Celebrity Life

As close as one can come to the serenity of the Andaman ocean -- all without first having to brave the pandemic-era perils of commercial air travel.

When it comes to options, Rosewood's palatial waterfront property in Hong Kong boasts nothing short of an embarrassment of riches. Aside from the 400 or so lavishly appointed rooms in the main hotel, the opening of Carlyle & Co earlier this June (the nec plus ultra of private social clubs, sequestered away on the uppermost floors of the property) serves as yet more enticement for repeat stays: giving members, and a handful of their lucky guests, access to 8 New York-inspired suites on the 54th floor. But wait -- there's more.

Concomitant with the launch of Carlyle & Co, the team at Asaya Hong Kong -- Rosewood's resident 'urban wellness concept' -- has unveiled its own program of themed, weekend-friendly stays. Dubbed the 'Asaya Wellcation series', guests are given the "space and support" needed to break from the relentless pace of metropolitan living. In English? This may well be the most extravagant wellness-themed staycation in Hong Kong money can buy. At any rate, certainly one of the most exclusive.

Location: 9/10

Figuratively and physically secluded from the remainder of the Rosewood premises, the bulk of your 'Wellcation' takes place on the 7th floor -- in one of two 'lodges' that are the Asaya universe's riposte to the traditional corner suite. A winding staircase, adjacent to the private treatment rooms on the 6th floor -- where you'll initially arrive and be greeted by your Wellcation 'coordinator' -- signals your approach; taking you up onto a terrace flanked by keening trees, pebble-strewn channels and row upon row of candelabra-esque lights. Lodgings are located at the end of this area, directly atop the 6th-floor bathhouse facilities.

Even before decamping to your private quarters, there's an atmosphere of calm and remoteness that most Hong Kong hotels will be hard-pressed to replicate -- never mind those operating in the midst of Tsim Sha Tsui. In spite of glittering nocturnal views overlooking Salisbury Road, your immediate surroundings on the 7th floor give the uncanny impression, much of the time, of a resort in Phuket; complete with birdsong, dense canopies of greenery, and very little in the way of noise pollution.

Design: 8/10

As in the surrounding hotel, the grounds at Asaya have been designed with the aid of New York-based Tony Chi Studio. For Chi, texture and colour are the primary channels of creative expression: both the private and public spaces share in a similarly dulcet palette of sand, ecru and other neutrals; whilst providing a striking backdrop against which to bask in Asaya's truly varied array of greenery. Indoors, mineral rock and stone account for many of the built surfaces; and (to nobody's surprise) there is an emphasis on crafting wide airy rooms that possess a distinctly 'domestic' edge -- in spite of all their grandeur.

Room: 9/10

Overnight guests at Asaya always reside in one of two 'lodges' -- vast, freestanding signature suites that are not replicated anywhere else on Rosewood's premises. At just south of 1,000 sq. ft. there's abundant space (and more importantly, privacy) to entertain -- even if each lodge has been designed with an optimal occupancy of two in mind. Aside from a self-contained bedroom and sitting area (both using similar design accents to what you'll find throughout the rest of Asaya) each lodge's killer feature is a powder room that has been tailormade for private treatments. Just as well, since the 24 and 48-hour Wellcation packages include a choice of facial/body treatments, performed in the comfort of your own lodgings.

In the suite's wet areas, the scale is equally spa-like and impressive. A narrow strip of window (frosted for privacy, of course) runs across the triple-height ceiling; with an oversized soaking tub/bath salt trolley combo -- usually the centrepiece of smaller, Hong Kong-side hotel rooms -- tucked away in one corner. It is, to borrow a phrase from every fictional media mogul's favourite cousin, an "abundance of footage" -- let down, ever so slightly, by the absence of a few in-room amenities (e.g. a safety deposit box).

Service & Facilities: 9/10

For the duration of your stay, guests' needs are exclusively attended to by the Asaya urban wellness team. To that end, service is pitched at a calibre commensurate with what you'll have experienced on your last spa appointment or poolside sojourn -- notwithstanding one or two lapses which tend to occur when staff from the main hotel insert themselves into the picture. (Pro tip: Should you choose to take your breakfast in the courtyard adjoining the shared 'Glass House' leisure space, please note that this meal is prepared by the same kitchen responsible for Rosewood's in-room dining.)

Fortunately, Asaya's resident wellness practitioners -- who you'll inevitably end up spending significant time with, as part of each Wellcation's therapeutic/sports science inclusions -- are uniformly effective. Whether you're looking to address concerns of the mind, body, or something in-between; each session is individualised enough that you can transmute discoveries made during your time at Asaya back into daily life.

Food & Drink: 8/10

With the exception of breakfast -- a light repast with the option of being set-up on Asaya's grounds or inside your own lodge -- all of the sipping and supping you'll be doing occurs within the confines of the eponymous Asaya Kitchen. A partially al fresco space adjacent to the hotel's 25-metre infinity pool, the menu here has benefited from something of an overhaul since the restaurant's early days as a wellness-centric destination. Now, the cuisine of Executive Chef Renaud Marin (formerly of Upper Modern Bistro) has evolved into something more 'health-adjacent' -- and is all the better for it.

Using many of the principal ingredients of the Mediterranean diet -- olive oil, legumes, unprocessed cereals, seafood -- dishes are brimming with the sort of energetic, seasonal flavour you'd hope to eat when surrounded by so much water and greenery. But that isn't to say you'll leave half-full -- not by a long shot. For Wellcation guests, take the headache out of your itinerary and spring for a bit of everything with the 4-course set lunch menu.

A plateful of lobster cooked in its own bisque and served over cavatelli; or a king crab tartlet topped with dill and roasted beets: this is all satisfying cooking, prepared with tip-top ingredients that just so happens to possess as much sustenance for the body as it does for the soul.

