The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown has Glass enraptured

LOWER Manhattan has an intrinsically stylish air about it. The ambience is more serene than many other parts of the city, what with it being so close to the river and Battery Park, and the area has an air of authority due to the presence of Wall Street and One World Trade Centre (known as the tallest building the Western hemisphere). Adding to such surroundings, just a couple of streets from City Hall, is the Four Seasons Hotel Downtown. This luxury property – Lower Manhattan’s only five-star hotel – has a dazzling spa to match, and Glass was fortunate enough to recently make a visit.

The impressive reception area at the  Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

It’s an irresistibly opulent affair from the get-go. The reception doubles as a boutique where you can find products from luxury skincare brands Omorovicza and Dr. Burgener Switzerland with whom the retreat has partnered in order to create customised experiences found exclusively at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown.

The stunning swimming pool at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

How many spas can boast an outdoor terrace and sun deck, plus a staggeringly beautiful pool? Though, sadly, access to the latter is exclusively for in-house guests and residents of the hotel.  Suffice to say, we would book a room just to use this magnificent facility.

A treatment room at the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown

Prior to my 50-minute Sleep Serenity Massage (the name alone lulls one into relaxation) I spent some time in the lounge – a cosy dove grey and cream affair, complete with a tea and snacks station. The treatment room was similarly soothing, continuing the pattern of exquisite design details and high-end furnishings that was felt in all of the spa’s amenities. Other than stylish aesthetics, all of the staff encountered during my visit were impeccably professional, friendly and welcoming.  

The steam room

It was clear from the get-go that my therapist was very skilled and, critically, intuitive. The massage was especially interesting due to the long, extended motions she used, which felt as though my skin was being pleasantly stretched out, to elongate the tissue underneath. The Spa offers several excellent options for bodies and minds in need of comfort and rejuvenation, including nearly a dozen massages and four unique rituals. A selection of eight facials are also available.

The spa’s serene lounge

Complementing this diverse spectrum of treatments, that draw upon cultures and remedies from around the world, the Spa has recently introduced its Resident Healers Programme. Three practitioners, all women, will provide unique experiences for guests in one-to-one appointments. Deganit Nuur is an acupuncturist, herbalist and clairvoyant; Rashia Bell is a Crystal Healer and Mediation Master; and Snow Shimazu is a travel wellness expert and advanced body work educator. This new addition to the Spa’s overall programme highlights its intention to stay both contemporary and advanced, and, right now, it really is at the apex of the spa pyramid.

by Derby Jones

The Spa at Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown, 27 Barclay Street, New York, 10007
Tel: +1 646 880 1999
Photographs courtesy of Christian Horan and Four Seasons Hotel New York Downtown.

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