Asia's Best Spa Resorts and Massage Therapy Review

When spas go bad…

floatingzen — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:50:25 +0000

If you are a regular spa goer, I’m sure you had been approached many times to sign up for spa packages or spa membership at the spa you are patronising.

It can get irritating. Especially if they hard-sell. One goes to a spa to enjoy and relax and not listen to some pushy ‘membership consultant’. Other than being irritated, should you even consider such packages?

Many spas will tell you that membership or packages will save you money at the end of the day. You may also enjoy preferential treatment. Maybe even receive birthday cards/cakes.

Well, personally, I’ll never sign up for a spa package. No matter how attractive the terms are. My main reasons are:

1. A spa is a very human-based business. A good spa today may be a bad spa tomorrow simply because therapists skills deteriorate or service quality drop. Without a package to lock you in, one simply look for the next good spa and move on.

2. You normally pay upfront for a spa membership or package. This can start at a few hundred to a few thousand dollars. The moment you sign on the dotted line, you are at the mercy of the spa.

Some spas are known to spend all their effort in recruiting members and then treat members badly. Some oversell their slot availability. Some go bust and keep your money. Check out what happen when spas go bad…

Has Wellness Village Spa left its customers in the lurch?
By Alicia Wong, TODAY | Posted: 10 November 2009 0704 hrs

SINGAPORE: For over four years, it operated at the Pan Pacific Singapore hotel. But over the course of a day, the Wellness Village Spa left customers and the hotel in the lurch when it suddenly shut down, disconnecting its phone lines.

At its Pagoda Street outlet in Chinatown, the premises were empty, with the doors wide open when MediaCorp visited on Monday. Neighbouring shop owners said they saw movers shifting equipment and furniture on Sunday afternoon. In the quiet of the night, the same scene was seemingly repeated at the Pan Pacific outlet.

A nearby shop owner said the spa began retrenching workers last month. He noticed remaining staff packing up late last week, and believes that customers were told it was “fully booked” to keep them from coming down.

This was certainly the experience for one customer.

Ms Elaine Ong had been trying to make an appointment, but the spa kept telling her that it was fully booked.

The “first hint of trouble” came last Thursday when she called the Pan Pacific outlet and an employee told her only two therapists were being employed, said Ms Ong who is in her 30s.

As she has recently signed up for a $600 package, Ms Ong said she was a “bit alarmed”.

At Pan Pacific on Monday, a hotel employee told guests the spa had closed without informing anyone. Dutch businessman Laros, 39, who had been peering through the spa’s glass door, said the hotel’s reception pointed him to the spa for a massage when he checked in.

The hotel told MediaCorp the spa “leases and operates the premises independently”.

It “sincerely regrets any inconvenience experienced” and is now re-directing guests to nearby spa facilities. It will “continue to attempt” to contact Wellness Village Spa, it added.

Checks with the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority showed that Wellness Village was incoporated in June 2004 and is still a “live company”. Permanent resident Lia Meyrina is listed as its director. MediaCorp could not reach the company.

Wellness Village Spa and Fitness, a limited liability partnership with Ms Lia and a Mr Christopher Tan Khee Howe listed as partners, was struck off in September. It was registered in 2007.

Consumers Association of Singapore (CASE) executive director Seah Seng Choon was “not surprised” by the spa’s actions.

“Don’t be fooled by the location. Spas are generally small businesses, unless they have an international chain … Consumers have to be careful when transacting with them,” said Mr Seah.

Since last year, CASE has received five complaints, including unsatisfactory services and difficulty in scheduling sessions, against Wellness Village. Four were made this year, with the latest complaint in October. CASE is trying to contact the company.

Article credit: http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1017097/1/.html

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Health Club at Ritz Carlton Hotel, Doha, Qatar

floatingzen — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:52:12 +0000

Indoor air-conditioned tennis courts

Health clubs in hotels are expensive in Qatar. They usually cost above US$6000 a year in membership fees. Despite the hefty prices, memberships are still extremely popular as it provides a useful getaway for a day of sporting activity, spa treatment, relaxation and some good food and wine for expatriates who are able to afford the fees.

