Spa Review: Sensasia Urban Spa

The supermodel’s fave Ice Globes facial keeps us cool in the heat.

A golf club might not be the first place that comes to your mind when you think about going to a spa, but Emirates Golf Club is home to the independent Sensasia Urban Spa. Plus, it has the seal of approval from yours truly, as it won an award for the ‘favourite independent spa’ at the FACT Spa & Wellness Awards Dubai 2021.

Sensasia Urban Spa launched in 2004 in The Village in Jumeirah, Dubai. Today, there are four locations and one of them is in Emirates Golf Club’s “hut”. On your way to the spa, you’ll find an outdoor pool, state-of-the-art gym and cute Roseleaf Café. When you enter the reception, the goal is for you to relax and it starts with you swapping your shoes for standard spa slippers – you are in an Asian-inspired spa, after all.  

You’ll feel well and truly disconnected from the golf course and outside world, as you make your way down a dimly-lit corridor with dark walls, no windows and no WiFi. The spa is laid out like a giant semi-circle: one curve includes the men’s rooms and lounge, the other curve includes the women’s rooms and lounge, and right in the middle you’ll find a couple’s massage room complete with a jacuzzi and shower.  

We are checking out the women’s quarters, which includes a changing room and lounge that are on the smaller side. What the spa lacks in size, however, it makes up for with its friendly staff. When my therapist takes me to my treatment room, she explains, full of enthusiasm, what’s on the menu.

Sensasia Urban Spa’s menu includes a range of treatments, from the detoxifying Deep Hot Stone Massage to The ‘Knead’ It with deep tissue techniques. We are sampling the latest treatments: the Balin-ease Massage and the Ice Globes facial. The massage costs AED 375 for 60 minutes and AED 425 for 90 minutes, and the add-on facial costs AED 47 for 20 minutes.

The treatment begins with a traditional foot bath, which includes a scrub and wash. Sniff your way through three body oils, and choose the fragrance to suit your desired frame of mind. Eucalyptus and relaxation? Yes, please. When we make our way to the massage bed, the lights are turned right down, more so than usual, to help set the mood. 

The treatment combines firm but flowing techniques, which are inspired by traditional massages in Bali, Indonesia. It’s all about the attention to detail, from releasing the knots in my shoulders at the start to the wet towels on my hands and feet at the end. The whole massage feels much longer than the 60 minutes and takes me into a deep state of bliss. So far, so zen. 

While most spas are all about putting you into your comfort zone, something has to be said about entering the discomfort zone. Roll forward the Ice Globes facial – a cool solution to beat the heat and revitalise your skin. 

The facial sees frozen glass spheres, which are filled with water, massaged over your face, as it aims to boost your circulation and draw in oxygen. Plus, the beauty tool is supermodel approved by the likes of Cindy Crawford and Claudia Schiffer.

With my eyes closed and nerves ready, the therapist begins by placing the globes near my ears and the sound of swishing water warns me about what’s to come. What follows is an intense facial, as it effectively feels like ice cubes moving in upward strokes across my face and neck. At first, the freezing temperature is a shock, but you quickly get used to the tickling sensation.

After succeeding at this entry level ice challenge, my skin feels tighter and brighter. If you want to chill out, you can buy the Ice Globes as a set of two for AED 159 from the spa. And, since the spa is offering up to 40 per cent off until the end of August 2022, that sounds like the ice-ing on the cake. 

GO: Visit https://sensasiaspas.com for more information.