Ancient secrets meet modern indulgences at Aman Spa at the Summer Palace in Beijing

April 15, 2012

BEIJING, CHINA – Relaxation and the pursuit of beauty are far from new concepts in China. As far back as the Qing Dynasty, Chinese medicine practitioners perfected massage methods based on the theory of meridians, while women of the period were like objets d’art with their porcelain complexions and cherry… (more)

Swimming in luxury at the Ritz-Carlton Beijing, Financial Street Spa

April 11, 2012

BEIJING, CHINA – In the Spa at the Ritz-Carlton Beijing Financial Street, the phrase “the lap of luxury” takes on a double meaning. The elegant spa will pamper you in all the comfort and ease that the idiom implies, but “lap” in this case also refers to the swoon-worthy lap… (more)

Healing hands (sans bling) at Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat

February 29, 2012

BEIJING, CHINA – When it comes to spas, I appreciate luxury as much as the next gal. But sometimes I feel like the opulence in some swish spas can get a little out of hand, promoting lavishness over true balance, healing, and relaxation. Do we really need caviar in our… (more)

A soak by the Great Wall at Anantara Spa

January 30, 2012

BEIJING, CHINA – The concrete jungle of Beijing can take quite a toll on a gal’s sense of beauty and well being, what with all the smog, traffic, and why-did-I-wear-heels cobblestones. Sore feet, strained calves, clogged pores, and a general sense of fatigue are potential side effects of navigating the… (more)

Dodging mullets at Catherine de France

November 19, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – Walking into a salon and coming out with a bowl cut or helmet head is a fate you might expect in small towns of America’s heartland, where (with good reason) crops are generally cut more carefully than hair. But in a sprawling cosmopolitan metropolis like Beijing, you’d… (more)

A rare Beijing hand-and-foot haven at Lovely Nails

November 13, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – In many international metropolises, quality nail care is easier to come by than good health care. A broken tip? No problem. A broken bone? Good luck. The opposite, however, is true in China, where the public health care system in urban areas like Beijing is widely accessible,… (more)

Beijing hair gets a British branding at Toni & Guy

May 18, 2011

BEIJING, CHINA – British hair salon chain Toni & Guy claims to be “the most powerful hairdressing brand in the world.” I’m not exactly sure how one might wield hairdressing power (lobby the U.N. for more humanitarian hairstyling missions?), but at least in the case of Toni & Guy, there’s… (more)

Many hands make light work at Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat

August 31, 2010

BEIJING, CHINA – Sometimes it seems as if I don’t have enough hands to deal with the demands of navigating my way through a city like Beijing. Juggling camera, cab fare, map, umbrella, and cup of tea while traversing the cobblestones of the Forbidden City or maze-like hutongs is enough… (more)

Luxe and luscious at ESPA Spa at the Peninsula Beijing

July 25, 2010

BEIJING, CHINA – Start by rubbing with ginger, baste well in salt and oil, and then warm fully in a thermal chamber. It may sound like a recipe for roast chicken, but actually it’s all part of an indulgent day at lap-of-luxury ESPA Spa at the Peninsula Beijing. The… (more)