Other cultures incorporated into stress relief
Seeing first-hand how her friends and co-workers in the high-tech industry had difficulty releasing stress, Lidya Wati sought to create an oasis from life's demands.
"I believe in loving what you do, and I realized that I had to do something to help the people who needed that escape and getaway. Stress is really bad for you, not only physically but emotionally as well."
Wati opened Spa Rveil in The Domain in October 2008 and provides massages, facials, manicures and other body treatments that help people look and feel good and enable them to nurture themselves.
"If you have that inner peace, I've always believed you can tackle anything in your life," she said.
Wati was born on the Java Island in Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. Her parents, who still live there, taught her about hard work, perseverance and integrity, which Wati said are key values to owning a business. Her native country also influenced Wati in opening her business.
"It's very calm and inspiring. The people are absolutely nice and humble, just everything you could think of [that] human relationships should be," she said.
Wati said she believes maintaining personal relationships is key to providing the best service for her clients.
"This world has shifted, the energy, towards technology, which is supposed to help us in our lives, and the negative side of that is it makes things very impersonal," she said. "We lose touch in terms of who we are as humans. I wanted to be able to reinstate that."
Spa Rveil includes amenities such as the hammam, or Turkish steam room, where guests may relax before or after a treatment. The sanctuary lounge also provides a place to relax and enjoy a complimentary beverage. Anyone can use the amenities without booking a treatment for $35.
"It is so important to have that feeling that you're really somewhere and not in the city," Wati said.
Wati has partnerships with hotels in The Domain, including the Westin Austin, to offer services and packages for hotel guests. The spa also sells gift certificates online or at the spa.
Indulgent treatments
- Espresso Vichy Therapy, 60 minutes for $120: Vichy therapy uses a shower with six nozzles to improve circulation and decrease the appearance of celluite. After the shower is an espresso body scrub and a light massage.
- Signature Global Rituals, 120 minutes for $195: Owner Lidya Wati said she was inspired by the healing rituals of other cultures. She created five packages that use treatments found in Egyptian, Scandinavian, Mayan, Balinese and Moroccan cultures. The treatments may include massage, hydrotherapy bath, body scrubs and use of ingredients found in those cultures.
- Couple's massage, 90–150 minutes, $220–$390: Wati said the couple's massages are two of the more popular packages. Packages include the Couple's Passage with a romantic therapy bath and massage for two, and the Couple's Egyptian Reverie with a milk bath, silk body wrap and massage.
- Natural Face Lift, 60–80 minutes, $150–$180: Wati said this face-lift is noninvasive and a painless way to lift the skin using a low-frequency microcurrent. In March, the spa began using the Stemology line of products during its facials. The products use stem cells to target the 12 signs of aging.
- Pure Results, 60–80 minutes, $95–$125: This facial cleanses, tones, hydrates and exfoliates the skin. Wati said this is a great treatment for someone who has never visited a spa or has sensitive skin.
Spa Rveil,11410 Century Oaks Terrace, Ste. 140, 512-339-7000, www.spareveil.com, @spareveil, Hours: Sun.–Tue. 10 a.m.–7 p.m., Wed.–Sat. 10 a.m.–9 p.m.