The Rubdown

Review: Windsor Spa in North Point (Fortress Hill)

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...

No time to go to Shenzhen this weekend, so decided to try Windsor Spa in North Point/Fortress Hill. Here's the rubdown!

Windsor Spa is small, and certainly not as cheap as the mega Shenzhen spas like Queen Spa. But the atmosphere is decent and the service and cleanliness are first-rate. And, if you don't like smoking, this place is pretty smoke-free (especially compared to the spas on the mainland). Good English assistance, especially for first timers! You must spend 500 HKD here on massage services and/or food to avoid being charged for the sauna facilities (hot tub, sauna, steam room) -- or buy one of the mini packages (see below). There's a 10% service charge on everything, and a minimum 50 HKD tip per hour of massage. So things can add up rather quickly.

If you're coming by MTR, get off at Fortress Hill. When you come out of the station (either exit), turn right and walk along King's Road until you pass the Park N' Shop. Turn into Fortress Tower and take the elevator to the 3rd Floor. When you get off the lift, there's a small lobby and the front desk. The men's entrance is to the right of the counter, and the women's entrance is to the left. TIP: Look at the end of the counter nearest the men's changing room entrance. There are coupons there! These coupons will give you 200 HKD off 800 HKD of beauty services, half off their "dark eye circle removal treatment" and more. The coupons are only in Chinese, so ask for help if you can't read them.

The sauna/changing room is super clean, well-lit and well-equipped. As soon as you enter through the gold curtain,you are given a locker to put your things in, and a bracelet that locks your locker and has a code on it; this will be used to charge your account. Put your clothes inside, and your shoes in the shoe drawer. Put on the rubber flip-flops provided. The attendants will give you a towel, and lead you to the private showers, where you can rinse off. After you shower, you can use the steam room, sauna and jacuzzi, or you can move right on to massage or food if you want. If you stay in the sauna area, there are drinks, fresh fruit and even ice cream available. The sauna area is spic-n-span. The hot tub is set to 40 degrees C and there's a big screen TV above it. They will provide you with a "disposable" bra and undies for the hot tub.

When you are ready to exit the changing room/sauna area, you will be given pajama tops and bottoms, a fluffy white robe and a set of undies (at least for the ladies, not sure what the guys get). Don't be offended if they give you ones marked XL -- they are not XL. You can change in the private rooms near the lockers or just out in the open. Then you can go out into the co-ed "rest area" where you can sit in your own giant lounge chair with your friends and watch your own personal TV, get a food rub or a pedicure or an ear-cleaning. You can also book your massages, and there's a snack counter too. The decor is sort of tropical, with lots of fake plants and dark woods. There are about 30 seats.

I opted for the basic 45-minute ladies massage, which was normally 308 HKD. However, since it was a "holiday weekend," they charged me 347 HKD. They told me in advance, but still, this is rather annoying, considering they weren't busy at all! Plus 50 HKD for a tip. Not exactly a bargain. But it was a good massage and the staff made sure to inquire about my preferences regarding pressure (light, medium, strong) before the massage began. I got about 15 minutes of solid shoulder work sans oil, then 30 minutes of oil massage on the back, arms and legs. The massage room itself was clean and comfortable, dark, and utterly quiet. There was no music or anything. I did appreciate that like many Hong Kong massage parlors, the masseuse did not answer her mobile phone during my treatment!

After my massage I returned to the lounge area and got a 130 HKD "toe massage and scraping." An older gentleman came and, using blades, shaped my toenails. But he utterly failed to remove the dead skin from the bottom of my feet, and there was no toe massage. Then he basically badgered me to give him a 50 HKD tip. Disappointing.

