January 2010

01/31/2010

Review: Maya City Club Hotel (Spa / Sauna), Shenzhen

Please Note: Fans of this blog, please see our new site at www.therubdown.hk. Here you can see our reviews, and you'll be able to search for spas and massage parlors too! We welcome collaborators, suggestions, questions and comments. Email us at therubdownhk@gmail.com! Now on with the show...

After my recent positive experience at Queen Spa in Shenzhen, the boyfriend and I were back on the mainland this weekend for a 24-hour getaway. We camped out at the Shangri-la Hotel in Luohu, spitting distance from the train station. Even if you're not staying there, I highly recommend their Saturday night "Crab Festival" dinner buffet at the Coffee Garden restaurant. The buffet is 228RMB and includes all the beer, wine, soft drinks, tea and juice you want. They've got Chinese food (including a fresh dumpling stand, noodles made to order and even (boo) shark's fin soup). On the other side is sushi, roast beef, teppanyaki, tempura, and more. Did I mention the dessert bar? For the price, this beats the pants off the buffets at Jumbo Floating Restaurant or Cafe Deco in Hong Kong.

Having stuffed ourselves silly on Saturday, we decided we needed a little more decadence on Sunday and hopped over to Maya City Club Hotel. The promise of an Aztec-themed spa that looks like a casino and even has a foosball table was too enticing. It's a 10RMB cab ride from Luohu station. Based on the limited information I could find online, I was expecting an experience similar to Queen Spa. It's got 6 stories and, on paper, a lot of the same amenities (pool, sauna, lounge areas, massage, beauty salon-type services, restaurant). In truth, the place pales in comparison and I can hardly recommend it over Queen Spa. (Even though from the outside, it doesn't look bad, just weird.) Some observations:

Negative No. 1. No English was spoken here. And no brochures were available in English. So if you can't read a little Chinese, and speak a little Chinese, don't bother. The only English thing anywhere (outside the restaurant) was an extremely tattered, faded list of massage services on a clipboard on the 5th floor that looked to be about 5 years old.

Negative No. 2. The place is danker than Queen Spa, and not as clean. We noticed stained carpets, and let's just say shower sandals (or boots) are a necessity.

Negative No. 3. Not as many amenities. They have a pool, and hot tubs in the men's and women's changing areas, but that's it. No free fruit and ice cream bar, either. At least not that we could find.

Positive No. 1. Maya offers 1:1 HKD-to-RMB exchange rate. The services are priced in RMB, so if you pay in HKD, you save about 13% off the list price. (100RMB generally equals 113HKD). The prices in RMB are about 10-20% cheaper than those at Queen Spa. And their minimum charge to avoid the 88RMB daily sauna fee is only 138RMB. Queen Spa is 168RMB.

Positive No. 2. The restaurant is good, especially if you stick with the Chinese food. The menu included everything from Baked Alaska to Lobster Thermador. Seriously. There was also the "Maya Special" (Abalone, Sea cucumber and Goose webs). The menu is in English and Chinese. The atmosphere in the restaurant is better than the rest of the place.

Positive No. 3. The massage wasn't awful. I got an "aromatherapy" massage (138RMB +20RMB tip for 90 mins) and the boyfriend got "Chinese massage" (118 RMB +20RMB tip for 90 mins). There wasn't much aroma to the oil the masseuse slathered on me, but she did do some wonders on my arms and legs. The boyfriend, who's 6-foot-4, says his 5-foot-2 masseuse really gave him a good working over, but he hasn't had a massage in ages so I think he wasn't prepared for much of a roughing-up. He also had this to say. The masseuses, from Guangxi province, were nice and spoke to us in Mandarin. Plus, you get to wear these rather nifty Mayan-print pajamas. See above right.

We were in and out for 532HKD, or $77 (USD). That included 2 90-minute massages, use of the pool/hot/tub, tips, and lunch for 2 people (including 2 drinks).

Some tips, if you do decide to go:

Opt to have your massage in the VIP rooms on the 4th floor. They're a lot nicer, and more private, than the communal cheapy rooms on the 5th floor. But don't expect a ton of ambiance.
Pay in HKD, save 13%
The lounge area on the 1st floor is bigger and nicer than the one on the 2nd floor.
Like almost everywhere in China, this place is full of smokers, so be warned -- it's not your typical American or European "health" spa

Maya City Club Hotel. 1177 Yanhe Road South, Luohu, Shenzhen. 86-755-2199-8001

瑪雅城俱樂部酒店

罗湖区沿河南路1177号

Posted at 08:53 AM in Body Massage, Shenzhen | Permalink | Comments (1)

01/25/2010

Freebie Alert! Aromatherapy Academy Open House

We all like to get something for nothing, especially if it involves massage! This weekend, Asia-Pacific Aromatherapy in North Point is having an open house. The lovely ladies at APA will be offering free Indian head massages and hand massages, and giving introductory lessons about essential oils and other topics. They'll also have a bevy of natural products on sale.

