Archive for April, 2009

All wrapped up: Phytomer Muddy Stones Treatment at Chelsea Harbour Club

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009
Chelsea Harbour Club

Chelsea Harbour Club

Wahanda loves all things spa, especially when there’s something new in town. So when spa experts Chelsea Harbour Club told us about their launch of a brand new, exclusive treatment using Phytomer products, we couldn’t wait to don our spa slippers and try it out.

If your skin needs a polish with a difference, put Chelsea Harbour Club at the top of your Wahanda wishlist. The Phytomer Muddy Stones treatment will not only leave you silky smooth, but will also soothe away tension making you feel utterly relaxed and left in pamper heaven. The perfect antidote for winter skin in preparation for the summer months, Wahanda sped down to the luxury spa hotspot to let the Phytomer minerals work their magical wonders.

The spa

Chelsea Harbour Club is nestled away in a quiet street of Fulham, making it tricky to find but it’s worth the walk. As a busy and bustling centre for sport and leisure, it’s only once you’ve wound your way down to the lower level spa that you begin to feel like you’re in a place of pampering. After a quick questionnaire about our current skincare routine, we were sent off to the luxurious and spacious changing rooms to swap our office wear for a fluffy white robe and matching slippers. Therapist Louisa then showed us around the stunning spa facilities, with the steam and sauna rooms and peaceful hydrotherapy pool, before heading to the hammam treatment room to begin.

A softly-lit, earthy looking hideaway to the side of the long swimming pool, the hammam room puts you at ease. Centred in the room is the warm plinth, where we have to lay for the treatment – it’s tough work, but someone has to do it! After leaving us to get comfy under the towels, Louisa came in to explain what the treatment involves – and we couldn’t wait.

Hot stone massageThe treatment

Starting with the backs of our legs, Louisa applied the mineral-rich Atlas mountain mud by Phytomer, massaging it in to make our skin soft and our muscles soothed. The mud felt grainy, while the heat of the plinth warmed through the body creating complete relaxation. The only snag was the hardness of the plinth, which can feel uncomfortable – but the massage soon melts that away. Using hot stones, Louisa gently relieved tension in our muscles while the wrap got to work. After one leg was fully smothered, Louisa wrapped it up and started on the other leg, repeating the same relaxing process.

While our pins stayed wrapped up and cosy, Louisa then applied the mud onto our back and shoulders, again using the heated stones to rub away tensions, then after unwrapping us so we could flip over, the front of our legs and tummy were given the same treatment. Louisa paid extra attention to problem areas such as the feet, making it feel like a mini pedicure. Once our whole body had been muddied and wrapped, she then applied the deliciously soothing mud mask to our face and neck, including an added scalp massage which made it tempting to fall straight to sleep in a state of bliss. But, after wiping away the mud from our face with a warm cloth, Louisa refreshed the skin with a cool Phytomer facial spritz, reviving the senses and bringing us back to reality.

The result

We then had the odd experience of being unwrapped, and without leaving the plinth, the mud was rinsed away using a shower and a mitt – making our skin feel softer than ever and utterly exfoliated. Sadly, this meant the treatment was over and we could no longer lie back on the warmth of the plinth, but Louisa had more than worked her magic. Our skin felt refreshed and radiant, and we felt completely calm after such a relaxing 75 minutes, ready to head off into the sunshine for a leisurely walk home.  Perfect as a body wrap with a difference, the Muddy Stones treatment is far more luxurious than it sounds – our skin has never felt better.

We tried it, we tested it, and we loved it. Book yours now on Wahanda, with our exclusive 20% off introductory offer. Plus,  find out more about the Chelsea Harbour Club and read our quick fire questions with Spa Manager Laura Carrick.

Power-toning our way to fitness: WWC events

Monday, April 20th, 2009
Jason Scott, Powertone Manager

Jason Scott, Powertone Manager

Last Thursday, the Wahanda Wellness Club were lucky enough to be invited down to the Powertone Studios in Fulham for a fun, yet intensive free taster session on the latest fitness trend – Power Plates.

Before the session commenced, guests were given a brief introduction by top instructor Sebastian about how the Power Plates work, before getting stuck in on their invigorating work out.

A full 25-minute session on the plates was all it took to work up a good sweat. Guests were asked which part of their body they would most like to tone up and Sebastian was able to show a workout tailored to everyone’s needs.

This fun, fast and effective time-saving machine is a great way to reduce body fat, produce a natural ‘high’, tone muscles, enhance vitality, detoxify and improve skin tone and limit the appearance of cellulite.

