DAYSPA is the magazine of spa management. Spa owners and spa managers turn to DAYSPA for spa management trends, spa management tips and more.
Issue link: https://dayspamagazine.epubxp.com/i/283361
66 DAYSPA | APRIL 2014 YOUR WELLNESS SPA PHOTOS COURTESY HANGAROA As the only spa on Easter Island, Manavai Spa at Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa (hangaroa.cl) is already in a category by itself. The small Polynesian island on which the retreat was built is the most isolated inhabited one in the world, situated more than 2,000 miles off the west coast of Chile. But even without the pressure of competition, Manavai maintains a vise-like grasp on its geographic and cultural heritage. Four treatment rooms, designed to simulate caves, invite guests to receive a range of exotic therapies, massages and treatments. Those who visit the spa's sand sauna have the opportunity to experience the traditional technique of being covered with hot sand, which is said to evoke a physical and spiritual cleansing. Many treatments are performed with responsible use of the island's natural resources. The philosophy of the Hangaroa Eco Village & Spa is centered around the earth-honoring values established by the island's fi rst known inhabitants, the Polynesian natives called Rapa Nui. "We are an integral touristic project based on sustainability through time, both from an ecological point of view as well as from a cultural and humanistic point of view," says Manavai's mission statement. "Each detail of the architectonic design and the quality of the human service has the objective of inviting the guest to be part of an adventure in which getting to know, admiring, taking care of and preserving come together."—Linda Kossoff Ancestral Messages Y o u r W e l l n e s s S p a 4 1 4 . i n d d 6 6 Your Wellness Spa 414.indd 66 3 / 7 / 1 4 9 : 5 8 A M 3/7/14 9:58 AM