What is APA? It's a small school offering a variety of classes on massage, aromatherapy, traditional Chinese medicine and more. It was started back in the 1990s, then went on hiatus for about a year and has recently been reestablished. They offer short courses and workshops for the casual learner, or if you really want to get serious, a 369-hour regimen leading to a diploma. They teach in English and Cantonese.

Here's a sample of their upcoming offerings:

Aromatherapy Introductory Course (5 hours over 2 days) $600
Essential Oils and the Meridians (4 hours) $900
Acupressure for Self-Care and Client Care (4 hours) $900
Aromatics for Pets (4 hours) $900

Their spring diploma course kicks off in March, so if you're thinking about delving into a new line of work, the open house might be a good time to check out the offerings, talk to the teachers, and see if it's for you.

APA's Open House is this Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 30 and 31, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

APA, Java Commercial Centre, 10th Floor, Room 1001, 128 Java Road, North Point. Map. (If you are taking the MTR, use exit A1, turn right). 2882 2444. info@apagroup.com.hk

www.aromatherapyapa.com

Posted at 05:11 PM in Body Massage, Classes and Learning, Freebies, Health and Beauty, Hong Kong Island, Massage, North Point | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/24/2010

Review: Mee Panda Beauty -- Cheapest Massage in Central?

OK folks, listen up! You want a good cheap massage in Central? I defy you to do better than the deal I got today at Mee Panda Beauty. Almost 90 minutes, $99. Yes, that's Hong Kong dollars!

Let's be clear about one thing: You're not going to Mee Panda for the atmosphere. You're going for the all-business Thai rubdown from Jo, the proprietress, who learned her technique from her Thai mother-in-law, who's got 35 years of experience.

Jo, as it turns out, also speaks good English and will chat your ear off hairdresser-style with stories of old Hong Kong, Thai ghost tales, health advice (Coke is bad for you bones, drink milk) and how she became a mother for the second time at age 39. But if you want to zone out, doze off or watch TV (she's got HBO in the house), she'll zip it and just work you over.

Mee Panda is a basic shop with blue carpet, 2 massage chairs, and a room for body massage. You want decorations? Four stuffed pandas will have to suffice. When I got there, Jo's two-year-old was playing in front of the TV; a caregiver hustled her off to a back room while I settled in for my 50-minute foot + shoulder massage.

Jo brought me a footbath, let me soak for about 10 minutes, and served jasmine tea and some crackers. Then she set to work on my feet and shins. She sterilized her hands with alcohol first, then rubbed me with some vitamin E cream. Her technique is largely knuckle work, verging on the painful at times, but she'll back off if you tell her to. She also uses a small wooden stick to administer pressure on specific points, such as on your arch and between your toes. To enhance the relaxation, she also slathered on a mentholatum-like Thai warming balm (which she washed off later, so I didn't leave smelling like my grandpa). She spent half an hour on each of my legs, and that was after the 10-minute footbath. At the end she cleaned my feet again, and finished it all off with some foot powder.

But wait, there's more! Once my feet were done, I got another 15 minutes or so of neck, shoulder and arm massage.

Jo says she's busiest during weekdays because most of her clients are office workers in Central. So don't expect any overtime Monday-Friday. But drop in on a weekend, like I did, and if no one else is waiting you may get some bonus minutes. I walked in at 1:30 and walked out at 3 p.m. and spent $99. (That's not including tip, which I did actually add on because of the great and friendly service). Given that under the escalators near Hollywood Road I see several shops asking $130 for a 30-minute foot massage, Mee Panda is a bargain and it's right in the heart of it all.

Have you been to Mee Panda? Drop us a comment about your experience!

Mee Panda Beauty Co., 13 Queen Victoria Street, First Floor, Central. Map.

Daily 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

2521 8252 (reservations accepted).

Posted at 08:17 AM in Body Massage, Central, Foot Massage, Hong Kong Island, Massage | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/17/2010

Review: Darha Spa, Central

There's a new spa in town -- Darha Spa in Central -- so I popped over this weekend to check it out. Tucked away on the ninth floor of an office building on Queen's Road Central near H&M, it's a sister branch to the original Darha Spa in Khon Kaen in northeastern Thailand.