Powertone StudioGuests were super impressed with the workout, the helpful instructor and the studio ambience, so it’s no surprise that reviews have already started to flood in. In her review, Hemmysphere gave the session a five out of five saying:

“All the staff and the instructor, Sebastian, was lovely. Most importantly, I felt that I got a really good workout in 20 minutes with personalised attention from the instructor who was motivating and paid attention to my form.”

Before everyone headed off to relax, they were all given an introduction to the NARL fat-burning machine and given a complimentary pass to another session of Power Plates at any one of their studios based in Fulham, Chelsea, Mayfair or Battersea, so there’s no excuse not to keep up the good work!

If you missed this event, there’s no need to miss out – Wahanda is exclusively offering a free session at Powertone Studios which you can book directly online.


Check back soon for news of our next Wahanda Wellness Club event – it’s sure to be popular!

Pole dancing… for men

Thursday, April 9th, 2009

Pole dancingHere at Wahanda we’re always on the look out for the latest fitness trend, so when we heard pole dancing is the latest way men are choosing to keep trim and toned, we thought it was worth shouting about. Following in the footsteps of female celebrities such as Paris Hilton, Carmen Electra, Cindy Crawford and Jessica Alba, more and more men are now getting in on the action and signing up for pole dancing classes to keep fit the fun way.

Pole dancing can tone the upper body, strengthen stomach muscles and increase muscle definition in the bottom, arms and thighs – an all over body workout. In just one hour, up to 250 calories can be burnt off – almost as many as your average gym session. One of the UK’s leading male pole dancing instructors, AJ, has been running pole dancing classes at the Pineapple Studios in Covent Garden for five years, and in October he will be co-organising Mr Pole Fitness 2009 – so guys,  sign up and re-live those rope-climbing lessons from school to become a pole dancing pro.

Find out more about the art of pole dancing and discover classes at gyms and dance studios near you on Wahanda – go on, you know you want to…

Award-winning services

Monday, April 6th, 2009

TrophyThe 2008 Olive Awards winners have been announced and the video of the evening is now on the website so you can see what you missed. The Wahanda team think this is a really important award and were thrilled to be able to support it.

Over the past few years a lot of emphasis has been placed on the design and branding of the wellness experience. Unfortunately, that has meant that employee satisfaction and training has been given shortthrift, even though, ultimately, the customer’s spa experience usually comes down to the staff and therapists. For instance, although there have been millions spent on re-design, we know of only one major chain of spas with a Human Resource Executive in the UK.

Recently, it seems that the wellness industry is starting to focus more on employee satisfaction and therapists – it was even the main focus of last year’s Global Spa Summit.  Unfortunately even those with the best of intentions have had few tools to measure success in this area until now. The Olive Awards are given to the best employers within the field of wellness and integrated health as voted by the employees themselves. Unlike almost anything else we’ve seen, the awards are passed on statistical measurement of the satisfaction ratings of the employees themselves and is completely transparent. Employees complete an anonymous on-line survey and each company is presented with a report outlining their results.

Congratulations to the winners but also to everyone who entered this year’s Olive Awards. By simply participating you have all shown that you are committed to improving this important element of our industry’s long-term success.

And the 2008 winners are…

Large Business Winner: Destination Skin
Medium Business Winner: Dove Spa Bromley
Small Business Winner: Dove Spa Chorleywood

We’re looking forward to next year’s winners!

Wahanda Wellness Club – Try Power Plate for Free!

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009

Our next free event: Thursday 16th April

Powertone Studios, Fulham, 7pm-8pmEveryone's talking about...WWC
Our Wahanda Wellness Club events are all about rewarding our buzzing community with tasters of the latest trends. The next fitness freebie is on the 16th April – simply email community@wahanda.com with your name and postcode and put ‘Powertone’ in the subject line, and we’ll add you to the guestlist to enjoy a FREE Power Plate session with Wahanda at Powertone Studios in Fulham. But be quick – there’s only sixteen slots available!

Sign up for our event and not only will you get a free Powertone session to kick-start your shape-up for summer, but the top instructors will also explain how it all works, with an introduction to the NARL fat-burning machine. You’ll also get a free taster sports massage to relax those muscles.

PowertoneHow to get involved

As before, if you want to come along for your free session of the latest fitness trend, email community@wahanda.com with your name and postcode and put ‘Powertone’ in the subject line. Both men and women are welcome, so bring some comfy clothes and away you go. Once you’ve signed up, you will automatically be put on the guest list. See you there!

See the Powertone Fulham map for directions.