I recently bought a voucher for Aegean Spa and Retreat from http://www.deal.com.sg/deals/singapore/23-60-mins-east-west-fusion-swedish-massage-awards-winning-aegean-spa-central-cl. As there are not many reviews written for this spa, I decided to write a more detailed review for those who are interested in purchasing the same deal as me.
What do I like about the Aegen Spa and Retreat?
- Location: It is located on the 3rd level of The Central, directly above the Clarke Quay MRT station. Although it may be difficult to find since there are many beauty salons and spa centres in the same floor, it is easily accessible from MRT. So, I think it is a plus point for this spa centres.
- Quality of the Massage: I bought the voucher for 2 sessions and I get to experience two different kinds of massage for both my sessions. In general, I found the massage quite relaxing while a bit painful at times. For my second sessions, my massage therapist tried to massage even my tummy, which makes me feel that I am going to a slimming centre instead of spa.
- Reminder of your Appointment: I usually received text message to remind me of my massage session the day before my appointment. I think this is a nice feature for those who are forgetful.
- No restriction for the duration between 2 sessions: For some deals, I saw that there are some restrictions on the duration for the sessions when buying the vouchers for the two sessions. In my case, I booked my second sessions around 1 month after my first session without any problem. However, the lady in charge required me to reserve my second sessions at the end of my first sessions as most of their evening time slots are fully booked.
- Price: I paid SGD45 for two sessions (an hour each) of massage since I bought the voucher from deal.com.sg which is a lot cheaper than their regular price.
- Open late: I like the fact that I could go for a relaxing massage after work. As showed in the deal website, their operating hours are:
- Operating Hours:
11am to 9pm (Mon – Fri)
10am to 8pm (Sat, Sun & public holiday)
What do I dislike about the Aegen Spa and Retreat?
- Hard-selling talks about their "package" and add-ons:
- Add-ons Talks: Before each massage session starts, my massage therapist will ask if I would to pay around SGD20 more to have a lavender oil massage instead of using regular massage oil and I will kindly reject this as I found it a bit expensive to pay almost the same price just for the oil. Apart from that, I didn't hear any hard-selling talks during my first session.
- Package Talks: At the end of my second sessions, they finally popped the question: Would you like to sign up for our 12-hours massage package that cost SGD650++ (original price for the package is SGD750)? They also showed me the pricing list for their massage sessions and claimed that I would need to pay SGD90 for 1 hour of massage if I didn't sign up for the package. If you do the calculation, signing up for the package may be cheaper than the SGD90 per hour regular price that they claimed but it is still twice the price that I paid for the voucher(SGD22.5 per session). I think that there are many other choices to choose from if I were to pay around SGD54 per hour for the package. Moreover, I do not like the fact that the lady kept recommending putting some amount of deposit for the packages.
- Criticism from massage therapist: Since they required using your id during registration, they know that I am a student. During my first session, I overheard my massage therapist whispering to her manager that they feel disappointed when they found out that I am actually a student as I will be less likely to come often since a student will not be able to afford the price of the massage. Personally, I don't like being judged for my wealth when going to a place to relax.
- Unable to choice from the two kinds of massages: The deal.com.sg mentioned that there are two kinds of massages to choose from: East West Fusion Massage or Swedish Massage. Ideally, I would be able to try both kinds for my two massage sessions but my massage therapists did not even ask me about my personal choice of massage
- Size of the spa: From the pictures listed in the deal.com.sg, you would imagine going to a luxurious spa that is big and comfortable. They also claimed that the spa won award likes Best Luxury Day Spa in Singapore and 2013 & 2014 World Luxury Spa Awards. However the spa only consists of two small shops in the third level of The Central, which make it difficult to find for those who have not visited the place before. I remember walking passed other spa centres in the same level that are slightly bigger. Would I visit Aegean Spa and Retreat again?As I mentioned earlier, the regular price for the massage session is a bit too expensive for me (SGD90). While I enjoy the relaxing massage sessions, I may consider visiting other spa centres next time. However, I think it is worth the price that I paid for the deal voucher. For those who have a tight budget, I recommend buying the voucher for two sessions to get two hours of good massage.
