The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta offers a variety of very nurturing and relaxing journeys with Oriental origins along with a touch of the South.  This haven of calm is the perfect place to escape from anything even yourself. If you are a gal that wears many hats as most women do these days, take a spa day to retreat and refresh yourself today!

During my spa day, I decided to unplug and truly make it a spa day or as I called in that day on Twitter a Me Day #meday. There are many spas in this region, but this luxurious spa is a retreat for the day. The tranquilness and ambiance of it’s walls will lead you into a world of calm. I think I had forgotten until that day how to really relax. How is one ever to refresh their body and mind unless they truly relax.

Each treatment here starts out with a base design, but is very customized to your own individual needs. Therapists are very tuned in to their guests needs. The therapists are the top trained in their field to begin with and then they also gain amazing insights from Mandarin Oriental yearly when a trainer comes in from the orient.  These subtle touches make for one of the most (maybe the THE most) relaxing body treatment I have every enjoyed. The training from the orient definitely plays a key as I felt massage strokes that I was unfamiliar with but quickly did not worry as I drifted off into a Zen like state. When you visit check to see if Josie is available for your massage treatment. Her hands were designed for relaxation.

We all love lists and that is evident by all that we see in the media, so here I will list you some of the subtle touches that makes The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta so refreshing and the perfect place for your ME DAY!

1. No need to worry about getting your boots in your spa locker due to the Mandarin Oriental’s greeting ritual. You are greeted when you check in with a cup of tea, a welcoming towel (a warm scented cloth served on a bamboo tray), and a tray to place your shoes on as you relax in the lovely waiting area of the spa. These are held for you until your journey is complete. You get a little bead bracelet with the number of your spa locker on it. Place the beads in your locker and when your Me Day is complete return the beads for your shoes as you leave. Just be sure not to wear this around like a bracelet, since the beads make a little noise.

2. The robes have no pockets. A gentle reminder to unplug and concentrate on you. (cell phones off and left in the locker)

3. As soon as you walk into the ladies lounge the scent is one of total relaxation.

4. If you have been in this location before it was the Mandarin Oriental, one must return to see the amazing subtle but impactful Oriental touches themselves.

5. Book early in the morning to have a few moments with the spa all alone. It starts your day with focus.

6. Enjoy these subtle “Southern” touches to the spa: peach oil in treatments, peanuts and pecan in the lounge nourishment mix, tea along side the spa water (sweet in the summer), and amazing hospitality from the spa attendants.

7. …back to the amazing lounge nourishment trail mix.  This unsalted raw trail mix was the most amazing I have ever eaten and must find out from the spa director, Gretchen Vandergrift where they find it!

8. The treatment rooms are grand – be sure to check out the ceiling of your room and also enjoy the amazing massage tables.

9. When spending time in the area of the steam room, sauna and vitality pool find the secret lounge within the jacuzzi type pool to the right just by the stairs. I think I have entitled this my me day throne. It is the perfect place to relax and focus on yourself while viewing the lovely mosaic design on the wall. Much more pleasing to the eye than the 5 legged goat mosaic at Disney’s Contemporary!

10. One must get a longer treatment than what we are accustomed to here in the U.S. to truly release ourselves head to toe into true relaxation. It also enables spas to achieve a more health and wellness approach to their spa menu. I enjoyed the Peaches and Cream Journey. This indulgent journey will melt away muscle tension while restoring the body’s balance. It includes a foot cleansing ritual, then a full body dry brush to ready the skin for the softening apricot kernel exfoliation, which prepares the skin for a comforting full body massage using warm cream and peach oil; next comes (my favorite part) a mind melting pink hair and red mud (another southern touch?) scalp massage which also conditions your hair into a blissful state too.

Okay if this has not convinced you to visit The Spa at The Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta please ask me questions below. This is an all day place where you can retreat right inside the city. Pack yourself a Spa Bag (or Spag as I like to say) and stay more than just your treatment time. Truly embrace your spa day and yourself while refreshing yourself at The Spa at Mandarin Oriental, Atlanta.

Remember you do not have to be a guest in the hotel to enjoy these amazing spa amenities. Over half of their clientele are locals. The VIP couples suite alone is worth the visit to see the oversize soaking tub and shower within this sanctuary.

For more about this luxury spa visit Mandarin Oriental Atlanta.