Situated amidst 23 acres of tropical gardens is the contemporary new building of Klub & Spa Borobudur, the latest offering from Hotel Borobudur Jakarta.
Dominated by glass and set over four floors, the interiors are clean and modern, encompassing everything a health conscious Jakartan could dream of. There is a state-of-the-art gym, luxurious locker rooms, a healthy juice bar, an indulgent spa, and right on the top floor, an executive lounge, complete with fully equipped meeting rooms, a bar and a cigar room! While the top floor, which is also accessible via the helipad on the roof, is only available to Platinum members, the other three floors are open to all members.
Occupying the first floor is the wonderful spa. There are ten private treatment rooms, including rooms for couples and a special VIP room, complete with bath, shower and changing area. The new spa offers a whole range of treatments, from Japanese Shiatsu to Thai massages, to a full roster of traditional Indonesian and international treatments, including facials, reflexology and hot stone massages.
On a recent trip over, we tried out a luxurious two-hour treatment beginning with a rose petal foot bath, and finishing with a traditional Balinese boreh (body wrap).
After the foot bath, the first of three delightful procedures begins – the lulur, or body scrub, a favourite of Java’s ancient princesses. Before commencing, the therapist asks whether the lighting and music are agreeable; on request the lighting is turned down a little. She begins working the grainy lavendar scented concoction into the legs, arms and back. The exfoliating mixture seems to diminish as she kneads away, eventually being swept away off the skin like the softest sand.
Next comes a lingering massage using aromatherapy oil. Once the pressure has been agreed, you may find the almost mechanical movements send you off into a day dream…
The final part of the treatment is a Balinese boreh (body wrap) which was originally developed years ago by Balinese farmers to relax aching bodies after a long day in the padi fields. A thick mixture of ginger, cinnamon and turmeric, among other spices, is applied all over the body before you are wrapped up with extra layers of towels. After relaxing for ten minutes, the body begins to heat up and all of those indigenous spices start to activate, warming and relaxing the muscles and drawing out the impurities.
My therapist must be one of the best therapists in Jakarta, not only because of her methodical, perfectly pressured massage technique, but also because of her excellent English and ability to put you at ease and relax you. Once you’ve finished off with a shower and a hot cupe of Jahe (ginger tea), you will feel like a new woman!
Memberships can be purchased monthly or yearly, for individuals or families and include use of the tennis courts (2 indoor and 6 outdoor), squash courts, jogging track and Olympic size pool.
Hotel Borobudur
Jl. Lapangan Banteng Selatan, Pasar Baru
Central Jakarta 10710
Phone: (+62-21) 380 5555, 383 5000
IG: @hotelborobudurjakarta
FB: Hotel Borobudur Jakarta
Email: welcome@hotelborobudur.com
https://www.hotelborobudur.com/id
