I was then lead into the nail parlour, which hopefully soon will have the wonderful floor-to-ceiling windows.  Sitting in one of the most ingenious pedi-chairs I have ever seen, I had a coral pink OPI pedicure, which by all accounts was one of the best I have ever had.

The Conclusion
I was literally floating when I left The Retreat, the delicate smell of the chocolate on my skin seemed to continue my state of relaxation, more than the usual smell of aromatherapy oil that lingers after a treatment.  My skin felt ridiculously soft and fabulous, my eye bags didn’t seem as prominent as usual, and my toes looked beautiful.  I’m yet to decide if the little pink Aura-Soma bottle in the room added to the effect, but I went to sleep feeling somewhat royal and not wanting my day to end.

The Retreat details here
Queen for a Day  175 mins $tbc
Collegen Eye Treatment 30 mins $tbc