Simple Elegance
Mandalay Bay Bathhouse Returns To Spa’s Roots
by Matt Morgan
 Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas specializes in
the “more than you ever expected” type of experience. The resort epitomizes comfort and luxury rather than the
ostentation found elsewhere on the Strip. This standard of indulgence is called
and raised by Mandalay Bay’s most recent additions: THEhotel and its Bathhouse
Spa.
When Bathhouse opened March 10, 2004, it joined an
established, successful spa across the Mandalay Bay complex. Spa Mandalay’s
light, airy, Mediterranean feel and social atmosphere make it a popular getaway
from the sights and sounds of Las Vegas.
The new spa’s challenge was to distinguish itself not only
from other spas in town, but even at its own location. What surprises many is
just how different Bathhouse is from its sister spa.
Bathhouse resides on an expanded second floor of the new,
all-suite tower in Mandalay Bay called THEhotel. To understand the beauty of
Bathhouse, one must appreciate THEhotel.
“People tell me, ‘This reminds me of—’ and then they’ll
say the W in New York or the Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong,” says Gordon
Absher, Mandalay Bay spokesman. “They don’t expect to find this kind of
hotel in Las Vegas because it doesn’t have a theme. If you have to assign
THEhotel a theme, it’s style. It’s very contemporary. It’s got Asian
influences, but it is simplistic. There are no bells. There are no whistles.
There is exactly what you need, and those things are located exactly where you
need them.”
Bathhouse Spa is an extension of THEhotel. “The decor is stark, yet elegant,” Absher says. “There
is nothing missing. The sometimes frivolous decor elements that you might find
other places are not there, thus focusing your attention and the attention of
the spa on what you have arrived there for: relaxation, rejuvenation, a
recharging of your batteries.” The simple elegance is what may first strike its guests.
“You step into an elevator lobby that is made of
floor-to-ceiling ultra-suede walls,” he says. “As you leave that small area,
you go into a larger, high-ceilinged lobby that is made of dark slate. It
becomes very calm, very soothing, almost introspective. That theme—combined
with water, which runs throughout Bathhouse—brings you into an altogether
different world and spa experience.”
Water is used for effect at all stages of the spa: sparkling
rainfall corridors, scented steam rooms and numerous water pools. Designers from
the New York firm Richardson Sadeki used these elements deliberately to send
guests back to spa’s roots.
The 14,000-square-foot Bathhouse facility includes a gym and
12-room treatment area. On most days, the spa serves between 100 and 200 guests—and,
due to the unique appeal of Las Vegas, their needs may vary widely.
“You get very experienced spa-goers who come in wanting the
latest and the greatest and wanting to try things that are new and different,”
Absher says. “You also get the folks who have never been to a spa
before, and maybe their spouse or partner has treated them to something new.”
For this reason, Bathhouse employs 85 staff members with an
array of experience: Knowledgeable technicians bring their seasoned expertise,
while relative newcomers arrive with fresh, cutting-edge approaches. Staff
methodologies include body massage, facials and body treatments, reflexology,
crystal energy, body wraps, and manicures and pedicures. All massage therapists
have national certification, and all estheticians and nail techs have Nevada
cosmetology licensing.
Signature Selections
Mandalay Bay management—which operates the spa—works
closely with retail-product manufacturers to discover the latest trends and
learn how to incorporate them into Bathhouse. Manufacturers include June Jacobs,
Carita, Éminence Organics, BABOR For Men, Kerstin Florian and Peter Thomas
Roth.
Bathhouse offers a signature product line that consists of
three aromatherapeutic blends: Infuse (Creamsicle essence), Immerse (grapefruit
essence) and Submerge (cranberry essence), with each essence including products
developed for the amount of time available to guests. For example, lotions and mists may befit a guest on the run,
while body masques might suit those in no particular hurry.
“If you have a few minutes, Infuse works; if you have an
hour, Immerse works; if you have an entire afternoon, Submerge works,” Absher
says.
The top-requested treatment on the menu is the Bathhouse
Crème Brule Body Wrap & Massage (80 minutes, $190). The decadence begins
with a crème brule glaze, then the body is wrapped to lock in moisture. For dessert, crème brule lotion is applied to soothe and
smooth skin.
The Bathhouse Milk & Honey Body Wrap & Massage (80
minutes, $190), “Renovateur” Signature Facial (50 minutes, $165) and
Scents-Of- You Massage ($135-$190) are other popular menu items.
All Scents-Of-You services—including scrubs and manicures/
pedicures—feature an aromatherapeutic blend that is customized for each
individual from among 200 botanicals. The personalized mixture of Aromapothecary
products is determined by answers to a unique questionnaire that each guest
completes at the outset. Information is entered into a computer, and the resulting
blend is used in essential oils during treatment.
The spa also has gotten good response from the self-operating
UV-free Mist-On spray-tanning unit. In 30 seconds, guests get a lasting,
natural-looking tan without sun exposure. “Guests like the fact that they can
get a nice tan that quickly, and they like the fact that they don’t have to
sit out in the sun,” Absher says. Bathhouse performs about 20 treatments per
week, more so in the summer when tans are common.
With the purchase of a treatment, guests have access for the
entire day. They can work out at the gym in the morning, go through their
daily routine of sightseeing, shopping or business meetings, then come back for
their scheduled spa appointment. If they like, they can return for a dip in the
pool or a steam.
“For folks coming to Vegas, whether it’s for business or
pleasure, they find that a very welcome surprise,” he says. “Once they pass
through the doors and head back on the elevator, the magic of Bathhouse is still
available to them later in the day.”
Bathhouse’s winning formula of ambiance and amenities,
combined with Spa Mandalay’s tested technique—the yin and yang, Absher says—
gives Mandalay Bay a one-two punch of pleasure. Hotel guests now can enjoy two
totally different spa experiences during their stays.
“If he prefers a more social type of spa atmosphere and she
prefers a more introspective type of spa atmosphere, now there’s no more
arguing over which spa destination they’re going to choose,” Absher says.
“Pampering is a big element of the spa experience,” he
continues, “but here in Las Vegas, pampering sometimes crosses that line into
indulgence.”
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