Grande Real Santa Eulalia Resort & Hotel Spa at Grande Real Santa Eulália Resort & Hotel Spa 1.3 1 review

I was here recently for the Spatec conference and decided to try out the spa (naturally!). Unfortunately, the hotel's website does NOT have the spa treatment menu nor the prices (or detailed pictures of the spa) on its website (even though the "Spa" is in the name of the hotel!). So, I had to wait until I was checked in to see what was on offer, which is definitely something that could be improved.

I chose the 80 minute shiatsu massage which costs about EUR 120 which definitely is not cheap. Upon arrival, I was not offered a glass of water, which is something I think every spa should offer its guests...I also was not told if I could use the thalasso pool, sauna, gym, etc, or given even a quick overview of the facility and what my purchase fo a treatment also entitled me to (if anything at all?? I still don;t know!)

The changing rooms are nice, but what surprised me most was that when I was led into my treatment room that the actual massage area was not a table, but in fact a mattress on the floor with only a towel as a potential pillow....hmmm....80 minutes on the floor with my neck screwed to one side with only a towel for support was sounding like torture. I wish I had known that this spa does not have actual massage treatment tables. Additionally, i noticed that the entire spa has marble type tile floors which does a poor job of sound insulation, so every conversation in the corridor, including the staff chittering away, was completely audible in my treatment room.

The massage itself was OK - my female therapist did not demonstrate a real intuitive knowledge for the pressure points or the ability to target muscles deeply. At times it felt like she was stretching my skin, instead of kneading my muscles, which is unfortunate. She also did not ask me if there were any areas in particular I would like extra attention, or other ones that i did not want massaged (she massage my stomach, which i found/and always find very uncomfortable and unneccessary).

I did fall asleep halfway through the massage as it was relaxing at times, but at the end I was definitely not entirely satisfied with my experience. I had to once again ask for a glass fo water (grrr)...and then not knowing what else I was allowed to do, peered longingly at the thalasso pool but decided not to bother the busy looking staff, changed and went back to my room.

The place has a lot of potential as the facilities look great, as do the treatments on the menu (once you get there and can see what's on offer) - but I do think for the price charged, and for the fact that the Spa is in the hotel name, some small changes can yield big benefits.