TWO Tralee businesses have made the shortlist in the prestigious Image Magazine Business Of Beauty Awards.
Nádúr Spa at Ballygarry House Hotel and Expose Beauty Lounge, Tralee are both in the shortlist for the awards which take place next month.
Nádúr Spa is in the Best Spa category while Expose is in the Best Salon category.
Continued below…
.Claire Murphy of Expose Beauty Lounge with staff.
The ESPA at The Europe, Killarney is also in the Best Spa category while Pat O’Neill, The Style Suite at The Brehon, Killarney is the only other Kerry entrant to make the shortlist in the many categories.
IMAGE’s Business of Beauty Awards recognise the best hair and beauty professionals in the industry. It’s the biggest industry event of the year which takes place at the Clayton Hotel in Dublin on Sunday, April 15.
The public can vote for their favourites on the Image website by clicking here. Voting closes at midnight on Sunday, April 8 so get your vote in for your local favourite.
.The Ballygarry House Hotel and Nadur Spa have been nominated in two categories while Rose Hotel Chef has also been nominated in the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards.
NOMINATIONS for the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards have been announced and two Tralee hotels will be represented at the black-tie gala dinner to announce the winners on September 26 at The Lyrath Estate Hotel, Kilkenny.
Nádúr Spa Ballygarry House Hotel & Spa, has been nominated in the Ireland’s Four Star Hotel Spa Experience category. The hotel has also been nominated in the Ireland’s Wedding Hotel category.
Meanwhile, Odran Lucey of The Rose Hotel, has been shortlisted in the Ireland’s Executive Chef of the Year category.
Continued below…
.
Unsurprisingly, Killarney hotels feature prominently in the categories with Kenmare and Dingle businesses also featured. To see the full list of finalists click here
You can also vote for Tralee and Kerry hotels as your favourite place to stay in Munster in a public vote by clicking here
Now in their 29th year, the Gold Medal Awards are recognised as the leading independent awards programme for the Irish hospitality industry.
Judged by industry experts, the Hotel & Catering Review Gold Medal Awards recognise and reward excellence in hospitality and catering operations across the island of Ireland.
These awards encourage and applaud hotels, restaurants, guest houses, spa and leisure facilities, event caterers, healthcare caterers, site caterers, as well as individuals and teams, that achieve the highest standard of product and service in the industry.
Dermot Crean learns the health benefits to the mind and body while visiting Nádúr Spa at Ballygarry House Hotel…
Nádúr Spa at Ballygarry House Hotel.
IT’S not unusual for a man of my age to have avoided the spa experience over the past 20 years, but I get the feeling I’m in the minority these days.
Throughout the 90s and noughties there was an emphasis on male grooming, metro-sexualisation and general vanity as the Celtic Tiger roared and role models like David Beckham made taking care of your skin fashionable for lads.
It never appealed to me though and I’ve had no truck with spas in all my 43 years.
So it was with trepidation that I accepted a generous invitation from the good people at Nádúr Spa at Ballygarry House Hotel to try one of their treatments – just in time for Father’s Day which is around the corner.
The spa is located adjacent to the hotel and has its own entrance. I was warmly welcomed in the impressive reception area by manager, Gina Groves. She explained to me how male clients make up between 30 to 40% of their client base.
Gina said they come in for an escape from work pressures and find the massage treatments relaxing from a physical and mental point of view.
“We’d get male clients in here everyday; they would be golfers staying at the hotel, local taxi drivers for massage treatment on the neck and shoulders and the younger generation, coming up to exam time, come in to relieve stress,” said Gina.
I can see Gina’s point about the stress-relieving benefits of the treatments after having my face treatment and neck, head and shoulders massage.
Rita was my therapist for the session and – after changing into a comfy brown bathrobe and slippers – she showed me into the treatment room (normally clients enjoy the outdoor tub, sauna and steam room beforehand, but I was caught for time and couldn’t avail of them).
The outdoor hot-tub at Nadur Spa.
With soothing, ambient Brian Eno-esque type music in the background, Rita’s hands worked their magic. During the session she applied a range of Voya organic oil products as she massaged my face, exfoliating the skin.
Immediately, I was totally relaxed. Every muscle in my body was rested, my mind was switched off from work and I was in a semi-conscious state of bliss.
My spa scepticism dissipated during the face, neck, shoulders and arms massage as I quickly realised why these treatments have huge health benefits for the body and mind.
The tranquility room at Nadur Spa.
When it was over, I was led to the tranquility room and given a fresh fruit snack of melon, strawberries and kiwi, with a cup of delicious juice to enjoy.
With the comfortable seating, chilled out music and great views of the mountains on a spectacular sunny morning, I could have stayed there all day.
So Zen-like and peaceful was my demeanour, I feared that venturing outside in my brown robe and slippers, local wildlife would mistake me for St Francis Of Assisi and within seconds, birds and squirrels would be perching on my hands and shoulders.
But all good things come to an end. I came back to reality back in the changing room when I looked at my phone and saw a number of work-related missed calls and text messages waiting for me.
And this is the point. I found out that most men don’t go to spas for cosmetic or fashionable reasons these days; it’s more a time to escape the stresses and pressures of work and modern life and the health benefits are really important, both physically and mentally.
So if your dad or husband is sceptical about ‘popping their spa-cherry’, then this Father’s Day could be a good time to convert them. Believe me, they’ll thank you for it.
• Nádúr Spa have a Father’s Day Special for €85. It consists of;
A Hydrotherapy Bath followed by a a 30 minute back broadening massage
or
A pint of your favourite tipple in the Outdoor Hot Tub followed by a 60 minute full body massage
Both options include full access to the Sauna, Steamroom and Outdoor Hot Tub
