Page 102 - Travel + Leisure India & South Asia (January 2020)

Wellness
& Spas
REVIEW AL MESSILA LADIES WELLNESS RETREAT
QATAR
MIDDLE-EASTERN
PARADISE
Doubling as an oasis in the desert city of Doha, the
larger-than-life Al Messila Ladies Wellness Retreat is the
last word for rejuvenation in Qatar. BY BAYAR JAIN
THE NIGHT I LANDED IN Doha’s Al Messila Resort &
Spa, I was too exhausted to notice my aching back
and heavy head. Next morning, however, the pain
started to creep up on me. Luckily, the Al Messila
Ladies Wellness Retreat–the region’s biggest ladies-
only wellness getaway–came to my rescue. Graced
with a water body leading up to the multi-storeyed
tranquil haven, the Al Messila Ladies Wellness
Retreat has a range of world-class treatments and
facilities. Floatation tanks, cocoon beds, Kneipp
walks, hammam, a food lab, two gyms, three mineral
rooms, and four hydro-wellness areas are found here.
Spoilt for choice, I opted for the basics—a two-hour
reflexology and full-body massage.
As with any spa session, I was first required to
fill out a form with my details and allergies. Rama,
my therapist, then escorted me up the elevator
and through the maze-like lobbies. I found myself
marvelling at a contemporary, yet intrinsically
Middle-Eastern, room with an attached bathing
room. As I changed into a robe, Rama set up
the room for me. Reflexology served as the first
step to the journey ahead. Warm water scented
98 TR AV E L+LE I S U R E IND I A & S O UTH A S I A | J A N U A R Y 20 20
and sprinkled with rose petals, coupled with the Clockwise from left:
soft touch of Rama’s hands, eased away the pain Al Messila Ladies
instantly. Her fingers slipped seamlessly between Wellness Retreat
the crevices of my toes, while her palm expertly features 26 lavish
treatment rooms; an
pressed against my ankle. She said this was an aquatherapy pool;
important precursor to any massage as it helped her and lounge beds
understand the knots in my entire body. among other things.
Boy, was she right! After the foot massage, I
lied down on my stomach. Her warm, scented oil-
smeared hands worked on my legs, arms, shoulders,
and back. I felt the knots unwinding in each part.
As she pressed down on my spine, I found myself
easing into a blissful trance. Before I knew it, a deep
sleep became my best friend and her magical hands,
my lullaby. My stomach, neck, and head were next in
line to get a taste of this tranquillity. Her soft hands
found knots in my body that I didn’t know existed. COURTESY OF AL MESSILA LADIES WELLNESS RETREAT
Two hours whizzed by, and my body seemed to
have transformed. Stepping out of the room, a sense
of weightlessness embraced me. As I sat down to
drink a hot cup of chamomile tea, a renewed energy
rushed through my veins. Let Doha’s madness begin,
I thought with a smile. marriott.com