Since Darha Spa bills itself as a place that will "bring you the true Thai spa experience," I booked (what else?) a 60-minute Thai massage. When I arrived at 7 p.m. on Sunday, the place was empty, but the staff was exceptionally friendly without being obsequious. It's obvious that the proprietors put some effort into the decor, outfitting the reception area with dark-wood furniture, live orchids and Thai art. The receptionist offered me tea or water, and brought my drink on a rattan tray along with a cool towel to refresh my face. She requested that I fill out a short questionnaire inquiring about my health, allergies, and preferences during the massage (light, medium or hard pressure).

For my treatment I was led into a dimly lit private room decorated with Thai textiles and artwork; soothing music at low volume set a relaxing mood. After I changed into a set of loose pajamas, my masseuse guided my bare tootsies into a large dark wooden bowl of warm water, added flower petals, slices of lime and salt to the bath and gave my feet a quick cleaning. It was a nice touch. Then it was on to the massage.

Traditional Thai massage does not use oil, and rather than rubbing or long strokes, the technique is more about pressing and stretching. After a hard workout at the gym the day before, my muscles were quite sore, and the masseuse seemed to home in on my aching shins and quads. Methodically, she worked up and down my spine, paying particular attention to my shoulder blades, as I had noted on the questionnaire when I arrived. After 35 minutes, she flipped me over, and attended to the front of my legs, stretching them into various positions. Then back up to my arms, shoulders, neck and back, pressing deep into the tissue. Clambering over me to pull my limbs into various stretches, I think she got as much of a workout massaging me as I had gotten the day before at the gym!

What was booked as a 60-minute massage in fact lasted about 70 minutes, not including the footbath. Dressed and back in the reception area, I was greeted with a small goblet of fresh melon balls and a glass of water. The receptionist asked me to fill out a survey about the treatment and seemed sincerely concerned with my satisfaction.

Since Darha Spa is new, they're running a "grand opening" special -- 30% off all treatments. So my massage, priced on the menu at $450, was instead $315 -- a good value for a competent massage in a nice atmosphere with a friendly, English-speaking staff. The special is on at least through the end of the month, and in February they'll be offering a Valentine's Day deal: bring a friend/partner and get 50% off on two treatments.

The list of services at Darha is quite extensive: Besides Thai, they offer Swedish, Hawaiian Lomi Lomi, hot stone, shiatsu, Ayuvedic, and sports massages, as well as manicures, pedicures, hairstyling and makeup application. Their more elaborate treatments include body scrubs, facials, a "four hands" massage with two therapists, and even a "virginity" massage that promises to "reinvigorate your sexual awareness" and "make you feel like a virgin again" (45 minutes, $550). Hmm. Maybe something to think about for the Valentine's Day special...

Darha's normal prices are by no means cheap, but the 30-50% discounts on offer seem to be a good deal. If you check them out, write in with your experience and we'll let others know what you think -- we're dying to hear how the virginity massage goes!

Darha Spa, Parker House, 9th Floor, 72 Queen's Road Central, Central, Hong Kong. Map. 2140 6311

www.darhaspa.com/Hk/

darhaspa@gmail.com

Posted at 08:02 AM in Body Massage, Central, Foot Massage, Health and Beauty, Hong Kong Island, Manicure, Massage, Reviews | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/15/2010

Review: Power Foot, Sheung Wan

Looking for a no-frills but friendly foot rub in Sheung Wan? You could do worse than Power Foot.

Power Foot is situated just at the end of Hollywood Road. I've passed this place dozens of times but finally decided to pop in last weekend. The shop seems to be run by three middle age ladies in sweatpants, and there's a cat on a leash behind the counter. In short, no funny business here! Just a main room for foot massages with six comfy purple chairs, white tile floors, a TV on moderately low volume, and piles of trashy Chinese gossip magazines (as well as English copies of Time) to flip through. There are three tiny rooms situated just off the main room for full-body massages. Because the shop is close to the street, there is noise from traffic and pedestrians outside, so if you are looking for absolute silence, or even calming relaxing music, this is not the place for you. When I was there, most of the other customers were women, although there was one man getting a foot rub.

The menu of services here is limited: Foot massage ($148 for 50 mins), body massage ($198 for 50 mins), Ear candle ($148, 40 mins), manicure ($120) Shanghai-style trim pedicure (i.e., no polish, $198). The place seemed clean, if not brand-spanking new. The live plants and a fish tank lend a homey feel.

