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Sumitra Senapaty

The ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton Towers & Spa in Kolkata offers an advanced blend of highly regarded Asian and European health treatments.

It is a different type of location for a seven-star resort, is what you would think when you go there. Situated smack in the middle of the suburban Haldane Avenue neighbourhood, ITC Sonar Bangla Sheraton Towers & Spa, near the Eastern Metropolitan Bypass is perched opposite Kolkata's Science City and it is expensive. But worth every penny. In fact, you'd rather spend a weekend here, than four nights at a resort at half-the-price, or six nights at a resort priced at one-third.

It's the service that makes the difference — although one can hardly balk at the 239-room accommodation, spread over 16 acres and the well-appointed guestrooms. No one gripes about the black leather massage chair, or the fragrant orchids and fresh litchi in each guestroom, or the peaceful views of lotus-filled water bodies. There are no complaints about the in-room coffee maker, the luxurious bathrobes, comfortable sofas, or the work desks with high-speed Internet access. There are seven food and beverage outlets, four parking lots, two tennis courts, a chip-and-putt golfing green, a near Olympic-size swimming pool and the 13,500-sq-ft tropical health spa. Since the spa operates from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., you can conveniently adjust your demanding schedule to accommodate your individual treatments.

It can't get much better than this, one thought, while heading towards the Spa. In a short while, being smothered in a bright orange papaya wrap, is a feeling of complete relaxation that assures a good beginning to a `blissful weekend' that you have come seeking at the ITC One's Sonar Spa, a subtly lit, hi-tech cocoon in Kolkata. The Rs 240-crore `restobiz', opened in January 2003, claims to be the first `business resort hotel' in the country.

The spa offers an advanced blend of highly regarded Asian and European health treatments. The Spa manager Miriam Mathews is dedicated and enthusiastic. She has opened spas the world over, in Dubai, Bangkok, Bangalore, Goa and Kolkata and will be venturing into China pretty soon. The spa rooms are soothing and cool, located right next to the lotus pond and so far away from the bustling world. Miriam has helped treat people going through withdrawal symptoms and depression, arthritis and immune system disorders. She does so by getting to know their diet, lifestyle and even a bit about their personal life. The answers to the questions help her decide on the type of person she is treating — Ayurvedic medicine recognises three energy elements: air (vata), fire (pitta) and water (kapa). According to Ayurveda, these three doshas form the basis of our physical, mental and emotional well-being. When these elements are balanced, we are healthy in mind and body, illness is caused by an imbalance. The spa has an Oriental Suite with the Royal Thai massage (traditional Thai massage isn't for the faint hearted, weak of stomach, or ticklish). The word for `yoga' in Thai means `self-massage', which gives you an idea of how this works. It's a combination of deep-tissue therapy, reflexology, and assisted yoga. Brought to Thailand, 2,500 years ago, by Buddhist monks, this involves applying pressure to energy lines and points.

At times you'll feel as though you're being kneaded like pizza dough. At other times, stretched and bent. They start with your lower body and end with your head. This sets you back `royally' by Rs 1,750.

Spa devotees claim the mind will follow the body, but so far it's the physical benefits that are most obvious. You can feel your spine flexing as the tension drips away. After a short break at the relaxation area, I'm back for two more hours of bespoke treatment. You can get a facial done, complete with fresh cucumber slices on the eyes (Rs 1,500), manicure, pedicure, and reflexology foot massage all at the same time (Rs 650-Rs 850). They also do haircuts, shaves, and a variety of other pampering. You can also experience Ayurveda's Abhyanga (Rs 2,500), whose `echoes of the ancient wisdom' promise to transport you `from the hectic pace of everyday life into receptive calm'. After a welcoming foot-washing ritual, there's a hot oil rub and an energetic massage to unblock the energy channels. And then there's the grand finale — a facial and head massage. At the end of this exercise, you are not only left feeling energised, but soothed too.

Lunch is at The Restaurant, The Essence of Lean Cuisine, a café sort of place adjacent to the pool that serves the freshest of food you'll eat anywhere — food that is respected for its individual flavours, not smothered with palate clogging sauces and additives. Executive Sous Chef Parvinder Bali is all set to dispel the common myth "if it tastes horrible then it must be good for you." Food is to enjoy, but in moderation — Salad of Tandoori Vegetables, Chilled Essence of Baby Cucumbers, Tawa Machli and Poached Apricots with compote of Wild Berries with Mascarpone cheese. On completion of the meal, the staff hands out a small envelope, a computer print out of the nutritional value and food intake of the entire meal experience, a terrific boon, if you are trying to control calories.

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