My first experience with Erabelle was some years back with the female service staff in kimonos at a roadshow. Then, dismissing them as gimmicky in order to attract a passer-by's attention with the usual offerings of your range of scrubs and facials that were typical of a local start-up, I did not give them more thought.
Some time later, I saw their outlet somewhere in town again and this time, was intrigued by the eyebrow design services that the outlet offered. However, my curiousity stayed at the door,
as the service sounded like a permanent eyebrow tattoo service that I was not keen on trying, since I have seen firsthand how these tattoos become discoloured with time.
But when I was invited to visit the beauty chain's latest outlet, Erabelle Prestige, at VivoCity last month, it was very different from anything I have encountered in my visits to other spas a complete contrast to what I had originally imagined of the establishment.
I was warmly greeted by a middle-aged lady, wearing the by-now familiar kimono, whom I now recognise as a Nakai-san - a female attendant who looks after a guest's every need during her time at the spa. Although I was supposed to have made my way to the roadshow that was happening at the ground level atrium of the shopping mall where there were mini-treats awaiting, she bade me to come in and had someone attend to me right away.
While I waited, cosy nooks with elegant chairs, and even a pair oversized 'princess' chairs beckoned in the waiting area. As soon I settled in one of them, an attendant brought paper slippers for me to change into, and tea was served shortly after. Later, I learned that every guest who visits will be given the same attention, pre- and post-treatment, with beautifully prepared Japanese-inspired snacks slipped in after your stint at the spa.
But I hardly had time to take in my surroundings before marketing and product manager Addarline Tay introduced herself and to show me around the sumptuously appointed spa.
Every space, from the little alcoves that were curtained off for a customer's brow tattoo-ing session, to the wall-papered open pantry where beauty treatments are concocted, was created for a purposely utilitarian function, but it was the decor that made each area stand out. It certainly made me stand and gape just a second more as Addarline explained the reason behind the meticulous attention to detail in the spa's surroundings.
At the heart of it was the Japanese concept of Omotenashi, which loosely translates as hospitality.
Each customer is attended to personally by an attendant and every want and need is satisfied while she is in the spa. The lady owner, a beauty therapist with more than a decade of experience in the personal care industry, also wanted to create a soothing atmosphere in the spa that catered to all the senses, hence every space is given the luxe treatment.
What was very impressive were the different spa treatment rooms. Each one had a slightly different theme that will make any seasoned spa-goer melt with delight.
Drawing inspiration from the elegant Audrey Hepburn and combining a passion for Japanese simplicity, rooms with names such as Ooh La La! to Chinoiserie and Duchess are decidedly feminine and inviting.
Everything that is seen in each room is a visual highlight, and Addarline lets on that the owner and staff often make purchases on overseas shopping trips to fill the
rooms with little trinkets to specifically match the decor of the rooms, such as a black and pink throne jewellery box from Hong Kong for the Ooh La La! room, to the 3-D pillow covers that were flown back from the US to dress up the Sakura couple room. Even the colours on the furniture were specified to an exact shade in order to achieve a desired look.
And while most spas would have just one scent wafting through the entire establishment, you are actually treated to different scents to match the themes in each spa treatment room at Erabelle. There are also no treatment machines in sight, as anything that looked even vaguely "ugly" and mechanical was concealed in customised wardrobes so as not to detract from the overall ambience.
To have been given such a sensorial treat was truly an eye-opening experience.
Erabelle Prestige is located at VivoCity #02-01/02.
