A full-service destination spa is the latest addition to Johannesburg’s most famed hotel, Four Seasons Hotel The Westcliff Johannesburg. Offering innovative, results-driven spa therapies and authentic spa rituals – many of them reflective of its vibrant, urban locale – the brand-new, 1,200-square metre Spa takes full advantage of its elevated position overlooking the forested northern suburbs of Johannesburg.
There are nine treatment rooms, one of which is a spacious double suite. Some have floor-to-ceiling glass windows that slide away seamlessly to merge the indoors with the outdoors. The panoramic views also inspired Après-Spa, a rooftop lounge for outdoor relaxation.
As the world’s largest spa operator, Four Seasons places great emphasis on service excellence while curating spa experiences with a distinct sense of place. South Africa’s first Four Seasons spa forms an integral part of the urban resort lifestyle offered by the reinvented, refashioned Hotel, which features 117 rooms and suites in eight acres (3.2 hectares) of terraced gardens.
Generous hydrotherapy facilities – saunas and steam rooms, ice fountains, a whirlpool and an 25-metre (82-foot) outdoor heated lap pool – are set to attract not only Hotel guests to the Spa but discerning city residents too. Complementing the Spa is the street-level Westcliff Deli, the perfect spot for meeting friends for lunch or simply to enjoy a freshly pressed organic juice or locally-roasted artisanal coffee. Together with its exclusive address in the historic neighbourhood of Westcliff and easy street-level access, the Spa is the ultimate urban sanctuary for anyone wanting to escape for a couple of hours or an entire day.
Director of the Spa Julanda Marais, originally from South Africa’s Karoo region, is a Four Seasons veteran having recently opened the Four Seasons Spa in Geneva, Switzerland. She describes the new Spa as a full-service destination spa with a handpicked menu of meticulously executed treatments and rituals for the body and face using two world-class spa brands.
Biologique Recherche, a French biological skincare range with a track record of more than 30 years, makes its debut in South Africa at the Four Seasons Spa. Packed with high concentrations of pure, raw botanical, marine and biological extracts, the range has a remarkable reputation for restoring and protecting the skin in combination with a unique skin-diagnosis system. “Specific products from this hard-working range are in the little black book of every beauty editor,” comments Marais, who is delighted to have the highly regarded brand as one of the Spa’s two signature ranges.
The second signature range is Terres d’Afrique, a pure, certified organic range developed in South Africa using advanced phyto technology. Inspired by traditional uses of antioxidant-rich African plants such as rooibos, baobab, buchu and Kalahari melon, Terres d’Afrique captures a passion for the healing power of nature and for discovering Africa’s fascinating plants and people in remote places.
In Johannesburg, Terres d’Afrique is exclusive to the Four Seasons Spa and has been incorporated into a number of authentically African signature treatments. The Gold of Mapungubwe, one of three 90-minute rituals, harnesses the anti-ageing, healing properties of pure baobab oil and natural salt from the Mapungubwe salt pans to polish the body. This is followed by a balancing and detoxifying massage to increase circulation, release muscle tension and hydrate the skin leaving it deliciously soft and subtly perfumed.
Marais’ personal recommendation for the ultimate spa experience is to start the day with a delicious and nourishing breakfast at the Westcliff Deli. A combination of restorative body treatments, chosen to meet one’s specific needs, may be followed by a luxurious facial, massage to relax the body and mind and, finally, pampering hand and feet treatments. Enjoying the views over the parks from Après-Spa with a refreshing drink is a fitting conclusion to a wonderful day.
