My boyfriend recently treated me to a full-on birthday spa day at Two Rivers -- massage, facial, maicure & pedicure. I have a friend that works here who highly recommended it, and it came highly recom... Read More
My boyfriend recently treated me to a full-on birthday spa day at Two Rivers -- massage, facial, maicure & pedicure. I have a friend that works here who highly recommended it, and it came highly recommended by the community as a whole. The Salon and Spa are separate from each other, which I rather appreciated. There's nothing worse than passing through a cloud of chemical fumes as you're heading into a massage. The staff was incredibly friendly, got me checked in right away, and, of course, offered me a beverage. I had to sit for about 10 minutes, which I suppose was my fault for arriving early. My masseuse came and got me and lead me to the restroom/locker room. She explained how to use the lockers and stepped out while I undressed into a robe and rubber slippers. I've never been to a "real" spa before, so this process came as a wonderful surprise. The only thing I didn't like was that, as a bigger girl, I felt very uncomfortable in the robe. The "slippers" were a little small, but manageable (although I wished they weren't rubber). The robes felt dated and the material was pilled. I ended up having to hold my robe wrapped around me (exposing a less-than-desirable tightness) so that everyone couldn't see my who-hah. Honestly, I would have rather gone into the massage room in my jeans, at least I would have been comfortable then. Once I was changed, my masseuse led me to our room and let me get undressed. When she came back, she gave me towels to slip under my shoulders for breast support -- a nice touch. I let her know my "problem areas" and explained that I'm a fairly sensitive person. I loooove massages, but please no deep tissue! She focused most of her time on my hips, which were very tense. (Not surprising, I sit all day for work.) As most masseuses do, she suggested ways to drop my hips and work out some tension. She didn't have time to work on my legs/feet, which was kind of a bummer, but I knew I had a pedicure coming. She seemed to have two levels of pressure: Deep tissue or soft grazing. When it started to get painful I let her know, and suddenly it was like I couldn't feel her hand on my back. I told her she could use a little more pressure, and then she went back to the painful level. I ended up just gritting my teeth. (She also worked out a knot in my shoulder, for four days it felt like I had a bruise in that spot.) When she was done, she stepped out to get me water while I put my robe and slippers back on.She then lead me to the "Quiet Room," which is a sitting room for while you're in between treatments. There was all sorts of tea, and lemon-strawberry infused ice water. It was quite a relaxing little room. The gal that did my facial came and got me shortly after, and led me to the treatment room. She stepped out while I undressed and got situated on the bed. This was my first time having a facial, and it was an interesting experience.. I would explain all of it to you, though. :) I will say, she did a wonderful job. When she was done, she stepped out while I got dressed, and brought me more water. She made sure I knew where the locker room was, instructed I go get dressed and wait in the Quiet Room again. Lori, my nail tech, came and got me after about 10 minutes. She led me to the pedicure station and helped me get settled in. What a great view! I can't wait to go back in the spring when the river is full of life and the trees are blooming. All of the nail options are on a mini iPad, which was a neat tool. They have hundreds! Lori was a hoot. Sometimes I'm in the mood for a quiet, relaxing pedi, but she made it fun and enjoyable. (As did the nail techs around us.) My pedi and mani were pretty standard, although I did upgrade to the gel manicure (duh). Lori was great, and I would highly recommend you request her! The day ended up being $200, before tips. It seemed a little high, but I know you pay for the higher quality service. (And hey, I wasn't paying!) Overall:The pros - High quality venue, friendly and helpful staff, tranquil environment, and beautiful location.The cons - A little pricey, not best for plus size women, and not the best massage I've had.But I forgot to mention, you can bring your own food and drinks! Can you imagine a spa day with your favorite gal pals and a good bottle of wine (or vodka!)? That is a big plus for me! Read Less