In a fluke coincidence, my appointment at the Miraj Hamman Spa, located at the Shangri-La Hotel in Toronto (188 University Avenue, 5th floor), was on my blog birthday. Not a bad way to round out two years, I'd say. In another, sort of, coincidence, I had actually treated my mom to a Hammam and Gommage at the Vancouver location many years ago for Christmas.
The Spa uses Caudalie products and offers Hammam, Gommage, massages, facials and other services. Hamman is the steam room in which you lay for 15 mins while eucalyptus infused steam fills the space. This is followed by a full body exfoliation treatment, Gommage, when black Moroccan soap is applied to your body and you are given the deepest exfoliation of your life.
Everything about this is lux, from the attention of the staff, every inch of decor (bathroom included), the personal Hammam and Gommage rooms, the plush robes you wear to your treatment and the Relaxation Lounge at the end of your service, where you are served a small snack of grapes, baklava and Moroccan chai mint tea. At $130 for 30mins, it also isn't for the feint of wallet.
The change rooms include Caudalie products for pre and post treatment. Makeup remover gets you fresh faced pre-treatment and body lotion and serums help you moisturize when you leave. Each person has their own locker, thick robe and slippers. There's also a shower should you need it. This was actually a nice way to test out some Caudalie products. I used the Caudalie Makeup Remover Cleansing Water which worked a lot better than I expected (I don't care for cleansing waters). After the treatment, I used the Caudalie Beauty Elixer (I can now understand the hype around this product) and Caudalie Nourishing Body Lotion.
When you open the door to your treatment room, there is an anti-chamber, and a sectioned off washroom. Another door leads into a two part steam room (shown in the booklet photo above). The interior chamber contains the intense steam of the Hammam, and the anterior chamber, with less intense steam, is where you lie down and receive the Gommage. A sarong keeps you clothed while you steam but is removed during exfoliation.
As some of you may know, I'm not fond of humidity. Laying in the Hamman took a little adjustment but I did enjoy the eucalyptus scented steam. (I also thought about how this would not be David's thing at all.) It was noisier than I expected; either water was dripping or the boiler was heating up to emit steam so it wasn't as relaxing as I expected. 15 mins passed by quickly though and I enjoyed the Gommage extremely. Every inch of your body is scrubbed, deeply, and you can see all the balls of skin that have been sloughed off. After the treatment, your skin is impeccably smooth and amazingly brightened. A quick rinse follows and you're ready to leave.
This was an interesting and novel experience. I enjoyed the Gommage and the Hamman is necessary to help plump up the skin, detox it and make it easier to exfoliate but it is a pricy service that not everyone will find necessary. However, the service and attention from start to finish and the time I got to spend in the Relaxation Lounge rounded out my experience at Miraj Hammam. If you do want to treat yourself, take a look at the rest of their spa services. I would suggest getting a massage while you go for the H and G.
Have you tried this type of service before?
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