I've had a couple of massages before, but to me, they've never been all that special and I've sometimes felt like the beautician pushed too hard on my muscles or that I just didn't really find then relaxing. This one on holiday has totally changed my opinion on massages and I can really see now why people love them so much and why they are used alot as alternative medicines.
The spa in our hotel is called the Wood Spa and the name basically describes the interior design in one word. Everything is lovely dark wood, very modern and sleek and just matches in with the rest of the hotel so well. There are lots of lovely dim lights, candles and a spicy fragrance all throughout which adds to the character of the spa and its overall theme.
They offer a list of really luxurious treatments and do everything from facials to nails to body wraps. It was a really hard decision but I eventually opted for the hot stone massage treatment. It was €85 for 75 minutes, so it's not one of the cheaper treatments, but it's so worth the extra money and I'd have this done everything day of the week if I could afford to!!
After checking in at the desk and filling out a few little consultation questions (most beauty salons do this!), I was then shown into a lovely waiting room that had long sunbed-style loungers, candles and some nice relaxing music. I was offered a glass of sparkling water and it was only a couple of minutes before I was called through to have my treatment done.
The treatment rooms are beautiful (this isn't my photo- it's one from the hotel's website as the rooms were too dark to photograph properly even with a flash!) and these massage beds were so comfy & the towels were so fluffy.
These photos were just abit of Tumblr spa inspiration!
Hot stone massages have actually been around for alot longer than I had thought but are really just abit of a different slant on classic massage therapy. The actual stones themselves are made from basalt which is a type of rock that is rich in iron, meaning that they retain heat. The stones are put into water & then heated in an electric heater. The beautician then places the stones at different pressure points on your body, such as on your back, legs, arms and feet! The whole idea behind it is that the hot stones warm and relax the muscles in the body, so that the beauty therapist can apply firmer pressure.
I found it to be so relaxing and it's so different to any beauty treatment that I've had done before (but I think it's my favourite!). The stones feel so lovely against your skin and at first when she was placing them on my back, I thought they felt too hot, but after a couple of seconds I found that I really liked the sensation. My beauty therapist also used lots of warm spicy-scented oils to massage me with and actually used the stones as part of the massage! It was just blissful and I came out of feeling very floaty and sleepy (but in a good way!).
After my treatment, I was taken back through to the same little room and given a lovely cup of tea with sugar. I relaxed in there for a few minutes, listening to the music and watching the flickering candles, and then went to meet up with my boyfriend.
We spent abit of time relaxing in the really bubbly jacuzzi, sitting in the sauna and then finished off with a quick dip in the hotel's heated indoor pool. My spa experience was absolutely fantastic and I really can't recommend this gorgeous treatment enough!
What do you think of hot stone massages?
With love,
Karen
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