The Thai Spa review

Location: Nunez Extension, Zamboanga City
Date of visit: May 30, 2013
Service availed:  Swedish + Shiatsu massage

The Thai Spa is a safe choice for a massage in Zamboanga City, giving good reason for a second visit.

Overall rating:  3.75/5
With a fine, tropical-themed interior and plenty of options for massages from head to foot, the Thai Spa is a safe choice to go to when tired or when beating the blackout.  Its biggest advantage, however, has to be the affordable prices at which they offer their services.

Services RATING: 3.5/5
There are a number of options to pick from at the Thai Spa, which offers two full body massages (Thai and a Swedish-Shiatsu combination), and separate massages for the back, back and foot, and hand and head massages.  That it provides packages for specific parts of the body a client may want treated is definitely a bonus.

The service I purchased was a Swedish-Shiatsu combo, which generally started down the small of my back before spreading out to the rest of the body.  As expected, it incorporated the hand pressure from Shiatsu and the strokes from Swedish techniques.  The pressure applied was fine, just enough to clear out parts that needed stretching and to crack a few muscles that were evidently stressed.  The downside was that there was a lack of closure to some parts of the massage; I kept waiting for the masseuse to continue because she had already hit the stressed spot on my back, but she only dwelt on it briefly before the position change that followed.  The appropriate word for these moments is bitin, but overall the massage merits an average to above average score.

Value for money RATING: 4.5/5
Prices are very reasonable, with some half and whole hour services available for some options.  My pick cost P300.00.  The classic Thai massage costs the same, as does the foot scrub and spa (which lasts an hour and 15 minutes).  The general price range for one hour services is from P200.00 to P300.00.  Half-hour services cost roughly P150.00.

Ambiance RATING: 4/5
The Thai Spa captures an overall relaxing ambiance; the entrance to the inside is lined with bamboo, and you have to walk over stones.  Even the bathroom has bamboo walls, exuding the quiet tropical aura that demands calm.  The place is also well-maintained in terms of cleanliness.

Customer service RATING: 3/5
The customer service is fairly above average.  However, they also have a tendency to use a lot of oil and there weren’t any hot towels to wipe this off with afterward, so the post-massage state could be a little uncomfortable.  Take note that different masseuses will have different paces; if you feel like your attendant is going too fast for comfort, you have to tell them to slow down a little.

Top tip:
The Thai Spa offers discounts and promos on several occasions!  Just make sure to check out their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/thethaispa) beforehand.

 

The Thai Spa is located at Door 2 of the NC Building on Nunez Extension, Zamboanga City.

ACE Water Spa review

Location: Del Monte Avenue, SFDM, Q.C.
Day of visit:  May 19, 2013
Service availed: 4 hours for all facilities 

Overall rating: 4/5
The ACE Water Spa prides itself in being the first spa in the Philippines to incorporate the hydrotherapy massage.  The facilities, fully functional and maintained, make for a good, post-modern massage.  The kids can get really wild, though!

Amenities and general services: 5/5
Unlike classical massages, ACE Water Spa features a huge space consisting of a pool-cross-playground, a line of hot baths, and a row of sauna and steam rooms.  The main pool (beside the pool for lapping) holds all the installations, which cover soft, moderate, and hard massages as well as a kid’s area.  Each hydromassage system has a label that tells you the recommended amount of time to be spent there as well as the medical benefits that the system provides.  Different systems are concentrated at different pressure points.

Aquapuncture: ACE Water Spa is known for being the first spa in the country to make use of hydrotherapy. Pictured is a view of the main pool.  From http://www.cashcashpinoy.com

My favorite installations include the rainfall acupuncture (which requires you to lie face down as a shower strikes almost every part of the body at different intensities), jet chair with foot massage (which strikes you at sitting position while catering to pressure points in your feet), and the hydro-acupuncture bed (which requires you to lie face up as it takes care of your back).  The hot herbal pools ― mint, jasmine, and lavander in order of rising temperature ― soften muscles and skin among other medical benefits.  It can get real hot, so rest your head on the cold metal bar and take a quick dip in the cold pool afterward to even out your body temperature again.

Value for money: 4.5/5
It sounds like a good grab at first, but four hours is actually a very long time to stick around.  After a while, you can begin to feel dehydrated (which is ironic, considering you are surrounded by water).  Luckily, water dispensers are stationed at accessible points in the space.

Point for improvement: Lined up next to the dispensers are disposable plastic cups; although efficient, they make for a lot of trash and kids end up playing and transferring water with them.  It might be a better idea to use reusable cups instead and have a deposit system so as to reduce waste.

On the basis of time and installations you can indulge in, P550.00 is a rather good price.  Entrance for kids costs P250.00.  However, you can get it a lot cheaper if you purchase vouchers from an online deal.

Ambiance: 3/5
If your goal is optimum relaxation, you wouldn’t want to go there during weekends, the summer, or any other time the place is likely to be jam-packed.  The kids can be a riot ― playing with the water in the herbal pools, clogging up the lazy river, or just running around.

The crowd at the spa is off-putting, but the catch of ACE Water Spa is timing.  Make sure to visit when it’s not likely to be so full, like during the rainy season or during office hours on weekdays.

Customer service: 3.5/5
Although there are employees on regular watch in the kid’s area, the herbal pool area and the lazy river could also use some monitoring.  It would be helpful if they made extra sure some customers were more considerate of others.  For example, crowding in one area of the lazy river stops the flow and people start bumping into each other.  Other than this, employees generally keep an eye on people, especially with regard to rules on wardrobe and security.

Top tip:

• ™There are two branches of ACE Water Spa: one in Quezon City, and one in Pasig.  The Pasig leg, located on the corner of Brixton Street, also houses ACE Hotel and Suites.
• ™The Del Monte branch also has other facilities, including a restaurant and a café in case you get hungry.
• ™A typical stay at the spa, which lasts four hours, costs P550.00 for adults; you can score a cheaper package if you find one on Metrodeal or CashCashPinoy.
• ™There are a lot less customers during the rainy season and weekdays, which makes it the ideal time to go there.  The spa is usually jampacked with kids during the summer, which subtracts relaxation.

ACE Water Spa is located at 399 Del Monte Avenue, KDFM, in Quezon City.  It opens at 6 AM every day; it closes at 10 PM from Sunday to Thursday and at 11 PM on Fridays and Saturdays.  For more details, visit www.acewaterspa.com.ph.