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.

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.

The only thing wrong in Gurgaon with all Spas is this: they are all singularly expensive. Treatments will cost you upwards of Rs. 1500 per hour. Here is a list of all the Spas that I know about (and there probably are more).

• Sawasdee – 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. A review of their facility is found here.
• Spa Soul – this is a full-fledged Spa in Galaxy Hotel located behind 32nd milestone on NH8. They offer a large variety of treatments and massages. They have a website on which their menu is available.
• Riviera Spa – 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.
• Ozone – this is a health club with Spa facilities. This is located next to Park Plaza hotel in Sushant Lok. As far as I know membership is not needed to avail of the services.
• Body Spa – 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. Their pricing starts with around Rs. 2000 for a 1 hour session.  Here’s Body Spa’s website.
• Heavenly Spa – 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 – This Massage Parlor is located in Mega Mall and offers Traditional Thai, Shiatsu, and Foot Massages. I have written a review of their services here.

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).

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.