I opted for the foot rub, and my masseuse, who spoke very basic English, brought me a cup of tea. She fetched a cedar bucket (lined with plastic bag) filled with brownish warm water (it seemed to be an herbal concoction of some sort). After a 10 minute soak, she brought warm towels (bonus points for warm towels), dried my feet, applied foot creme to my feet and calves and began the massage. She began with light stretches of the foot and ankle and a bit of a shin rub. Then she homed in on the soles of my feet, working mainly with her knuckles. The pressure was good -- not to hard and not too soft. After about 10 minutes I really started to relax when she began rubbing between my toes. This is also when she started turning around to watch the TV, but I have to concede she did keep rubbing with the same vigor. Later a friend of hers popped into the shop for a chat, and she kept up the massage even as she talked for about five minutes. So if you require undivided attention from your foot masseuse, Power Foot may not fit your bill.

She rubbed for a full 55 minutes (and I was happy to see that the 10 minute soak was not included in the time). The massage finished with warm towels on my shins and feet, and a second cup of tea. With a $20 tip, my bill came to $168.

Final thought: Don't go out of your way for Power Foot, but if you are nearby and just need a quick rubdown, this place is fine.

Power Foot, 88 Queen's Road West, Sheung Wan, Hong Kong. Map. 2915 2298. Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Posted at 07:58 PM in Body Massage, Foot Massage, Hong Kong Island, Manicure, Massage, Shanghai Pedicure, Sheung Wan | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/12/2010

Review: Queen Spa, Shenzhen -- a Wal-Mart Size Spa!

Mind-blowing! Queen Spa in Shenzhen must be experienced to be believed. America may have invented Wal-Mart, but it took China to super-size the spa!

Wrap your noggin around this: A spa that's open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, takes up a city block -- and sprawls over seven (yes, 7!) stories, or 480,000 square feet. You could spend days here, literally, and people do (they have designated sleeping areas, and wake-up calls).

Here's how it works: You take the Hong Kong MTR to Lo Wu, cross the border, and enter the Lo Wu shopping center. Queen Spa has a small shopfront there, where the staff will direct you to a free shuttle bus that will transport you to the spa in about 5 minutes.

Upon entrance, you can check your large parcels with the concierge. Then proceed to the reception, where you check-in and are given a special bracelet that has an electronic chip and an account number printed on it. The entrance fee is 98 renminbi for 24 hours (but this will be waived if you spend 168 renminbi on massage or other services, and believe me, you will). [Note, 98 renminbi = 14.34 U.S. dollars, or 111.2 Hong Kong dollars. This is not a typo.]

Head to the changing room, where you'll be outfitted with a set of pajamas and a robe. Stash your clothes and valuables in a locker, lock it with your bracelet, and you are off to explore 7 floors of entertainment, dining, spa services and more. Everything is charged to your bracelet account, and you settle your bill when you leave. The facilities appeared clean and well-tended.

A quick orientation:

Level B1: Reception, spa pools, changing areas for men and women, sauna room, steam room, ping pong and VIP areas.

Level L1B: Rest area, massage area, Chinese medicine shop.

Level 1A: Thai massage rooms.

Level 2: Aromatherapy massage areas, Thai massage rooms, business rooms.

Level 3: Business and reading center, snooker hall, coffee bar, game zone, fresh fruit bar, restaurants, drink bar, football and movie bar, rest areas, private rooms for couples.

Level 4: Seafood and hotpot restaurant, VIP restaurant, VIP rooms, deluxe rooms, coffee and snack area, "Seafood display."

Level 5: Gym, swimming pool, manicure zone, pedicure area, hair salon, power room, rest area.

After checking in, Julie and I scoped out the co-ed swimming pools, whirlpools and hot tubs on Level B1, then headed up to Level 3. We ate at the Chinese restaurant there (where we ordered sushi as well as Chinese food). Satiated, we waddled over to a rest area, where we plopped down in giant lounge chairs arranged in a giant semi-circle amphitheater facing a huge screen showing a Chinese movie. We also could have chosen to sit in another rest area, where each seat is equipped with its own television with dozens of channels offering everything from cartoons to horse racing. Men and women of all ages were relaxing and enjoying themselves. Kids were there too, many of them playing video games.

