This past weekend I visited the Hyatt Regency Chesapeake. I’ll have the review posted in the next week or so, but while I was there, I chose to indulge in a massage. Most of my massages have been beach side in Thailand or Indonesia, or in an airport lounge like JAL’s in Haneda
But this one in particular struck me at the differences.
Hotel
Hotels typically are more expensive, but for that additional cost, you get more infrastructure, you get a locker room, you get a robe, you get a legitimate massage table that may even have a heating pad, as well as some nice music, and mood lighting. At the really really nice places, you also get sauna’s, steam rooms, a variety of hot (or cold) tubs, and other amenities I’m not even sure I know the name of. Imagine the Park Hyatt Tokyo’s spa for example:
Park Hyatt Tokyo
Overall, I’ve enjoyed massages at hotels pretty much around the world, and they vary–like, vary widely. Nonetheless, they can turn into a multi-hour experience if they include a spa.
Beach side
The biggest difference is that you’ll pay about 10% of the price. Generally the amenities are few and far between, but may include a bottle of water after your massage. There is no heating pad, or robust massage table, it may just be a thin pad on a deck. Instead of music though, you get to listen to the seas’ waves hit the beach. For me, this is preferable, not just because of the cost, but because of the atmosphere.
An example would be the Andaman, which also had a restaurant–but no free beverage with purchase of an accompanying massage, hah–in Khao Lak, Thailand.
Andaman Restaurant & “Spa”
Wrapping Up
Everyone is different, and enjoys different aspects of their travel. While you can get quite the luxury experience in a hotel spa, the experience varies significantly. For example, at the Hyatt Chesapeake where I was this past weekend, they had a sauna and steam room but no whirlpools. It was also one of the most expensive massages I’ve ever paid for–in all fairness though, this was a work event, and we were provided a room credit, which made the massage comparable to any other hotel, if not less expensive. Beach side massages obviously are more rustic, and aren’t always the most refined. When given the choice between the two, it can be a hard decision, in Thailand, I generally go for the beach side massage, in Indonesia, there was something that was kind’ve a halfway between, that I preferred.
When you travel, do you go for the hotel spa, or do you look for a beach side experience?
The location of the hotel matters, too. In Zihua last January, I spent 300 pesos (about $21) for a massage from an excellent esthetician at Hotel Irma’s spa. The waiting room was open to the air above the ocean, and no mellow music was necessary–the sound of the surf was relaxing enough.
I could have walked down the beach for a 200 peso massage, which I heard was good. But, as you noted, no infrastructure, and in temps close to 90F, a massage inside a small tent would have been less than relaxing.
Totally – when you’re talking about such a small difference between hotel and beach, it makes more sense to do hotel. I think when you talk about a huge difference, the choice is easy as well.. its the somewhere in the middle part that gets me..