 |
KHURSHEED DINSHAW explores the new trend of spa kitty parties.
It’s kitty party time at a pre-decided venue with food and activities for its members. Before you groan with boredom — it’s not the usual venue of a restaurant with the mundane routine of playing a game of tambola, cards and antakshari. Ladies, put your hands together for the innovative and growing trend of kitty parties being held at spas and salons. Not only is there is a novelty of the venue, as kitties have grown tired of organising their parties at restaurants, but there is also a higher health quotient because through such kitty parties, a touch of wellness can be added to one’s indulgence.
Spa kitty parties can either be held at one’s residence, at a venue of your choice or at the spa itself. In case a spa kitty party is being organised at your home or at a venue of your choice, spa therapists arrive on location with their complete kit and recreate the spa ambience at the venue. “Choices of short duration therapies (for example, a 15-minute foot reflexology or neck-shoulder massage) are offered. These therapies are administered without using any oil so that there is no need to shower after the therapy. Also, guests can enjoy these therapies while keeping their clothes on since only specific parts of the body are being worked on. Since these therapies can easily be administered with the guests seated in chairs, they can be enjoyed by all friends in the same room in one another’s company. Even food and drinks can be consumed while these therapies are in progress,” explains Sunil Rao, one of the three directors of The Four Fountains Spa, which offers therapies for relaxation, general well-being and beauty, including more than 20 different massages, body polishes, body wraps and facials from all over the world.
In case a spa kitty party is being organised at a spa, kitty members can choose from services offered at the spa. Since most of these therapies require the kitty members to lie down and warrant more privacy, they are usually taken individually in separate rooms. Nevertheless, if a large common space, such as a relaxation area is available (such a space may or may not exist at every spa), short duration dry therapies are offered to members at the same time by putting relaxing chairs.
Spa kitty party guests are usually in the age group of 25 - 45 years. A favourite spa kitty party theme is ‘Oriental Outing’ with foot reflexology spa therapy, Thai cuisine and Buddhist chants as background music. Another theme that is popular is ‘French Fanfare’. Here, aromatherapy massage, the modern science of which is said to have been developed in recent years in France, with wine and cheese and contemporary world music is offered.
Rao adds, “If the spa kitty party is being organised at the guest’s venue or an outside venue, such as a restaurant, the numbers vary between 6 to10 members. If it is being organised at the spa, the number is usually restricted to a maximum of five members.”
Spa therapists confess that most of the challenges of organising a spa kitty party arise if the party is to be organised at the spa itself, mainly since space becomes a constraint when all the kitty members want to take their therapies together. Also, serving food can be a challenge since the aroma of food can linger and permeate into the spa linen. Hence, spas select their cuisine carefully. Serving liquor inside the spa is also not permitted without a license. Providing maximum privacy so that the kitty members can have a good time without being disturbed by other guests is another daunting task, unless the entire spa has been booked by the party.
In places such as Delhi and Chandigarh, there is a greater demand for express versions of beauty services, including spa facials, spa manicures and spa pedicures. Sheena Bansal, who had a spa kitty party at her residence, says, “I had the ‘Kerala Kulture’ theme, which was simple and fun to execute at home. An Ayurvedic therapy like the neck-shoulder massage was chosen. This therapy can be done with or without oil. Based on my member preferences, when oil was used, it was wiped off at the end with a lightly perfumed hot towel. Snacks from Kerala’s cuisine were served as meditative music of the ‘Sacred chants of Shiva’ played in the background. The best way to enjoy a spa kitty party is to have a professional spa organise it for you at your residence. That way you can enjoy all the goodness of a spa therapy from the comfort of your home with the added convenience of not having to travel, ordering food and playing music as per your choice without worrying about whether you will be disturbed. We had a blast at our kitty party!”
Salon kitty parties are also increasingly popular, as most women barely make time for themselves. They enjoy belonging to a group of like-minded people and take pleasure in the food, socialising, discussing clothes, jewellery and enjoying their ‘me time’ with their girl gang, while pampering themselves at the salon and leaving the stress of arranging for the party to the salon assistants. Cuisine is generally catered to from a restaurant. “Nowadays, most Indians are experimenting a lot with food and hair. In Delhi, they spend more lavishly. There is a lot of competition between kitty groups, where what matters most is the salon and restaurant which was booked. In music, Hindi and English retro are preferred,” explains Joesna Shiroor of Making Headlines salon. The most sought-after hair and beauty services include express manicures, pedicures and foot massages. By applying different shades of fun colours and innovating new ways of manicures or pedicures, more variety is provided to these kitty party services. Hair services such as blow-dries, soothing hair spas and highlights are also popular salon kitty party options. “It’s fun arranging these parties but then again everyone has their own preference and that’s when it gets a bit tough, as we have to come to a common agreement. But since no two clients are the same, its fun doing something that everyone enjoys,” adds Joesna.
So, the next time you have a kitty party, you know what to do to make it the talk of the town.
|
