Address: 8500 Warden Avenue
Markham, Ontario
L6G 1A5
Website: http://www.spaathiltonsuites.com/
E-mail: thespa@markhamsuites.com
Phone Number: (905) 470-8522
Toll Free: 1 866 470-8488
Hours of Operation:
Monday - Friday 10am - 9pm
Saturday 9am - 6pm
Sunday 10am - 5pm
Parking: The Spa is located in the busy Hilton Suites Markham. There is paid parking at the hotel, however, if you have booked an appointment with the Spa they will take down your licence plate upon checking in - parking is FREE :)
Service Received: Thai Yoga Massage (T) and Swedish Massage (C)
Price of Service: Thai Yoga Massage: 115$ Swedish Massage: $100 (both prices do not include tax & tip)
Cleanliness: The actual spa was super clean! However, the spa is in the middle of re-branding/construction. This was not so pleasing to the eye.
Fun and Free Extras:
- pool
- hot tub
- sauna
- gym
- tea, coffee, and Mrs. Fields cookies
For a little more LOL:
- Markville Mall
- Restaurants
- First Markham Place Movie Theatre
Review:
C’s treatment was a normal Swedish massage. So instead of spending the blog discussing what was a fantastically normal Swedish massage, C will briefly discuss the awesome amenities at the spa and T will write about the ‘Thai Yoga’ massage.
Amenities:
The Spa at the Hilton Suites share many of the same amenities as the larger spas. However, it is important to remember that the Spa at the Hilton Suites is located in Markham (not downtown Toronto), so the amenities are scaled down.
The spa is connected to ‘Club Markham’ (the gym). This gym has aerobic studios, squash courts, treadmills, ellipticals, pool, hot tub, sauna, child care, and a chiropractic/physiotherapy clinic.
The gym has two aerobic studios with schedules for the various classes posted outside. We decided that we would try to schedule a quick workout in before the massage. I mean, what could be better than working hard - and getting a relaxing treatment after, right? After giving the schedule a quick look, we found a bootcamp class that fit perfectly into the short time frame we had.
When we walked in, the class had already started. There weren’t a lot of people, which was perfect - however, it felt hardly difficult enough to be boast the title ‘bootcamp’. In fact, I don’t think either of us broke a sweat once. On top of it, the ‘bootcamp’ instructor was quiet and didn’t really try to push any of us to our limits. It was a little underwhelming overall.
However, the gyms selection of equipment was fantastic! Bosu balls, heavy bars, weights, steps, and mats lined the walls. There is GREAT potential for awesome-ness to occur within those studio walls!
Immediately following our massage, we walked back over to Club Markham to take a dip in the hot tub. Their pool and hot tub are simple, but still amazing. Hot tubs are always fantastic.
Though the amenities added to the experience, we might not say that the amenities were the highlight of the experience. So instead of taking time discussing these - here is T’s take on her unique ‘Thai Yoga’ massage
. 
So, a ‘Thai Yoga’ massage. What does that mean, exactly? Here’s the description from their website:
“A deep massage performed on a futon mattress that involves a lot of stretching, the Thai Yoga massage is ideal for those with lower back or leg pain and will leave you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated”.
Price: $115 plus tax & tip for 50 minutes (Expensive, but at least you also get access to the Markham Club?)
Okay…not that much info. It’s on a futon on the floor, and it involves stretching. The lady on the phone wasn’t especially helpful and referred me to the website for this description when I asked for more details.
Something that would have been nice to know? You wear CLOTHES in this massage! Fortunately C and I worked out in the Markham Club prior to our massages, so I had a sports bra and shorts to wear. The RMT suggested I also wear a T-Shirt so that I didn’t get cold. This is something that the receptionist should ABSOLUTELY be telling people when they book!!
My RMT was very nice, and when I asked she told me that this particular Thai Yoga massage is specific to their spa only! One of their RMTs studied Thai Yoga massage in Thailand for 2 years, then came back to Canada, re-designed the massage to focus less on specific breathing techniques and more on the massage/stretching parts, and taught the rest of the staff! Very cool.
She began the massage by telling me that she had just washed her hands and feet. Her feet? Uh…okay…sure. Good to know…I guess?! This seemed like a random bit of information at the time, but soon became very relevant!
We started with me sitting, and began by stretching out my shoulders (I had asked for some specific attention to my shoulders). When she brought the shoulder to the end of its range of motion in each direction, she would then proceed to massage the tight muscles with her hands while holding the stretch in place. Feels pretty nice! At this point I’m thinking alright…this feels pretty nice, I could get on board with this!
We then moved on to my legs with me lying on my back. To my surprise, she would stretch my legs in their different directions…and then use her feet to either massage them or hold them in place!! Don’t get me wrong, it felt great but was still a bit…different. If you have an issue with feet (even clean ones!) touching you, then this massage is not for you!
Now, (you’ll learn something new about us each time we write, I’m sure!) T is a bit of an anatomy geek - so for those of you out there like me, I was impressed that she stretched each muscle from insertion to origin, as well as origin to insertion. This means that for my hamstrings (for example) she did one stretch where she straightened my knee, then lifted my leg into an ‘L’ position as far as it would go, then held and massaged the muscles. On the next stretch, she bent my knee and flexed my hip bringing my knee as close to my chest as it would go. The next step was she kept my knee in place near my chest, straightened my leg as far as it would go, then held and massaged. She continued with me lying on my side for some of the other leg stretches, then had me lie on my stomach to stretch out my lower back. And man, were some of the lower back extension stretches intense!!
By the end I felt relaxed, loose and stretched out. Would I get this done over a typical Swedish massage? Not every time…Swedish massages have a special place in my heart. But I would definitely go again if I was feeling tight and wanted to get my joints moving better!
Also, I think this massage would be ideal for anyone involved in sports like dance, gymnastics, figure skating, competitive cheerleading, etc. Any sports where flexibility is an asset! This is definitely the massage for you!
Overall, I found the Thai Yoga massage a bit too expensive for me to go to regularly, but it definitely worked really well loosening up the muscles and joints and increasing range of motion! If that was my primary concern, I would absolutely get one again!
Rating: 3.5/4
Your Ladies of Leisure,
Extra bonus...hilarious sign in the Club Markham locker room. Good to know!
No comments:
Post a Comment