SPA visits don’t always have to start with confused skimming of treatments that you know little about or have never heard before. To save you time from asking what does what and which gives you the best care pronto, I’M Onsen Spa in I’M Hotel does all the asking.
When frazzled customers arrive at the reception of the Metro’s newest “spacation” destination, they won’t be thrown with a list of offerings they have to sift through. Instead, clients will be asked what they want to achieve to find a treatment best suited for them.
I’M Hotel Director of Spa Marian Frivaldo said in a recent tour their process starts by asking the customer how much time is he willing to spend with them, his budget and, most important, whether he wants to either feel relaxed or energized. This is in accordance to the their vision of catering to the individual need of each client, as reflected by the company’s name. “That’s why we’re called I’M Hotel. We focus on the individuality of the person,” Frivaldo said.
For those who want to take it easy and relax after a long day, the Aroma Massage is just one of the ideal treatments. It promotes the cleansing of the lymphatic system with long, sweeping strokes that begins at a slow, soothing pace. For those who want to get that extra kick of energy, there’s the ventosa and the Philippine hilot, both of which are done in the traditional manner. I’M Onsen Spa’s version of the hilot focuses on the technique of the native massage and the oil blend, which Frivaldo mixes herself using a base oil from compressed coconut sourced from Negros and some parts of the Bicol region. With the addition of air-dried chili, ginger, black pepper and lemongrass, the spa director said, “One can immediately feel the effect of the mixture. On top of that, it’s also detoxifying.”
I’M Onsen Spa, located at I’M Hotel on Makati Avenue corner Kalayaan Avenue, is tagged by Frivaldo as an “oasis amid the chaos” of the surrounding Makati Central Business District urbanity. It has 3,800 square meters of space spread in six levels, and houses 69 beds, 40 lazy boys and 55 spa suites to go with an Herbal Steam Room, Sauna and Showers Tea Lounge, and executive suits.
The spa’s featured service is the one attached to its name, “Onsen”, which is Japanese for hot spring. I’M Onsen Spa offers the first authentic Japanese thermal bath in the Philippines, using proprietary technology that copies the mineral composition of hot springs in the volcanically active country. The Philippines’s pioneering Onsen spa features a mineralized bath for beautification, carbon-dioxide bath for detoxification and ceramic bath for moisturization.
As degree holder in Botany and Phyiscal Therapy and Rehabilitation Medicine who has been in the spa industry for 18 years, Frivaldo said that, in experiencing the Onsen, one doesn’t need to swim, but just sit there, relax and feel the water.
The soaking tubs in I’M Onsen Spa utilizes carbonated water and mineral powder from the collected volcanic silk from Japan. Through the alkalynic property of the carbonated water, the client’s dead skin cells and toxins produced by stress are melted away, paving the way for skin renewal. “Kapag stressed ka, ’yung liver mo and kidney mo, mas magsku-squeeze ’yan ng toxins. That’s why ’pag stressed ka, you don’t look good,” Frivaldo said.
As the skin gets rid of the toxins, it will identify and absorb the beneficial elements from the mineral-rich bath, such as manganese, bromide and iron. Clients can then get a massage to have the oil seal and lock-in the minerals sitting on top of the skin, and start to relax and enjoy their I’M Onsen Spa’s special herbal teas afterward. Choices include 5,000-year-old Chinese tea recipes and super food blends, such as goji berry tea. The experience also includes a buffet meal at its Bloom Restaurant on the fourth floor.
“The spa has evolved,” Frivaldo said, adding that people want to be pampered more now from the moment they step into a spa. It was made clear in the tour they have adapted to that shift down to the smallest detail. For example, if a client falls asleep following a massage, they spray aroma mist on the air so that it trickles down to the their face to wake them up subtly. Afterward, they will ask the client—as they do in every step of the way—if he would like a warm towel to wipe off the oil or keep it on his skin.
“Asking a question is very important,” Frivalda said, “Here, we don’t just assume.”