When The Red Carnation Hotel Collection developed its own exclusive range of body-care products and professional spa treatments, it turned to the ultimate resource: Mother Nature herself.

The awe-inspiring result is B|Africa, a deluxe range that combines indigenous African plant extracts and the natural goodness of the sea, and represents the breathtaking natural environs of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection’s South Africa locations - Cape Town’s The Twelve Apostles Hotel and Spa, Durban’s The Oyster Box Hotel, and the Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat in the Cederberg Mountains.

The launch of B|Africa coincides with this week’s official relaunch of the extensively renovated The Spa at The Twelve Apostles, which now boasts an ethereal, all-white crystal grotto interior.

The new Spa features seven superbly equipped treatment rooms for dual and single treatments with a hydrotherapy bath and rain showers; a Rasul Chamber for traditional cleansing rituals using steam and mud; a Perfect Finish Salon for manicures and pedicures; a Tranquillity Lounge and Wild Lanyana Aromatherm Room for hydrotherapy treatments or a Vichy Shower.

Designed by Toni Tollman, family member of the family-owned Red Carnation Hotel Collection of boutique hotels, the interiors use natural stone, marble, granite and glass to create a textured feeling throughout. White patterned cornices adorn the ceilings of treatment rooms while the same pattern is repeated on doors and walls, with Buddha statues and oil burners utilising the B|Africa range providing a sense of tranquillity.

“The look is clean, fresh and uplifting, and we have no doubt that our guests are going to love it as much as we do,” says Tollman.

“While the interior of The Spa is exceptional, The 12 Apostles’ unique position on the mountains overlooking the Atlantic Ocean means that a sunset treatment or romantic couple’s picnic in our newly renovated outdoor gazebos is an absolutely unforgettable experience.”

B|Africa will feature as the new signature product range in the ultra-luxurious spas at all Red Carnation’s South Africa properties and includes the Atlantic sea salt or fynbos sugar scrub, Bath Ceremony bath milk, B|Africa body balms, crystal-infused body oils and essential aromatherapy oils. Active ingredients in the range include luxuriant and exotic substances such as oil from the baobab tree, marula oil, avocado butter, honey, rooibos, Mongongo nut, Ximenia kernel oil and West Coast Atlantic sea salts.  B|Africa uses sustainable harvesting practices and renewable indigenous species; it does not use synthetic pesticides or fertilisers, and is not tested on animals. The range’s credible suppliers support organic certification, sustainability and Fair Trade.

The new Spa also features treatments and products from Elemis and Dermalogica.  Elemis has even created a unique exclusive treatment for The Spa at The Twelve Apostles called The Escape; no other spa in the world offers this treatment.

Guests are able to luxuriate in one of several special B|Africa packages, including B Together, a 90-minute massage that uses rose quartz to ease emotional imbalance; B Purified, which uses the healing properties of water combined with a salt scrub, steam session and full body massage; or B Harmonised, a unique meditation breathing massage that targets stressed areas of the body.

In addition to the three spas, B|Africa will be used for in-room amenities such as shampoo, conditioner and bath salts at The Twelve Apostles, The Oyster Box and Bushmans Kloof, allowing hotel guests to experience these refreshing and restorative spa products in the comfort of their rooms.

The B|Africa product line has been created in honour of Bea Tollman, founder of The Red Carnation Hotel Collection, who says: “The unique natural habitats of each of the Red Carnation properties are encapsulated in our sensational B|Africa products and treatments, which harness the essential, life-giving properties of Mother Nature’s rich bounty to calm, detoxify, nourish and energise body, mind and spirit.”

City.Mobi

Also in South Africa today, City.Mobi is celebrating the success of its new guide to Cape Town.

City.Mobi offers the most comprehensive mobile travel guides available, with over 800 cities in 200 countries listed. Each is developed by the City.Mobi team to combine into a single global travel directory.

However, each city retains its own mobile identity via a dedicated domain. Already on offer are Brussels.Mobi, Paris.Mobi, Sanfrancisco.Mobi and Sydney.Mobi.

CapeTown.mobi is the latest in this illustrious line up, offering click to call functionality – which means no scribbling down telephone numbers.

Most entries are also linked to websites where users can quickly access more detailed information if needed.

Other key features include information on accommodation, restaurants, attractions, entertainment, nightlife, shopping, and transport.

City.Mobi guides include user reviews and traveller utilities such as a translation guide, currency converter, news and local weather guide.