relaxing spa holiday resorts in AsiaThe Mandarin Oriental group has fared best of the hotels across the Asia-Pacific region vying to win the Crystal Awards for the top spa, winning no fewer than four of the 18 awards, the most by a single company.
Now in their eighth year, the awards have grown to be recognized as the most prestigious endorsement of excellence in the spa and wellness industry, but retain the underlying aim of educating spa users of the levels of service and quality they can expect from the industry.
Six new categories were added this year: best spa design, best conscious cuisine, best private label spa product, best natural/organic spa product range, product supplier of the year and best men's treatment.
Organizers of the event said the expansion of the awards is "in recognition of the ever-evolving nature and development of the spa and wellness industry.
But of the 40 unique brands represented, it was the Hong Kong-based Mandarin Oriental which emerged as the most prolific winner, taking the Best Hotel Spa award for its property in Tokyo, the Dhara Dhevi Chiang Mai hotel lifting both the Best Resort Spa and Best Signature Treatment awards, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group recognized as the Best Wellness & Spa Group.
The spa at the hotel in Tokyo has responded by announcing that it is offering a 50-minute trial of the Azuki Ritual treatment at Y25,990 (€246.56) until December 15, instead of Y49,720 (€471.68) for 110 minutes. The deep-cleaning ritual combines the anti-oxidizing effects of Azuki beans with sea salt.
Some of the other top awards went to the COMO Shambhala Estate, in Bali, which was recognized as the Best Wellness Retreat, while The Spa at Encore, in Macau, won the award for best design. The Jive Spa, at the Nedesar Palace in Varanasi, India, shared the award for Best Boutique Hotel Spa with DeLa Spa at Villa de Daun in Bali.
The purifying facial provided at The Peninsula in Hong Kong took the top award for Best Men's Treatment, while Voya's natural and organic products won the top award in that category.
Organizers of the annual awards said all the entrants are judged based on their merits and actual performance from a guest's perspective, with the awards designed to honor the best in each category, irrespective of their size.
Winners of The Crystal Awards Asia-Pacific 2011:
- Best Hotel Spa: The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Tokyo, Japan
- Best Boutique Hotel Spa: Jiva Spa at Nadesar Palace, Varanasi, India, and
DaLa Spa at Villa de daun, Bali, Indonesia
- Best Day Spa: Yogilini Retreat, Taichung, Taiwan, and Tirta Spa, Boracay, Philippines
- Best Resort Spa: The Dheva Spa and Wellness Centre, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai
- Best Wellness Retreat: COMO Shambhala Estate, Bali, Indonesia
- Best Cam/Integrated Medical Centre: CHAIN'S Medicare Centre, Hong Kong
- Best Spa Design: The Spa at Encore, Wynn Macau
- Best Destination Spa: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru
- Best Conscious Cuisine: Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, Koh Samui, Thailand
- Best Signature Treatment: Lanna Signature Ceremony, The Dheva Spa and Wellness Centre, Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi, Chiang Mai, Thailand, and Suam-Suam Panas / Shiok-Shiok Sejuk, Spa Village Malacca, Malaysia
- Best Men's Treatment: Purifying Facial, The Peninsula Hong Kong
- Best Private Lebel Spa Product: Anantara Spa
- Best Natural/Organic Spa Product Range: VOYA
- Product Supplier of the Year: Aromatherapy Associates
- Best In-Spa Training: ESPA
- Spa Academy of the Year: Ananda Spa Institute,Hyderabad
- Spa Consultant of the Year: Spatality
- Best Wellness & Spa Group: Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
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