Christine Esposito, Associate Editor08.25.14
Forget that new age stuff; Hard Rock Hotels & Casinos is taking the spa category to new territory with “Rhythm and Motion”—billed as the “world's first fully immersive music-centric spa menu.”
Think bass vibrations rippling through the massage during that facial, or as Dale Hipsh, senior director of operations development at Hard Rock International, calls it: more “Zeppelin than Zen.”
According to Hipsh, humans are naturally rhythmic beings, and “while many spas feature music softly in the lobbies and throughout their spa areas, we sought an opportunity to bring music to the foreground and in turn, plug our guest into a spa experience infused with the magic that deftly chosen music can cause to take flight.”
Hipsh pointed out some examples of how music can assist in one’s well being well-being—from the Greeks who advocated healing through sound as a sacred science to Native American Shamans who regarded the voice as a healing instrument and used synchronized sounds in rituals and therapeutic practices to Mayo Clinic studies that show music relieves pain, enhances immune function and alleviates stress.
“We sought an opportunity to use the power of well-curated music to enhance an industry experience that, we feel, may have fallen out of touch with the guest’s desire for experiences that resonate within,” Hipsh said.
During the treatments, massage therapists synchronize movements with a curated playlist.
Hard Rock’s Rhythm and Motion menu has four treatments:
Synchronicity, a massage that is infused with natural/organic essential oils to reduce stress, ease muscle tension and detoxify; Face the Music, which joins the therapeutic benefits of sound vibration and organic products to rejuvenate and hydrate facial skin; Smooth Operator, which is said to retune the skin and rock the soul with a two-part treatment that starts with a rhythmical sweetgrass-inspired dry brushing that softly sloughs away rough skin; and Wrap Remix, a full body treatment.
“Our use of Sweetgrass honors the tribal heritage of the Seminole Tribe’s basket weaving and healing ceremonies,” Hipsh said. “It’s become an expression of the Hard Rock community as musical harmony is also created when individual instruments come together.”
Hard Rock’s rock and roll heritage is what sets these spa treatments apart, according to Hipsh.
“By coupling the healing benefits of music therapy with the artistry of massage, we are able to invigorate our Rock Spa offerings by providing an energetic departure from what is traditional and deliver to our guests a fully immersive music experience.”
Think bass vibrations rippling through the massage during that facial, or as Dale Hipsh, senior director of operations development at Hard Rock International, calls it: more “Zeppelin than Zen.”
According to Hipsh, humans are naturally rhythmic beings, and “while many spas feature music softly in the lobbies and throughout their spa areas, we sought an opportunity to bring music to the foreground and in turn, plug our guest into a spa experience infused with the magic that deftly chosen music can cause to take flight.”
Hipsh pointed out some examples of how music can assist in one’s well being well-being—from the Greeks who advocated healing through sound as a sacred science to Native American Shamans who regarded the voice as a healing instrument and used synchronized sounds in rituals and therapeutic practices to Mayo Clinic studies that show music relieves pain, enhances immune function and alleviates stress.
“We sought an opportunity to use the power of well-curated music to enhance an industry experience that, we feel, may have fallen out of touch with the guest’s desire for experiences that resonate within,” Hipsh said.
During the treatments, massage therapists synchronize movements with a curated playlist.
Hard Rock’s Rhythm and Motion menu has four treatments:
Synchronicity, a massage that is infused with natural/organic essential oils to reduce stress, ease muscle tension and detoxify; Face the Music, which joins the therapeutic benefits of sound vibration and organic products to rejuvenate and hydrate facial skin; Smooth Operator, which is said to retune the skin and rock the soul with a two-part treatment that starts with a rhythmical sweetgrass-inspired dry brushing that softly sloughs away rough skin; and Wrap Remix, a full body treatment.
“Our use of Sweetgrass honors the tribal heritage of the Seminole Tribe’s basket weaving and healing ceremonies,” Hipsh said. “It’s become an expression of the Hard Rock community as musical harmony is also created when individual instruments come together.”
Hard Rock’s rock and roll heritage is what sets these spa treatments apart, according to Hipsh.
“By coupling the healing benefits of music therapy with the artistry of massage, we are able to invigorate our Rock Spa offerings by providing an energetic departure from what is traditional and deliver to our guests a fully immersive music experience.”