Spa review: Indulge in a city break for wellness near Bucharest

It takes you exactly one hour from northern Bucharest to Sky Blue Hotel & Spa, a wellness and spa center situated in Paulestii Noi, near Ploiesti city. And there you’ll find well(ness) treats, from accommodation to services and food.

Silence is the new luxury, say most of the articles that are written about the spa industry, whether they are news about treatments, procedures or new forms of therapy. And we all agree that spending time and money in a wellness center means to unplug and disconnect yourself from the daily routine. And this is what I personally experienced during my weekend at Sky Blue Hotel & Spa.

It’s been an intense week that has my muscles in a knot, so a wellness treatment like a massage and a trip to the sauna sounded like alluring medicine. They promise steamy saunas, a beautifully designed and faithfully detailed hammam, soothing Jacuzzis with intelligent ambient lighting to spoil the senses and ease the mind into a rejuvenating state of complete relaxation. And they deliver all these. But, first thing’s first: when you arrive here, book your therapist for massages.

Then, go get dress(ed down)for the wellness facilities – whether a Finnish sauna or steam sauna, the hot tub or the salt room – one of the spectacular facilities of this resort. In terms of personal recommendation, book your place for the hammam. Everyone agrees that, before you can decide whether you hate or love going to a Turkish bath, or hammam, you need to experience it at least once. One last recommendation from my side is to go to the sauna before the hammam procedure, just to prepare your skin for what will follow. And it’s not just fluff and buff.

Fitness lovers also have a place to check in, spanning two stories, with possibilities for both intensive and subtle fitness forms. The first floor houses a vast array of fitness equipment while the upper level focuses on aerobic and cardio. Moreover, the outside olympic pool was recently opened, so for the rest of the warm and sunny days, it should be a good investment in your relaxation package.

The place offers 36 rooms executive and deluxe one and three apartments, with a specially designed pillow menu. The restaurant menu is well balanced between several international meals, from Turkish delights to seafood and reinterpreted Romanian recipes. And if you don’t feel like going to the restaurant for food, room service will definitely impress you.