Wellness destination: the Chuan Spa Winter Indulgence package at Cordis hotel

I need absolutely no excuse to visit Chuan Spa at Auckland’s Cordis hotel, a veritable oasis in the inner city that never fails to make me smile. It also usually leaves me with a bright new outlook as well as some seriously great skin, and I always make sure that I arrive early to experience their Tri-bathing ritual, which makes things even that more sublime.
The reason for my recent visit one rainy Auckland morning was to experience their new Winter Indulgence package, which is something we could all do with right about now! It invites you to relax and unwind over the colder months with a hot stone massage, beginning with your back, then heading to the neck and shoulders. This is gloriously followed by a soothing head massage with warmed Chinese herbs to melt away tension, then a nourishing lower leg and foot massage. After this you are welcome to spend pretty much all the time you like in their relaxation room with a green tea, before emerging back into the real world feeling shiny and new! I arrived feeling literally like a coiled spring, and left feeling quite the opposite.
Chuan really is a little pod of calm in an otherwise busy world, so close to the CBD but a million miles away in terms of serenity. After parking my car and jumping in the lift (coiled spring-style) I literally felt the stress melt away the minute I passed through the iconic Chuan archway. As aforementioned, you can come early to your appointment and enjoy the heated roof-top pool, spa pool, sauna and herbal steam room, getting your skin in its optimal state for your massage and calming the mind. This is a complimentary ritual that simultaneously relaxes and stimulates the body, and is just so perfect before a massage in particular. Begin with an aromatic steam, followed by a sauna to soothe tight muscles. As an interlude, splash on cooling ice and round off the ritual with a soak in the Jacuzzi or swimming pool, preparing you perfectly for your treatment. The dream situation – especially when the mid-winter blues are getting you down, as mine were on my mid-week visit. My massage was absolutely superlative as per, and got all of the knots out and more. I had a meeting immediately following so opted for a little extra kneading as opposed to oil in my hair, and my therapist was more than able to shift the treatment to meet my needs. This is definitely a rarity in today’s cookie cutter approach to treatments adopted by all too many spas, and another reason why Chuan is such a sought after destination.

Heavenly? You bet, and also really quite affordable if you’re in the market for a full body reset and release. So, if you want to place a focus on your wellness this winter and treat yourself to a day of luxury at Chuan Spa, the Winter Indulgence package is the one for you. And if you're lucky enough to spend a night at the hotel before or after? Even better... and as good as a holiday.
The Chuan Spa Winter Indulgence package is $199 for an hour and a half treatment, and available Monday to Thursday, 9am to 7pm, from June until 31 September 2022. For more information and how to book, head here.