It’s already April, and the year just seems to be flying by for all of us as we lose track of time in our busy day-to-day lives, but nestled up the stairs on the second level of a little Japanese restaurant in Collingwood, is Melbourne’s secret gateway to Japan. This little slice of Japan-styled heaven is called Chanoyu Spa, a gorgeous little retreat in a very accessible location and a wide variety of treatments and packages especially for your relaxation and wellbeing. It is also the perfect place to slow down and take some time to look after yourself.
Chanoyu Spa is truly ‘Melbourne’s best kept secret’
The owner and founder of the retreat, Anne Nguyen, kindly invited me to the retreat to visit and experience the Chanoyu Spa journey, I also got the chance to interview Anne as well.
Anne is an internationally qualified beauty therapist and has held the fort down in Collingwood for seven years. The name came from the traditional Japanese art or way of drinking tea, which is a substantial part of Japanese culture. Anne’s personal interest in the philosophy behind the art of drinking tea lead her to give the retreat the name “Chanoyu”. The main principles of this philosophy are purity, tranquillity, harmony and respect, all of which being exactly what Anne wanted to give to others in their lives and allow her guests to experience.
This philosophy has greatly influenced every treatment and every service you can undertake at Chanoyu Spa and is carried out amongst all the staff members in their treatments, leaving each and every guest with a calm mind and glowing skin.
Other than tea, Anne loves so much about Japan, having travelled there on a number of occasions. She mentioned that she felt the Japanese traditions and culture align well with her values. When in Japan, Anne fell in love with hot spring culture and the traditional architecture, and thought that this sort of experience was the type of thing that she would love to take from Japan and bring back to Melbourne.
If you can’t travel, let your soul travel… that is exactly what I wanted to create for us here in Melbourne.
Beauty therapy is Anne’s passion and she loves nothing more than to look after people and help people look after themselves a little bit better.
At Chanoyu Spa, it’s not only just about relaxation, but also about result-driven treatments. Massages and facials sit at the core of their services, and in order to truly look after yourself, Anne recommends a combination of both treatments, so that you not only get to wind down with a massage, but also see clear results in the improvement of your skin condition.
If you’re after packages for you and a friend or your significant other, Chanoyu Spa also works together with Wabi Sabi Salon situated just below the retreat to give you amazing relaxation and facial packages plus a dining experience after you’re nice and relaxed! I can’t think of anything better. Chanoyu Spa’s services are of the highest quality and the food downstairs at Wabi Sabi Salon is absolutely delicious, the two have paired up to cater the menu to keep the focus on healthy eating, and even have vegetarian and vegan options available as well!
It’s the ultimate treat to relaxation and wellbeing.
As a final note, Anne mentioned that she would like to remind everyone, especially women, to look after themselves. “Because when you take time to look after yourself, you will have so much to give to others and to your loved ones… It is our mission here to help other people to achieve that, and help you to take better care of yourself so that you can take better care of your loved ones.”
The “Face and Body Sensation” treatment I experienced at Chanoyu Spa was absolutely divine. The session started off with a consultation with Anne over some Japanese tea about my lifestyle, health and skin condition and what sort of results I would like to see from treatments. Then we proceeded with vitality massage, and Anne kindly worked hard on relieving the tension in my problem areas such as my neck and shoulders. The treatments cater to your needs and either focus on relieving pain and tension or simply relaxing you. I felt so invigorated after the massage! An anti-aging facial followed the massage. Overall your skin is invigorated, wrinkles are smoothed out and a youthful radiance is restored to tired faces.
This treatment takes around 75 minutes and values at $199.
As a special offer for Japan in Melbourne readers, if you books this treatment (Face & Body Sensation) you will also receive a complimentary professional Germaine de Capuccini skincare Starter Kit to take home, valued at $79! (This offer is valid until the 30th June 2017).
I highly recommend Chanoyu Spa for both relaxation and results, Anne’s attention to detail, high standard of service and bright and positive attitude make the whole experience worth every penny put towards looking after yourself and improving your wellbeing.
The kimono photo credits:
Kimono Stylist: Sala Okabe
Hair & Makeup: Erika Polianskyte Huynh
Photo: Sylvia Sun
