The invitation to visit a new spa centre in town arrived at a rather opportune time. A few weekends of jetsetting (hur hur) and full work weeks in between have taken its toll on my poor ol’ body and I was starting to have trouble sleeping. Its like your body knows its tired and that it needs rest but it just can’t, if you know what I mean.
Amani Salon & Wellness Centre is a new spa/salon that just opened in February 2013 and is located in The Scotts Garden, Old Klang Road. Parking is relatively ample and so far, quite affordable which is a good thing because their signature package, which I think you should try if only for the experiece, is a 4 hour long journey. Oh yeah… 😉
I’ll tell you a little more about it and if you are good and indulge me till the very end, you’ll see that I’ve wrangled a nice little discount for MWS readers who’d like to try this. So, indulge me k? 😉
The location of the spa is a little awkward. You have to go right to the top floor of the building which is a little quiet and the signages are a little confusing. But if you call them, they will be able to direct you to the place quite easily.
At Amani Salon & Wellness Centre, I was pleased to know that they use Bioessentials spa products and Sundari skincare products for facials. Bioessentials is a brand of quality spa products from Australia and I have come across them before a few years back. I still own a pillow mist that I sometimes use to try to lull me to sleep. Sundari is a spa/salon brand of skincare that I’d come across many many years ago but because its not a brand you can buy off the shelves, I never paid attention to it. Both are quality brands and I was encouraged that they use them at Amani. I do have a little more faith in a place that uses proper quality products as opposed to no-brand no-name stuff because I am quite particular about what goes on my skin.
I took a friend along for a 2 hour body massage for an independent opinion (we paid full price). I like doing that because its always useful to have a separate opinion of the services. The Amani Signature Ritual (RM335) which spans 3.5-4 hours (yes, do allocate half a day for this!) starts off with you filling up a form to indicate if you have any sensitivities or allergies. Then, you are allowed to store your belongings in a bank of lockers and you get to keep the locker key with you at all times.
I ran into a bit of problem at this point. The lockers are standalone. Its not in a changing room so all you do is store your belongings. I would much rather they be placed in a changing room and that we be allowed to change into a robe and keep our clothes in the locker, much like how it is in Energy Day Spa. As it stands, it all got a little awkward as you will see.
I was then led to a wet area for the first leg of my treatment – a body scrub, body wrap and jacuzzi bath. At Amani, the wet and dry treatment areas are kept separate.
The “problem” I mention happens right here in the wet room. There was no place for me to hang my clothes after changing out of them. You are given disposable undies that barely cover anything but that’s pretty much expected so I don’t bother about that. If you go for a spa experience, always be prepared to have your body on view 😛
I would therefore strongly suggest to the management that a hook or hanger be placed in the room, behind the door or on the wall for us to hang our clothes, or that a changing room be used.
The body scrub was a scrub with oil and salt that did feel quite rough against my skin. You are essentially also getting a bit of a massage because they do rub it in. You can tell the therapist to ease up which I did. After you are scrubbed all over, a herbal body mask is applied and you are then zipped into a heated blanket type thing for you to ‘marinade’ for about 20 minutes. Again, if its too hot, do let them know and I did.
Once you are done, you head off to the shower where I noticed the use of Bliss shower gel in shower which is again a nice touch. A recognisable brand goes towards me having a wee bit more confidence in the place. I must note that the wet treatment rooms are raised so when you exit, you have to step downwards and a little care should be exercised so you don’t trip and fall. Maybe a warning strip or non-slip mat would be helpful.
Once you’ve rinsed off the mask, you will notice just how lovely and soft and smooth your skin feels. It really does feel amazing. Like a month’s worth of tiredness and dirt have been peeled off! Head back to the room for a rose scented milk jacuzzi bath where you are left for about 20 minutes to relax, and you’re done. This all takes about an hour.
The massage treatment rooms are located in a separate section so you do have to pad about a little in your robe. It is all quite private but I do think it would be nice to have them either all in one place, or at least close by. The massage room is nicely dim with a comfortable massage bed. In here, there is a place to hang your clothes, but you may remember my clothes were left behind in the wet room. Uh oh 😛
My friend was a little perturbed by the fact that although there was space to hang clothes, the locker outside was still used. That may not be necessary, I feel if someone were just coming for a massage treatment.
The body massage was rather invigorating. If you prefer someone with a lighter touch, do let them know ahead of time. The masseuse I got had a very firm touch which I used to enjoy a few years ago but these days, I prefer having a more medium-gentle touch for a more relaxing experience. The knots in my muscles were worked out quite well, but it did feel a little sore during execution although I didn’t feel sore after the treatment. My body did feel lighter and I went home for an excellent night’s sleep, but during the treatment itself, it can get a little painful. So do bear this in mind and ask for someone with a lighter touch. One thing I did particularly like was the use of warm oil during the massage. The feeling of warm oil against the skin is much more relaxing and also better for you.
