The Personal Touch
Ettia Holistic Day Spa

I recently visited Ettia Holistic Day Spa to indulge in the ever-so-sensible Busy Person Package. This savvy selection of services includes a Dead-Sea-Salt Body Glow Treatment, a Busy-Bee Facial, and a Stress-Me-Free Massage. For approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes, you can have all your troubles scrubbed and rubbed away, without having to sacrifice several hours of your valuable time! The spa is even open until 9pm on weekdays, and 8pm on weekends.  

The beautiful thing about Ettia’s intimate space is that it is just that: intimate. With their 2 massage rooms, shower, 2 facial rooms and mani/pedi area, Ettia makes the most of a cozy spot. There will only be a few people in the spa at once, so personal attention reigns. The atmosphere and the staff are warm and friendly, and you will easily sink into comfort as if you are visiting an old friend.

First I met Volod, my masseuse. I was immediately impressed by how confident, personable and down-to-earth he was. He put me at ease by explaining everything that was going to happen, right down to how to knock on the door to alert him that I was ready, after I had donned my paper panties and covered up with the towel on the massage table.

The treatment began with a salt scrub, which consists of sea salt from the Dead Sea in Israel , combined with oil. It goes on smoothly, but this scrub is serious! The salt is known for its healing properties as well as its coarseness, and not only sloughs off that dead dry skin, but also helps to improve blood circulation. All these benefits and it still happens to feel pretty good. I then took a nice hot shower in the adjoining shower stall, following Volod’s instructions to take my time in order to rinse off all of the salt. This was not a problem, as I was absolutely loving the feel of the water on my über-smooth skin.

For the massage, Volod asked me ahead of time where I would like him to focus, since it is a shorter amount of time than usual. I told him I am more of a Swedish massage type of girl, and he was actually able to work on the whole body since this type of massage requires less concentration on specific areas.  

Now, fully relaxed, it was nice to know that it was not quite time for me to step out into the real world. I had yet to experience my superb facial with Minori. The ½ hour I spent with her felt much longer, given all the intricate steps along the way. First she assessed my skin type and made recommendations for my own skin care regimen, and cleansed my face with sage and rosemary. As she patted and massaged with her expert’s touch, I got the feeling that she’s been doing this since birth. Next was a deeper exfoliation and cleansing with jojoba, and an acupressure massage with rosehip oil. After that came the mask, during which time Minori thoroughly massaged my neck, shoulders, and scalp. Once she cleaned off the mask, she moisturized different parts of my face with different serums. There were deliciously hot towels aplenty; I’m getting dreamy again just recalling the experience. Although Ettia is petite, the special attention you’ll receive far outshines the production line feel of a large corporate spa.

This is a truly terrific package, considering that at the discounted price of $149 (value $210), only a little more than the regular cost of a facial, you can also experience a scintillating scrub and massage. The treatments don’t feel at all “abbreviated,” in fact I would think of a full length version as “extended!” I may be a busy bee, but during my treatment, I was the Queen Bee. For a no-attitude experience, where the staff makes all the difference, indulge yourself with the Busy Person Package at Ettia Holistic Day Spa.  

Arlene Marshall
Beauty Editor - www.spa-nyc.com 

Learn more about Ettia Spa

Tips for the Busy Person Package at Ettia Holistic Day Spa:
- You may want to remove contact lenses before your facial.
- Be sure to alert the staff prior to a scrub or facial if you have sensitive skin.
- Remember if you are happy with this or any other spa service tip at least 15 - 20 %.
- Remember to tell them Spa-nyc.com sent you.