A friend of mine is a member of the health spa club in Ritz Carlton Hotel, Qatar. One day, she invited me to spend a weekend day with her at the club. I was glad to accept her invitation without hesitation.

The Ritz Carlton Hotel is located at the edge of Doha, the main city of Qatar. It is located very close to The Pearl, a spectacular luxury residential, commercial and marina development that has recently risen out of the Persian Gulf in the shape of a palm leaf . The spa club is located on the ground floor the Ritz Carlton hotel.

We first registered at the reception counter and then made our way to the changing room. Located within the changing room is a sauna, steam room and relaxation corner. We then made our way out and my friend offered to show me the various sporting facilities.

There is an indoor squash court, 2 indoor tennis courts and a fully equipped gym – all in air-conditioned comfort. I’m really impressed… many health clubs in the hotels in Qatar has good facilities but I believe Ritz Carlton has the best sporting facilities. I believe they are very popular because the whole time I was there, the courts were fully occupied.

We then made our way to the indoor, temperature-controlled swimming pool.

I really like the pool. Most hotel pools in Qatar are free-form pools but this pool is a full 25m lap pool. It even has lane markers so one can swim laps in peace and not be knocked into by casual swimmers or kids all the time. We spent sometime doing laps in the pool.

We then made our way to the outdoor free-form pool which is located just beside the indoor pool to sun-tan and enjoy some beverages. As a member, we are entitled to a 10% discount.

We were deliberating to ourselves whether we should get a massage. The spa has a good choice of facial and massage treatments and as a member, we are again entitled to a 10% discount on massage treatments. Before we could decide, a call came in and we were invited for dinner with friends and massage plans will have to be postponed.

I can see why health clubs in hotels are popular. There are not much leisure activities in Qatar and the hot weather prevent one from spending a lot of time outdoors. One cannot simply spend time in shopping malls all the time and health clubs in hotels are really an oasis of sporting and leisure activity to escape from the outside busy traffic, harsh heat and fine sand.

I think I’ll really need to examine my budget and see if I can find a budget-price health club membership if I need to spend any more time in Qatar. Otherwise, I may need to talk to my boss…

Pix credit: http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com

Location of Ritz Carlton Health Spa Club PO Box 23400, Doha, Qatar
Size: Large indoor club
Facilities: Sauna and steam rooms, private massage treatment rooms, tennis and squash courts, indoor and outdoor pool, gymnasium, workout studio
Friendliness: Polite and helpful
Pricing: Annual membership starts at US$5500

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Review: Chinese Health Corner, Qatar

floatingzen — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:13:53 +0000

I’ve been spending more and more time in Doha, Qatar. The weather is hot and the air is always dusty. There is not much to do in terms of after-work entertainment and there are minimal choices for Asian food as well. I needed to find some comfort of home whenever I spend anytime here… such as a familiar spa or massage.

I’ve checked out a number of hotel spas. Believe me, they are very expensive. Just like most things in Qatar. Expensive. Even a simple Chinese foot massage cost US$65 and above in a hotel. I couldn’t afford to have one.

One day, while driving past the Landmark shopping mall, I saw a building decorated with red Chinese lanterns. That means possibly a Chinese restaurant, a Chinese Traditional Medical Hall or a Chinese Massage Palor. I drove closer for a look and true enough, two buildings side by side which says Chinese Health Corner and Hong Kong Beauty Salon.

I entered the building. A Chinese lady greeted me and passed me a brochure. I was right. It’s a beauty salon cum massage palor. Services such as foot massage, back massage, ear candling, sauna and steam bath, body massage, volcanic rock massage, pedicure, manicure and facial beauty treatments were offered. Traditional Chinese massage, cupping and Tuina were also offered.

The interior decor is typically that of what you’ll find in a massage palor in mainland China with posters of foot reflexology charts and body acupressure points charts. The staff and therapists are all from mainland China and most speaks a smattering of English only.