My friend who had the 2 hour massage found it a little more relaxing than I did although the touch was firm but then that was the preference so it suited their style. I would personally prefer something more gentle and relaxing that would put me to sleep.
The treatment ends with a brief facial using Sundari skincare products. Personally, I wouldn’t visit for a facial because I’ve found that if a trained body masseuse does a facial, they are never quite as gentle as a trained facial therapist. So it felt more like a facial massage than a relaxing facial.
Once it was over, I had to wait for a bit while the masseuse went and brought my clothes back from the wet area. If I do have another comment, it would be that the little window in the sliding door which I noticed after my treatment was over, shouldn’t really be there. It disrupts your privacy during the treatment and after, when you are changing. So that’s something I’m not comfortable with and I hope its covered up.
In a nutshell
Amani Salon & Wellness Centre is a new city spa located in the Old Klang Road area and also has a skills training institute next door. The masseuse were all local so language and communication isn’t much of a problem. The Centre specializes in “Spa Journeys” which have a combination of treatments usually involving a wet and dry treatment – body scrub/bath and a massage and range from 2 to 4 hours. I like that they use quality spa products for face and body and it all smells natural and comforting. I do feel that a little more attention could be paid to the little things like having a place to hang clothes in the wet area as well as perhaps having a common changing room with the lockers for comfort. Also, do be sure to let them know if you want a soft touch for your massage. I had the feeling most of them are trained for deep tissue massage which is generally firmer and can be painful. After the treatment, you do feel lighter, but it isn’t a treatment you can fall asleep to. I wouldn’t go there for a facial either as I felt the facial massage was too strongly executed but that said, it isn’t a focus at Amani. Overall, the Amani Signature Ritual is a nice way to get back in tune with yourself because for that 4 hours, its just you and your therapist.
What I liked: The oils used during the massage were warm which is comfortable and relaxing, The products used are of high spa quality, Local masseuse makes communication a breeze, Body scrab and wrap treatment left my skin feeling very soft, Nice dim lighting in the massage room and a comforting cool pillow over your eyes when you are lying face up
What can be improved: Somewhere to hang your clothes in the wet room, A proper changing room so you don’t have to wonder where to place your clothes as you can put it straight into the locker, To cover up the little window in the sliding door to the massage room, To have some form of warning that there is a step down when exiting the wet treatment room
You can find the Amani service menu on their website here. Prices for a massage start from RM38/6o minutes (Academy i.e. trainee) to RM180/90 minutes. Or try the Amani Signature Ritual which I experienced, at RM335/3.5 hours.
And herein lies the promotion I managed to wrangle out of the lovely folks at Amani! 😀
Promotion!
If you want to give Amani Salon & Wellness Centre a try, tell them you were referred from “MyWomenStuff.com” when you make your reservation and you get 25% off any treatment of your choice, except for any on-going promotions. Reservations are recommended as they are rather busy. Promotion valid until 31 August 2013.
Have you been for a spa or massage session recently? Have you been to Amani Salon & Wellness Centre?
I try to go for one at least once a month or if not, at least once in 2 months. Its a little luxury I allow myself and it does help me and my well-being. I think Amani might appeal to those who live in and around the area but its a little far off the beaten track if you live in the heart of KL city as I do.
Paris B
AMANI Salon & Wellness, Lot 3.02A, THE SCOTT GARDEN (3rd Floor), 289 Jalan Klang Lama, 58000 Kuala Lumpur, Nalaysia Tel: 03 – 7980 9078 Fax: 03 – 7980 7078
Tammy says
Totally agree with you! I’ve never liked/enjoyed the facials provided by a masseuse! All those Sundari products look absolutely delicious Paris! ha ha
Paris B says
Haha won’t it be nice to take it all home? 😉 But yes, massage therapists tend to be too heavy handed on the face. I don’t like that!
illy ariffin says
not bad 🙂 felt like trying out… love those flowers in the tub <3
Paris B says
They add a lovely romantic touch! But I still recommend having the bath to yourself instead of sharing 😉
Natalie says
Wow.. That is fantastic pricing for the spa treatments! You would expect to pay one hour relaxation massage for over $100 here, so you can guess how much 3.5hr treatment would cost. I will be definitely visiting a spa when I visit Malaysia!
Paris B says
Haha a friend showed me how much a massage costs in Australia and I almost fainted. I pay the same, dollar for dollar! And find it expensive! Wait till you visit Bali or Bangkok – spa heaven!
Adeline says
Dear Paris, have you heard about this? Japan’s Kanebo recalls cosmetics over skin stain fears. I couldn’t seem to leave the link so I left it as my website link…
Paris B says
Hi Adeline, Yes I am aware of it but I was waiting for the official news release from the local Kanebo office. Thanks for the link, I’ll share it on FB and follow up with a post as we go along 🙂
Katie says
Is there Giorgio Armani makeup counter or boutique in KL?
Paris B says
Nope, not any more at this point in time.