Here's a rundown of Windsor Spa's services and prices:

• Massage (45 mins) 308 HKD (add 120 for another 45 minutes). So why do you get charged an extra 10 HKD (438 HKD) if you opt for a 90 minute massage at the outset? No idea...
• Massage (45 mins) and sauna 408 HKD
• Massage (90 mins) and sauna 538 HKD
• Thai massage (90 mins) 538 HKD, extra 45 minutes is 150 HKD
• Lymphatic massage (120 mins) 638 HKD, extra 45 mins is 200 HKD
• Sauna and foot massage 328 HKD
• Foot massage (45 mins) 130 HKD
• Pedicure 130 HKD
• Toe massage/scraping 130 HKD (advertised at 45 mins, but mine took less than 30)
• Head massage (30 mins) 100 HKD
• Hand massage (30 mins) 80 HKD
• Ear cleaning 100 HKD
• Manicure 100 HKD

They also have a special list of spa treatments for men, plus facials, chinese herbal massage, dead sea mud, vichy showers, stone massage, bust firming treatments, skin whitening, eyebrow shaping, paraffin hand dips, and seaweed exfoliation. Email us if you are interested in more details on prices.

For use of sauna facilities, plus a 45 minute massage and the foot treatment, my total bill came to 625 HKD. They did give me a coupon for 100 HKD off my next visit in the next 30 days. Credit cards are accepted.

Final thoughts: Clean facilities and a welcoming staff. Avoid the Shanghai pedicure, and take time to use all the sauna facilities so you'll feel like you are getting your money's worth.

Windsor Spa. 3/F Fortress Tower, 250 King's Road, North Point, Hong Kong. Map. Phone 3698 0000

Review: Chuk Chi Tong Foot Reflexology, North Point

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 work one night this week, the boy and I needed to unwind so we hit up Chuk Chi Tong (Foot Parlor) in North Point. It seems to be very popular with the neighborhood crowd, because when we got there around 9:45 p.m., four of the seven foot massage chairs were full, and there were body massages happening in the back rooms as well. The longer we stayed, the busier the place got. The clientele included couples as well as solo men and women. There are male and female masseuses and they're friendly, though there wasn't much English spoken. A point for the gentlemen: It's likely you may get assigned a male masseuse.

The setup is fairly standard: A carpeted front room with 7 chairs for foot massage and Shanghai pedicures, a couple of rooms in the back for full-body work. There's a TV, though it's kept at low volume, plus stacks of Chinese magazines so you can catch up on all your favorite Cantopop gossip. The place is clean, including the bathroom. We opted for the combo of 50-minute foot massage, 25-minute shoulder and neck rub, for $177.

The menu includes foot massage ($118 for 50 minutes, $218 for 100 minutes); whole-body massage ($168 for 50 minutes, $318 for 100 minutes -- no discount for longer here, unless that's a bad typo!); aroma whole-body massage ($168 for 50 minutes); whole body + foot massage combo ($278 for 100 minutes); lymph detoxification massage ($198 for 50 minutes); cupping ($128); ear candling ($128); pedicure with scraping ($128).

They have a buy 10-get-2 free offer on all of the above, plus there's happy hour before 3 p.m.: $98 for a 50-minute foot massage, or $148 for a full body.

Instead of the usual Chinese tea, bottled water is offered at the start of the foot massage. Our feet were soaked hot water with some sort of herbs in a basin lined with a plastic bag. Then it was onto the rubbing. The only discernible technique my masseuse possessed seemed to be "rub hard" and "rub harder with knuckles," and while I like firm massages, it was a bit much. ( My companion, who prefers a lighter touch, reported that his masseuse in fact was fairly gentle and sensitive to his nascent flinching when the pressure got to be too intense.)

During the foot massage portion of the treatment, my masseuse spent a good chunk of the time craning her head around to watch the TV on the wall behind her. She also answered her cell phone. As did almost all the other masseuses I saw who were attending to customers. Demerits, people! Answer your damn mobiles when you're on break.

The shoulder and neck portion of the massage was actually better than the foot part. The technique was more squeezing and stretching as opposed to rubbing. My shoulders, neck and arms felt really relaxed at the end of the session.

Bottom line: Nothing to go out of your way for, but if you're in the hood, it's clean and lively.

Chuk Chi Tong, 9 Java Road, North Point. 10 a.m. to 1 a.m. 2566 6782. Map.

Review: Power Foot, Sheung Wan

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...

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.