A trip to Davao City would not be complete for me without a visit to my favorite PHILOSOPHY SPA, found on Bonifacio Street right behind Apo View Hotel. If I’m not mistaken, Philosophy was one of the first if not the very first spa that opened in the city back when going to one in Davao was still unheard of. And lo and behold, it’s as if I just blinked a couple of times, spas are now practically everywhere in Davao City. The industry has certainly swelled dramatically in the last 5 years. Well the thing is… most of these establishments call themselves Spas when in fact they’re just Massage Clinics. Not Philosophy though.
I’m no expert but I can fairly call myself a massage connoisseur, given the fact that I’ve done my own rounds of Spas & Massage clinics around Metro Manila for many years now, and I have a “suki” home service masseuse. Philosophy may not be at par with the likes of The Spa and the Oriental Spa at the Mandarin Hotel in terms of amenities BUT it surely gives more value for its price. For a total of 600 pesos only, one can get a FULL spa service which I don’t normally get in Manila with that price, and by that I mean the following:
Hydrotherapy Shower with shampoo, shower gel and even feminine wash. You’re lucky to get all three toiletries in most Manila Spas who offer Executive Massages for that price.
Exclusive use of Jacuzzi. The dressing room assistant will even bring you light snacks such as a tall glass of lemonade and a sandwich while you're having a private Jacuzzi moment. For 600 pesos, that perk is hard to find in Manila.
Sauna. You’re lucky if you can even get a glass of cold water in most Spas. Here at Philosophy Spa, the assistant will not just bring you that. You’ll also get a face towel on top of small tray of ice cubes, and a bottle of aromatic oil.
Great Massage. I already told you that I love getting massages so I definitely know the good from the bad. The therapists at Philosophy are well-trained. And best of all, I always liked it when a therapist knows how to do that neck and shoulder cracking thing. I know that’s pretty hard to do and that’s why not all masseuse can do that. One thing I can say… “SARAP!”
And finally after the massage, just when you think the service is over and it’s time to fork over the 600 bucks, the assistant will even Blow Dry your hair while you peacefully sip your hot or ice cold tea which she already has prepared as soon as you’re done dressing up.
I’ve already brought my husband here and he even swears by their Facial. Joseph’s quite sensitive and the slightest dermatological pain easily makes him yelp. He said that only the facial therapist at Philosophy Spa was able to put him to sleep while pricking his whiteheads.
By the way, you can get that Facial with the Massage for about 700pesos+. They have several reasonably priced Spa Packages but the better part about it is that, you can even use them on installment. Like for example, if you plan to get the massage+facial+footspa package, you’re not obliged to get all three services at once. You may avail any of the 3 services for the meantime and comeback the next day or whenever your schedule permits for the other services. I don’ think you can get the same deal in other Spas.
When it comes to services like these when we're supposed to pay for some pampering, don’t you agree that we should at least feel like princesses for even an hour? Sure, you can get a Cleopatra treatment for the minimum price of 1000+ pesos at posh places like The Spa but for 600 pesos, I don’t think you can get some Zen anywhere in Manila. Heck, the Executive Massage at The Spa doesn’t even include a Jacuzzi use. Snacks? What snacks? If you don’t even ask for a glass of water, the assistants at The Spa won’t even give you some H2O.
If there’s any downside to this place, I would have to say that it has lost its polished look. Normal wear and tear had taken its toll so it would be best for the management to do a little refurbishing and sprucing up. But overall, Philosophy Spa still tops my Spa Choice (at least in Davao City). You can definitely be a Princess even for a Pauper’s price.
No comments:
Post a Comment