Massage at Bacolod Spa

My parents won a couple of gift certificates to a spa during a marriage seminar but they didn't like going to spas, so they gave them to hubby and me. Good for us.

We went to the spa today because in two days the certificates will expire already. My parents volunteered to babysit our baby, so off we went without guilt.

This spa is the Bacolod Spa in Bacolod City, Philippines. We wanted to be in the couple's room, but for the same service, we have to pay an extra P200 just to occupy the couple's room. Absurd. I can understand that it is a separate room and they have to turn on the aircon just for us, however, it is already part of their service menu, why should they charge extra? In other spas in the city, there are no extra charges for couple's room.

So instead of being together on our date, we went our separate ways-my husband in the men's area and I in the women's area.

Firstly, I went into the sauna, thinking of 15-minutes of sheer hotness inside. But I was sorely disappointed when I went in to find the sauna lukewarm, despite the water doused by the occupants ahead of me. Every five minutes, she would add water on the stones, but to no avail. I tried to look for the utility person, but she was nowhere in sight. When my 15 minutes are up, I went out and I saw her. I asked why the sauna is not that hot, she said it has been like that lately. Okay, that was lame. No offer as to when it will be fixed.

I then took a quick cold shower, scrubbed off my dead skin cells, and proceeded to change for my massage.

As I entered the massage room, I was greeted by my attendant. I told her to use soft pressure on me, except on the palms and feet, as I would like the pressure there to be medium. I also told her to make the strokes firm. I am not sure if she understood my request, as the last time I looked at her, she was mouthing words.

To make the long story short, the massage went well. The attendant was pretty good and she kind of got the pressure combination that the different parts of my body required. I have one problem though-their strokes. I had been to their spa several times in the spa and the strokes are different now. I have to admit that they feel good and my masseuse was really good at finding my pressure points, however, each sequence ends abruptly. I am kind of startled whenever she would end the sequence on the back, legs, arms, and chest. When she got to my head, I told her to do it very well. And she did. I believe the request has prompted her to give me a few extra strokes.

All in all it was good, except that I was really bothered with the smell of my therapist's hands-like something was burning. And it was not the smell of the oil, as the massage oil used one me was odorless.

Oh well, for a free service, it felt good. But it could have been better.