Experience a moment of heaven on earth at the Steigenberger Hotel Doha’s GOCO Spa. Amica Sicilia is treated like a goddess at this brand-new sanctuary in the city.
In the heart of Old Doha’s buzzing business district lies a slice of paradise. Outside, the Steigenberger Hotel Doha is sleek black glass, like a cruise ship in stealth mode. But step inside and it’s all light and air, the gilded walls of the chic entrance hall soaring up past minimalistic modern chandeliers while slatted screens mask shaded corners for quieter moments. And now this flagship of European hospitality holds a new allure: the brand new GOCO Spa.
I know I’m nearing the right place by the sound of running water. Delicate fountains flank the entrance, with cool streams running down walls of tiny pearl tiles past tumbling orchids. Inside, the spa’s 1,700 square metres offer their hidden treasures like a luxurious labyrinth of wellness, a temple dedicated to health, beauty and absolute bliss. GOCO Spa’s team of expert therapists blend a deep expertise in ancient Middle Eastern bathing traditions with cutting-edge innovation, ancient healing traditions and holistic techniques to provide the ultimate antidotes to modern lifestyle.
Their offerings include dedicated male and female sections with private treatment rooms, each with its own plunge pool, secret rooftop gardens, pools, hydrotherapy tubs and a pale-wood-panelled sauna in the Scandinavian style. There is a ladies’ outdoor terrace with swimming pool that is an ideal venue for private events and full nail and beauty services to get you ready to face the world again. But I’m here for their unmissable signature luxury treatment, the GOCO Spa Ceremonial Hammam by Maison d’Asa, a two-hour trip to heaven and back again.
I’m greeted by Zanele, my therapist and guide on that journey, who welcomes me into the cool marble lobby with a glass of jasmine tea, infused with ginger and fresh lemon. As I cleanse my hands with a hot towel, she asks me about my particular needs, including how my skin and hair are doing and where in my body I hold tension (back and shoulders, I’m all too guilty, like so many of us, of spending too many hours poring over screens). Then she leads me through to the beautiful, luminous changing rooms where I ditch my city workwear for a soft white robe and slippers, ready to have my life changed.
Stepping into the Hammam, we enter a world of white, elegant pristine marble wreathed in clouds of fragrant steam. My bed in the private bathing room is a block of pure white marble covered in soft towels. Lying down, breathing deeply, I feel warm to my core, cocooned in mist. My whole mood, mind and body start to change gear: this is me-time now.
This ritual takes the ancient Hammam experience and elevates it to a higher plane. Zanele begins with Moroccan black soap, a traditional Castile method made from olive oil and high in health-giving vitamin E. Using an authentic kessa fabric glove, she works this natural soft cleanser into my whole body, exfoliating, decongesting and purifying the skin. The next step is another natural scrub, this time with sweet orange oil. It’s a fragrance that always instantly transports me to summer evenings by the sea, golden hour in a bottle, repairing my mind as firm, cleansing strokes rejuvenate my skin.
After rinsing away the oils with hot water, Zanele applies a deeply nourishing warm rhassoul masque infused with rosewater all over my body. Rhassoul is a natural clay from high in Morocco’s Atlas Mountains. Its mineral-rich formula has been used by women for over a millennium to detoxify and ensure radiant skin. While the clay works its magic, Zanele washes my hair, her gentle touch across my scalp banishing the stresses and strains of the week far away.
Purified body and soul, it’s time for act two. Zanele swathes me in thick fluffy towels and leads me from the bright, steamy warmth of the Hammam into the cool darkness of the massage room. I slip between smooth highthread-count sheets and relax on my front, as calming music filters down around me. The air is scented with bergamot and lavender, rising from the warming oils selected especially for a truly bespoke massage. Then bit by bit over the next hour, Zanele’s expert hands chase all trace of tension from my body. To get to the deepest layer of tension in my back, she gently bends my arm at the elbow, supporting it on a soft cushion and even raising each leg, in turn, to ensure every group of muscles gets full attention. When it’s time to turn over, she shades my eyes with a cooling eye mask while hot towels warm the soles of my feet. The rest of the world melts away and all that exists is the dance of pressure instructing my muscles to relax. I feel like I’m existing on a higher plane.
Afterwards, I find a shaded corner of the secret rooftop garden. Reclining in a white wicker armchair, I sip green tea and nibble on sweet dates. The world has slowed down. From up here, the city seems quiet. I take my time to come back down to earth after my journey into paradise.
For more information and to book an appointment,
please call 4020 1625 or email gocospa.doha@steigenberger.com
@gocospa_doha
@steigenbergerdoha