There is a public lounge area for foot massage. There are 6 comfortable chairs and flat-screen TVs and amazingly, a 45 mins foot massage starts at US$18 only. This must be the cheapest foot massage in Qatar; and even cheaper than similar treatments in Singapore as well!

You can have body massage or facial treatments in private rooms. These private rooms are relative large and comes with a treatment bed, arm-chair and a flat-screen TV as well. Very much like private treatment rooms in mainland China.

I opted for a foot massage. I wanted to gauge the quality of their service and treatment before I decide if this can become a regular place for me. The prices they posted are certainly attractive but I wanted to ensure quality of treatment and service does not suffer because of the lower prices.

My therapist is from Shenyang in North-East China. Apparently, the boss is also a mainland Chinese from Shenyang as well and he has 2 other similar outfits in different parts of Doha, with the Landmark branch being the latest addition. According to my therapist, most of the clients are local Qataris with some expatriates. There are hardly any Chinese clients.

The foot massage started with a 10 minutes soak in a tub of hot water and the quality of the foot massage was pretty good; as good as what I can get in mainland China. This augurs well for me because it means I now have a place that I can relax in whenever I am in Qatar.

Note: The buildings are located slightly after the carpark exit of Landmark Shopping Mall. If you come with a companion of the opposite sex, treatment is segregated and you can only meet after treatment.

Diagram credit: http://www.kheper.net

Location of Chinese Health Corner/Hong Kong Beauty Salon PO Box 30183, Doha, Qatar (Behind Landmark Shopping Mall)
Size: Two buildings side by side. One for men only and one for ladies only
Facilities: Sauna and herbal steam rooms, foot massage lounge, private treatment rooms
Friendliness: Polite but speaks minimal English
Pricing: Starts from US$18 for a foot massage in the foot massage lounge. Massage starts at US$30 in a private room. Pedicure and manicure starts at US$20.

Review: Spa Infinity, Singapore

floatingzen — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 05:51:15 +0000

I’ve always like a day spa that let you hang around and use the facilities as long as you like. My favourite was the this spa at Paragon shopping centre at Orchard Rd but I believe it has closed. I like spas that has hydrotherapy facilities, rest area, free-flow of food and drinks and great ambiance. Sometimes, it’s great to hang out and relax instead of swooping in and out of spas and have your relaxed mood spoiled by the crowd and noise outside.

I received a mailer for Spa Infinity. It has all that I wanted. Hydrotherapy facilities, rest area, in-house food and no time limit. What’s more, there was a promotion for $S39(US$25) per person. It was a irresistible offer and I made an appointment for the earliest weekend for my hubby and myself. We wanted to see if we can make this our regular spa hang-out.

The spa is located at the basement of Far East Shopping Centre at Orchard Rd, a shopping mall smack in the middle of the busiest shopping area in Singapore. We arrived at 5pm and walk into the stylish reception area of the spa. There were 4 people at the reception; 2 Chinese men, a Malay lady and a Caucasian man. That’s where the start of the bad impression began.

None bothered to look up nor greet me. It took a minute before the lady eventually looked up to greet me and acknowledge my appointment. A man took over and ushered us to the respective changing room.

Perhaps, I could better describe it as the locker room cum changing room cum dressing room in a space slightly bigger than a bedroom. Next to it is the wet area where there is a jacuzzi pool, a sauna, a steam room, 2 showers and 2 toilets. There were 3 guests in the jacuzzi and I would definitely need to squeeze in next to a stranger if I decide to join them. All in, only elbow room for everyone if there are more than 5-6 guests moving in the area due to the tight corners.

The hot and cold pool – just nice for 4 people – more will be a squeeze

See-through Sauna room – A nice designer touch interior deco

We next meet at the rest lounge which consisted of about 6 sofa sets as well as 6 recline leather seats for watching TV. Very soon, we were called and 2 Chinese ladies lead us to our individual massage rooms. The massage rooms are small and just right for a single bed. My masseur uses Chinese Zhi Ya (Finger accupressure) method and was a bit rough in her handling but was generally alright.