Using an electronic push-button system embedded in our lounge chairs, we summoned a waitress, who brought us service menus (in English and Chinese). We each decided on a foot massage (45 minutes for about 58 renminbi, and an ear cleaning for about 30 minutes, about 58 renminbi). We also requested the staff to bring us chocolate soft-serve ice cream from the free fresh fruit and ice cream bar, and it was promptly delivered to our seats. As we enjoyed our cones, two young women from Jiangxi province soothed our tootsies while an older man used a variety of strange instruments to pull every speck of wax and dust out of our ear canals. I'd never had a stranger clean my ears before, but when he was done, the world seemed 20% louder. Guess I had some stuff built up in there!

With our ears cleaned, our bellies full and our lower legs soothed, it we decided it was time for a full body massage. We wandered over to an electronic touch-screen kiosk where we were able to look through pictures of various masseuses and pick which one we wanted to give us a massage, and what kind of treatment to to receive -- Thai-style, Hong Kong-style, Chinese-style, aromatherapy. (There were seemingly hundreds of perky, attractive 18-year-old masseuses to choose from, though I'm not sure that the ones that ended up giving us our rubdowns bore much resemblance to the ones we picked on-screen. No matter.) For 168 renminbi, we each opted for a 90-minute full body Chinese massage and were led down one floor to a giant maze of tastefully decorated and dimly lit treatment rooms. (The entire complex has about 800 massage rooms.) After a quick stop in the restroom, we were led into a large massage room with two beds. For the next 90 minutes we were rubbed into a state of relaxation so deep Julie fell asleep.

After our massages, we went back up to the rest area, where we decided to avail ourselves again of the free fruit bar (and yes, we had more ice cream). We sat and chatted and browsed through magazines and looked at brochures for the spa, considering other treatments and seeing what other services were available. Some of the offerings: hot stone massage, hair treatments, slimming treatments, facials, cupping, pedicures, hand massages and back scrubbing. You can also get your laundry done, charge your mobile phone, play mahjongg, and use the Internet at the business center or via wi-fi. We even found out that next time, we can arrange for a Rolls-Royce to transport us from the Lo Wu to the spa, if we are feeling too fancy to take the shuttle bus.

Before we knew it, we had been at Queen Spa for six hours and it was time to shower and head back to Hong Kong. (Somewhat like a casino, Queen Spa has no windows, and your perception of time can quickly become distorted.) We cleaned up, changed, dried our hair and reapplied our makeup (the helpful attendants will even assist you with a blow-dry, if you like). Then it was time to settle up the bill. Our total charges, including massages, food and tips (10-20 renminbi per masseuse) came to about 500 Hong Kong dollars each. You can pay by cash or credit card, in Hong Kong dollars or renminbi. The free shuttle bus took us directly back to the train station, and in under an hour we were back in the heart of Hong Kong.

In short, Queen Spa is a jaw-dropping place that must be experienced to be believed. While Westerners may find some aspects of it more hyper-stimulating than calming, it's a cross-cultural experience not to be missed. It's hard to imagine finding more pampering under one roof, at such reasonable rates, than at Queen Spa.

Queen Spa, B1/F-4/F, Golden Metropolis Building, Chunfeng Road, Luohu, Shenzhen. +86-0755-8225-3888

www.queenspa.cn

email: queenspa@queenspa.cn

Posted at 08:49 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

01/11/2010

Welcome to The Rubdown Hong Kong

Welcome to The Rubdown Hong Kong!

We are Julie and Julie, your hostesses. Otherwise known as Chulie (Chinese Julie) and Whulie (White Julie). This blog is dedicated to uncovering the best spas, saunas and massage places in Hong Kong.

One of the most excellent things about our fair city is the multitude of massage offerings -- in fact, there are so many places, it can be hard to choose. Of course, if you're willing and able to shell out thousands of (Hong Kong) dollars, you can partake of the swankiest hotel spas on the planet, right here in our own back yard. But what if you're on a budget, and just want to pop down the street for a simple foot rub? Or maybe you're just dying to know what the heck a belly candle can do for you, but you haven't worked up the courage. The Rubdown is here to help.

We're on a mission to visit every spa, sauna and massage place in Hong Kong, uncovering the hidden gems and steering you clear of the scary spots. (It's a tough job, but somebody has to do it!) We'll give you our honest rundown on every establishment we visit. We pay our own way and don't pull punches. We'll also explain various treatments available in Hong Kong, so you can be a more informed spa consumer. Feel free to write with your questions, suggestions and comments. The more hands, the better The Rubdown.

Posted at 07:56 AM in Health and Beauty | Permalink | Comments (0)

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