After some amazing spa experiences over the last couple of months (I’m talking Palazzo Versace and Palace Downtown), and a terrible one (sorry, Address Montgomerie), I was super duper keen to try out The Spa at Armani Hotel in Burj Khalifa.

I completely echo Atozaatar‘s feelings with respect to pulling up at the foot of Burj Khalifa- it truly is a “I need to pinch myself” moment, every single time. As you get out of the car and strut inside feeling like you’ve totally made it in life, I actually love how my eyes need to completely readjust, and I feel like I’ve stepped into a completely different world, almost as if it’s a secret headquarters for super important people (which I of course convince myself I am).

I’ve previously been to Armani hotel to dine at The Deli, which allowed me the privilege of the best, most memorable white truffle pasta I’ve had till date (!), and to Hashi for a not-so-bad Japanese dinner. It was now time to up the ante and spent a day at The Spa at Armani Hotel, and live the ultimate #MyDubai #luxuryliving experience.

Let’s cut to the chase.

Here’s how the treatment went:

I filled out a form which asked us about our preferences in detail. Unlike other spas, you don’t have a particular menu of treatments to choose from, instead, treatments are customized to your preferences based on our needs. Pricing is done based on the duration of the treatments.

The treatment room was just as exciting as the rest of the hotel is. The treatment room was oval-shaped, and what looked like smooth walls were actually secret doors concealing the products, a shower, and other cool stuff.

 

3 different oils were dabbed on my wrist to choose from, and while I usually gravitate to one fragrance way more than the others, this time I loved all of them. I think my favorite was a blend of jasmine, ylang ylang, vanilla and jajoba. Because I loved all of them, my therapist,Baby (that’s her real name), used all 3 oils on different parts of my body.

Next, my feet were soaked and washed in warm fragrant water, before I proceeded for what has till date been the best massage ever.

Before the massage, I was asked to inhale deeply and felt the fragrance of the calming oil instantly relax me. The next step was pumping, followed by truly the most epic massage of my life. To be fair, I haven’t had very many massages in my life, but I do know that Baby really worked all the dozens and dozens of knots out of my neck and back. I felt better than I’ve felt in months!

Pros of The Spa at Armani Hotel:

• Very warm welcome and comprehensive explanation of the menu and pricing
• Spa is uber chic, possibly the most chic one in town
• The menu is simple
• Pricing is done based on the number of minutes the treatment room is booked for, regardless of the treatment.
• Treatments aren’t restrictive and are customized to meet your needs. Subject to availability, you can also extend the duration of your treatment even after it has started.
• Two kinds of steam rooms; one more intense than the other.
• Skincuticles and Georgio Armani products are used for the facials, specially prepared for The Spa at Armani Hotel, by L’Oréal.
• The Spa at Armani Hotel is the only spa in Dubai using Skincuticles products.
• The Spa and all its facilities are accessible by non-hotel guests, who can access the pool, gym, rain-shower, sauna and steam rooms.
• The Spa at Armani Hotel is open from 9 a.m. till 10 p.m.
• Table, lamp and magazine next to the loungers in the relaxation lounge. I loved having enough space to place my phone, power bank, camera and tea.

Cons of The Spa at Armani Hotel:

• No branding on the robes, which I expected for to be more luxe, considering this is The Spa at Armani hotel in THE Burj Khalifa.
• Not a lot of amenities. I couldn’t find any mouthwash, for instance.
• The flip-flops. Dear God, the flip-flops. Instead of the usual cosy bedroom slippers, there were unbranded, black (possibly reused?) flip-flops. 30% of what I’m looking forward to when I go to a spa, is to spend the rest of my day in comfy, soft, bedroom slippers. The size 42 flip-flops were so big for my size 35 feet, that they were painful to walk in, as I tried really hard to keep them on.
• The recliners in the waiting room felt like they belonged outdoors, by the pool. I was surprised that they couldn’t be adjusted with a remote control, and the blankets has lint on them.
• No private changing rooms. I am really not comfortable with having to change in the locker room in front of other people. Luckily, there were no other people.
• Even though it’s quite simple once you get the hang of it, I felt like I was in a bit of a maze and actually went around in circles for 15 minutes, because I couldn’t figure out how to get back from the relaxation lounge to the reception area. True story, and a funny one.

The Bottom Line:

The Spa at Armani Hotel was every bit as chic and contemporary as I expected it to be, but it wasn’t as luxe as I hoped it would be, but it still one of the better spas in Dubai and definitely worth at least one visit because you haven’t really lived until you’ve lounged by the pool IN Burj Khalifa, staring right up at Burj Khalifa right, am I right??