Staying afloat

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The infinity pool is one of the USPs at Mövenpick Hotel & Resort.

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At 410 metres below sea level, the Dead Sea is the lowest point on the earth's surface. It's buoyant warm, super-salty water - which has a salinity level of about 30% - is caused by the rivers it receives being land-locked, meaning they evaporate and leave behind a rich cocktail of salts and minerals.

The therapeutic benefits of the Dead Sea have been known to man for around 2000 years. The unique cumulative effect of the climate and elements - sun, water, mud and air - has been proven to offer excellent natural therapies for a range of chronic ailments, including dermatological problems, respiratory illnesses and conditions such as arthritis and hypertension.

In addition, the vapour that rises from the continually evaporating sea acts as a natural filter for UVB rays, making it one of the safest places in the world to sunbathe.

Key players in the hotel and spa industry have now set up operations on the Dead Sea coast to maximise the potential of these natural healing waters and offer complementary spa treatments.

Currently on offer are spa facilities at the Mövenpick Hotel and Resort, Jordan Valley Marriott, Dead Sea Spa Hotel and Kempinski Ishtar, which is planning its official spa launch for next year.

Another property maximising the potential of the Dead Sea is Janna Spa & Resort at Ma'in. It offers indoor and natural outdoor hot pools, a swimming pool and a host of therapeutic services by the mineral springs of Hammamat Ma'in - an oasis on the edge of the Dead Sea and Mujib Nature Reserve, where hot springs containing high concentrations of minerals and hydrogen sulfide form natural thermal pools.

Gift of nature at Mövenpick

The Mövenpick Hotel and Resort offers the Zara Spa, a 6000m² facility with 24 treatment rooms and two more planned to be added next year.

General manager and regional manager, Jordan, for Mövenpick Bruno Huber says: "In harmony with the dramatic, impressive and daunting landscape of the Dead Sea, Zara Spa was inspired by one of the many desert castles in Jordan, Castle Amra, constructed in the Ummayad Empire in the eighth century. The inside of the spa has extracted influences from various traditions throughout the history of Islamic art and architecture. It's the ideal place for being pampered, for relaxation and rejuvenation."

The spa offers purely non medical therapies, but does make use of nature, continues Huber: "Our facilities include pools with different levels of salt concentration; water used in these pools is pumped directly from the sea. Some of our famous facilities include the "Dead Sea Pool", renowned for its relaxation and detoxifying benefits, and the "Kneipp Foot Massage Pool", used for stimulating blood circulation," he says.

Demands from guests at Zara Spa revolve around specific treatments, with the most popular treatments being those based on Dead Sea products, such as the signature Dead Sea Salt Scrub.

"The Spa Experience also sells very well," adds Huber. "This includes unlimited use of wet facilities like the hydropool, caldarium, laconium, tropical showers and spa infinity pool, as well as the gym."

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