TRENDS
Radisson Blu, New Delhi
vice president & general manager of the hotel: “All our beds have the 10-inch posture-paedic luxury mattresses. These provide for incredible comfort and luxury by virtue of a patented quilt designed to improve circulation and aid sound sleep. Our bed linens have a range of duvet covers and pillow choices which include hypo-allergenic options apart from down and feather.” Of particular relevance, in relation to the hotel’s proximity to the international airport, adds Ali, is the hotel’s spa transit package which includes detoxification through a unique ‘Dry Floatation’ experience. The unique feature of the dry floatation bed is that it aids deep slumber, whereby 40 minutes on the dry floatation bed is equivalent to the relaxation obtained by four hours of normal sleep. “This treatment allows you to experience an almost weightless state known as ‘passive immersion’, inducing complete relaxation of the joints and muscular system,” explains the GM. The Radisson’s Jetleg Spa Package allows a guest to check in directly into a spa rather than the hotel room. There’s a four-hour, sixhour or eight-hour package priced at Rs 6,750, Rs 8,000 and Rs 9,750 plus taxes respectively. All packages include private suites for single and couples, steam and sauna, relaxing massage and face treatments, light refreshment and sleep time. One can opt for multifarious therapies like an aromatherapy massage, Swedish massage, Indian 24
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HOTELSCAPES April 2012
Radisson Blu Hotel, New Delhi in relation to its proximity to the airport offers a spa transit package which includes detoxification through a unique ‘Dry Floatation’ experience which aids deep slumber. marma massage and body scrubs. The spa at the Oberoi Udaivilas in Udaipur also leaves no stone unturned to ensure that its guests sleep like babies. It offers Padabhyanga, an ayurvedic reflexology therapy that focuses on the marma points of the feet and lower legs. “Padabhyanga promotes quality sleep, increases circulation and energy flow to boost immunity, rejuvenating the entire body,” informs a therapist at the spa. “This therapy incorporates the use of a kasa bowl which is warmed in oil resulting in a more effective therapy as the metal interacts with the energy force of the body.” According to Dr. Ramesh Khatri, general physician at Max Hospital, Noida, the overt attention to sleep is hardly surprising considering sleep disorders affect a sizeable segment of the Indian populace with a widening age bracket, mostly due to increased stress levels. ”Technology, extensive travel and an insecure economic environment have been contributing to increased stress levels, resulting in many bodily imbalances,” says the doctor. Khatri adds that sleep deprivation can
adversely affect the brain and cognitive function. A 2001 study at Chicago Medical Institute concluded that lack of optimal sleep is linked to serious diseases, such as heart disease and mental illnesses including psychosis and bipolar disorder. Small wonder, abroad, some outfits even offer a Sleep Concierge who ensures that guests get a peaceful sleep by advising them on what to eat before going to bed and which pillow to choose. The Crowne Plaza Hollywood Beach Resort in Florida, for example, features a Sleep Advantage Program as part of an effort to comfort overworked business travellers. The hotel has even designated “quiet zone” floors, ensuring guests are not staying next to any crying babies or family reunions. Ogden Nash famously quipped how the bed is a bundle of paradoxes: we go to it with reluctance, yet we quit it with regret; we make up our minds every night to leave it early, but we make up our bodies every morning to keep it late. Indian hoteliers couldn’t agree more. ■ by NEETA LAL