The Sticker: I had previously visited this slightly out-of-the-way spa because they were doing a really good promotion: get a 90 massage, get a body scrub free - OR - get a facial and get a 30-minute shoulder-head-neck massage free. I chose the 75-minute Elemental Harmony facial ($820), which, if you do the promo math, is quite a steal as far as hotel spa treatments are concerned, at $820 for 105 minutes (no 10% service charge here). I'm a sucka for bargains, and this was definitely the best spa bargain in town for the spa's grand opening. The facial calls itself "tailor made," and the brochure says it includes aromatic hot compresses, peels, head/shoulder massage and foot massage. Without the promotion, the price is on par with other fancy hotel spas.
The Service: The funny thing is, the promo excludes weekends, but when I booked it for a Saturday, the receptionist let me use the promo (add 30-minute massage for free). The second time I booked, also for a Saturday, the same receptionist said no to promo on Saturdays. Oh well, she probably messed up the first time. (By the way the promo ends March 31, so still a few more days.) But I must say, everyone here is amazingly friendly, zen and knowledgeable. ★★★★☆
The Atmo: The first time I stepped in, it was a Saturday late afternoon in late February, and the changing and hydrotherapy areas were completely empty, but I did see a few people trickle in later. The soft opening was November 2009, I believe, and I wasn't surprised about the lack of business. And frankly most people don't think of bustling, skeevy TST (sorry) as the place to get a high-end hotel spa treatment. But then when I went in again in late March, in the afternoon, it was still completely empty, which is REALLY NICE. I was loving the quiet (while the hotel probably doesn't much appreciate it). But when I was leaving, there were quite a few people in there, including a party of girls who were there for manicures and frolicking in the pool with digital cameras (er?). But overall, I love that this spa has a slightly hidden-secret quality about it. It's even on the B3 floor, three floors below ground. Feels a little Bruce Wayne/Men in Black/Resident Evil... in secretness only though, not at all in creepiness. ★★★★☆
The Goods: The best thing about newish hotels is everything is modern and beautiful in design, and this spa is no different. While it's not as "grand" as, say, the Four Seasons spa, MiraSpa really has all one really needs. It's got the steam room, sauna, a jacuzzi-type pool, pristine toilets, showers with weird functions, rolled-up towels everywhere, and - the most memorable thing - water beds in the waiting/resting area. The rest of the well-being facilities look great from what I could see. The reception area has plush couches, an actual food and beverage bar with servers (the ginger-honey tea is yums), a gorgeous indoor pool, and a nail bar which is detached from the spa. But the main difference between MiraSpa's facilities and other big-name hotels' is size. Everything is just a bit smaller in scale, such as only having three beds in the waiting room, quite a small sauna, even the changing area is rather cramped. Also, you don't have the mysterious labyrinthine quality. I personally love anything modern and don't like things too stodgy/stuffy or over-the-top, so this works for me. ★★★★☆
Treat Me! The facial = love. It starts with a foot bubble bath, then on to the treatment. When you first register at reception, you get to choose from an absurd number of serene music selections (I really don't remember what they are, but something like Asian music, classical, chimes, etc.) which is bound to lead to indecision stress, which is no good for relaxation, so I just went with the one called "typical spa music" I think LOL. The lovely therapist (Joanna) cleansed the skin first, then assessed it under a light to determine what kind of facial I need. She then went through the procedure and types of products she was going to use, which all seemed like sound judgment. The warm compresses on the face and shoulders stood out as something slightly different from most facials. The extractions (cleaning the pores per squeezing) were completely painless, which always makes me question effectiveness. The peel was tingly. The massage was very professional, none of this half-assed-ness that one sometimes finds during facials. A massage is a massage, even during a facial! There was special focus on lymphatic drainage, and an unusual thing was she also massaged the ears. I didn't notice any visible difference to my skin afterwards, but I accept that this isn't really an immediate results-type thing. She does try to lightly sell products and treatments, but it's easy to Just Say No (Thanks) kids! ★★★★☆
Hotels spa and body massage are really great hotel deals.
ReplyDeletePousada Do Rio Quente