Bangkok Spa Review: Health Land Spa is a Great Alternative to 5* Hotels
One of the many reasons I love Bangkok and Thailand in general, is being able to afford luxury spa treatments. But even if you’re getting 90 minutes of 5* service, $100+ is a lot. So my friend & I investigated some of the better ranked day spas in Bangkok and found Health Land Spa to be our favorite.
The biggest selling point? 2 hour Thai Massage for 500 baht (~$18) and 1 hour reflexology for 350 baht (~$10). The other treatments — aromatic massage, facials, etc are more expensive at 1500+ baht.
They have multiple locations in Thailand, we’ve tried the Asoke and Sathorn locations, liking both. But be prepared, they are busy, and though well decorated, a bit like a factory. Until you get to your treatment room, you’re just a number, er, name.
They’ll call your name and you’ll be escorted from the waiting room to an area with benches where you’ll exchange your shoes for slippers and greet your therapist. Then you’ll be led to the elevator and on to your room.
On the most recent visit, my friend and I opted for a 2 hour Thai Massage together and then she was off to reflexology and I was trying their monthly feature, an Indian head massage for 1,000 baht since I’d enjoyed my hot oil treatment so much a few days before.
For Thai Massage you’re in a small room with a thin mattress on the floor per person.
You’re given billowy PJs that tie in front. And then you lay down and let the stretching begin. The therapists are tiny women who are much stronger than I’ll ever be. They do accupressure/reflex points, walk on you (not painful) and contort you (much more painful). And at the end of two hours, you leave sore but feeling much much better.
After the treatment we were taken back to the “shoe benches” and given hot cups of ginger tea. My friend was then escorted to the reflexology room which features a series of very comfortable recliners. I went back to the lobby to wait for my next therapist.
My previous therapist had spoken very little English (she didn’t need to) but the second lady was pretty articulate. I was taken to a room that featured a chair with footwashing bowl (yay!), a shower, and massage table complete with flowers under the head rest (double yay!). While everything was basic, the attention to detail made it a fair substitute for hotel spas.
Once again I was silly enough to think the Indian head massage would just be a head and shoulders massage and was disappointed when she started pouring scented powder onto my head and rubbing my scalp while I was still seated in the foot washing chair. I didn’t really expect the treatment to be while sitting up.
But that was just the first 5 minutes. Then I was transitioned to the table where it turned into a combination full body aromatherapy and thai massage, with focus on pressure points related to my head. The poor lady was horrified at how tight and knotted my muscles were after already having 2 hours of intense Thai massage and kept sympathetically saying that I was too nice to have so much stress.
She did her best to loosen me up as much as possible (which was incredibly helpful AND painful) and at the end gave me an impulsive hug making me promise I would do certain stretches every day so I wouldn’t be so stressed.
I was wondering how it was going to look when I arrived for lunch with my friend with my hair full of oil, when I was instructed to take a shower, and not only provided with fluffy bath towels, but all the basic amenities, including a hair dryer! The shower gel and shampoo weren’t designer, but they smelled nice and left my hair shiny.
I had spent 1500 baht (~$50) plus tips for 3 hours of highly skilled massage and I was walking out fully showered and re-coiffed, not to mention with many fewer knots. Not a bad morning! Whether you’re into fancy spa experiences or not, I highly recommend at least one trip to Health Land Spa as a way to experience the modern take on their ancient art.
Tip: If possible, call ahead to make an appointment, as they tend to get pretty busy, particularly in the evenings and on the weekends.
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Great post. My wife and I are going to Phuket and Bangkok next month, and it’s really nice to know about the massage situation. Any suggestions for a massage that’s a bit more relaxing? Thai massages have a bit of an arduous reputation.
Any of the aromatherapy or deep tissues will be relaxing, just tell them in advance that you only want light pressure. Have a wonderful trip!