EUROPE

DIOR INSTITUT AT PLAZA ATHENEE, PARIS, FRANCE

By Edwina Ings-Chambers

I swiftly came to the conclusion, on arrival at the Plaza Athénée, that the place itself was spa enough for me. My Eurostar journey had been fraught with stress (a long story), so I was feeling pretty much ras le bol, as the French would say, by the time I reached the grandeur of the hotel on Avenue Montaigne.

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Once there, though, the cossetting is so perfectly pitched, everyone from the concierge to the housekeeper so assuredly considerate, you almost don’t need to visit the new Dior Institut spa in the basement for some soul therapy. Still, visit it you must. For there you will find more perfect pitching: a clever balance between the house of Dior’s fashion heritage and its reputation in the cosmetics arena, coupled with that in skincare. The partnership is not completely random: Dior used to spend much time at the hotel, often dining in a private lounge; he had such a fondness for the place that he even named designs after it.

The spa is a surprisingly bling-free zone (much as Dior fashion has been of late), a pared-down approach to luxury with every detail considered, even the door knobs. The spa itself is quite small — just five treatment rooms — with an unuseable plunge-style pool in the entrance that leads to the hotel gym via a relaxation lounge full of chic, white-leather chaises longues. It’s a spa where looks are important, for it’s as likely to be frequented by fashionistas as massage junkies. The towels are all eminently stealable — white with grey borders, the fashion house’s signature colour, and embroidered with Dior Institut — the chairs resemble those in the Dior couture salons up the road, and framed pictures from Dior archives (also something I’d have liked to slip into my overnight bag) line the walls.

The treatment menu is equally compact — a choice of three facials, a leg treatment and a body-care session, although residential programmes can be arranged. The house speciality, which I had, is the L’Or de Vie miracle treatment (£430 a pop). It was all very French: organised, professional, smooth-running and serious about skincare. My massage was intended to help with posture, and I did walk with less hunched shoulders afterwards. My facial incorporated exfoliation and a deep cleansing mask of gold, which encased my face and looked like something left over from the ancients when it was removed. Afterwards, I felt supremely relaxed and was undeniably fresh-faced. In fact, I felt the way Dior said he wanted to make women feel, “prettier and happier”. You can ask no more of a spa. Or Paris.

Advantages Ideal for fashion followers and city lovers. Don’t forget that if you make it a weekend jaunt, most shops in Paris are closed on a Sunday. Book ahead for museums to avoid the queues.

Drawbacks It’s not a comprehensive spa offering. And likely no dieting either, if you book yourself into the in-house Ducasse restaurant.

Mark out of 10 9.

Cost Treatments at the Dior Institut start at £107; double rooms at the Plaza Athénée start at £682 (plaza-athenee-paris.com). Travel by Eurostar from London St Pancras to Paris Gare du Nord; from £59 return (eurostar.com).

HOTEL WIESENHOF, PERTISAU, AUSTRIA

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