My hubby came out complaining he had a masseur straight from the twilight zone. She was a huge frame Chinese woman who insisted on practising deep finger and elbow massage on all the vulnerable areas; neck, shoulder blades and hip bones. She even deep-pressed his leg’s calf muscle which resulted in pain even after 2 days. Although he has a high threshold for pain, he had to ask the masseur to use less pressure and her answer was to promptly increase the pressure and at the same time, insisted he had not been sleeping well or adopting a wrong walking posture.

On another occasion, she noticed a tight spot in his back muscle. Instead of increasing stroke frequency or pressure, she literally started pounding that spot with clenched fist. Pound, pound, pound pound…. as if she would be able to pound the tightness away!

As connoisseur of good massage and spa, we know the difference between a good and bad massage. This was obviously a wannabe masseur masquerading as a Chinese acupressure expert.

We met at the rest lounge again and decided we would like some food; as was promised in the promotion mailer. Instead, we were told that food was served only on weekdays but would make an exception for us. However, almost all food on the menu had been served out leaving us only with sandwiches.

By then, our impression of this spa had drop to almost ankle level and the fact that food was not available even when promised simply reinforce our belief that this is one spa we will not be visiting again. We were glad to pay up and make our way out to look for food in the vicinity. We even jokingly said that we’ll probably need to look for a real masseur to undo the damage the spa’s masseurs had done to us!

This was one spa we came with high expectations but left with little.

Location of Spa Infinity 545 Orchard Road , B1-22 Far East Shopping Centre, Singapore 238882
Size: Mid-size spa with private massage and facial treatment rooms. Showers not available en-suite. Advertised as being 9000sqf but certainly does not feel that spacious
Facilities: Hot/cold pool, sauna and steam rooms, rest lounge, food cafe
Friendliness: Polite but not pro-active
Pricing: Starts from S$39 for a promotion with use of facilities and 45mins massage. Normal prices start at S$75 and include other facial and chiropractic treatments as well.

Pix credit: http://www.spainfinity.com.sg

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Top 100 Blog: The Daily Review

floatingzen — Sun, 06 Sep 2009 14:55:27 +0000

Asia’s Best Spa Resorts and Massage Therapy Review

Top spas industry blogs

I’m honoured that The Daily Reviewer has selected my blog to be showcased. Why do I consider it an honour? Well, using The Daily Reviewer own words, here’s why:

The Daily Reviewer selects only the world’s top blogs (and RSS feeds). We sift through thousands of blogs daily to present you the world’s best writers. The blogs that we include are authoritative on their respective niche topics and are widely read. To be included in The Daily Reviewer is a mark of excellence.

Thanks to Daily Review, thanks to my readers and thanks to your comments, I shall continue to write articles and reviews you’ll enjoy. Please feel free to write to me anytime!

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Review: Eucalyptus Spa@Craig Road, Singapore

floatingzen — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 15:25:16 +0000

I badly wanted to give Eucalyptus Spa a top 5-star ranking but had to stop short… read on and find out why they missed out on the last star…

I found out about Eucalyptus Spa off one of the regular mass emails I get for spas and massages services. They were promoting a couple spa package called Energise Me! which consists of a 30 minutes Honey & Sesame Body Scrub and a 60 minutes Energizing Massage at a special S$188 (US$110) price for two people.

Eucalyptus Spa is located in one of the colonial pre-war conservation shophouse at Craig Road which is just off Tanjong Pagar near the CBD outer zone. The spa occupy the second and third levels of the shophouse and you need to climb up a flight of steep steps.

Two smiling heads popped out on the second level to welcome us as we climb the flight of steps. We entered the main door which leads to a reception area. The entire spa was done up in the decor typical of Singapore in the 1950-60s with scent in the air and spa music in the background.

We were served with ginger lemongrass tea and a cold towel infused with peppermint and eucalyptus to freshen up. A soft spoken lady manning the reception (my therapist) reconfirmed our packages and gave us the option to choose our preferred type of body scrubs. I chose the Ginger Tangerine Scrub blended with rice grains and my partner chose the Honey & Sesame Body Scrub.

