Vikings Group expands on buffet concept

Buffet restaurant chain Vikings Group has expanded its offering with a venture in Pasay City that offers a smorgasbord of activities including massages, billiards, karaoke and mahjong – plus buffet dining, of course.

Beside the Esplanade Seaside Terminal at SM Mall of Asia, the Marina Bay Spa and Lifestyle Club offers 20 massage rooms, foot reflexology and mani-pedi services, body scrubs, hot and cold baths, sauna, steam room and a ganban’yoku (traditional Japanese-style room with heated stone “beds”).

“The owners wanted to come up with something Manila has not tasted yet,” says spa manager Erlene Chichirita. “You feel like you’re in a hotel – that’s the concept, bringing out the amenities of a hotel and putting it together in a more approachable and modern setting.”

Two feature services are the Marina Signature Massage and the Crystal Chakra Healing Touch. GM Nenita Cabrera says the signature massage has a Filipino touch, while the chakra therapy uses healing stones matched to the client’s zodiac sign.

The therapists, who use gongs in the room to signal the start and end of a massage session, were trained by the spa service manager who has had eight years of spa experience in the Maldives.

Two features of the spa are the relaxing lounge and buffet dining room. The lounge is like a theater with reclining chairs and LED screens. Buffet dining is an inclusion with massages.

There is also a fitness studio where there will be classes like yoga, Pilates, TRX suspension training, boxing and Muay Thai, with personal trainers available.

A lifestyle club component is available, with membership granting access to the club’s gym, salon, entertainment space with private KTV rooms, mahjong room, infinity pool and conference rooms.

With a glass wall feature, the infinity pool is surrounded by relaxation spaces where guests can watch the Manila Bay sunset.