A one stop spa shop worthy of an all-day splurge

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A one stop spa shop worthy of an all-day splurge
Sue Ryan Last Updated: July 16. 2008 8:03PM UAE / GMT
Its too hot to play outside and too much of a bother to drivesomewhere for a spa treatment; by the time you get home thetensions have built up again. There is nothing spoiling about atreatment fitted in to a hectic schedule and body maintenance is anincreasingly time consuming affair.

In Abu Dhabi, I have a favourite place where I like to spend thewhole day combining a little exercise with several hours ofrelaxation, a facial, a body scrub and a little reflexology andreturn home having ticked the maintenance list  hair, manicure,pedicure. Not only will I have eaten healthily, I will also havespent fewer dirhams than I would have during a few hours of retailtherapy in the mall.
Sharanis market themselves as the only Asian wellness day spa, butthe real lure is that its a one-stop shop. Mind you, by the timeyou have driven to Khalifa City, you need to get more out of itthan one measly treatment, however good it might be.

The suburb has the Disney feel of a toy town  wholesome houseswith green gardens, wide avenues and no people. You keep expectingthe extras to turn up. As you drive down the lane there is no hintof what is to come. Housed in a three storey, 15 room villa in aresidential area with its own front yard for parking and a largelandscaped garden at the back, Sharanis from the outside looks likeall the other domestic houses in the street.
But inside it has been converted for its purpose  a task that tookeight months  and is unmistakably Asian: Indian furniture statuesand artefacts, lots of pinks, oranges, golds, and whites and sixAsian-themed treatment rooms with traditional furniture and artfrom each country.

On arrival, guests are provided with fluffy slippers and areencouraged to think of themselves as princesses. There is a Ranistreatment room and a Ranis all day ritual. It last eight hours,during which you have a floral foot bath, Sharanis Touch, rosebudbath soak, an oriental herbal body polish, a natural body mask, apomegranate and jasmine cream massage, an anti ageing facial, amanicure, pedicure and wash and blow dry  all for Dh1,290.
There might be an emphasis on traditional treatments but pamperingis the order of the day. You can have your manicure while you siton intelligent chairs that massage the backs of your legs while atherapist massages your neck and shoulders. All this while watchingDesperate Housewives or listening to your iPod.

Not surprisingly, Sharanis does a brisk business for brides andgirls days out. You can hire the whole place for half a day andhave the works in the company of your friends. In the coolermonths, the garden is a fabulous sanctuary in which to loungearound and sip herbal tea after your body is worn our from all thatmassaging.
Does it work? Yes, it does and its unique in the spa-booming UAE.The owner/manager Sharon Moore is a committee member of theinternational business womens group in Abu Dhabi who has spentyears in India and Thailand in spa related industries. Sharanis isher dream and its based on her own needs.

I did not want to go one place for yoga, another for a treatment,somewhere else for my nails and a fourth place to get my hairdone, she said. Our focus is on health, not beauty, but its somuch easier to have it all under one roof. Clients withmemberships can come as often as they like to use the facilities.
There is also an underlying seriousness to what is on offer. Thespa has its own ayurvedic doctor and its a great place to do thefull two or three week ayurvedic courses. They deliver resultsnormally only achieved by going away on an expensive two weekholiday. The package involves 90 minutes of massage a day for 21days as well as nutrition advice in keeping with your particularbody dosha. One happy client who has just finished it lost 6 kilos.With opening hours 9am to 9pm, you dont even have to take time offwork.
Clients tend to be women who are juggling careers and family butalso realise that time out for themselves is crucial in making bothhappen. Moore is already talking with an Abu Dhabi company that hasa lot of women employees about providing the same sort offacilities within the office. Now thats a thought.