The therapist explained about the ingredients of the different type of scrubs and went on to describe the characteristic of the mixed Balinese and Egyptian Sports Massage we will be getting. We were very surprised that she had the initiative to explain to us without us even asking! She later apologised that one of the shower room was out of order and so asked if we could do our body scrub at different times and we agreed.

I was directed to a small pebble sink to wash my feet with running water. The massage treatment room was designed for a couple with a curtain to provide some privacy where neccessary. The hour-long massage treatment was fantastic and this was the first I ever had with an Egyptian massage as it alternates between deep tissue kneads and the smooth strokes of the Balinese massage.

We came out of the massage very well rejuvenated and refreshed. The skills, service and quality of massage has certainly been impressive.

Now, let me tell you why they deserve a 5-star:

Greeted as soon as we climbed the stairs… this is rare in Singapore
Plenty of soft smiles and greetings
Full explanations of the scrubs and massage we’ll be getting, without us asking, a rarity anywhere in the world
Shower head facing away… so that we do not get splashed!
Keeping the price at S$188 even though it was a mailing error and the price should be S$228
Singaporean bosses and Singaporean therapists… yet, world class attitude, service and quality

Unfortunately, I could not give them the last star because:

We could hear every motorbike, car or lorry passing by the road outside while having the massage because of poor soundproofing of the treatment room
The shower and massage room were separate… and we had to walk through the reception area in our bathrobe to get from one to the other

I badly wanted to give them a 5-star rating, the highest I would have given any spa in all my reviews in the last couple of years… so near and yet so far.

This spa is just a short 10 minutes walk from my home and I really thought I could make this my ‘bookmarked’ spa place. However, despite all the great service, great treatment and great location…. having a massage and hearing every zooming vehicle at the same time just cannot be anyone’s cup of tea!

I have no choice but to withdraw the last star! Nevertheless, this is still a superb 4-star spa boutique and if you ever wanted great service and try the deep kneads of Egyptian massage after a tiring or stressful day… this is your place.

Location of Eucalyptus Spa@Craig Road 43A Craig Rd Singapore 089681
Size: Small spa with 2 private massage and facial treatment rooms. Showers not available en-suite.
Facilities: None
Friendliness: Polite and knowledgeable Singaporean staff
Pricing: Starts from US$65 for a facial, wrap or bath. US$55 for Body massage. Various spa and beauty packages available and starts from US$100.

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Senso Wellness Centre@Radisson SAS Hotel, Dubai, UAE

floatingzen — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 17:18:41 +0000

I stayed in 2 different hotels when I was in Dubai, UAE recently. One of the two hotels was the Radisson SAS Hotel and the other was the Arabian Courtyard, which I reviewed in an earlier article.

There are at least 3 Radisson SAS hotel in Dubai, so you have to be careful, so as not to confuse yourself or your taxi driver. The oldest Radisson SAS is near the Creek, the newer one near the Media city and the latest, near the Marina area. (I believe Radisson SAS was changed to Radisson Blue recently)

I was in Dubai for some work related meeting and hence stayed at the Radisson SAS hotel near Media City. This hotel is conveniently located near the Media and Internet City of Dubai, where most of the world’s top IT and Media companies have their offices and these include Nokia, Oracle, Microsoft, Dell, IBM, HP, Canon, CNN, BBC, Reuters, CNBC etc

Hence, Radisson SAS is an extremely convenient hotel if you need to do business with any of these companies. The hotel is a short walking distance for many of these companies and is the top corporate hotel choice for them as well. However, convenience for working with these companies translate into inconveniences for non-work choices.

There are simply no facilities once you step out of the hotel. The entire place becomes a dead town at night or over the weekend and you have no place to eat or shop other than the hotel within a 30 minutes walking radius ie if you have not succumbed from the heat. Your nearest food, shopping or entertainment facility is at least a taxi ride away. In fact, to travel to Dubai city centre is at least 30 minutes via taxi in smooth traffic. Much longer if traffic is bad… which can be common in Dubai.

