NY Mommy Chronicles: Spa Castle for men and women of all shapes, age and sizes
By Carolyn Tann-Starr
“Beauty is bought by judgment of the eye; not uttered by base sale of chapmen's tongues…” William Shakespeare
Google the phrase “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” With 1,750,000 entries (and growing), there is a wealth of knowledge, opinion and businesses to cater to a New York City working mother’s needs. In case some of you moms have not noticed, serenity happens to be really big business.
Did you know that according to the website Intelligent Spas, it “holds the largest database of spa industry intelligence in the world after conducting comprehensive spa industry research since 2001” that covers approximately 80 countries? ( http://www.intelligentspas.com/main/main.asp )
Did you know that if you Google the term “spa statistics” there are approximately 15,500,000 entries (and growing) for that phrase? Moms who have never indulged in a spa day may want to consider what they might be missing (e.g. customized holistic facials, body massage, body scrub, aromatherapy). If you haven’t pampered yourself by creating a mini-spa-vacation at the facility of your choice, now is the time to make good use of your search engines and find someplace you think you may enjoy visiting. After all, it is never too early to hint at your Mother’s Day gift. If you’re really crafty at being a woman’s woman then every day is Mother’s Day (LOL).
With so many Google entries to choose from it seems apparent de-stressing has been on many people’s minds. A wealth of user and client reviews are floating in the digital divide. No matter the pro or cons, one thread of thought seems to be universal: A moment of brick and mortar peace is worth its weight in digital gold. This means nurture, indulgence, de-stress and revitalize are buzzwords flourishing throughout cyberspace and people are embracing these concepts with a passion.
Psst… Here is a secret: You will have to learn how to hunt for eye candy. If you do not know how, stick around, you will catch on (LOL).
Have you ever experienced a traditional Asian sauna or were lucky enough to be a guest at a luxurious European spa? You do not have to leave the country to get this bit of personal pampering. You do not even have to leave New York State. New York City is host to some of the most beautiful places to get away to right in the comfort of Gotham’s confines, inclusive of a plethora of spas offering an exotic escape. You really don’t have to go very far if you’d like to experience something innovative, but you will have to overcome being a wee bit shy. It would not be fair for reviewers not to warn you that if you do make use of the traditional spa facilities there are usually all nude sections in the bath area.
Take Spa Castle for instance. As a newbie considering taking this particular adventure into the unknown spa zone, when you arrive for your appointment and pay the complex access fee the men will receive a black rimmed, translucent band, blue imprinted watch face with numbers while the ladies will receive a corresponding pink one. This watch is your digital access key so be very careful with it because every time you wave that magic electronic wand over a sensor for services you are ringing up a tab (LOL). The initial access fee covers your (a) locker room shoe locker, (b) locker room clothes locker, (c) use of the locker room showers and baths (hence the “don’t be shy” warning because you have to bathe before using the spa complex facilities).
Clean people in the hot tub are usually a good thing (LOL). If you ever find yourself heading in the direction of the Whitestone Bridge, you will be happy to discover Spa Castle is just minutes from the Whitestone Expressway’s 20th Avenue exit. If you are ready to explore College Point and add Spa Castle to your bucket list feel free to click this link because it has an interesting website: http://nyspacastle.com/eng/main/main.php
Check out their photo gallery (I did mention eye candy, didn’t I?). It is even better up close and personal so close your eyes and tell yourself it’s time to escape from the ordinary routine of work and family to engage in an exotic time out. Mommies need to be pampered. Mommies need to be comforted. Mommies need to be amused. Mommies need a lot of things… especially for Mother’s Day (yes that was another hint for the I don’t know what to do crowd – LOL).
It does not have to be this particular facility. It can be any business with enough eye candy to tempt you to make a road trip to enjoy yourself. When you make an excursion across their threshold to explore their domain, imagine asking yourself questions and letting their brochures answer you. “How about an adult amusement park with a spa theme where all the significant others are welcomed guests (or you can leave them all at home)?” was a question asked by Susana Isakharova. Susana is the owner of Global Play, Inc and left Spa Castle with a sun kissed glow. A Queens County resident, she had lots of advice on how to make the most of your day there with your loved ones. Sauna Valley and the food courts were the highlight of her visit. If you go, feel free to leave a comment of your impressions here.
In sum and substance, “Sauna Valley” has several interesting themed options and if you wanted to categorize the rest of the facilities, you would be creating (at minimum) a 25-point bulleted list (LOL). There is a lot you can do with indoor / outdoor pools boasting aqua massage jets. The kiddie pool and the waterfall are very cool. So is the hinoki bath.
Think about it. You could do a lot with the right relaxation complex if you choose your facilities based upon budget and needs. Guy pie time? Girly girly day? Business meet up? Granny’s birthday? Spa Castle is very kid friendly yet chic enough to get your social media swank on if you are in the mood to throw a VIP event and network.
Worried about the menu? On the first floor, you will discover the Salad Bar, Sushi Sushi, Little Italy, Starbucks, Juice Farm and Frozen Yogurt & Waffle. On the second floor, there is Snack One and the Aqua Bar. On the third floor, you can sit back and savor the flavors of the Sky Garden restaurant, which serves authentic Korean food.
Reservations are required in advance, so do click that link, check out their eye candy and think about what new relaxation habits you would like to fantasize about today until you pick the spa of your choice. Go ahead. Indulge yourself. You deserve it…
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