Regent Spa

Our experience in this spa was definitely a welcomed surprise. :)

Nurture Spa (Tagaytay)

Nurture Spa

Finally! I've been wanting to try Nurture Spa for quite a while now, having heard so many good things about it from friends and bloggers online. 

Platinum Executive Gym and Health Club Spa

I've been a member of the Platinum Executive Gym and Health Club for the past few months, and although I'm often lazy, I love going to the gym there. It's a bit pricey (close to Fitness First prices), but the facilities and services are great. You can check out the pictures of the gym in their website provided below.

The location is quite convenient for me as it's just 2 blocks away from my house, but I find it a bit weird since it's located in the middle of computer shops in PC Gilmore. If you have a car it may be hard to park in front of the building, but there's a residential area in that street where you can just double park.

As with most gyms, they also offer some of the usual spa services. Surprisingly, theirs is quite affordable. The spa area is connected to the locker rooms, so the male and female massage areas are separate. You'll surely have a safe place to store your belongings as they provide all customers with a locker key. Inside the locker room, there's also a jacuzzi, a sauna, and a steam room.

High tech lockers

Once you're ready for your massage, the therapist will lead you down the stairs to where the rooms are located. The ambiance in the spa area is really relaxing with its zen interiors. 

Pathway

They have available rooms for 1 person if you want privacy, and also common rooms which can hold up to 4 people. 

Nice cozy beds

The beds were just right and actually quite comfortable. And the massage--the massage was really really good, and one of the best I've ever gotten. The pressure was just right and I felt really relaxed the whole time. I fell asleep for quite a while after the session. Make sure to look for Nica or Marilou (I'm not sure if there are other therapists) when getting your massage here, it'll be worth it.

One negative thing though is that you can hear all the noise from the swimming pool area. If there's someone swimming, you'll hear the swishing of water drowning out the relaxing music playing in the background. It's a good thing though that only a few people take advantage of their pool facilities. 

Verdict: The location is a bit unusual since it's located in the midst of computer shops, but once you're inside it won't really matter. They have nice high class facilities and the staff is very friendly. Their massage is excellent and will definitely give you great value for your money, if you don't care for the occasional noise you'll hear from the swimming pool area. I'll definitely come back. However if you're looking for something romantic with your special someone, this is not the place for you since they don't have a couples room and the area is nowhere near romantic.

Platinum Executive Gym and Health Club

19-21 1st St. cor. Gilmore, Brgy. Valencia, New Manila, Quezon City (near the Gilmore I.T. Center)

Open on weekdays from 11am-8pm and weekends from 11am-7pm

410-3370/79

info@platinumfitness.com.ph

Rates: 

*Apologies for the poor quality pictures--no brochures available so I had to take pics :)

Reflexion Nail Spa and Massage

I love surfing through group buying sites like Metrodeal, Cashcashpinoy and Groupon. Don't you just love their deals? And it doesn't help that they send you e-mails everyday regarding their latest offers--it's always very very tempting. 

I've already bought a number of coupons for different spas/salons, and the most recent one was from Groupon:

Reflexion spa is located at Escriva drive which is quite accessible to me, so it was a good deal. We availed of the 1 hour body massage option, which cost 225php per person.

Along Escriva Drive

The spa is located at the more quiet side of Escriva drive, near UA&P and the residential lots. It's quite small, yet very cozy. I loved the interiors which basically played on earth colors.

Earthy!

We were then welcomed with a quick warm foot bath before the massage.

Oz enjoying his warm foot bath

One thing we noticed which was unusual was that they did not have a restroom inside the spa. You had to go to the condominium's restroom which was outside. Also, their other rooms were located in another area outside the main spa itself. The couple's room was the only room in the main spa area.

Personally, I think the room was too small. There wasn't much space for the masseuse to move around, as the side of the bed was almost touching the wall. The room lacked some of the basics, like a place to put all your belongings and even a dim light. When the massaged started, the lights were closed and we were only utilizing the light coming from outside.

The massage itself was nothing to rave about. It was okay, and the pressure was just right (Therapist: Heidi) I fell asleep once, which was a good sign. However, since the room's walls did not reach the ceiling, we could hear everything going on outside. The constant ringing of the telephone, the new customers going in, customers inquiring, etc. I really wish they closed up the room.

After the massage, they served us some ginger tea which I hated, and Oz loved. Haha. In fairness, they had very good customer service. They had warm towels for us after the massage to remove the oil from our bodies. They even sent us a text message right after we had left, thanking us and asking for comments.

