Budget Massage and Facial in Bergen County, New Jersey

While reading my local weekly newspaper, an advertisement popped out at me touting a facial or massage for just $49 at Simply Face & Body in Ramsey, New Jersey, located in the Interstate Shopping Center on Route 17 South. I further read the details and they stated that for a limited time, you can also receive a complimentary lip or eyebrow was with your first service. I made an appointment for that Friday at 2:15 pm for a hot stone massage.

Simply Face & Body labels itself as an affordable spa with an eco-friendly environment. This brand of day spa is a division of Red Door Spa Holdings, a company which owns 51 different day and resort spa brands.

Membership to Simply Face & Body is available for $59 per month. That fee includes one facial or massage per month and unlimited spa services at $49 each after the initial free service. Members also receive a 15% discount on products. If you don't use your free service, it rolls over to the next month.

Upon arrival, I was ushered into the "tranquility room" and asked to fill out a client form and sign an injury waiver. The "tranquility room" was a dimly lit area with comfortable couches and bamboo plants. I smelled the scent of herbal incense and immediately felt ready for my massage. An attendant offered me a fresh brewed hot green tea. There was also chilled water with lemon available.

When my therapist was ready, I was led to one of twelve rooms in a long hallway. The hallway was dark and meant to retain the same relaxing feeling as the "tranquility room". I chose to receive the hot stone massage for my treatment. I had been experiencing lower back pain and made it a point to ask my therapist to concentrate on that area.

I was a bit disappointed that Simply Face & Body didn't offer robes to change to while waiting for my massage. However, this was expected because of the budget and no-frills theme of this particular spa.

My therapist, Angela, was talented beyond belief and was an expert in hot stone massage therapy. She started out with my neck and shoulder area (I was lying on my back). She then moved to my legs and feet. There seemed to be an endless supply of hot stones.

After working on my legs, Angela directed me to turn over on my stomach. That was the main part of the treatment, where she spent the most amount of time on my back. During the entire time she worked on my back, she kept placing and replacing hot stones around my problem area, which was the lower back.

She then massaged my middle and upper back, and for a while, she had me hold one hot stone in each hand. The action of holding the hot stones was very soothing and made me feel even more relaxed.

After a full 50 minutes, my treatment was over. I was so disappointed that the end of the treatment had arrived, although I could tell that Angela had worked extremely hard during my appointment.

The way the tips are distributed is honest, fair and something I have never seen before. When you are paying on the way out, you are instructed to put the tip in an envelope and then write the name of your therapist and your name on it. A clear Lucite box with a small opening on top was placed at the front desk. The customer then drops the tip envelope in the box and at the end of the day each therapist receives his or her tips, without anyone else having touched the envelope.

Simply Face & Body does not pressure clients to join the spa as members after the discounted introductory massage. I considered the staff professional and am definitely considering joining. After the massage, my lower back pain disappeared and I was pleased with the results.