Pregnant mama pampering at the W Hotel Hong Kong’s Bliss Spa

Located up on the 116th floor of the ultra-stylish W Hotel, Bliss Spa is one of the coolest pampering spots in the city, combining top-quality products, excellent therapists and a tongue-in-cheek approach to beauty. No, you won’t find any whale song here — it’s a thoroughly modern experience at Bliss, with its state-of-the-art facilities and current but mellow hits, from Air to Adele, piped through the speakers. Its 75-minute “Great Expectations” maternity massage is ideal for the urbanite mama who doesn’t want to miss out on fun while she’s expecting.

After boarding the express lift right up to the top floor (don’t worry — the altitude is safe for bubs!), you enter into the spacious spa reception; decked out in cheerful turquoise and white, it kind of  makes you feel as if you’re walking on clouds. The New York-based Bliss products are on display, so if you’re a product junkie, make sure to take some time to browse the fun offerings. We’re a huge fan of the delicately scented lemon and sage bath and shower products, and we hear that the Fat Girl Slim slimming products are excellent when you’re trying to lose those post-baby pounds.

After a consultation, you’re checked in and escorted upstairs to the changing area, which has dizzying views of West Kowloon and across the harbor. We were slightly gutted that we weren’t allowed to spend any time in the steam room and the enormous plunge pool (the extra heat isn’t recommended for expecting mothers) but we did enjoy the spacious showers, with strategically positioned powerful water jets that allow you to wash your body without getting your hair wet.

After changing into a fluffy bathrobe and slippers, we were led to the relaxation area to await our therapist. Two words: Brownie Buffet. Yes, Bliss Spa knows what we like — instead of healthy dried fruits and cucumber water, you can snack on rich, fudgy brownies, homemade lemonade and cheese and crackers while you take in more of that amazing view. Three brownies is probably a bit much, but they are ridiculously moreish!

One note for pregnant ladies: there are futuristic-looking plastic lounge beds to the left of the relaxation room, and more standard beds to the right. The beds to the left are actually not that stable and are designed to rock back and forth if you sit on them in a certain way so you may want to avoid them if you’re later on in your pregnancy and don’t want to risk jarring yourself.

The friendly and warm therapist arrived soon after to take us to our treatment room, which was pleasant enough but a little unembellished compared to the rest of the spa. There was facial equipment stored in the corner, which didn’t really add to the ambiance. But luckily, the therapist made us feel right at home, using pillows to get us comfortable lying on our sides (because of the bump, lying face-down isn’t an option!). She did express slight regret that the spa doesn’t have proper maternity pillows to make us even more comfortable, but at just four months along we felt absolutely fine.

The massage itself is very gentle and emphasises relaxation for mamas who may be experiencing disturbed sleep. If you’re up and down to the bathroom as many times in the night as we are, this is a very welcome chance to rest and recharge. However, if you’re suffering from body aches and pains caused by shifting weight distribution and other body changes, or if you prefer a more vigorous massage in general, you may find it a little too gentle. Still, we were unexpectedly comfy lying on our side, and we managed to drift off into a relaxed doze and woke up feeling extremely blissed-out.

Bliss Spa, 116/F, W Hotel Hong Kong, 1 Austin Rd. West, West Kowloon, Hong Kong, 3717 2222;
www.w-hongkong.com/en/bliss-spa