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One of the best spas in the world is located in the Swiss city of Zurich. It is The Dolder Grand Spa, built by British architect Norman Foster in collaboration with the renowned luxury spa designer Sylvia Sepielli. The environments and ambiances of the spa combine European elements with the simplicity of the Japanese style to create a haven of tranquility, relaxation, and meditation.
The Dolder Grand Spa
The design of the spa harmonizes with its philosophy by combining European and Swiss therapies with Japanese wisdom.
Visitors are enthralled since the moment they arrive. They are faced with a magnificent spa of 45,000 square feet dedicated to the care, recovery, and pampering of the mind, body, and soul.
We begin our exploration with a meditative stroll through spiral-shaped paths carefully built to enhance the textures of rocks of different sizes that remind us of the Grand Canyon in the United States. The secret paths lead to an opulent—yet cozy—meditation hall with a dome made of 9,500 small mosaic mirrors.
The design of the spa harmonizes with its philosophy by combining European and Swiss therapies with Japanese wisdom. All the treatments fall and under the four pillars that define the resort’s menu: Relax, Beauty, Vitality, and Detox, the essential elements that according to the Dolder Spa are necessary to achieve a vital balance.
These elements also include a broad range of treatments, including facials, body scrubs and wraps, ritual baths and lipo massage (LPG). Only the highest quality products are used in the treatments, including brands like La Prairie from Switzerland, Kerstin Florian from Sweden, and Amala from Germany.
The Dolder Grand Spa
The Bamboo Shiatsu is highly recommended within the range of massage. It is a stimulant treatment in which finger pressure is applied to the body’s energy centers. A bamboo brush is also used to invigorate the client and avoid the feeling of lethargy that may come after a conventional massage.
Many Asian influences are evident in elements such as the five sunaburos, based on a Japanese tradition of relaxation which consists of a temporary burial in hot volcanic sand. The spas take on it is a series of sofas full of small, cold stones that become gradually warm as your body is immersed in them giving you the sensation that you are inside a cloud of well-being.
The therapists will make you feel at ease in the 18 cabins and two spa suites — ideal for couples or for those who prefer total privacy— designed with walls of mother of pearl and decorated with delicate flower arrangements, equipped with a massage table, sauna, fireplace, Jacuzzi and, of course, a butler at your entire disposal.
The emphasis on aromatherapy is evident in the plumes of steam and the perfumed pools to relax or revitalize, according to the guest’s needs. And for lovers of hydrotherapy, there is a 75-foot long black pool, an outdoor whirlpool with breathtaking views of the city, hot and cold therapies with steam sauna, a cold water pool and a cabin that uses snow to stimulate blood circulation, known as “Snow Paradise.”
Also, The Dolder has a library, a spa cafe serving healthy food, a shop, and a gym with group sessions or personal trainers. The director of the spa, Therese Martirena told azureazure.com that this year an online store would be open, and classes of air yoga will be incorporated.
You can enjoy the spa as a guest of The Dolder Grand Hotel or, better yet, as a part of the exclusive Members Club, available only to persons approved by a selection committee. ■
