If you’re traveling and on the road and staying at the Gran Hotel Miramar Malaga, a spa day should definitely be in your plans.
Gran Hotel Miramar Malaga’s Botanical Spa by Sysley combines Moorish tradition with the use of natural products in a relaxed environment. The spa is located on two floors. It has one VIP treatment room, six treatment rooms and a salt-therapy room. The pool includes hydrotherapy circuits that allow you to experience different water experiences. It also has a finnish sauna, hammam, ice fountain, Jacuzzi, aromatherapy showers and a relaxation room.
The gallery was not found!
Sisley is a Paris-based cosmetics company that’s known for its plant-based products that are focused on anti-aging. And the focus of Gran Hotel Miramar’s spa is on you and your well-being.
If you have the time, my suggestion, as usual, is to spend a half-day or more time there if you can (or just sneak in at least an hour for the wet areas).
Start at the Fitness Center
The fitness center’s a great spot to begin. It’s small, but one of the things that stood out to me was that while it’s small, it has TechnoGym equipment that includes a device that tells you if you are moving too quickly or slowly on various strength training exercises so you can get the maximum benefit of your workout. That’s cool – and most of our gyms should have that.
I spent about an hour in the gym, first with the elliptical and then with the strength training equipment (there’s enough to do whatever workout want). There are also some free weights.
After that, I went back to my room, took a shower and got ready for lunch on the terrace with a friend.
Enjoy a Healthy Lunch
Hotel Gran Miramar has some amazing gastronomy, and over the course of your stay there you should enjoy it. During my stay and on my spa day, I had lunch on the outdoor terrace with a friend. We enjoyed wine, salads, a few tapas and an amazing view. I cheated a bit and slipped in a burger and fries as I was missing a bit of my American menu at the time (not my finest dining hour, but acceptable nonetheless).
Spa Time
The spa is deceiving… The reception area is smaller but efficient, and they have sufficient space for treatments and wet areas. You’ll have enough privacy in the changing room for yourself.
Whether you’re scheduling one treatment or two, you’ll want to arrive at least one hour early to take full advantage of the hydrotherapy circuits (which is offered complimentary to any guest, as far as I understand it, as long as you schedule time). Choose your heated chaise lounge and then put your own plan together in terms of whether to step into the hammam, aromatherapy showers or whirlpool.
Gran Hotel Miramar has a fairly extensive selection of massages and treatments for you to choose.
I scheduled a 50-minute facial and an 80-minute customized massage – which allows the therapist to target specific troubled area.
For the facial, she used Sisley products which were amazing. It was one of the first times that I can remember when an esthetician did not need to manually “extract” as part of the process. Instead, the dirt and oils were naturally removed and cleaned. The products are gentle and my skin was great afterward.\
For the massage, she used a combination of Swedish and medium-pressure techniques (I can definitely use a deep tissue massage anytime, but tend to avoid them unless really needed).
Both were completed in the same room without moving spaces – which is quite nice. Ironically, few spas do that, and I appreciated the opportunity to just stay in one spot and have all treatments.
The same technician performed all services on me, but that may not always be the case. Nearly two hours later my skin was cleaned and I felt fully refreshed.
Of course, after it was completed, I was given as much time as I needed to relax and then head to the changing rooms.
The Verdict?
The Gran Hotel Miramar Botanical Spa by Sisley and Wellness Centre blends high-quality product with a philosophy that focuses on you as the guest. The team there are caring and detail-oriented as it relates to letting you know the options and how they can help you.
It was the perfect five hours for me.
Want to know more about Malaga? See our travel review of Malaga, Spain.
