Face it. You’re one of the thousands of women currently addicted, hooked, helpless. Not on alcohol, not on drugs, not on ice cream. You’re addicted to deprivation.
Yes, you poor, deprived one. Close that laptop, hang your apron, put away the grocery lists and credit card bills.
It’s time for intervention.
Thanks to the Peninsula Manila new Indulgence Package especially made for deprived ladies, you don’t have to go out of town or out of your mind to enjoy a pampering weekend that has all of your neglected needs covered. It’s akin to a quickie version of the famous 12-step program that can have you dried out in only one overnight stay:
First, of course, is that you have to admit that you are powerless over your deprivation habits. If not, your daughter, sister or best friend can always intervene and drag you to the Pen when you least expect it.
Next, all you have to do is check in. The Peninsula has blocked off an entire floor on one wing exclusively for ladies, and this is where you will be billeted. Rest assured that no male creature will be allowed to step foot within this territory.
The indulgence begins. You can choose between a foot spa, hot oil treatment and blow-dry package at Emphasis Salon at the Pen‘s basement or you can be chauffeur-driven to a face or body treatment at the Institut Clarins at Rustan‘s. There you will be patted, touched, caressed in the unique Clarins method of massage, cleansing and exfoliation. Yes, beauty can be skin-deep.
Also at Rustan’s you will be offered an experience of serious retail therapy, whereby a personalized shopper will assist you throughout the store’s wide selection of top brands like Cartier, Christian Dior, Tiffany’s and Chanel, with a 10 percent discount on regular items. Personalized shoppers are specially trained for those who are too tired to shop, too busy to shop and too harassed to shop – they do all the shopping for you while you do all the paying!
Spa treatments and non-stop shopping can make any woman hungry and thirsty, so you will then be welcomed to afternoon tea and cocktails at the Club Floor. The Club Floor is an exclusive section of the Pen where you can have access to flowing beverages and canapes, along with other treats. Resist checking your e-mail or making telephone calls to your secretary while you are here.
Then, a sumptuous candle-lit dinner at Old Manila, where Executive Chef Gerhard Doll has designed a special menu especially for you. Think: clear soups; light, crisp salads; fresh seafood or fish; guilt-free desserts. All accompanied by a selection of the Pen’s finest wines.
Full and heady from dinner, you return to your room where a nice surprise awaits: the maid has prepared a warm-drawn bubble bath strewn with rose petals and replete with mood lighting. You soak in the tub until all your worries are dissolved and detoxed – Cleopatra never had it this good.
As you wrap yourself in a luxurious bathrobe you find Pen’s signature chocolate pralines on your turned down bed. You bite into one and remember why chocolates are considered by some as a worthy substitute for men.
Your eye is caught by the sight of a cute little teddy bear wearing a Peninsula Pageboy outfit, holding out a gift. It is a box of aromatic tea. As you carry the bear with you to bed you have never felt more cared for and loved. You drift effortlessly into 10 hours of uninterrupted sleep.
The next morning you resist turning on the TV to listen about world events or showbiz blind items. Back in the Club floor you nibble a light and healthy breakfast while beholding a lovely view of Ugarte Park.
It’s time to check out. You are now officially discharged with a "refreshed and renewed" stamp of approval. You are also reminded that this deliverance from deprivation needs maintenance and that you can check in again on other weekends when you feel yourself slipping, and the 12 steps to indulgence will be re-administered on you without fail. Once you’re convinced you’ve kicked your deprivation habit, you can simply add a 13th step – spread the word!
The Peninsula Manila’s Indulgence package is for ladies only. Package rates start from US$195++, and is only available on Fridays and Saturdays. For information and reservations, contact the Peninsula Manila Reservations Department at 887-2888, or email tpm@peninsula.com., or go online at www.peninsula.com.