Every year, as part of celebrating the nation’s birthday, all Singaporeans can access and utilize a set of National Day Parade (NDP) vouchers at various stores in the country. The voucher categories range from F&B, health and beauty to entertainment and education, just to name a few. I spotted a LifeSpa deal that was pretty appealing, $30 nett for either a 60-minute facial or a full-body massage! As per the T&Cs, I was allowed to bring one companion to enjoy this same promotional rate. Since my husband is perpetually seeking out good massages, it was a no-brainer to take up the massage deal (:
There are three LifeSpa outlets in Singapore, with two of them located in separate wings within Carlton Hotel. At the point of our reservation, LifeSpa Prestige Two in the Executive Wing was closed due to the covid situation so we could only make a booking at LifeSpa Prestige One in the Premier Wing.
- Inclusions:
- 60-minute full-body Balinese sandalwood massage
- 60-minute full-body geranium massage
- Spent: SGD$60
It was quite easy to find our way to the spa situated on level 5 of the hotel. However, upon approaching the unassuming entrance, we saw a group of staff crammed against each other in a corner eating lunch (somebody set up a proper pantry for these poor ladies already!). Pushing the doors open, I could see why lunch had to be outside – there was really no space. The counter area had such a narrow walkway that when we sat on the seats to wait, we had to constantly shift around to give way to other customers walking past.
Clara, one of the sales staff, attended to us and noted down our preferences on which parts we would like our masseuses to focus on and which parts to avoid (huge plus point for customization). She also enquired which options we were going for as according to the voucher, we could choose either the avocado, Balinese sandalwood or geranium massage. I wanted the avocado option but it sounded like it was out of stock so I settled for the geranium Swedish massage while my husband went for the Balinese sandalwood massage.
After about 10 minutes of waiting, we were asked to change into their slippers and shown to our room. To our surprise, Clara had arranged for a complimentary upgrade to the couple room, which usually requires an additional $30 nett! We were very appreciative of her kind gesture ❤ There was a bathtub in the room too, presumably for other types of treatment.
My masseuse, Nini, was very skilful. She worked on my back and shoulder knots in a way that didn’t make me die inside. Her strokes were firm and full of pressure but somehow it wasn’t unbearably painful. She was awesome at adjusting her pressure to a comfortable point but towards the end, it felt like she reverted to her normal pressure mode, which was a tad too strong for me. My husband, who prefers strong-pressure massages, thought his masseuse, Miko, did a pretty good job too. It was also great that both of them didn’t try to make small talk so we could switch off and properly enjoy the massage.
I took a quick shower after we were done (yes, I know I’m not supposed to but I really dislike the oily sensation). There is both a rainshower and a regular shower head to choose from. Unfortunately, the wall-mounted soap dispenser was annoyingly difficult to press as the soap was running out. The good thing, though, was that the staff didn’t repeatedly knock on our door or hurry us like some other spa establishments do. In fact, they didn’t rush us at all and left us completely to our own devices!
When we finally emerged from our room, we were ushered to a cosy lounge with a nice view of other hotels across the road. Instead of the usual hot tea, we were offered a small bottle of water each. Tea would’ve been nice though.
Clara came over to pitch the packages as I suppose her job requires her to, but she was definitely not pushy. She actually gave off a very pleasant, personable vibe. I was genuinely looking to try out their facial services and even though I wasn’t ready to get a whole package, she didn’t force my hand to commit. Instead, she flexibly offered me a one-time trial at an apparently discounted fee. I thought it was fairly reasonable so I took her up on the offer (: Do note that packages bought here can only be utilized at the two outlets in Carlton Hotel but not at the Orchard Gateway outlet, and vice versa.
My overall rating of the experience: 4 out of 5 stars. The only area here that was arguably spacious was our massage room (to qualify, it was a couple room and I didn’t get to see the size of a single room). Everywhere else was too snug and compact for comfort. Having said that, the rooms and linen were clean and the masseuses were professional and competent! Plus the promotional price made this experience seriously worth it. I also appreciated that Clara was not at all pushy with the packages. Looking forward to checking out the other LifeSpa outlet in the Executive Wing when I return for my trial facial!
Dania Experiences 