The Indian spa industry is pretty big today. A hotel or a resort without a spa is just unthinkable now, almost like a colony without a beauty parlour. I guess the more the level of stress we endure, the more would this wellness industry grow. Although, the high pricing at a spa, however much you take pleasure in its services, has always been a disincentive for many. Demand leads to supply, and so here we have Spa Hibiscus, a budget spa. In fact, Spa Hibiscus opened quietly around three years ago in the middle-class colony of Mayur Vihar in east Delhi. A spick-and-span spa with fabulous service, it is today a tastefully done three-storey enterprise with a well-equipped gym and an exclusive L'Oreal Club unisex salon. The concept of a budget spa having found acceptance in more and more customers, Spa Hibiscus recently opened a branch in Vasant Kunj, too, besides running one in Hotel Treehouse, Bhiwadi, with one more coming up in Goa soon.
Best pricing
States Shweta Jai Gupta, owner of Spa Hibiscus, “Pricing is our USP; we offer good service at no exorbitant cost. When we started, we priced our Swedish massage at just Rs. 500. Today it will cost you Rs. 850 only, unlike most spas in the city. Low pricing doesn't mean we are compromising with the hygiene or quality of service. We have people who have trained in five-star hotels and celebrated spas like Ananda.”
Spa Hibiscus has also started an academy recently at its Mayur Vihar branch to train people for the wellness industry. “Anyone who knows how to read and write and is confident is welcome. There will be 100 per cent placement; the idea is to train people in tandem with the growth of the industry. When we started we found it a little difficult to procure trained people. It is still like that,” says Shweta.
Day-to-day stress being an all-pervading factor of modern living, there are enough customers pouring in for the massages. “The weekends are packed,” adds Shweta. From herb and fruit wraps to deep cleansing to body polishing, from stress-busting and anti-cellulite treatments to baths with Ayurvedic salts and milk and more, it has over 14 massages for men and women. “Besides using branded oils for the massages, customers can opt for our neem oil too. A vaid specially makes it for us,” says Shweta. There are separate areas for male and female customers in both the salon and spa.
For an experiential, I try out its deep tissue/sports massage. This is particularly for those with sore shoulders due to long hours at the computer. The hour-long massage ends with a 15-minute steam bath. My masseur Lakshmi, trained at the spa itself, kneads on my back, the shoulder blades and the small of the neck with the right pressure. She finds “stress knots” on my shoulders and asks me to loosen my body. I do so and get out of the treatment room rejuvenated and with a shining skin that has soaked in a cupful of neem oil. Before stepping out, I, of course, fill the spa's “Wow card” to note my wow moment.
(Spa Hibiscus is at 58, 10th Street, Pratap Nagar, Mayur Vihar Phase I, and at C-32 Nathu Singh Market, Vasant Kunj. The massages at the MV branch are priced from Rs.550. Timings: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Mayur Vihar) and 10.a.m. to 8.30 p.m. (Vasant Kunj).
