Last week I bought a deal from Deal.com.sg. It entitled me to 60min body massage and 30min body scrub, at Spa Park Asia, the resident spa at Grand Park Hotel City Hall.

(picture from maximus.reollo.com/)

The first impression I got from this spa was that it was very neat, clean and serene. It looked exactly like the picture above, which means that it was very well maintained.

Warm lemongrass tea was served to us, and it was very refreshing.

(picture from http://www.timeoutsingapore.com)

(picture from maximus.reollo.com)

I got the Ylang Ylang room (they name their rooms by flower names) which looks like the above.

The room was very spacious, clean and well maintained. It looked exactly like the pictures above, save for the presentation of the bed which wasn’t an issue.

It was clearly of 5-star standard which was what I expected from the spa of a 5-star hotel.

There was no locker, but there was a cabinet to store belongings. It was not lockable.

The Jacuzzi looked inviting but sadly Jacuzzi soak wasn’t part of my package.

The session started off with a body scrub. I chose the lemongrass scrub as the smell of lavender gives me a headache. I found the scrub to be very normal. My skin didn’t feel exceptionally smooth after the scrub which was disappointing. However, it just passable.

There was a choice between aroma bliss massage and deep tissue massage. I hate deep tissue massage so my choice is clear. I had 2 undesirable experiences with deep tissue massage. They use techniques like pulling (like pulling my head with force, and holding it there for like 30sec or so), and pressing (like pressing a button) and holding it there for like 30sec or so (like they would put a cloth on you and press down with pressure on the cloth). In no way are those enjoyable. I like my massage to be full of pushing motion and not have any stagnant moments like the above. I also dislike the beating / patting actions, as if beating a drum.

My massage started light, which was like touching. I asked for more pressure (she didn’t initiate to ask if the pressure was alright) and she said ok. However, I noticed that her strokes were turning into deep tissue strokes to my horror! I looked at my partner’s masseuse and no, she didn’t do deep tissue strokes (like the pulling and pressing on a spot). I felt so upset about it. The next time I visit, I will not use the same masseuse and I would emphasise on no pulling or pressing and no stagnant moments.

To make it worse, she used gloves and I hate it. The plasticky sound was so annoying. It reminded me of a china woman who did deep tissue on me at Spa Infinity (avoid that place at all cost. It was run down, smelly and the massage was lousy. Moreover, the staff there did not even ask me what type of massage I would like!) who used gloves too. But to compare, the Spa Infinity massage was 10x worse.

However, the overall experience was not ALL bad, because the ambiance was relaxing with soft spa music and the masseuse didn’t talk.

*****

Ambiance: 9/10

Comfort: 6/10

Value: 7/10

Overall: 7.5/10