Johannesburg - We slept the sleep of the dead the day after our treatments at the newly opened Valley Lodge & Spa in Magaliesberg. Literally, it was past two when we opened our peepers. And I’m talking PM here not AM. Now I happen to believe in the recuperative powers of sleep – but so often in jazzed-up Jozi getting that deep, restorative sleep can prove to be problematic.
Not so after our massages and Dermalogica consultations. I fell recalibrated, revived and ready to go after a few tiring months on the treadmill.
I’d been to Valley Lodge years before at the tail end of winter. Set in the Magaliesberg, I remembered the tranquillity of walks, reading as the wind prowled outside and having Sunday lunch before heading back home. The hotel enjoys a lovely spot near the village, set against the river and the sighing of the trees.
The four-star hotel has since undergone room refurbishments, which made our small room rather opulent, but the occasion for our stay was the addition of a state-of-the-art, sleek-looking spa.
In addition, the spa has introduced the Dermalogica range of products, and we all duly submitted our face for Dermalogica face mapping, which shows you just what products you need for your particular skin, and how old (or not) your skin’s biological age is.
I’ve been wary of massages – my first was a cold, pummelling affair that left me with something of a phobia, but I’ve been pleasantly delighted in recent times, and the massage at Valley Lodge more than met expectations. The masseuse asked whether I wanted a firm or soft massage – soft, I said, and it delivered as promised. The full-body massage was perfect, the hour passed gently, but the proof of the pudding came the next day, when my body finally relaxed.
Other treatments on offer include facial therapies, massage therapies, body wraps, feet and hand treatments, waxing, healing therapies and dual treatment rooms fitted with colour therapy lights.
Before leaving, we slathered ourselves in mud, ventured into the steam rooms and sauna, paddled around the gleaming heated mineral pool and ended up enjoying the bubbles of the Jacuzzi before settling down for a light and healthy spa lunch.
And then, of course, there was that sleep the next day. We still rhapsodise about it.
lArja Salafranca was a guest of Valley Lodge & Spa
. Contact the hotel for last-minute special one-night packages during December and January 2013. Call Valley Lodge & Spa at 014 577 1301/5; www.valleylodge.co.za
- Sunday Independent