While many entrepreneurs have chosen to ride on the spa bandwagon the ordinary way, Srivardhan Daga plans to go for the whole hog. “We plan to open around fifty Thai spas across the country. We plan to bring an authentic Thai spa experience to the city,” says Daga who recently launched The Thai Spa, a rejuvenation centre which uses age-old Thai treatments, at the South City Mall.

In a city that associates spas with five-star hotel, how feasible is the concept of a standalone spa? “People today have learned to appreciate wellness and relaxation, that is why there is a mushrooming of spas. But we are taking it some notches higher by making them enjoy not only the treatments in convenient locations,’’ says Pradyumna Chittapuran, of Sanjeevani Spa, one of the first standalone spas of the city.

Daga agrees. “The idea is to offer respite to overworked urbanites. If a spa is located in places such as malls, they can simply walk in after a hard day’s work for a massage,” he says. And they do have a lot to look forward to. For starters, guests can sink in leather-covered massage chairs that relax tense back muscles while therapists work on the hands and feet, or on their scalps for an aromatic hair treatment. “It’s all very casual,” insists Daga.

When the concept of spas was first introduced to the city, a spa was often perceived as a fancier version of a beauty parlour, and it was also popularly believed to be a very expensive affair. Today, however, the role of a spa, following the prevailing trend, has been expanded. “Urban people’s desire for a nature-based healthy lifestyle has brought a change in the role of the spa. It’s no longer a niche experience,” states Chittapuran.