Gurgaon Watch » massage

A report on Aroma Thai foot spa in Ambi mall

Gurgaon Resident — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 19:53:33 +0000

Photo by ThaisWellnessCentre

Yesterday I found myself really yearning for a foot massage. And I then happened to find myself in the Ambience mall in Gurgaon. Well, it just so happens that there is a foot spa (whatever that is) in Ambience mall – Aroma Thai Foot Spa. Off I went to check out the place. First thing first – I am not sure why they call themselves a foot spa. They offer the full range of body massages as well other than the foot massages and reflexology treatments. Anyway, as I said, I was in the mood for a foot massage – so that’s what I asked for.

The bad first

Let me point out the things I didn’t like first, and then I will talk about the things that I did like.

The first thing I didn’t like is that the guy at the reception, as nice as he was, kept trying to sell me a body massage service instead of a foot massage.
Second thing I didn’t like is that they don’t have a 30 minute foot massage option. The shortest is 45 minutes, and that’s what I ended up asking for.
The third thing that I didn’t like is the price for that option, which was Rs. 1,050 – I find this kind of steep, but I am guessing its the location that drives up the price there.
And finally, what I really hated was the hard sell on trying to get me into buying a package when I mentioned very clearly that I am not interested when asked the first time.

Now the good part

The good thing is that despite the parts I didn’t like, I really enjoyed myself and would repeat. Here are the good things about the place:

Great attitude for the therapist (better courtesy training than most places I have seen).
I was given a clean pair of loose slacks to change in – it would have been pretty difficult to get a foot massage done in my jeans as they wouldn’t have rolled up to my knees.
The massage was very good and relaxing – I fell off to sleep for a while (thanks to the very comfortable sofas and the good work being carried out on my feet).
The noise control – their room where the massage is carried out is behind a separate inner door – there is zero mall noise penetrating the room – that in itself was very relaxing.
The location – the mall is the perfect place – you go their often, and your feet get tired. So it is very conveniently located.

So overall it is a good place.

A review of Spa Evanthe in Gurgaon

Gurgaon Resident — Sun, 26 Dec 2010 05:45:00 +0000

A number of reviews from readers on this site prompted me to finally pay Spa Evanthe a visit. Of course, a tired body helped make the journey too. This is a short review of my experience with the place. If I was to summarize my experience in two words, then they would be: I recommend.

But, let me clarify a bit more.

Location: This place is located in MGF Mega City Mall (you know, where Spencer is). Easy to get to, and plenty of parking space since this is not a super busy mall.

Facilities: Nice modern, well decorated place. Good shower room; clean; good flowing hot water.

Therapist: I was attended by someone named Naro. She spoke good English, was attentive, did good work on the muscles, and put me right to sleep when she got working on my head.

Services: although I went in for some Swedish massage, they offer a number of beauty treatments too.

Experience: Okay, with the basics out of the way, let me quickly talk about my visit. When I got there, it looked like a popular place (not crowded) but there were plenty of clients already there, and enough traffic on a weekday to make me believe that they already have a lot of loyal customers.

Anyway, my total wait time before being moved to a room was less than 5 minutes. This is where the experience started going bad for a while. After I had disrobed, and put on a bath robe, I was asked by the therapist to wait for 5 minutes – I said okay. And I kept waiting for almost 15 minutes, and was just about to start putting my clothes back on and getting out of there, when in she walked, with a smile, and an apology, and a plate full of Christmas cake.

Apparently, just as I had got in, the staff was about to get together to cut a Christmas cake, and hence the wait. Well, the cake was delicious, and so I quickly forgot my wait time.

One thing I want to point out is that I was asked if I wanted water many times – right in the beginning, after the cake, post treatment (along with various options of tea). It is very important that you have plenty of water when getting a massage (and specially before a massage), and I have been to a number of places where they don’t even ask you for water.

The only other bad thing for me was that he bathing robe that was provided in the room looked to be previously worn (I am not saying it was, but it looked as if it was).

Go ahead and ask for Naro when you are there because she did very well while attending to me.

Click here for a list of Spas in Gurgaon.

Visit Sawasdee Thai Spa for your well-being

Gurgaon Resident — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 05:43:15 +0000

Sawasdee is a traditional Thai greeting which is equal to a ‘Hello’ or a ‘Namaste’. The word is actually derived from a Sanskrit word which means ‘well-being’. And a boost to your well-being is exactly what you get when you visit the Sawasdee Thai Spa at Ambi mall in Gurgaon. There are many Spas in Gurgaon (as I have written here) and some of them are fairly good (such as Oriental Senses). But the Sawasdee Thai Spa takes good to a whole new level – I am sure it is one of the best (at the moment) in all of Gurgaon, if not NCR. Here’s a quick review, and hopefully others who have visited will add to this by leaving comments.

