Elements Boutique Spa

Elements Boutique Spa

Rating: ★★★★★

53/5 Moo 4
Phang Ka, Surat Thani
Koh Samui, Thailand 

+66 77 914 678

Spa Website

Spa Treatments: $15-$60 US

Reviews: TripAdvisor

Elements Boutique Spa is located inside of the Elements Resort.

Facilities: The spa is located within the resort and has several treatment rooms.  While the rooms are a bit small, they’re very comfortable.  While all can be enclosed, most of the time they are “open air”.  Even on the hottest days, the breezes keep rooms cool and make for a heavenly experience.  Your greeted with soothing cool towels and a very nice iced or hot tea.  There are no additional facilities such as steam rooms, locker rooms, etc., but with a resort this intimate, you won’t miss them at all.

Staff: If you’ve been to Thailand, you’ll know the Thai people are extra ordinarily friendly and pleasant.  The spa staff here takes that to a whole new level.  They are all very professional and genuine.  All of us had various therapists while we were here and each and everyone was excellent.

Treatments: There are plenty of spa treatments on the spa menu.  During our six day stay, we tried most of them.  Our favorites were the Hot Compress Herbal Massage and the four hour Elements Signature Massage.  If you get a bit too much sun, the After Sun Recovery Wrap is especially nice.

Pricing: Prices are very inexpensive.  But don’t think that means the quality of the treatments suffer, they don’t.  On some days, we did two to three treatments a day because of how reasonable they were. 

IAH TIP:  Because spa treatments are so reasonably priced, it’s highly advisable to book very early.  We booked our treatments two months in advance to make sure we could get in.

Mandarin Oriental Spa, Washington, DC

Mandarin Oriental Spa

1330 Maryland Avenue Southwest
Washington D.C., DC 20024

(202) 787-6100

www.mandarinoriental.com

Rating: ★★★★½

The Mandarin Oriental Spa, is located inside of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.

Facilities: The spa and fitness center is located on its own floor, right below the main lobby of the hotel.  The spa is very well designed.  As you exit the elevator bank, you walk down a long hallway to reach the check-in desk.  The distance means its extremely quiet and relaxing.  The check-in and waiting area is very large.  Men and women have their own separate steam rooms (wet and dry), and plunge pool.  Locker rooms are large with separate shower and sink areas.  The spa has several treatment rooms, larger than most spas.  Treatment rooms include light therapy units and electronic massage tables.

Staff: All of the  Mandarin Oriental spa staff  were very friendly and accommodating.

Treatments: The spa menu has a wide variety of spa treatments.  Most massages are a minimum of 80 minutes, giving you plenty of time to relax and enjoy.

Pricing: Prices are a bit high, but we felt after our treatment that it was worth it.  Rates increase for weekend appointments.

IAH TIP:  Make sure to allow plenty of time before and after your appointment to enjoy the facilities, especially the experience showers.

 

Garza Blanca Spa

Garza Blanca Spa

Km. 7.5 Carretera a Barra de Navidad
Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco. Mexico 48390

(322) 176-0700

www.garzablancaresort.com

Rating: ★★★★☆

The Garza Blanca Spa, is located inside of the Garza Blanca Resort, about 10 minutes south of Puerto Vallarta on Highway Mex 200.

Facilities: The spa is located on the 7th floor of the newest building at the resort.  The spa has several treatment rooms, of which two are double treatment rooms with large verandas overlooking the ocean.  The men’s and women’s changing rooms are equipped with about 12 lockers, double sinks, toilets and two showers.  There is no steam room.  Each changing room is rather small.  There is a good sized workout room with cardio equipment and free weights.  There is no real waiting area for the spa.

Staff: Everyone is the spa were very pleasant.  Appointments were easy to get, however, at the time we visited, the resort was not very busy.  We were a bit concerned that spa appointments were kept in a journal, not a calendar.

Treatments: The spa menu is rather standard.  Several different massage types, along with scrubs, facials, manicures & pedicures.  Not really any “exclusive” or “special treatments”.

Pricing: Prices were on the high side.  They were comparable to treatments at higher end spas in the US or Europe.  For example, $120 US for 50 minutes.  In Puerto Vallarta, most highly rated spas charge around $45-$60 for 60-70 minute treatments.

You can’t beat the convenience of having a spa on-site.  We had the basic swedish massage for 90 minutes and it was one of the better massages we had had in a long time.  Even though it’s pricey, you will walk away feeling refreshed.

Alternatives: If you’re looking for alternatives, that may not have all the ambiance of the resort, but still have great treatments, Metamorphosis Day Spa (review), Venus Sunshine Spa (review) or Blue Massage Spa (review).  We have not had the opportunity to try these, but they were highly ranked on TripAdvisor.

IAH TIP:  Ask for a treatment room facing the ocean.