St. Gregory at Park Royal Penang
Published 01 April 2009
Text by Stephen Ng
Visiting this Gem of the Orient – Penang, a small island on the west coast of the Malayan peninsula, and enjoying all the hawker food that the island offers, is incomplete without a great massage to pamper oneself at Parkroyal Penang’s St. Gregory, located along the beautiful beach of Batu Ferringhi.
The light-filled, tranquil environment of the spa boasts of a Botanical Coastal Malay with Persian influenced design, according to its designer, Made Wijaya, an Australian designer residing in Bali, Indonesia. Its senior therapist, Sonya Hoiriyanti is also from Bali, and along with four other therapists, they offer treatments ranging from effective facial treatments to soothing massage rituals such as Aromatic Body Bliss Massage, Tropical Javanese, and naturally, Balinese Massage. They are trained by St. Gregory’s Senior Trainer, Erawati from Bali, who has been in the trade for over 20 years.
It isn’t only for the parents, even children can enjoy the Kids Spa; the only one of its kind in the whole of Penang here at St. Gregory, making it a great escape for the whole family. As the manager, Lenny Lieke puts it, “Children love to be pampered as much as their parents do.”
The rest is history. Kids Spa treatments are made available for children aged seven to 12 years old – and, indeed are very popular amongst hotel guests. “The treatment offers a half hour relaxing soak in a choice of either milk or flower specialty baths with the presence of a spa therapist, or new menu choices of either a banana smoothie or chocolate body mask – total nourishment for hydration of the skin,” Lieke explains.“This is followed by a pampering manicure or pedicure with various colourful and vibrant nail designs that kids will find exciting.”
If the parents envy the pampering that their children get, they too can try what my wife and I experienced – “The Touch of Paradise”, done in the Hibiscus VIP room, overlooking a garden and enjoying a good sea view. In fact, it is the only spa in Penang that faces the sea and a garden where even the treatment rooms are named after flowers – the Hibiscus, Bougainvillea, Jasmine, Orchid, Frangipani and Lotus.
The two-hour package includes the Boreh Body Scrub, Flower Bath and an hour of Balinese massage, which helps to boost sluggish circulation to relieve muscle soreness due to prolonged usage of the personal computer, for example. For the uninitiated, the Boreh Body Scrub is a warming scrub ideal for aching muscles or to ward off the onset of flue while the Flower Bath is a fragrant mix of flower petals and aromatherapy essences to relax and revitalize the body and mind. All done in the comfort of therapy rooms with soothing music with the temperature controlled at 28°C. “We even have a standard specification for lighting control for every room,” explained Lieke.
The St. Gregory brand has been very successful since it was established in 1997 as a premier brand in Singapore. Its first spa was located in Parkroyal Beach Road in the island state. There is nothing mythical about the name, which came from St. Gregory’s Lane (near Bugis Junction). St Gregory at Parkroyal Penang, Malaysia is the third after Japan, and today, it has expanded to a complete holistic programme integrating Spa Therapy, Fitness, Aesthetics and Active-aging to ensure a balanced and active lifestyle.
While Bali can offer Balinese massage at competitive prices, it cannot offer the added bonus of an exotic experience of a great getaway holiday on the Island of Penang.
ST Gregory Park Royal Penang
Batu Feringhi Beach
+60 4886 2288.