by Cristy Hebert

Created on: March 18, 2009   Last Updated: March 19, 2009

I go to New York up to three times a year, not for business but only for vacation time. Since I am a high school teacher, the upside is that I get a lot of vacation time, more than most people but the downside is the stress. One of the ways I have to unwind is to travel to New York. I go to a nice hotel and treat myself. I shop, I go to restaurants and, the most interesting part of my trip, I treat myself to a spa. I have gone to a couple in New York, and in Montreal my hometown, and I will talk about the best one I have been to. I will also talk about one that is overrated and that people should skip over!

The best spa in my opinion in New York city is Espa in the Peninsula hotel. The Peninsula hotel is a five star hotel and, accordingly, so is Espa. It has just reopened and is still undergoing renovations. I went there at the beginning of March 2009. I went up to the 21st floor and asked first to visit it. I did not want to spend 195$ on a massage and end up disappointed. I mentioned that I am a high school teacher so my vacation budget is not unlimited. The guy at the reception could not be nicer. He took me around and after visiting, I decided to book a massage. Since the steam room was undergoing renovations, they opened the pool to spa clients. It is the main reason why I decided to book the massage, the pool on the 23rd floor with a view of New York!

You begin your visit in the locker area and attention is paid to details there. There is bottled water, fruits, slippers, and everything you need for after the massage...shampoo, deodorant, nail kits just to name a few! When you are ready, you go to a relaxation area where they serve you tea and a little bite to eat. Since I had access to the pool, I went up there before my massage. There was coffee, tea, fruits, water, magazines and newspapers. On the day I was there, a snow storm was brewing outside. The view from the 23rd floor was simply astonishing! I was lying on my long chair while watching the snow falling outside. Since it was a Monday, we were maybe 3 or 3 people around the floor enjoying the quietness and the peace.

I then went for my massage, which was excellent. The massage therapist was very professional and very good. The room in which I had my massage was first class. She even put a bowl of warm water with eucalyptus in it under my face so my sinuses could clear up. Attention is paid to details there. You then can go to a special relaxation room where they have beds and you can then continue the peacefulness you get after a massage. I went back for a swim after my massage. The locker area has the kind of shower I don't have in my house!

I would recommend this spa to everyone without any reservation. Some would say that the price is a bit steep but everything costs more in New York. I went to the Great Jones spa for a massage once and it cost around 150$ and I can't say that it was as nice an experience. The personnel is not nice at all compared to the Peninsula spa where everyone was the nicest. You would expect a 5 star hotel like The Peninsula to have a bit of an attitude, but not at all. If you have vacation time in New York and want to experience a spa, go to Espa and you won't be disappointed.

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