The Sawasdee Thai Spa is located in Ambience mall on the second floor (just below Rockman’s Beer Island). You can walk in to a nice snug reception and the folks behind the reception desk are very friendly and helpful. There is a menu of treatments and massages that you can choose from, and I chose to have something called the Lotus Signature Massage (it wasn’t really called this, but something similar) – this massage was a combination of Swedish style and hot compresses – it sounded good.

You have a choice of a male or a female therapist, with your choice not necessarily always available (a busy place this is). I waited for about 10-15 minutes while they prepared the room. In the meantime, they brought me a glass of water – this is important. Before any massage, you should drink water because a massage releases toxins into the blood stream, and if there is not enough water in your body to dilute and ‘wash-out’ the toxins, then you will end up with a headache after the massage (as the toxins hit your brain). It is very important to have water before and after your massage. And since I didn’t ask for the water, it shows that they know their business (not every spa I have been to does this).

Before you are led to your room, they get you to change into soft slippers (you leave your shoes at the reception where they are placed securely in a shoe rack behind the counter). The room was very nice – clean, softly lit, with a built-in shower area. The masseuse that was assigned to me was really strong. She gave my body a very nice workout and squeezed weeks worth of stress out of my body. I have to mention the quality of the place a little more in terms of cleanliness – I have visited other spas in Gurgaon (such as Body Spa) and sometimes felt very dissatisfied with the cleanliness of towels and sheets for the massage table. But this place I had no concerns (by the way, its new, so let’s see if they keep their quality up).

I felt very good after the massage, and I got the impression that the masseuse was a qualified professional who knew what she was doing. There was hot tea offered post massage, which is a great alternative to water for hydrating your body. I felt so relaxed that I started walking out without my shoes and would have if the receptionist hadn’t called out after me to remind me. Another point I noticed is that there was no external noise in the massage room. This is something that is good. I think its very important for the mind to relax as the body is being worked upon, and there should be no intrusion on your mind during this period. I often fall asleep during a good massage, and the same thing happened here.

Obviously, I recommend this place highly.

Now for the cost – this 90 minute massage cost me almost Rs. 3500 (they have an introductory discount going on). Needless to say, it is not cheap. However, if you compare this to places such as Body Spa (which cost almost as much and doesn’t provide a fraction of the quality that this place offers) and also the fact that it is situated in one of the best malls in Gurgaon, the price is reasonable.

Another thing to notice is that you might want to call up in advance to book an appointment. While I was waiting for my room to be prepared I saw a number of people who came and left disappointed because there was no open slot available. Their website is still under construction, but it tells you the number to call: +91 124 466 5454.

Have you visited Sawasdee? If yes, please leave your impression in the comments.

Click here for a list of Spas in Gurgaon.

Here’s a great recipe to cure Body Aches

Gurgaon Resident — Mon, 22 Sep 2008 22:29:57 +0000

I have always enjoyed a massage, and Gurgaon has a large number of options available that offer massage services. But most are expensive, or offer much more than a simple massage. This is what sets Oriental Senses apart from the rest of the bunch.

Oriental Senses is the latest massage service which has opened in Gurgaon. It is located on the second floor of DT Mega Mall on Golf Course Road (incidentally, the same mall also has an Ayurvedic Massage Center). Oriental Senses offers traditional Thai Massage, Shiatsu, and Foot Massage.

A one hour massage costs less than Rs. 1000. I think that is a great price.

The place itself is small. Once you get there, you are asked to change into soft tee-shirt and shorts which are provided. Then the therapist begins the massage in a very Thai style setup (a small mattress on a wooden floor). The entire setup is very Thai, with the next person only separated from you by a curtain (this is just how a lot of massage parlors in Thailand are setup).

As for the massage, it was great. The therapist who worked on me knew her stuff. She was able to increase or decrease pressure according to my needs. And after the massage I felt quite refreshed.

I think the only drawback is that the noises of the mall can penetrate into the massage area and so it is not as relaxing as it can be. But the quality of the massage more than makes up for this.

I recommend everyone who visits Mega Mall to take out this hour. Oh, and you should call ahead to book as they can only take three people at a time. Here are the phone numbers: +91 9818111433, +91 124 4307505.

