Friday, October 4, 2013

My Experience at Royal Lake Spa

FEBRUARY 11, 2014 (UPDATE): Royal Lake Spa officially closed their doors last February 6 (Thursday). To everyone who still haven't claimed their Metrodeal vouchers, you may call their office at (02)823-1955 so they can refund you with Metrodeal credits or through your credit card. Hope this helps! :)

Royal Lake Spa




A little over a month ago, a new spa opened along Timog Avenue. What used to be City Lifestyle Spa has been replaced by Royal Lake Spa, which is actually owned by the same people behind Wensha Antipolo. Mike and I were lucky to have been invited to try out their amenities, and let me tell you, they did not disappoint! :) 
Royal Lake Spa
Where most spas only offer relaxation packages, Royal Lake Spa takes it to the next level by adding an eat-all-you can buffet, KTV rooms and a bar - features that families and friends will definitely enjoy bonding over!


With their opening promo of P599, you are given six hours to freely roam around their establishment. You're probably thinking, "Six hours at a spa? that's crazy!" Mike and I thought so too, but at the end of our stay, we were definitely asking for more - more time, that is. A total of six floors make up Royal Lake Spa, so let's go through them, one floor at a time.
Royal Lake Spa
On the first floor, we have the reception desk which you will immediately see once you enter their lobby. The receptionist will then ask you to log in then offer to give you a tour to introduce you to the different areas of the spa. There, we were provided with slippers to change into and magnetic bracelets that served as our locker keys.
Royal Lake Spa 
Another thing that you can find on the first floor is the bar. They offer Italian food (a la carte) but local beers are available at no additional cost. :)
Royal Lake Spa
On weekends, guests can enjoy listening to live bands play on stage. They even encourage the guests to sing with them!
Royal Lake Spa
The second floor holds the wet area which is divided into separate sections for male and female. It is where you will find the jacuzzi, steam bath, sauna and showers. Luckily, no one else was there so I took some photos for you to see what the place looks like. :)

Lockers
Royal Lake Spa
Jacuzzi / hot and cold aquatic therapy pools :)Royal Lake Spa
Sauna
Royal Lake Spa
Showers
Royal Lake Spa
I couldn't help comparing this to my experience in a public bath house in Japan (onsen). It was so awkward and embarrassing because we had to be completely naked the entire time! I was really anxious going into this, but in the end, I just went for it. And I'm glad I did, because my time there alone also helped me think about the things that have been going on in my life recently.

Mike's experience, in his own words, was liberating. He spent his time in the wet area with four other guys and even made a friend - Hi, Jess! Unfortunately, their jacuzzi wasn't working at the time, so he just lounged in the cold pool then hung out in the sauna/steam bath.. with his new friend. (I still find it weird that he made a friend with only a towel on..)
Royal Lake Spa
Oh, let me just add how much I appreciate Joanna and Christine - the two attendants who checked on me from time to time, just to make sure that I hadn't fainted from the heat yet. ;) 

On the third floor is the dining area. Though the options were limited, Mike and I still left with full tummies. They have a salad bar, a shabu-shabu line, and a few other dishes like roasted chicken, pork broccoli, fish fillet with sweet and sour sauce and spaghetti with meatballs :)
Royal Lake SpaRoyal Lake SpaRoyal Lake SpaRoyal Lake Spa
A TV screen is set in the dining area so you can watch while you eat :)

Moving on to the fourth and fifth floors - their massage floors.
Royal Lake Spa
While they only have common male massage areas, the female area has private rooms. The massage was a combination of swedish and shiatsu, which my therapist, Nina, was able to administer well with the right amount of pressure. She also did something I only saw in a movie once - she walked on my back using the bars attached to the ceiling for support (Ashiatsu massage). While doing so, she kept reminding me to relax and breathe through my mouth to avoid causing damage to my back. It was my favorite part of the massage since she was able to relieve my tension and crack my back a couple of times as well. :)

 Finally, onto the sixth floor - the KTV area :)
Royal Lake Spa
This is what their smallest room looks like. It has its own restroom and can easily fit 4-6 people. 
Royal Lake Spa
We sang our hearts out to Adele, High School Musical, Miley Cyrus, Bruno Mars, Boyzone, Taylor Swift and more. Mike's an amazing singer and when he sang Adele's Skyfall, I fell in love all over again. I swear he's that good! I am not the least bit ashamed to admit that my boyfriend makes a better Adele than me. Hahaha :)

What's great about their rooms is that after singing to your heart's content (provided you still haven't used up your three hours), you can chill and watch a movie instead! :) Oh and by the way, did I mention that they serve unlimited Antonov vodka here? If you enjoy going to Music Bank or Music 21 then you'll certainly love Royal Lake Spa! :)
Royal Lake Spa
That's it for the tour. They are still working on adding more services like foot spa, body scrub and facial that you'll be able to avail at an additional cost, so watch out for that :) 

Big thanks to Ms. Oly and Sir Redgie of Royal Lake Spa for accommodating us!
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60 Timog Avenue cor. Tomas Morato, Quezon City
376-3184 / 376-3972