/ Reviews / Massage Spa
In Therapy
by Ruth Waldron
on Friday, April 22, 2011 12:00 AM
Most Shanghainese and expats are experts at assessing the relative merits of the thousands of spas and therapy rooms littering the metropolis. With such stiff competition out there, it is crucial for any newcomer to the massage industry to have an edge over the rivals. Some specialize in therapeutic, semi-medicinal techniques and others go for the luxurious-pampering angle. Damai aims to combine both ideologies.
Situated in the ZhongShan Park neighborhood, with 21 relaxation rooms, Damai is poised to offer their clientele a very personal service. The reasonable price list covers many of the indulgences that avid fans of a good rub would expect: reflexology foot massages from RMB68, Chinese body massages from RMB88 and aromatherapy oil body massages from RMB148. Whatever your mood, the staff at Damai endeavor to match the therapies with the client's individual requirements; whether you feel stressed and tense, or sore and weary. They also encourage group bookings hosted in their four-divan room, which is ideal for a girls' day of pampering.
All of the masseuses are trained by a qualified TCM doctor, who attends to patients in a dedicated consultation room three days a week; ensuring treatments are suited to easing a wide range of ailments.
This approach often makes for thorough workouts rather than relaxing snoozes: the 45-minute head, neck and shoulder massage (RMB108) involves stretching the neck, vibrating the face and head, and a systematic shake up of the upper body. Even the space between your ears will feel cleansed when the masseuse firmly inserts two fingers into the auricular cavity, then swiftly exits, leaving you feeling like a beach ball leaking air. Mildly alarming clicks and pops emanate from vertebrae from time to time.
On the other end of the spectrum, Damai's gentler services are inspired by South East Asian methods from Bali and Thailand. In the coming months, the staff will also include the skills of an aromatherapist, who will concoct soothing oil combinations to address myriad stress-related conditions.
The surroundings are fresh and new, with the added elegance of hand-painted Chinese murals. Damai welcomes guests from noon to 2am daily, with late-night clubbers dropping in for a post-party chill-out massage in the early hours.
Bone-shaking relaxation.