The entrance is right on the street, and I slipped past the reception area into a narrow locker to change into a robe and slippers. (I liked the fact that there was a drawer for for my shoes.) Then I rested on a chaise lounge facing two flat-screen TVS (the volume was very low) and a wall full of magazines.
My Chinese therapist, "Tiffany," picked me up for a Bunya CitiSpa specialty, the "Oriental Herbal Compress With Thai Massage" (60 minutes, $120, 90 minutes, $180). It combines a table form of Thai Massage (done on a massage table instead of the traditional padded floor mat) and hot herbal compresses made in Thailand. Herbs are wrapped inside muslin that is tied into a handle, then they're steamed while you're getting the massage. Both the heat and the herbs soothe muscles tension and aches.
This is a seriously therapeutic massage. "Tiffany" did some incredibly deep work on my body, working along the "sen lines," or energy pathways of the body. Sometimes it was a little uncomfortable, but I she was really getting in there and breaking up muscle adhesions.
She started by massaged my back and arms with oil, with brisk, strong and skillful strokes. Then she pressed the warm poultice onto the parts she had just massaged, and left them sitting there while she worked on my legs.
She told me to speak up if they got too hot, which they did, especially at first, and she just moved them to another part of my back. It felt really good.
This would be a great treatment for the people who are always saying, "go deeper." When it was over I went home and took a nap, and I was sore the next day. I even took aspirin and rubbed Naturopathic Arnica Oil on my body to deal with the soreness. But it was the kind of soreness that feels good for you, like exercising a little harder than you're used to. It felt like it was waking my muscles up.
I really loved the treatment rooms -- they were big and had a nice feeling. I loved looked like a high thatched ceiling. I did hear a little chit-chat during the massage, so it's not absolutely sound-proof, but I didn't really mind.
I wished Tiffany's English had been a little better, because I had some questions about what she was doing, but she's a terrific therapist.
Afterwards I went in the sauna, but it wasn't very hot and I didn't see any way to turn it up. The steam room was hot but it didn't smell very fresh and there was a wet Kleenex on the tile bench, so I didn't go in. They could be more vigilant on the cleanliness front.
But all in all I was very happy -- a great spa treatment!
As is common in the travel industry, the writer was provided with complimentary treatments for the purpose of reviewing those services. While it has not influenced this review, About.com believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest. For more information, see our ethics policy.
