With their temple-like atmosphere and curious offeringsseaweed wraps, cold-friction rubseven hotel spas can make guests feel like strangers in a strange land. We've queried the experts for a few pointers on how to ensure a serene sojourn, from beginning to end.

Before Your Visit


Use breath mints before treatments, especially facials—otherwise, you're breathing lunch right into your aesthetician's face.

Men should shave the night before a facial. "It makes skin less sensitive than shaving that morning," says Gillian Garcia, spa therapist at the Beverly Wilshire hotel, in Beverly Hills.


Eat a heavy meal right before your appointment. "You are lying down and don't want the blood flow to concentrate in your stomach," says Garcia. "Eat light. Drink water but not excessively—having to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes disrupts the treatment."

Get your (alcoholic) drink on right before or after treatments—it's dehydrating.

Overly cleanse before a facial. "You want the therapist to see your true skin," says New York-based aesthetician Andrea DeSimone. "Even avoid washing your face so you aren't overly stimulated with products."

Wear expensive jewelry. Most treatments require you to remove all jewelry, and you may be too spacey afterward to remember to collect it.


In the Dressing Room & Relaxation Area**


Arrive at least 30 minutes early to check in and begin decompressing, the International Spa Association (ISPA) recommends.

Shower beforehand. A masseur at a luxury hotel in Manhattan reveals that one of his biggest pet peeves is clients who are running late and skip the shower so they won't lose a moment of their massage. "It's hugely inconsiderate," he says. "Just walking around makes feet smell."

Hit the steam or sauna before a massage or body treatments, advises ISPAit aids in relaxation and circulation and eases exfoliation.


"Steam an hour beforehand if you're getting waxed," says Garcia. "The incidence of damage is higher when your skin is softer."

Use cell phones. "I would keep the talking to a minimum as well," says Garcia.


In the Treatment Room**


Speak up about the room temperature, music choice and volume, and massage pressure. And do mention injuries or physical conditions. If the therapist doesn't speak English (inquire at check-in), be sure to communicate any concerns with the receptionist before the treatment begins.

Put your chin down and close your eyes. "When I'm giving a facial," says DeSimone, "I have products in my hands that could get in your eyes and irritate them." Even if you aren't getting a facial, staring at the ceiling locks muscles in back of the head.

Tip off your aesthetician if you're attending a big event. If you plan to wear a skimpy outfit, you won't want rough exfoliating or procedures such as "cupping," that Asian detox treatment which left unsightly welts on Gwyneth Paltrow right before a film premiere.


Chitchat. You're not only missing an opportunity to truly relax, you're moving your jaw.

Hold your arm, leg, or neck up to be massaged. It stiffens muscles.

Extract before the red carpet. "When people have an event that day or the next, we avoid facial extractions or anything more clarifying since the possibility of the skin's purging is greater," says Garcia.

Be shy about foot rituals. "Lots of Southeast Asian rituals have a foot exfoliation at the beginning," notes Vikki Aquino, spa director at Bangkok's Shangri-La hotel. "Often Western clients say, 'Why are you kneeling in front of me?' If the guest shows a little bit of hesitation, the staff get nervous about it."

Fall for sales pressure. "When people are lying down, they are very vulnerable. I would never go back if someone hard-sells me products while I'm on the massage table," says DeSimone.