Zoe Chan thaws out with ninety minutes of pure, natural, hot stone bliss.

Every once in a while, I just need to escape and relax. Hot stone massages have a reputation for being utterly calming, so I headed to Plateau Spa at the Grand Hyatt Hong Kong (11/F, 1 Harbour Road, Wan Chai. Tel: 2584 7688).

In the well-being world, stone therapy is relatively new. In the last decade it has witnessed increasing popularity. To start the process, a trained therapist sanitises natural stones, which are heated to between 54-63 degrees Celsius using water. After changing into a plush bathrobe in my sleek private room overlooking a water garden, I tucked myself into the massage bed anticipating how my therapist might actually use the stones.

As an introduction to the heat and the treatment, my therapist placed two stones in the palms of my hands and one at the bottom of my back as I lay on my stomach. Plateau Spa uses smooth, volcanic stones of varying sizes for the different parts of the body. Warm oil was rubbed into the left half of my body while the right remained snugly covered. Then, with two stones, the therapist used long strokes to ease my muscular tension from my fingers to my toes. Bit by bit, I began to feel the soothing effects of the stones. With each stroke, the warmth from the stones and the smoothness of the oil seemed to melt away all tension.

After I flipped onto my back, my entire mind and body were relaxed. Four stones were placed behind my shoulders and my back, and two on the tops of my hands. The hot stone massage contunued, and I began to doze off to the light music and sound of the stones being plucked from warm water. I could have stayed there in the Water Garden Room, covered with hot stones, for the rest of the day.

Recommended for downright relaxation using natural elements.