A spa session a month keeps the Stress away - Four Fountains Spa Visit

I am a spa junkie. I love spas.My friends often joke about my spa obsession saying that whichever place I travel to I only look for a spa there. I've tried out quite a few Spas in Mumbai and the latest that I added to my list is the Four Fountains Spa. They have positioned themselves as affordable day spas and have over 17 spas spread across 8 cities. You can check their website here.

On the day of the appointment I received a call from their staff to confirm the same and also to inform me that I should reach 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time. On reaching their I was greeted and seated by their executive. She informed me they have 4 types of spas Detoxing, Destressing, Immunity (?) and Beauty.

I told her i was looking at a body massage therapy. And just randomly chose the Aromatherapy Radiating Massage (Rs 2099) after glancing through their menu. The menu was elaborate and there were a list of services under each head including not just massages but scubs, wraps and facials. While glancing through the menu I checked the prices. Although, they claim to be affordable I found their prices almost on par with the other Spas I have tried. Also I noticed that the Aromatherapy Massage was mentioned under 2 under heads as well. On enquiring about the difference I was told that while the technique is the same the aromatherapy oil used is different depending on what therapy one selects. Since I had chosen the one under the "Beauty" the oil used for me was almond, jojoba oil.

After having chosen the therapy, I was greeted by their in house doctor who took a mini stress test of mine and told me that my stress level is medium and I should be taking a spa every 21 days (was I happy to hear this). She also asked me if there are specific areas that pain a lot. And she gave me a small prescription note to be handed over to my therapist asking her to focus on these areas.

So I was then introduced to my therapist for the day Shanta, she escorted me to my spa room and asked me to change into the disposable clothes and put my valuables in a locker.The spa room was not the usual small, compact one but was quite big but basic. The decor of the room wasn't too spa like but functional. Here are some pictures of the room.

The lighting in the room was pleasant. The room had an accompanying shower. Th therapy started with my therapist wiping my feet with hot towel. The massage experience was great. Some of the strokes were brilliant. And my therapist was sweet, polite and well trained. She knew exactly when to ask about the pressure, the temperature, the lighting. The oil used had nice, light fragrance. I was even given eyepads that were dipped in rose water that smelled like heaven. The music added to the experience and I was almost about to doze off when some drilling machine in a neighbouring room went on. It wasn't loud, but disturbing for sure. My therapist was really apologetic about it but obviously she couldnt help it. The room wasn't sound proof as I could hear vehicles and people talking intermittently. these disturbances aside, the therapy in itself was great and very relaxing.After the therapy I took a nice hot water shower that relaxed me even further. The oils were pretty effective. My skin felt nourished and soft.

I was then served a shot of green tea and asked to fill a feedback form. I gave my fedback and inreturn got a whole lot of discount vouchers and couponds from their affiliated salon and a couple of other places. And a book on stress and a relaxing gel that can be used to relax sore muscles.

So here I'll sum up my overall experience:

What I liked

• Extremely courteous and polite staff
• The setup and the ambience at the entrance may not be very spa like (read dimly lit with thai decor) but it is definitely very professional
• Therapist was well trained, extremely polite and saw to it that Im completely satisfied with the service
• The massage was truly relaxing, with perfect pressure. It was also concentrated
• Concern shown by the staff on my spa experience
• The room is not your regular claustrophobic spa room but was quite spacious
• The products used (oils in this case) were awesome, my skin feels much softer now
• Hygiene was maintained
• Reasonably priced
• They are one of those few spas in Bombay that allow online booking of gift vouchers. (I have used this service to gift a spa to my ex boss and it is pretty easy)

What could have been better

• The rooms should be sound proof so that outside noises do not disturb the experience
• Steam should be included as a part of the massage. As I mentioned earlier, I have been to a lot of spas and a body massage is always accompanied with steam and shower. The steam helps the skin in absorbing the therapeutic oils applied. But here steam is charged for additionally. 
• The consultation with the doctor should happen before one chooses on the type of therapy. My choice was purely random and maybe I would have gone for something else had I chosen my therapy after the consultation

Disclaimer : The therapy I had taken was complimentary and offered to me by their marketing team. However, my opinions are completely unbiased.