5 Things To Know Before You Go To A Mega Spa
Not your average four-room spa, but sprawling palaces dedicated to relaxation and bliss in which you can lose yourself for hours. We tell you what to expect.
You know how your normal massage lasts one hour to 90 minutes and then you’re thrust back out into the big, bad, unrelaxing world? Banish the thought. When you visit a mega spa — sprawling palaces dedicated to relaxation and bliss in which you can lose yourself for hours — expect something a little different. At the new SPA NES, you’re encouraged to arrive before your treatment to soak in the spa pools (ladies and gents have separate changing rooms, which is where the cryo and thermal pools, steam room and sauna are), then hang around after your rubdown to stuff your face at the dining area. Some mega spas factor the cost of these frills into the massage, which typically costs more than usual. At Spa Nes, you have the option of paying $38 for a one-hour spa pass, or $68 for a three-hour spa pass. Strapped for time? Get your massage and get out. A Chi Acupressure massage is a reasonable $108 for one hour, and their signature massage is $168 for 90 minutes. There’s an opening special where you can get a one-hour massage or foot reflex plus a one-hour spa pass for $99. It’s also open 24 hours, in case you feel like a good Shiatsu at 4am.
#2 Go with an empty stomach.
Why is it so shiok to eat after a rubdown? Perhaps you feel so relaxed, your foggy brain forgets all about that diet. Or maybe you’ve just had the bloat squeezed out by a good therapist and are feeling skinny. Either way, a highlight of mega spas is the freeflow of food and drinks, and at Spa Nes, there’s a dining room (above) serving up an array of food, buffet-style, like pumpkin rice, braised chicken with yam, pork ribs, porridge and soup, and desserts like red velvet cake and fruits, along with drinks. It’s good enough for two meals — head in before your treatment for light bites, then hit the buffet in earnest after your massage.
#3 Expect people to be milling around. Make sure you look decent.
It’s not like your usual dark boutique spa where you don’t have to meet anyone other than your therapist, and getting in and out with no make-up and messy and flat post-facial or massage hair is not a problem. If you care what complete strangers (or you might bump into an acquaintance or — gasp — an ex) think of you, you may wanna make sure you at least draw your brows in before you head to the dining area or relaxation lounges, or the Business Zone (yes, there’s an area with printing services). And since these areas are co-ed, you might wanna make sure you look decent under the spa robes, if you know what we mean.
Above: The foot massage lounge area at Spa Nes, where you can get a foot rub and catch up on movies.
#4 Don’t fight the slightly-cheesy opulent decor — embrace it.
For some reason, mega spas thrive on palatial décor, replete with chandeliers and lots of showy accoutrements. In any case, Spa Nes, so named ’cos it’s meant to resemble a nest, is one of the less gaudy ones — instead of gold statues, expect soothing wood interiors and modern details. There are 10 massage rooms, along with many lavish suites and a private massage room for parties. There’s even a TCM clinic. It’s popular with groups of businessmen, who hold pow-wows while getting foot massages (we expect they’re the ones using the Business Zone).
#5 The massages are usually pretty good.
At the end of it all, it’s about the massage, for us anyway. It’s what keeps us going back to a spa, even without the food and frills. And the therapists at these mega spas are usually of a certain standard. We had a much-needed kneading and pounding by a Thai masseuse who used a combo of Thai, Swedish and Chinese Acupressure techniques, and it was great. Then we floated to the dining area and ate some red velvet cake, and it was even greater.
Spa Nes is at Annex @ Furama Level 2, 407 Havelock Road, Tel: 6732-9888; open 24 hours daily.
Watch Now
Shopping