On a funny note, there was a sign posted inside the room which you would definitely not miss:

Hmm.

I can't imagine what happened before that made them put up a sign like that. Haha.

Verdict: I probably won't go back for a whole body massage, but maybe I'll try their foot massage/spa when I'm in the area. I think store is more suited as a nail spa rather than a massage place because of their lack in basic facilities for body massages. The location is peaceful and has a lot of available parking. They have excellent customer service, which makes up for what they lack in other aspects.


Reflexion Nail Spa & Massage
Ground Floor, Goldland Millenia Suites, 8001 Saint Escriva Drive, Ortigas Center, Pasig City
Open daily from 11:00am - 12:00mn
546-6328 or 0933-9700716


Rates:

Linden Suites Massage Services

Something to try on your next visit to Linden Suites--their 30-minute back massage.

Me and my friends spent the weekend in Linden, and one of my kabarkada, Yvette, treated us to a back massage. (Thank you Yvette!!) I don't have pictures since we chose the in-room massage, but believe me when I say that you should try it. We all felt relaxed and rejuvenated after the massage, and the 30 minutes were definitely not enough. The only con was that there was of course no bed hole for our head. I had a slight stiff neck afterwards, although I think the others didn't mind. I'll probably go back there just to try their other services in their spa facility when I'm in the area.

The back massage prices range from 400-500php depending if it's in-room or in-club, and the other services (e.g. the 1-hour body massage) are 800php and above.


The Linden Suites
37 San Miguel Avenue, Ortigas Centre
(63-2) 638-7878

MyCoolMintSpa

It's been a few months since my last visit to a spa, and I've been really craving for a massage ever since. Since it was our monthsary last Saturday, we decided we'd really go for one. We then ended up in this small haven at the end of Katipunan Avenue:

My Cool Mint Spa

Years back, I've often heard this spa being mentioned by my friends but never really tried it myself. They used to rave about it, so I had high expectations from this experience.

Upon entering the spa, there seemed to be no one there. It took some time before a receptionist finally came out. We both decided to get the Footloose Package which consisted of a 1-hr body massage and 30-min foot massage, amounting to 700php each. It was a bit more pricey than their other services, but hey, we wanted to get the best experience.

Waiting at the reception area

The spa had both common and private rooms--the common rooms are located on the ground floor beside the reception area, and the private rooms are upstairs (although there was one on the ground floor, under the stairs). I found it unusual that the common rooms were located so near the entrance/reception area, and that only thin curtains are separating the people inside from all the other guests. It's highly likely that someone would accidentally see you while you're getting your massage. Good thing we availed of the private room. :)

Staircase and the common rooms

I was pleasantly surprised after being led to our rooms. The private rooms had real doors and locks to give you the utmost privacy. Each room also had its own shower and wash area.

Wash area and...                                      Shower area!

I loved that the beds were really comfortable for a massage. The hole on the bed where you place your head was just right and there was even a pillow to support your head. Though it may seem like such a small detail, I've gone to enough spas to know how important this is, and how this can ruin your whole massage experience.

Massage bed

The massage started after a while, and I was happy at how the pressure was just right for me. (I usually need to ask the masseuse to adjust the pressure) I also fell asleep a number of times during the massage, which I always take as a very good sign. However, my boyfriend didn't enjoy his massage since, according to him, it seemed repetitive. I guess I'll just look for my therapist (Margie) when I go back, and not settle for anyone else.

One thing to improve on, however, would be customer service. The staff weren't as friendly when I approached them before the massage to ask for shorts, and seemed very disconnected with us even as we were leaving. Come to think of it, no one thanked us or waved us goodbye as we left their establishment.

Verdict: Most of their services are affordable and their massage is very relaxing, but they need to improve on their customer service. The location is good as there's ample parking and it's located in the less congested part of Katipunan. I won't go craving for their services, but I'll definitely drop by when I'm in the area.


My Cool Mint Spa 
Ground Floor, Elizabeth Hall Bldg., Katipunan Ave., Loyola Heights, Quezon City (Across Petron)
Open daily from 12:00nn - 10:30pm
436-1160/920-9531 or 0927-4446132


Rates:

 

Welcome to Unwind Manila!

After months and months, I've finally decided to start on this project. :)

I love love love going to spas and discovering new spots to relax, and it's awesome that countless spas have been opening all around the metro. Since I've always felt that there's a lack of spa reviews/blogs in cyberspace, why not start one myself?

Here begins the documentation of my journey to look for the best place to relax and unwind in this bustling metro. Happy reading everyone!