An unforgettable experience at Royal Emeralds Spa and Wellness

Ezdan Palace Hotel’s newly opened spa is beautiful, expansive, and equipped to the T for everything from a traditional Thai massage to a relaxing bout of hydrotherapy.

This was my first visit to Royal Emeralds Spa and Wellness, and to the hotel itself, so I wasn’t sure what to expect from either. The hotel is large and situated on Shamal road, close to Landmark and other malls, and although I’d driven past it on several occasions, its oriental-style facade was about all I could recall.

Needless to say, I walked in and was greeted kindly by the staff, who led my on to the spa situated on the ground floor. Royal Emeralds’ atmosphere and decor immediately give you a sense of grandeur and luxury (without running the risk of tackiness), with gorgeously lit marble hallways and intricately designed treatment rooms.

The massage

After specifying my preferences, and any medical conditions I may have—no allergies, but I did mention an achy neck—I was shown around by my wonderful spa therapist, Joy.

Because she had opted for a Deep Tissue Sports Massage (she figured I was sitting stiffly too many hours a day) and a White Lumination Facial, we opted for a normal treatment room.

The massage was, in a word, amazing, but this was especially because my spa therapist combined the Deep Tissue Sports Massage, which applies a lot of pressure and is typically used for athletes, with a lighter traditional method to fit my needs. I had a lot of tension around my shoulders and neck from being on my laptop too many hours a day, so the extra pressure really helped.

Joy gave me the option of choosing my own therapeutic oil—they had amber, rose, argon and lavender—and I picked amber for it’s clear smell and for the sake of trying something new.

There are ten kinds of massages to choose from at Royal Emeralds, with relieving hot stones and herbal poultices, and even a special one tailored for expecting mothers, so having the advice of an experienced spa therapist really helps, especially if you’re a newbie at massages

The facial

Of the 14 facials on offer, Joy advised me to go for the White Lumination Brightening Radiance Treatment, which suited my lighter skin tone and is ideal for removing all the city gunk that tends to build up in your pores when you live somewhere as dusty as Doha.

This facial is mostly gentle on the skin, but extremely thorough, with around 13 steps to create a glowingly clear result that, in my case, lasted for days. The products used are of Phytomer, a brand which is recognized worldwide as an undisputed leader of marine-based beauty and anti-aging products, hence the sea-themed scents that went along with the process. Charme d’Orient’s beauty products are also used at the spa, but not for this particular facial.

Starting with a marine immersion scent to set the tone and clear the mind, my therapist proceeded with makeup removal and the application of cleansing milk.

After toning and exfoliating with a scrub, a special acid AHA exfoliant was applied, which stung, but Joy explained that a little stinging was normal with this method, as older dead skin cells must make way for the new. This step was followed by the application of a warm towel, perfecting massage cream and white rumination serum, which completely soothed the stinging.

The final stages of the facial included the white rumination peel-off mask and the plasticizing mask, which was applied for 20 minutes and felt incredible. We finished off the treatment with eye contour cream, and white rumination moisturizing cream.

The facial takes time, but is quite honestly one of the most effective treatments I’ve ever experienced, and I highly, highly recommend visiting Royal Emeralds before it gets booked up!

A few facts about Royal Emeralds Spa and Wellness

Royal Emeralds boasts a wide variety of treatments, with 11 treatment rooms—five for ladies, five for gents and one room for couples—a thermal suite with sauna, steam and Jacuzzi, an outdoor swimming pool with a dedicated children’s pool and kid’s play area, a 24-hour mixed gym (for hotel guests), and a ladies-only gym.

- Deep Tissue Sports Massage - 60 min/600 QR

- White Lumination Brightening Radiance Treatment - 75 min/775 QR