The Anantara Spa at The PuLi Hotel offers a purification treatment inspired by the renowned restorative properties of chrysanthemum.
The treatment
Chrysanthemum tea is a consummate cleansing tonic in easing the digestive discord from one too many sticky buns or other such indulgences. The Anantara Spa at The PuLi Hotel offers a purification treatment inspired by the renowned restorative properties of chrysanthemum.
My pulse immediately slows with the first step, a welcoming floral foot ritual. The therapist eases my feet - freed from stiff leather riding boots for the first time in eight hours - into a warm, petal-filled bath of circulation-boosting essential oils. Next, a chrysanthemum and pearl cream body scrub polishes my furnace-ravaged dry skin to a rain forest wet shine. A calming chrysanthemum flower body wrap relieves excess "heat" build up in your system. After a refreshing shower, the therapist stretches me into sublime submission with a traditional Thai massage. A cup of steaming chrysanthemum tea concludes the cleansing ritual.
The benefits
Made from dried flowers, precious chrysanthemum infusions have a cooling effect on ailments ranging from flu and fever to liver congestion and high blood pressure. With budding interest in spa therapies drawing on traditional Chinese medicine, chrysanthemum proves a star ingredient in masks targeting swelling, bloating and hypertension.
The spa
Shanghai can be utterly toxic, with off the charts offgassing. In step with The PuLi's urban resort concept, Anantara Spa offers a lush sanctuary with a menu of rituals rooted in the cultural healing practices of China, Thailand and India. In this newly opened hotel spa, ultra chic meets utterly decadent.
The Basics
The PuLi Hotel and Spa; 1 ChangDe Road, JingAn District, Shanghai; 86-21-3203-9999; thepuli.com; $290 for 160 minutes.
Special to The Globe and Mail