Spa Trek

Vyas Sivanand checks out the Golden Palms Spa and Resort in bangalore

The quest for rejuvenation, health, beauty, and fitness has been part of our history and culture since ancient times. Like in most cases, ‘old is gold’ and the spa culture is fast catching on with today’s yearning souls. Golden Palms Spa and Resort, Bangalore owned by Sanjay Khan, might be the perfect destination. Combining the art of ancient eastern knowledge with the best of western technologies, Golden Palms is much more than just a spa. The four-storey spa has facilities, which include sauna and steam rooms, treatment rooms for face and body, massages, wraps, hydrotherapy suite and a beauty salon. The fitness programmes are wide ranging to allow guests of all ages, at various physical capabilities, to join in any of the programmes. The facilities and services available are health and fitness assessment, body composition analysis, personal fitness training, physiotherapy, gymnasium with state-of-the-art equipment, exercise studio for all aerobic and workout programmes, and an outdoor pool for such activities as volleyball and aqua aerobics. The spa’s director is the veteran villain of Hindi movies, Bob Christo.

Elegantly coalesced is the resort, which houses the spa. With well-appointed rooms, themed suites, superb banqueting and conference facilities and an irresistible array for the gourmet and the guzzler, the Golden Palms Resort is 25 kilometres away from the heart of the city. The sprawling grounds are dotted with cobbled courtyards, walking trails housing Moorish design casitas, which blends with the overall grandeur of the resort and spa. Designed in Mediterranean style, the resort’s 132 well-appointed deluxe and superior rooms feature a large terrace with garden views. The rooms are located in eleven pavilions, with 18 suites and two presidential suites - the "Tipu Sultan" and the "Poorniya". The 18 suites have exclusive gardens, and overlook the 130 metre lagoon-shaped swimming pool, the largest in the country.

Guests can choose from six food and beverage outlets, including three restaurants, two bars and a cafe.

The ‘Cafe Solaire’, a poolside all day indoor-outdoor dining restaurant offering a neo-tropical buffet and a la carte menu, complemented with a large selection of Indian dishes. ‘The Garden of Eden’ serves seafood in trans-ethnic international style with Asian and Oriental flavours. ‘Badsha’ is a poolside open-air restaurant open for dinner only, serving Mughlai and tandoor delicacies. ‘The Spa Bar and Health Cafe’ is located at the entrance to the Golden Palms Spa. There is an outdoor juice bar meant for post-spa relaxation. ‘The Spa Bar’ has customised special diet menus serving Rajasthani, Gujarati, Continental and South Indian dishes. ‘The Aqua Bar’ serves healthy fresh juices, alcoholic beverages, ice creams, smoothies and cocktails. ‘The Nostalgia Bar’ has a unique theme of Hollywood and Bollywood through the years. A giant plasma TV screens yesteryear hits of both Hollywood and Bollywood.

The property has extensive meeting, conference and banqueting facilities. There are a total of five meeting rooms, comprising a ballroom that can be divided into two sections; one conference hall and two smaller spa meeting rooms that can be combined. There is also a well-equipped business centre with courier service, photocopying, facsimile, PC and printer for hire, and Internet service.