Banyan Tree Samui, a luxury resort in southern Thailand, has introduced a new activity for all its guests — aromatherapy workshops, to encourage guests to unlock the mystery of this ancient traditional practice.
The aromatherapy courses, which are held twice weekly and are free of charge to guests, are conducted at Banyan Tree Gallery Samui, the resort’s on-site boutique. The Gallery team acts as consultants to the participants, suggesting combinations of oils to target their individual goals, whether it be health and overall wellness or simply a fragrance to help ensure a good night’s sleep.
The hotel sources many of the aromatic ingredients at local markets on the tropical island of Koh Samui. Extracts from plants — flowers, twigs, leaves, bark, roots, wood, fruits, seeds and resins — are obtained using either a process of expression or steam distillation, yielding aromatic oils that can be used for healing. The only other ingredients are distilled water and ethyl alcohol.
Guests are advised which essential oils are the most effective for a range of elixirs and emotions. For example, lemongrass is considered a tonic for alertness, stimulation, and reducing anxiety, and can be combined with rose to accentuate an uplifting and soothing sensation.
Cedarwood, rosemary, lavender, ylang-ylang, bergamot, peppermint and pine are among the other ingredients that can be refined into stimulating essential oils at the Gallery classes.
When completed, each participant is welcome to take home their own aromatherapeutic concoction, once it has been bottled and presented as a room mist spray.
Guests have an added interest in their selection of oils, because Banyan Tree Samui’s evening turndown service includes oil burners and incense in each villa, with a daily rotation of fragrances.
On Wednesdays, for example, guests are treated to peppermint essential oil in their burner, which is known to have a refreshing and decongesting effect, while the incense for the day is the floral plant champaka, renowned for refreshing the mind and lifting the spirit. Wellbeing and environmental awareness are two of the keystones of Banyan Tree’s branding, and the 88-villa beachfront resort on Koh Samui is leading the way, all the while enhancing its reputation as a “Sanctuary for the Senses”.
