People think Restaurant Week is New York is well, the greatest invention since the Cronut. I am here to tell you that Spa Week knocks it out of the ballpark, as you can get fantastic services including luxury massages that include hot stones for only $50 an hour. These services are in every type of spa from your favorite “mom and pop” spa on the Upper East Side that generally charges a dollar per minute that you’re a regular at to world-famous spas that are the stuff of legend (such as Elizabeth Arden’s Red Door and Sothy’s)! There are facials, manis, waxing and so much more–even ear candling if you want it! You might want to do a sampling at $50 per person. Bets are on that you can get the same technician that you might see regularly heavily discounted! This is the perfect time to try a procedure you normally do not dabble in including acupuncture.
I visited two very different spas on the list for Spring Spa Week (April 11-17th) . The vibes and decor are different but the quality of my massages were both phenomenal and given with the height of professionalism. (Getting two full-body massages a week apart is my idea of heaven, LOL!)
The first spa I visited is the uber hip, deep purple-walled Haven Spa at 250 Mercer Street for the Geek Spa which was recommended by a friend who has an expertise in unusual spa services. This is a massage that focuses on the body parts you use most when sitting at a computer all day–shoulders, neck, back, arms and hands. I got massage therapist Lara and she was so attentive–she wanted to know how much time I spend at my iMac each day and even if I use my thumbs a lot when texting, LOL! She was attentive the areas I needed the most work on (in my case, my right shoulder blade and lower back) and she kneaded her way through every knot. The friendly and caring Lara used T-Balls during part of the service and have them to me to take home! This particular service is not included in Spa Week but you can get the Spa’s three most famous massages for Spa Week: The Enliven Signature Essence Massage which is designed for the busy exec or traveler, the Aroma Hot Sone Relax which includes hot stones on all pressure points and the Aroma Thai Bomb Tratement, which features the healing powers of a Thai herbal ball. You can check out http://www.havenspa.nyc for their full list of services and also see photos to check out the luxuriousness of their hair, massage and nail areas, as well as their front desk area and ladies’ locker room. The price for a 50-minute massage here general runs $145 to $175.
My second spa visit was to the quiet and secluded Enliven Body Works at 226 East 5th Street–on the 5th floor of what seems to be a combined business and residential high rise. It feels like a chicly decorated living room with comfy couches and different color walls. Massages cost about $70 per hour here, so it is a relatively inexpensive spa. You can do add-ons to any massage like 15 minutes of foot work for only $17, which is nice.
I got the Hot Stone Massage with Lisa, and I was in heaven. She was very attentive not only to how hard the pressure I needed was (I like very deep kneading because I feel that is more effective in the long run), but padded the head rest for me and moved the sheets around gracefully to cover the parts of the body she was not working on at the time. The treatment room was simple, clean, quiet and candlelit. When it was time for the hot stones to come out in the middle of the massage, I adored the pressure on my spine from having at least a dozen smooth stones covering every problem point on my back–including the lowermost part of the back where I feel the most pain after sitting at a desk chair for a long period of time. Lisa spent a lot of time on my hands and feet which is something I love during my massage and the grand finale was a scalp massage and hot towels all over my body to clean up the massage oil–and to give that final buzz of massive relaxation. The good news is the Enliven Body Works is offering this particular service and their full line of massages for Spa Week–and yes, they are truly a full hour for $50 so it is competitive with any other Spa Week deal being offered. For their full list of services, go to http://www.enlivenbodywork.com.
I suggest that you go to http://www.spaweek.com to book your $50 service. You can also buy gift cards on the site (and I cannot think of a nicer gift as they never expire and cover 8,000 spas across the country). One of the services that is peaking a lot of interest is the Facial Rejuvenation Rejuvenation Acupuncture at Holistic Touch in Virginia (I have friends who swear that only acupuncture can actually remove wrinkles). Always popular is the Destress BodyTreatment at Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spas across the country.