Hence, if you do not intend to go out far, your only source of amusement is within the hotel. This is where the hotel’s spa, Senso Wellness Centre comes in useful. The Senso is located near the hotel’s swimming pool and gymnasium and boasts of 6 treatment rooms which is done up individually in stylish Indian, Chinese, Thai, Japanese and Indonesian decor.

Treatment Room done in Indian decor

The Senso Spa offers facial treatments, body treatments and body massages. A face hydrating treatment starts at 420 AED (@US$115), a body polish at 220 AED (@US$65) and a 60 mins Swedish massage starts at 300 AED (@US$82). Hotel guest who takes up at least 2 body massage treatments can get a 20% discount.

I was given a tour of the spa, gym and swimming pool by the spa receptionist. The spa is managed and manned by a mixture of Lebanese and Filipino staff. I understand that the masseurs are Filipino and Indonesian.

Although I stayed at the hotel for a week, I did not end up using any of the spa or fitness facilities. The swimming pool and sun deck area is small and the small gym consist mostly of older gym equipments.

I find the spa prices a bit high and I simply dislike it’s location. The treatment rooms are just next to a elevator zone where people and luggage are coming in and out all the time and I find it simply too distracting.

Despite the hotel touting the spa and pool as one of the highlights of the hotel, I find the awkward location and small size of the pool, spa and gym more like a design after-thought of the architects of the hotel than being the highlight that it has been credited with.

Unless you are stuck in the hotel for weeks and weeks, you may be better off taking a taxi and exploring other parts of Dubai which can be more entertaining than what the hotel and spa alone can offer.

Location of Senso Wellness Centre@ Radisson SAS Hotel PO Box 211723 Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Size: Small spa with private rooms and facial treatment rooms. Hydro-massage bath and jacuzzi available in some of the rooms.
Facilities: None
Friendliness: Polite staff and mostly Filipino massage therapists.
Pricing: Starts from US$65 for a facial, wrap or bath. US$82 for Body massage. Various spa and beauty packages available and starts from US$150.

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Review: Zaitoon Wellness Spa, Dubai, UAE

floatingzen — Sat, 18 Jul 2009 09:14:35 +0000

A recent working trip brought me to Dubai, United Arab Emirates(UAE). Most of us know of Dubai as one of the richest city in the Middle East, if not the world. Of late, Dubai has been known for it’s grand towering hotels, ultra-large shopping malls, air-conditioned bus-stops and becoming the financial and monetary hub of the world.

Few know that Dubai has also become a popular holiday and tourist destination in the Middle East and every year, it welcomes tens of thousands of tourists and visitors from Europe, Africa, India, Russia and Japan. In many ways, despite being an Islamic country, Dubai has open up it’s culture to embrace visitors from all over the world.

Hence, it is not surprising to find spa and massage establishments in this Islamic country. While some establishments are for same sex only, more and more newer spa and massage facilities has become unisex as is common in Europe, USA and Asia; especially in the hotels.

I recently stayed at the Arabian Courtyard hotel in Dubai. The Arabian Courtyard is a 4-star hotel that is located at Bur Dubai, just off the Dubai Creek and in a part of older Dubai. This hotel has obviously seen the age of time although it remains spectacularly well-maintained, clean and has one of the most courteous hotel staff you can find. In fact, in 2008, this hotel was nominated as one of the 5 best 4-star hotel in Dubai!

The hotel reception area

Side note: If you are looking for a clean, reasonably priced hotel that is located in the business streets of old Dubai and not in the modern, glitzy part of Dubai, the Arabian Courtyard is recommended. Despite not being brand new, given that Dubai hotels are very expensive and that the Arabian Courtyard is located just opposite the Dubai museum, makes it worth considering

I was in Dubai in early July where temperature is at it’s hottest with the average daily temperature being 43C for that month. The heat hits you the moment you walk out of the air-conditioned hotel and a short 5 minutes walk round the block will leave you hot, wet with sweat and somewhat giddy.

