The Peninsula by ESPA

Hong Kong is known for its dazzling harbor and skyline views. Nowhere else in the world do masterpieces by “starchitects” like I.M. Pei, Cesar Pelli, and Norman Foster stand side by side, flaunting their glamour like supermodels strutting down the runway.

One of the best views in Hong Kong is from the grande dame of Asian hospitality, the venerable Peninsula. So, after seventy-eight years, when the hotel finally opened a destination spa last month, it was fitting that the drama of the city's steel and neon skyline be front and center.

Six treatment rooms in The Peninsula Spa by ESPA have floor-to-ceiling harbor views, but since you tend to close your eyes during treatments, the view is better appreciated in the relaxation rooms and the jasmine-scented saunas, part of both the men's and women's thermal suites, where all treatments begin.

After flying for fourteen hours, I needed to counteract the jet lag that was bound to knock me flat before dinner. Since the ESPA formula has clients tailor their treatments to their needs within a block of time, my therapist recommended a jet lag eliminator massage, using oils of lavender, frankincense and ylang-ylang and an instant brightener facial, heavy on the meadowsweet. Since all treatment rooms are equipped with products for every treatment (and your therapist can perform them all), I never left the table the entire two hours.

Amazingly, I experienced no jet lag whatsoever during my stay. Before my flight home, I booked an immune-boosting massage, featuring tea tree and three different eucalyptus oils, and was able to get right back on a local schedule. Of course, flying Cathay Pacific business class probably didn't hurt! For more information visit http://hongkong.peninsula.com

—Andréa R. Vaucher

November/December 2006