24 March 2015
THE PENINSULA HOTELS LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE THAI MASSAGE TREATMENTS WITH THE CELEBRATED WAT PHO TRADITIONAL THAI MEDICAL
AND MASSAGE SCHOOL IN BANGKOK
A highlight of the new Peninsula Wellness programme offered at The Peninsula hotels worldwide is the introduction of two therapeutic Simply Peninsula Royal Thai massages. A first for a hotel group, these unique massage treatments were devised in partnership with the Traditional Thai Medical and Massage School at the world-famous Wat Pho Temple in Bangkok.
The Simply Peninsula Royal Thai Massage (80 minutes) and Simply Peninsula Royal Thai Massage with Herbal Compress (110 minutes) are therapeutic, health-giving massage techniques based on traditional Thai medicine. The Peninsula Hotels and Wat Pho Traditional Thai Medical and Massage School have jointly created a Thai Massage teaching programme that enables Peninsula therapists to be taught the signature massages in an exclusive environment.
Thailand is acclaimed as a haven of Oriental wellness excellence, and the Wat Pho Traditional Thai Medical and Massage School is celebrated as the spiritual centre of traditional Thai medicine and therapeutic knowledge. The Massage School is located at the Wat Pho Buddhist Temple, the oldest temple in Bangkok and famous for its giant golden Phra Buddha Theva Patimakorn statue of the Buddha meditating. A royal tradition since the reign of King Rama IV in 1851 has seen the Thai monarch pay respect to the statue during the Royal Procession.
The Wat Pho Traditional Thai Medical and Massage School opened in 1955, following a visit to the temple by King Rama IX, who asked the abbot to create a school to teach traditional Thai wellness. It became the first Thai Medical School to be approved by the Thai Ministry of Education, and today specialises in combining ancient philosophies of anatomy, physiology and herbal medicine to provide a range of therapeutic and restorative facial, body and foot massage, wellness treatments and training courses. Mr Serat Tangtrongchitr, the manager of Wat Pho Massage School, is the grandson of the founder, and most of the teachers are second or third-generation practitioners of Thai massage.
THE PENINSULA HOTELS LAUNCHES EXCLUSIVE THAI MASSAGE TREATMENTS WITH THE CELEBRATED WAT PHO TRADITIONAL THAI MEDICAL
AND MASSAGE SCHOOL IN BANGKOK - 2
The “Royal” style of massage was specifically designed at Wat Pho for treating Thai royalty, with the masseur keeping a relative distance from the guest at all times and refraining from using his/her feet on the body during the course of massage.
Today, the Wat Pho massage treatments are widely used by the School’s certified therapists in Thailand and worldwide to diagnose and treat numerous ailments, including tension and headaches, muscular fatigue and lower back pain. Wat Pho Thai massages are also used to stimulate the circulation of blood around the body and to enhance the lymphatic system, which can help boost the body’s defenses to combat illness and disease.
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About The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH)
Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00045), The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the holding company of a Group which is engaged in the ownership, development, and management of prestigious hotels and commercial and residential properties in key locations in Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as the provision of tourism and leisure, club management and other services. The Peninsula Hotels portfolio comprises The Peninsula Hong Kong, The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula Bangkok, The Peninsula Manila, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and The Peninsula Paris. Projects under development include The Peninsula London and The Peninsula Yangon. The property portfolio of the Group includes The Repulse Bay Complex, The Peak Tower, The Peninsula Office Tower and St. John’s Building in Hong Kong; The Landmark in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam; 1-5 Grosvenor Place in London, UK, and 21 avenue Kléber in Paris, France. The clubs and services portfolio of the Group includes The Peak Tram in Hong Kong; Thai Country Club in Bangkok, Thailand; Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California; Peninsula Clubs and Consultancy Services, Peninsula Merchandising, and Tai Pan Laundry in Hong Kong.
For further information, please contact:
Ms Sian Griffiths
Director of Communications
The Peninsula Hotels
8/F, St George's Building, 2 Ice House Street, Central, Hong Kong
Telephone: +852 2840 7239
Fax: +852 2840 7499
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Website: www.peninsula.com
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