Kempinski The Spa at Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz last Saturday officially inaugurated its unique Oriental Hammam with a beautiful Arabian evening with authentic decoration and live show elements.

In his welcome address General Manager, Sven Fritzsche, said Kempinski has now been in Gozo for 11 years and each year it was trying to enhance the experience of its guests. The Oriental Hamman was a considerable investment of the owners of the property, part financed by the European Union.

Dorothy Baldacchino, of Baldacchino Group, owners of the San Lawrenz resort, spoke of the fulfillment of her late father Joe’s dream to have the best spa in Malta. It involved trips to Turkey, where the marble for the Hammam was acquired, and Morocco, with its exotic scents and magic colours.

The Oriental Hammam was designed by Carlo Schembri, which is the owners’ interpretation of the journey, with its strong smell of cedar wood, the richness of luxury, purity of heart and the cleansing of emotions with water in its high temperatures. Inspired by the 1,001 tales of the Arabian Nights as recounted by the Queen Sheherazade, it is all about letting go and embracing ourselves.

Family Minister Chris Said also paid tribute to the late Mr Joe Baldacchino for his vision and thanked the family for their commitment to create one of the best hotels in the country. He stressed the importance of the private sector’s effort to upgrade its product with part-financing from the EU, which in tourism was showing results through higher arrivals and more bed nights spent here.

For years now Kempinski The Spa at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz has been offering its guests an exceptional variety of traditional and Ayurvedic spa therapies. Now, the Oriental Hammam once more enhances the multicultural assortment of exclusive treatments.

The Oriental Hammam offers an additional benefit full of new and unforgettable experiences. The One Thousand and One Nights Love Story between Queen Sheherazade and King Sharyar of Persia are the underlying concept for the Hammam here at the hotel. In this story the bitter King, who has been deceived by his wife, learns to love and trust again through 1,001 Arabian tales. “With this inspiration we created healing rituals and therapies for our guests that heal emotions, inspire and enable trust,” said Beverly Gautschi, Spa Manager at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz.

“Our guests will experience a unique healing process, guided by the One Thousand and One Nights Love Story. The Oriental Hammam allows them to immerse in a magical world with exclusively composed treatments and treatment areas,” she added.

The Oriental Hammam at the Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz offers the largest area of authentic facilities in the Mediterranean. The heart of the new area is the Oriental Hammam, made from original Turkish marble. In the Exfoliation room, guests can prepare their bodies for the treatments to follow. In the Rasul mineral rich mud from Morocco is provided.

The healing rituals and therapies take place around a hydrotherapy pool, Vichy shower and in single and couple therapy rooms. The Hammam treatments include traditional as well as newly composed therapies, beautification to alternative medicine packages and our exclusive signature treatment the Arabian Body Fragrance Ritual. This Experience combines the Classical Hammam with the Arabian Body Fragrance Massage starting with a relaxing perfumed foot bath and warm compresses. The perfect oil will be chosen by the client personally from a wide range of luxurious oriental perfumed oils to enjoy a truly unforgettable Oriental Experience.

The project was inspired by Malta’s ancient heritage, since the Arabs occupying the island built the first oriental baths on the islands made up of three vaulted, arched inlets.

The Hammam was first known in the 15^th century. It served as a social meeting point and symbolised wealth. Later people realised the wonderful health benefits of the Hammam. In many cultures, it is still known as “the secret doctor” and is used to treat medical conditions. People benefit from the Hammam’s ability to cleanse, detox and purify the body, mind and soul.

To create a perfect experience full of healing emotions, inspiration and trust, the Oriental Hammam offers gifts with inspirational quotes from Queen Scheherazade and oils from Charme d’Orient’s luxury Hammam brand exclusively available here at Kempinski The Spa on the Maltese Islands.

Family Minister Chris Said (second from left), Mrs Sally Baldacchino, Dorothy Baldacchino and Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz General Manager Sven Fritzsche cut the ribbon to officially inaugurate the new Oriental Hammam

Charme d’Orient is a brand of spa products inspired by the customs of oriental women. The company was founded inParis in 1998 by Yasmina Zerroug, who developed the products based on her memories of the scents, flavours and beauty rituals of women that filled her childhood. Since then, the company has grown to offer around 150 products advocated by 1,500 spa and beauty professionals worldwide.

The luxury countryside resort at San Lawrenz has been voted for the fifth time in row as Malta’s and the Mediterranean’s Leading Spa Resort at the World Travel Awards this month.

Now, the brand new Oriental Hammam enhances the high quality reputation for which Kempinski The Spa and the hotel are renowned.