COUPLES TOWER ISLE redefines luxury with Oasis Spa Villas
THE LUXURIOUS Couples Tower Isle has redefined traditional all-inclusive properties in the Caribbean, with its newly opened Oasis Spa Villas, which offers the only all-inclusive, unlimited spa package in the region.
The Villas, a 493 square feet Oasis Spa Villa and the 693 square feet Signature Oasis Villas, provide couples with not only unrestricted private access to all the services and treatments available at the award-winning spa, but also the option of booking unique services in their own private sunfilled terrace.
Each of the expansive, lavishly appointed villas includes private walkways with direct access to the spa, personal plunge pool, kingsize bed, and outdoor shower.
The Oasis Spa itself is not only a shining example of Jamaica’s spa and wellness sector offerings, but can, without a doubt, be described as being among the Caribbean’s finest examples of wellness architecture.
Surrounded by trees and copious amounts of other greenery, including palms, ginger lilies, and coffee roses, the Oasis certainly lives up to its name and to the Couples brand, which is known for being guardians of the environment. Parrots and a few other birds also make the trees their home, their chirping at times serving as a gentle reminder of the tropical location and also as confirmation that the property is toxin-free and very environmentally friendly.
The Oasis is characterised by a Zens-type of architecture offering a peaceful, prayerful environment, which is a growing trend in modern spa designs. As a consequence, due to its free open spaces and trees, clients are able to get the benefit of all the soothing Caribbean breezes.
The Oasis offers unlimited services for couples staying in the spa villa, services that are provided by a very mature and experienced staff of 15, the majority of whom, combined, boasts decades of experience in spa services.
“They (staff) are very familiar with the level of service that we are doing in the tourism sector. I have about 15 of them now, and thankfully, because of the villas, we are almost always busy. It really has brought in a new level of business. We opened just over a year ago, and we have people who have already come four times to the spa villas. They are so enraptured by it that they keep coming back,” says group spa manager Denise Morrison.
Beaming with pride, she noted that the number-one service was the couples massage.
“The unlimited offer is something really attractive and it pulls guests in. But we also try to guide them. They have the option of
massages, facials, anything on the menu and we have over 20 services on the menu, and you can get all of them at no additional cost.”
Home to seven treatment rooms, two are for couples, one is for hydrotherapy and is equipped with a tub, while the others are single.
But the Oasis offerings do not stop there. The juice bar offers all natural juices and smoothies, which are free from artificial sweeteners and are a way to flush and cleanse the body.
Water, she said, was a crucial part of the spa experience, so guests are encouraged to drink to flush the system as part of continuing detoxification.
“Water is very important in the spa environment. It is all about the cleansing because the skin, which is the largest organ, is what we work with primarily, so we do a lot of showering, where we submerge the people in water with added stuff like salts or seaweed to help with the detoxification,” she said in explaining the focus on hydrotherapy.
No true spa exists without a signature scent, so, of course the Oasis has its own, in the form of lemongrass, known commonly across Jamaica as “fever grass”.
The most sought-after spa treatments at the Oasis include the peppermint detoxification
treatment, which also remedies issues of cellulite. In this hour-long treatment, the client is massaged as well as wrapped in bandages and then cocooned, according to aesthetician Fennella Todd.
“All our products are seaweed based and natural. Everything is natural,” Todd told Hospitality Jamaica.
The Lava shell treatment is also a top pick. In this treatment, four ceramic shells are warmed and used to do the massage. According to spa therapist Marie Scott, the shells enable the muscles to relieve tension during the procedure.
“It is ideal for tired, aching muscles. It is a very relaxing, smooth, gentle massage, but a little pressure can be applied. It is a mixture between the shell and the therapist’s hands,” she said.
The 75-minute Vita Kera firming facial for mature skin types is aimed at hydrating and firming the skin and diminishing the build-up and appearance of fine lines. Aesthetician Latoya McGregor, who is a specialist in facials, recommends that this be done twice per week for best and lasting results.
“It is not extremely intense, so it is not harmful to the skin. If you are doing it for firming, it is best in five intervals per month. It has a special enzyme to help smooth the lines on the skin, especially right at the corners of the eye and along the forehead.
“Skin has memory, so the more often you do that is the more accustomed skin becomes to staying nice and smooth so it doesn’t develop all those wrinkles,” she said.