London: Thai Square Spa Ritual Massage

A decent massage comes pretty close to the number one spot in my list of ways to treat myself; there's something so special about taking an hour out to relax and have all your knotty muscles rubbed away.

A few days ago, I headed down to the Thai Square Spa in London's Covent Garden to try out their Ritual Massage*, and after a stressful few days beforehand, my muscles were well prepped for some therapy!

The Thai Square spa is situated right in the heart of Covent Garden on Shelton Street, just up from the Belgo Belgian restaurant. The shop front might look small from the outside, however it's like a tranquil tardis once you actually go through the front door, with several floors of treatment rooms, a relaxation area and a product shop, where you can take home some of the products they use during your treatment if you fall in love with them.

The Ritual Massage lasts for either one or two hours (I had the one hour treatment) and begins with a ritual washing of the feet using rose petal infused water and some lovely oils. After a sweaty day in London, this came as an unexpected treat and made for a much more relaxing treatment as I wasn't worried about the poor therapist having to look at my end of day manky London feet. Ahem.

After your feet are washed, they get you to hop up onto the massage bed face down and the massage begins. Before they start, the therapist will ask you what sort of pressure you like, so you can have it tailored to you. I like my massages to be very firm, as bad posture and a desk job = crunchy shoulder muscles but if you prefer a gentler version, just let them know.

The massage itself covers you pretty much from head to toe - starting with the back/shoulder area, then the legs, feet, arms, hands and head. For everything but your head, the beautifully scented rachawadee oil is used which really adds to the spa feel and relaxation element.

I pretty much floated off the bed at the end of the hour and was lead out to a relaxation area with comfy chair-beds and the offer of some water or tea. It's lovely that they don't rush you out of the spa after your treatment and give you that extra bit of time to relax once you're done.

The Ritual Massage costs £75 for a one hour treatment and I can honestly say it was the best massage I've ever had. I'm already planning to treat myself to another one after pay day comes around. I'd highly recommend the Thai Square Spa if you're looking for somewhere central for a treat, just be warned, it may become a bit of an addiction!

What's your favourite type of spa treatment?

*Treatment provided free of charge, all views my own