It’s Spa Week! The deal with spa week is that participating spas offer (very) discounted rates on treatments. These treatments range from spa mani/pedis to microdermabrasion. I used this spa week to get a 60 minute hot stone massage for $50 (regularly $120) at the Green Tea Massage and Spa in the Murray Hill/Gramercy area (NYC).
I love getting masssages. I generally treat myself to one after a big race (NYC marathon, for example), but this time I decided springtime (and a great deal) was reason enough to get pampered. In the past I’ve opted for Swedish, deep tissue, and sports massages. I had never had a hot stone therapy and thought this would be a good time to try. Essentially, the hot stone massage began like a regular deep tissue massage. Then, the masseuse rubbed muscles with, yes, hot stones (it’s not just a clever name).
The massage was… good. Thorough, I’d even say. The ambience at this particular place was lacking, though. The rooms were very small, and not very private. The walls that divided the massage “rooms” did not go up to the ceiling, and there were not doors, but curtains. This meant that throughout my massage, I could hear people coming and going, phones ringing, conversations in other rooms, etc… What it lacked in ambience, it made up for in technique. While I may not travel cross-town to get there again, it may have been worth it for a down and dirty massage without the price tag.
Remember, if you are going to get any spa treatment, here or somewhere else, it’s important to keep safety in mind. To know what’s right and wrong, acceptable/unacceptable, check out these articles:
“Secrets of a Spa Cop” (SELF magazine)
“Massage Therapies” (WJM)
