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As a mom I can speak from first-hand experience: the last person we’re likely to take care of is ourselves. Inevitably, guilt creeps in if we even close the door when we go to the bathroom! However, even the airlines recognize that parents have to take care of themselves first before helping their children. After all, how are we supposed to give someone our all if we have nothing within us to give?
So why am I starting a spa review with a sermon? Because I don’t think I truly realized how much I needed a day at the spa or how valuable a morning away truly was until I experienced it.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve driven by Escape Day Spa – it’s literally minutes down the road from where I live. But its small storefront does not do its interior justice. Voted “Best Spa in Nashville” for the past four years by the readers of the Nashville Scene, its name is completely appropriate as you literally ‘escape’ once inside the nearly 15,000 square foot spa.
Upon entering, the first thing that struck me (other than the bright, open & modern space) was their excellent customer service. Having been to many of the top spas around the country, they often convey the sentiment that I should feel lucky to be there. That condescending nature can usually be felt throughout the employees and results in a less than optimal experience.
Escape delivers the complete opposite: a customer experience that is unparalleled in hospitality, warmth and courtesy.
I decided to take advantage of their half-day escape. Instead of trying to come up with my own witty words to describe this experience, let me share their aptly-worded description with you:
Take a half day and devote it to your well-being and to self care…enjoy an escape facial + a body scrub or massage + a manicure and pedicure…and add a complimentary steam before or after this half day escape and gourmet lunch and you have created a perfect antidote for the stresses of modern life!
(I added the exclamation point at the end because I couldn’t agree more!)
After a quick tour of the salon area, I was whisked away to the spa downstairs. Nestled between treatment and relaxation rooms are their locker rooms, complete with multi-head showers and sauna.
As I prepared for my half-day escape, I enjoyed some cucumber water (yes, cucumber water. In fact, I enjoyed it so much that I’ve stolen the idea and make it daily at home. My kids even think it tastes like lemonade!) before my facial.
Now I need to once again preface this and say that I was very apprehensive about my facial. Because of my combination (i.e. temperamental) skin, I usually opt for micro-dermabrasion over a facial. Plus, I feel like too many spas just turn facials into an extended face scrub disguised as an opportunity to push their line of skin care. This experience was the complete opposite.
In fact, in retrospect, the facial was my favorite thing I experienced during my day at Escape.
Martha Marie, my aesthetician, possessed the perfect blend of expertise and kindness. After an initial consultation, she immediately put me at ease and actually helped me decide on a different type of facial than I was originally scheduled for based on my skin type. After that, I can’t give you much detail because I drifted off into a state of bliss for the remainder of the treatment, but the combination of facial and massage left me feeling totally relaxed while putting my skin in a glow I’ve never seen before.
From there I was whisked away to my massage. Again, instead of the usual small talk that typically leads right into the prescribed massage, I was asked about my specific needs, issues and hopes for the massage. Being an ex-athlete with a career ending injury, I expressed wanting some deep pressure to work out those old knots while also walking away relaxed at the end of the hour…and that’s exactly what happened.
I think it’s easy to find a good place to get your nails done, but what’s not as easy is to find a place that can take a manicure & pedicure from a simple service to an overall body treatment: Escape accomplishes that successfully. As I sank deep into my plush chair, I thought to myself that I could easily come back just for a mani-pedi and still feel like I’d had a true spa experience.
I finished off my afternoon with a delightful lunch in their private dining room. My only complaint was that I didn’t leave myself enough time to actually relax in the relaxation room. This is not your average sitting room. From perfect lighting and peaceful music to some of the biggest & coziest chairs I’ve ever lounged in, Escape truly allows you every opportunity to break away from the everyday.
My favorite gifts are experience based and I can’t think of a better experience to give as a gift than a half-day escape at Escape Day Spa & Salon. They offer a variety of packages for Holiday 2010, including couples retreats & a girls day out!
Whether you live in Nashville or happen to find yourself here over the holidays, make sure to schedule an experience at Escape Day Spa & Salon. You will not regret it; in fact, your body, mind and soul will thank you for it!
Services mentioned in this post were provided to me at no-cost. However, no other compensation was provided and the views expressed are 100% my own.
