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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
