An Enchanted World

Photo courtesy of bigskyresort.com

Jennifer:

“One female hostess is needed at reception to escort five women. Thank you.” With these words, the experience began. Not having made the reservation, I knew little about what was in store for me. The hostess soon arrived and led us into what seemed like another world, buried deep in the basement of the hotel, a world that aroused all of your senses, a seemingly “enchanted world”. With each breath I took, the captivating smell of “mountain mist” brought a sense of calmness to my body, starting at my core and soon reaching my extremities.

“May I have your shoe sizes, please?”asked the hostess upon reaching the second receptionist’s desk. We were each handed sandals and offered maple syrup and mint candies. As the little candy entered my mouth, a miniature piece of heaven awakened my taste buds. She then led us even further back. She gave us a thorough tour of the facilities and then showed us to our lockers. Inside of our lockers, there were white robes awaiting us. She instructed us to undress and slip on the robe and sandals. We made our way back to the showers, where we found everything we could have ever wanted. There was an unlimited supply of shampoo, conditioner, body wash, and shaving cream, all with the themed scent of “mountain mist”.  That is not to mention the razors, towels, and wash cloths. After the shower, body lotion awaited us. We then walked into the next room where we were able to relax in the steam room and sauna. After we got our fill, we stepped out and to the right were ice cold towels and water to cool off with. There were also new robes, just in case we now felt the need for a new one.

It was now time to take a load off. I mean who wouldn’t be exhausted after all of that hard work? We entered a room lined with reclined, plush couches, dim lighting, and sheer curtains. Peppermint tea, lemon ice water, dried fruit, and nuts were there for the taking. The hostesses came around and offered all of the women a glass of champagne and a look at the menu.

At exactly 2 p.m., five masseuses came out of the door, dressed all in black and called us each by name. They led us down a corridor and each into a separate room. I was directed into the Maple room. I then had the option of picking which aromatherapy scented oil I desired. Arnica struck my fancy. I was then offered the option of hot stones. Of course, I want it. I want it all! The soft music played and created a sense of tranquility all around me. By the time the hour was over, every muscle of my body had reached a point of complete bliss. Even my feet rejoiced after being wrapped in hot cloths.

After allowing me as much time as I needed to get up and dress, the masseuse met me with a cold glass of water, meeting the only desire I still had. He told me I could go outside and relax in the hot jacuzzi or return to use the other facilities. We spent most of the day in the spa, lounging, reading, and enjoying every second of the service and eating up the feeling of being pampered. We then showered again. Once again, there was everything at our disposal- Q-tips, cotton balls, blow dryers, brushes, gel, hairspray, deodorant, mouthwash, feminine products, and even hair ties. As we returned to our lockers, redressed and found our way out of heaven, my friend turned to me and said, “Wow! That was better than Disney World.”

With every minute that passed after entering the spa, I thought more and more about Ritzer’s idea of “phantasmagoria” in Enchanting a Disenchanted World. The women all around me, including myself, were paying to be in this enchanted world. According to Ritzer, “This idea implies a cornucopia of goods and services that offers the possibility of exciting and satisfying people’s wildest fantasies” (p. 64). This is exactly what this commodity did. It was actually quite successful at “immersing the consumer in a world filled with everything one could ever imagine, with all of these things there for the taking. It is akin to the childhood dream of finding oneself in a land in which everything is made of candy and all of it is within easy reach” (p. 64). These words fully encompass the dreamlike experience I had while participating in the “new means of consumption”.