Months ago my friend Sarah and I bought a Travelzoo coupon for a spa day for two at The Dower House Imagine Spa. We had a lot of trouble scheduling the actual appointment though, so it wasn't until the last week of October that we were finally able to go.
While the experience was nice, everything was just a little bit off. It first started when we tried to order lunch. They had a soup and sandwich combo on the menu, but it was for cold sandwiches only. I asked if I could upgrade to a hot sandwich and they said it was impossible. No one in their entire history had ever asked for that. It just couldn't be done. So I settled for a Salmon Nicoise salad. Too bad they forgot the hard-boiled egg. When I asked for it, they told me the chef forgot but would bring it to me. I'm still waiting.
Next we tried to figure out which treatment we were going to get, but the menu was so confusing! There were at least ten different pages of options, and Sarah's menu was completely different than mine! We finally decided though: I got the deep-tissue massage and Sarah got the hot stone massage.
First though we had to check out the Water, Fire and Ice Experience.
Unfortunately, this was kind of a disappointment. I was most excited about the foot spa they advertised. But it turned out to be a cold foot bath. The hot tub wasn't hot either.
The only redeeming part of the spa experience was their relaxation room. It was very relaxing. And they gave us free hot chocolate.
The massage itself was good. Nothing spectacular, but it was nice. I know I sound a bit like a debbie downer here, but when you compare this spa day to my last one, it isn't even in the same league. And yes, I realize how pretentious that makes me sound.
Overall, I really enjoyed spending the day with Sarah. We shared a few laughs and made some new memories. That's all I really wanted anyway.
**Update: Hilarious story about this spa day--I was pregnant and couldn't even get the massage! I had to pretend that I did! I was only 7 weeks pregnant and not ready to share the news yet, so I literally sat on a massage bed reading for an hour, pretending to get a massage while Sarah was in the next room actually getting one. Ha! Even more hilarious is that it turns out Sarah was also pregnant but didn't know it yet! She's only three weeks behind me. So funny!
While the experience was nice, everything was just a little bit off. It first started when we tried to order lunch. They had a soup and sandwich combo on the menu, but it was for cold sandwiches only. I asked if I could upgrade to a hot sandwich and they said it was impossible. No one in their entire history had ever asked for that. It just couldn't be done. So I settled for a Salmon Nicoise salad. Too bad they forgot the hard-boiled egg. When I asked for it, they told me the chef forgot but would bring it to me. I'm still waiting.
Next we tried to figure out which treatment we were going to get, but the menu was so confusing! There were at least ten different pages of options, and Sarah's menu was completely different than mine! We finally decided though: I got the deep-tissue massage and Sarah got the hot stone massage.
First though we had to check out the Water, Fire and Ice Experience.
Unfortunately, this was kind of a disappointment. I was most excited about the foot spa they advertised. But it turned out to be a cold foot bath. The hot tub wasn't hot either.
The only redeeming part of the spa experience was their relaxation room. It was very relaxing. And they gave us free hot chocolate.
The massage itself was good. Nothing spectacular, but it was nice. I know I sound a bit like a debbie downer here, but when you compare this spa day to my last one, it isn't even in the same league. And yes, I realize how pretentious that makes me sound.
Overall, I really enjoyed spending the day with Sarah. We shared a few laughs and made some new memories. That's all I really wanted anyway.
**Update: Hilarious story about this spa day--I was pregnant and couldn't even get the massage! I had to pretend that I did! I was only 7 weeks pregnant and not ready to share the news yet, so I literally sat on a massage bed reading for an hour, pretending to get a massage while Sarah was in the next room actually getting one. Ha! Even more hilarious is that it turns out Sarah was also pregnant but didn't know it yet! She's only three weeks behind me. So funny!
You may have a not-so-good start, but it ended pretty well. It's really fun to have a spa day with a friend; it makes everything simple but memorable. I read your spa day last July 2012 and I can say, it's really not the same. I think it is much better! On the brighter side, it's a new experience with Sarah, and as you said, that what matter most.
ReplyDeleteRetha
You're absolutely right Retha. Building memories is the best part of the experience!
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