Hence, when it was time for me to check out on my last day, I decided to kill time by hiding in the hotel rather than walk around despite having 4 hours before I need to leave for the airport. I needed to kill time and decided to visit the Zaitoon Wellness Spa located on the 2nd level. This despite knowing that Dubai has one of the highest cost of living in the world and a massage service will surely not be cheap!

Private Massage room

The Zaitoon Wellness Spa is located at the 2nd level of the hotel. The spa takes up a corner of the 2nd level and exudes a zen-like calmness with with soft lights, flowing curtains and soft music. The spa has about 8 rooms, including 2 couple rooms, a facial room and a few other single rooms.

Business was pretty brisk with hotel guests coming in and out to make inquiries or to come for their massage appointments. Almost all the massage therapists are Filipinos and their soft and gentle mannerisms gel well with the spa.

Many spa and facial packages were available on the menu and just as I suspected, prices are on the high side compared to what I’ll need to pay in Singapore. I chose a Japanese Shiatsu massage session but was told that the therapist for Shiatsu massage was not available. The only massage I could have immediately without having to come back with an appointment was a foot massage and I agreed to it.

A Filipino masseur attended to me and a hot tub was brought for me to sink my tired feet into. This was followed by 45 minutes of therapeutic foot massage and while skills were not as good as what I can get in Asia, I was satisfied because this is as good as I can get for a foot massage in the Middle East.

An hour later, I was recharged and ready to head for the airport. The bill for 50 minutes of foot massage came to 180 dirhams or approximately US$55. Definitely not cheap but the therapeutic effect, soft cozy chair and cool air-conditioner makes up for the hot, humid and sandy Dubai streets anytime!

Note: Room guests at the Arabian Courtyard Hotel gets a free 15 minutes massage at the Zaitoon Wellness Spa.

Location of The Zaitoon Wellness Spa @ Arabian Courtyard Hotel & Spa Al Fahidi Street P.O.Box 46500, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Size: Small spa with private rooms and a curtained off area with sofas for foot massage. Hydro-massage bath and jacuzzi available in some of the rooms.
Facilities: Small toilet and rest area
Friendliness: Polite staff and mostly Filipino massage therapists.
Pricing: Starts from US$60 for a facial, wrap or bath. US$100 for Body massage. Various spa and beauty packages available and starts from US$150.

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Review: Online Spa and Massage Booking Calendar

floatingzen — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 17:25:56 +0000

My day job include evaluating business systems, looking into intelligent business processes and recommending software and automated procedures to enhance productivity. My ‘night job’ includes visiting and reviewing spas and I sometimes wonder if I will ever mix them up!

Sometimes, I wish that I do.

From my day job professional point of view, I find that spa business operators, big or small, are seldom productive.

Call them too early or too late in the day and they are closed. Scheduling an appointment is so difficult because they need to flip their large appointment books back and forth to find you the right slots. They don’t bother to tell you if they are running special promotions. The worst part is, sometimes I get my appointments mixed up because the receptionist forgot to update their appointment books! Oh…the frustrations on dealing with spa operators!

Why can’t spa operators simply invest in productive software like BookingCalendar.com? Now, this is a nifty online software that all spa and massage operators should have because it makes mundane and tedious tasks seem so easy! The clients benefits because the software allows:

1. Spa clients to make their own online booking, 24 hrs by 7 days!
2. Automated email appointment reminders to clients
3. Easy change of appointments
4. Online purchase of spa products, gift vouchers and spa packages

The spa operator benefits because the software allows them to:

1. Track room and resource usage
2. Schedule masseurs appointment slots automatically
3. Keeps track of sales and accounts
4. Send promotions and offers to clients automatically

Spa customers book their appointments online directly

I mean, this software is not even expensive, just a mere US$50 a month if you have less than 1,000 bookings a month. Hey, that’s so much cheaper than hiring a receptionist just to handle appointments and this ‘online appointment receptionist’ works 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and 365 days a year. No rest, no off days, no sick leaves!