FINAL RATING: 8.5/10
PERFECT FOR: Couples and families who enjoy taking their R&R together, without skimping on any of the 5-star trimmings.

Asaya Hong Kong, 6/F, Rosewood Hong Kong, Victoria Dockside, 18 Salisbury Road, Tsim Sha Tsui, +852 3891 8588

The post Staycation Review: 24 Hours in the ‘lodge’ at Asaya Hong Kong appeared first on Prestige Online - Hong Kong.

Naturopathy is enjoying a resurgence of popularity in the wellness sphere, touted as a holistic approach to healing the mind and body with natural remedies. Saimaa Miller, resident naturopath at Rosewood Hong Kong’s Asaya tells us more.

The first time I met Saimaa Miller was the morning after I’d just pulled off the biggest party of my life – my wedding – at the beginning of the fourth wave of Covid-19. It had been a panicked whirlwind week of confirming and reconfirming various bookings, adapting our schedules to comply with government restrictions, reassuring our guests, and trying our best to keep ourselves together.

Luckily, the evening went by superbly and the morning after, we checked into the Rosewood Hong Kong as a consolation to ourselves for being unable to go on honeymoon. I hadn’t even checked out our rooms before I made a beeline to Asaya. I wasn’t so much stressed as relieved, but I was tired to the bone – all I was looking for was a deep and relaxing massage to loosen up the knots that had built up around my shoulders, but the kind people at Asaya lulled me into trying naturopathy first. It was something that I’d never considered – I thought I was healthy enough, I worked out regularly and had no injuries. But Saimaa Miller, Asaya’s in-house naturopath, isn’t just there to heal existing injuries – she can also help you understand yourself inside and out, and help you navigate the path of living your best possible self. Starting anew? I was intrigued. My blend of apricot, ginger and frankincense essential oils, custom blended at the Oil Atelier just moments before for my Aroma Atelier massage, can wait. 

Naturopathy 101

Miller is extremely lovely and welcoming, and doesn’t mind my sceptical questions about what naturopathy is all about. It’s not a new fad, but something that has existed for millennia – you can trace it back to Hippocrates (460-375BCE), the father of both traditional and allopathic medicine who uttered the famous words, “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food.”

Prescription medication and pharmaceutical drugs made their way into our lives in the 20th century and naturopathy waned, though what many of us still practise is subconsciously under a different heading: home remedies and old wives’ tales. But the truth is, many of these remedies work. Chicken soup still performs wonders when you’re down with the flu. Peppermint tea still helps calm a queasy stomach. Ginger helps alleviate nausea and migraines. They’re not replacements for modern medicine, but can help with the healing process in ways modern medicine cannot. 

“Doctors just don’t have the time to sit with patients to carefully evaluate and address not only their physical symptoms but also their nutritional status, genetics, family history, lifestyle, feelings, environmental stresses, spiritual outlook and other factors,” says Miller. 

On the other hand, naturopathy is a holistic look at the entire person. “Disease affects the entire body and not just a specific organ or system –as every person is unique, therefore people require individualised care,” says Miller.

Born and Bred Hong Kong

Miller was born and raised in Hong Kong, and natural remedies were part of her childhood. “My mother was a huge believer in natural medicine. We had garlic oil for earaches, fennel seeds to settle our tummies, and chicken broth for colds,” she says. “It was my mother who taught me about natural medicine, and I believe it was her mother who taught her the empirical knowledge of natural medicine.”

When Miller was 22, consultations with the highly regarded naturopath Graeme Bradshaw to deal with depression and the skin condition known as psoriasis quickly turned into an apprenticeship. After completing her naturopathic qualifications in Australia, Miller founded The Last Resort in 2005, an organic health spa in Australia that became the go-to destination for celebrities and athletes to reset their lifestyle. In 2013, she wrote the book Aussie Body Diet, dedicated to natural medicine philosophy, mapping out her nutritional philosophy and lifestyle approach. Now, she’s back in her hometown as the resident naturopath with Asaya Hong Kong, revolutionising and broadening the concept of wellness for the Rosewood Hotel Group.

“Hong Kong is a vibrant city where people are used to working hard and playing hard. It also has a strong culture of eating out, late nights and lifestyle factors associated with increased pollution – both of the environment and the body – that can leave Hong Kongers a little deficient,” says Miller.

The most common issues that affect people are poor-quality diets and low immunity, both of which are brought on by anxiety and stress, but can easily be fixed by good-quality rest and sufficient circulation. This rings true for me and I look at Miller a little guiltily. Fixated on doing, rather than resting; working out rather than stretching; generally not really taking care of what we put in our bodies until we're sick and in need of medication.

My Diagnosis

After an hour-long consultation, Miller hands me her verdict.

I am, as I thought, generally healthy but prone to aches and pains brought about by inflammation in the body. Miller’s recommendations are just a few lifestyle changes that I can incorporate to lessen these symptoms. Some are easy, such as drinking a mixture of apple-cider vinegar, lemon and water in the morning, and making myself a delicious anti-inflammatory smoothie for breakfast. Some are incredibly difficult – going to sleep at 10pm and cutting out coffee. Miller’s treatment also involves a flexible meal guide that incorporates more vegetables, fruit and protein into the diet. I’m still taking baby steps at the time of writing, but accountability is also part of the programme.

Following a consultation, Miller sends you a summary and checks in with you from time to time, ensuring that you stay accountable to yourself. 

I’d entered Asaya thinking that a massage would do the trick and melt away my fatigue and stress. It did – beautifully but temporarily. What I left with after the naturopathic consultation with Miller was something that’s much longer-lasting. I’m still a work in progress, but at least I know I’ve taken the first step to mending my wellbeing for the long term.

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