Update (Sep 26, 2008): I visited Oriental Senses again today. And once again, I can safely say that I will continue to recommend the place to anyone and everyone.

This time it was a Foot Reflexology session that I tried and yes, even this was as good as the Shiatsu Massage. What is really good is that the therapists seem to be automatically tuned into your needs.

For example, today a group of people came in for their massage while I was having my massage, and they were (as is expected of us Indians) pretty loud while conversing amongst themselves and very chatty – with no regards to the quiet atmosphere in the facility. And it was actually quite disturbing, and my therapist must have read something on my face, because right as I was about to get up and request them to be quiet, she actually did it herself.

Have you tried Oriental Senses? Please leave a comment about your experience. Thanks.

Click here for a list of Spas in Gurgaon.

Spas in Gurgaon

Gurgaon Resident — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 02:30:24 +0000

In the past few years the number of Spas in and around Gurgaon have gone up considerably, with most of them pulling in a lot of crowd. There is nothing more rejuvenating than an hour of massage after a hectic week of work.

Here is a list of all the Spas in Gurgaon that I know about (and there are many more).

Sawasdee (website) – this is a new entry (updated Mar 15, 2010) on the Gurgaon Spa scene, and is definitely the best I have been to in NCR. This is located in Ambience mall on NH8. My review of their facility is found here. Update (Nov 29, 2010): while I haven’t been back here, a lot of readers have mentioned that the quality of services has declined.
Soul Spa (website) – this is a full-fledged spa in Galaxy Hotel located behind 32nd milestone on NH8. They offer a large variety of treatments and massages. Some folks have posted their reviews of this facility in the comments on this page
Riviera Spa (website)– this one is located in Bristol Hotel on Mehrauli Gurgaon road. They are more expensive than most when it comes to treatments, and do offer a range of Swedish and Ayurvedic massages. They don’t have an online menu of their treatments, but you can always call them by phone and ask.
Body Spa (website) – this is a spa with a small number of massage treatment options. It also offers reflexology treatments. This is located in Grand Mall on Mehrauli Gurgaon road. This was one of the first non-hotel Spas in Gurgaon.
Heavenly Spa (website) – This spa is located in the Westin Sohna Resort which is a full-fledged resort and so is a little out of the way. You have to go down Sohna road to reach this. It offers a variety of treatments which you can see on their website.
Oriental Senses (website) – This massage parlor is located in Mega Mall and in MGF Metro Mall; they offer Traditional Thai, Shiatsu, and Foot Massages. I have written a review of their services here. They also offer spa services at your home for ladies.
Blue Terra Spa (website) – Located in SuperMarket 1, DLF Phase IV. There are a bunch of reviews in the comments by folks who have tried this place. I went here a few weeks ago, and I came back impressed. Highly recommended.
Spa Evanthe (website) – This is located in DLF MegaCity Mall (on MG Road). According to one of the reviews posted here in the comments, it is a good place. And judging by their website, it looks like it is a pretty professional outfit. Here’s a review of Spa Evanthe.
Seven Seas Spa (website) – This place is located on Sohna road in the Omaxe Wedding Mall. Someone has posted a review in the comments.
Tattva Spa Service (website) – These guys are a bit different. They only provide services at your home (as far as I understand). If anyone has used them, please leave a comment with your experience.
Levo Spalon (website) – theirs is one of the classiest websites. I haven’t tried them yet. They offer both Spa and Salon services. If I go, I will post a review.
Aroma Thai Foot Spa (website) – more than just a foot spa, they have many branches in NCR. There is one in Ambience mall in Gurgaon. Here’s my review of Aroma Thai.

Two other places have received mixed reviews in the comments, and they don’t have websites:

Body Nation – in DLF City, Phase 1. Searching the Internet for their contact details reveal multiple numbers, so the best bet is to call Just Dial.
Sparsh - This place is in Ansal Mall in Palam Vihar. Once again, the contact details can be had from Just Dial.

There are two others that I know of, but don’t remember their names. One is an Ayurvedic Massage Center in Mega Mall, and another is very new Spa and Fitness Center on Golf Course Road (after the Golf Course).

In addition, almost all of the five star hotels in Gurgaon have their own Spas. I just have been lazy about listing them.

All contact information for these Spas can be checked by calling 011-22222222 (Just Dial).

If you guys know of any other Spa, just leave the name and location in the comments.

List Updated: September, 2010 – I noticed that a number of new Spas have opened up in this area. And so, the list has been updated. Thanks for everyone’s comments.