Spa operators should check this software out today, especially since this software house is offering a 30 days obligation free trial. Business owners who are not into IT or internet will also feel comfortable because the software house offers free online support till your software is up and running on the internet.

This web-based software is not only suitable for spa operators but clinics, gyms, photo studios, hair salons, dance studios, dentists, dog groomers, acupuncturists will certainly find this software useful too especially if their business revolve around a lot of interaction with clients to fix or arrange appointment slots. What’s more, today’s young and busy consumers will want to work with businesses that can offer them convenience of planning and paying for their consuming needs over the internet.

Hey, if I am still wearing my day time professional hat, I will certainly recommend all spa owners to invest in this software too…. after all, it makes my night time job of booking spa appointment slots so much easier!

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Review: The Lush Spa, Singapore Polo Club

floatingzen — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 03:53:26 +0000

Bored and tired of visiting typical spas in hotels, shopping malls and office buildings? Looking for something that is both different and interesting, brings you back to mother nature and rub off a bit of colonial Singapore - all at the same time?

Yes indeed, The Lush Spa is uniquely situated in the Singapore Polo Club where time seem to have sat still since colonial days in Singapore and rich locals and expatriates come to the club for their daily horse rides and to sip tea in open verandas.

Located off Thomson and Balestier Road and just across the former Police Training Academy, the Singapore Polo Club is now a private social club that offers it’s members and the public a little different from the typical country club by incorporating horse-riding, polo games and equestrian training into it’s scope of activities.

The Lush Spa is located on the 2nd floor of the clubhouse with a bird eye view of the lush green polo riding field. The reception area of the spa is decorated with spa products and a small seating area on the side.

My hubby and I were met and escorted by our therapists to a large couple’s room, with two massage beds, a jacuzzi and a steam/shower bath. The spa room was large and has very high ceiling with windows all round.

Large and airy couple’s room -
note the lush jungle just outside the windows

You can literally look out to the primary jungle that came almost to the edge of the windows and hear crickets and birds throughout our massage session. When heavy rain started towards the middle of our massage session, the pitter/patter of rain on the high ceiling added to the rustic and cosy mood of the room and we thought we were back in exotic Bali!

We began with a floral foot bath and followed by their famous Lush Signature treatment. For this treatment, olive oil was used to massage our body.

After 45mins of a full body massage, I was so reluctant to get up. My masseur softly whispered to me that my treatment was over and would wait for me at the relaxation corner to have my cup of tea.

Couple’s Hot Tub -
why must spas always have a large clock to remind you of time?

While we were enjoying our tea, the spa owner approached to ask for feedback. As it was raining heavily, we were unable to leave the Spa, hence we sat back, read the magazines and waited for the rain to stop.

The spa owner informed us that this Spa started originally by offering only mobile massage services to corporate offices. Their mobile massage popularity grew and hence they they decided to open a permanent spa boutique. Not only do they provide mobile massages services, they also organize spa retreats and spa parties for corporate offices and personal social parties alike.

The small but comfortable rest area

Would I come back? Yes, if I want to smell and feel mother nature all round me when I have a spa session. This is literally the only place in Singapore where a signboard cordon off certain part of a carpark beside a primary jungle and it reads – “Do not park here – Falling durians”! How more rustic can you get in urban Singapore?

My only concern is that prices are a little higher than typical similar spa boutiques and they do not seem to tie-up with any credit card companies for any promotions or discount. However, the spa owner was nice to offer us a 15% discount when we asked for one! So, although there may not be any typical credit card offers, do remember to ask for a discount directly at the cashier!

Note: While located in a private club, members of the public may visit the spa and the various F&B outlets in the club without restrictions.

Location of The Blush Spa @ Singapore Polo Club, 80 Mount Pleasant Road S(298334)

Size: Small size spa with all private rooms. Hydro-massage bath and jacuzzi available in some of the rooms.
Facilities: Small toilet and rest area
Friendliness: Polite staff and good massage therapists.
Pricing: Starts from US$40 for a facial, wrap or bath. US$80 for Body massage. Various spa and beauty packages available and starts from US$120.

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