Spa-struck in Sydney, with warming stones and hibiscus tea

Pop into the Shangri-La Hotel for a pamper package with the well-oiled works.

A haven of calm at Chi, The Spa, at Sydney's Shangri-La Hotel.

IT feels like journeying from NSW to Tibet by way of Japan and all in the space of 120 minutes.

It's not astral travel but the benefits feel otherworldly.

Chi, The Spa, which opened in February at the Shangri-La Hotel Sydney, is the ultimate wellness refuge, with a temple-like decor, atmosphere and sensibility that spell instant Asia.

This hotel chain has been quietly opening Chi Spas at its worldwide properties since 2004 (the Sydney branch is the 18th) and, instead of signing up a franchise operator such as Endota or Angsana to run the operations, Shangri-La has invested in its own brand. That may sound a small point but spa junkies will recognise the importance of this commitment to consistency and the hotel group's ability to develop its signature style.

The Tibetan references hark to the chain's name, drawn from James Hilton's 1933 novel Lost Horizon, which extolled Shangri-La as a haven of "calmness and profundity, ripeness and wisdom". The only urban spa I have visited that offers a comparable experience is the sublime Chuan Spa at the Langham Auckland.

The Chinese believe chi (or qi) is the life force "that governs wellbeing and personal vitality", spa director Marie Adele Hames tells me.

On arrival, and promptly seated in a curtained nook, spa-goers are asked to fill in a questionnaire (while sipping herbal tea from near-translucent jade cups); the information provided will determine which of the five elements should be used for the oils in the tailored treatment.

We all fit into metal, water, wood, fire or earth categories. I am earth, apparently, the element of peace and harmony but, rather worryingly for my work prospects, I am "at my best at night". Happily, though, my earth status doesn't mean I am about to get exfoliated with dirt but the essential oil used will contain ingredients such as ginger, cardamom and lime.

Chi Healing Stone is my chosen therapy, a two-hour session in which therapist Yuko, who arrived in Australia from Hiroshima six years ago, will apply warmed stones in gliding strokes along my body's meridian lines; at one point I have tiny stones between my toes on each foot and others under my shoulders and in my hands.

It is so relaxing, so madly cosy, I struggle to stay awake. Yuko is an excellent therapist with the most healing hands; I recommend you ask for her.

There are six treatment suites, with soothing lighting and Tibetan artefacts, and all come with attached toilet, aromatherapy steam shower and locker (three with tubs), so there's no roaming around corridors and bumping into towelling-gowned strangers in the loo.

There's also a refreshing lack of mumbo-jumbo on the menu, with baths, facials, scrubs, massages and wraps described in straightforward fashion.

Among the spa's signature therapies is a Mountain Tsampa Rub using Himalayan barley oil, and there's a small range of Botanical Retreat treatments based on Australian ingredients such as bush honey, macadamias and lemon myrtle.

But I feel as if I am in the Himalayas, not the Bungle Bungles, in this serene environment. A glass of chilled water, a cup of hibiscus tea, a browse on the well-stocked shelves in the spa's reception area (divine Ila-Spa candles in fragrances such as orange blossom or jasmine; Chi branded products), then I am back in Sydney, at least shinier and calmer, if not more profoundly wise.

Checklist
Treatments are cheaper on weekdays from 9am to 6pm; for example, the two-hour Chi Healing Stone session is $155 in that time frame but $195 from 6pm to 9pm or on weekends. The hotel also offers Chi Pamper Packages that include accommodation, breakfast, parking and treatments. More: [phone]; Shangri-La.