I recently visited Townhouse Spa with my significant other and purchased the duo package, which included a massage, facial and manicure. We visited on a Sunday evening, and similar to the above reviewer, found the spa to be quiet and relaxing; there were only a couple of other customers.

1) Ambience: Soothing neutral colors; noise from a busy 56th St is muted. The Men's Lounge outside the locker room is small but contains a flat-screen HDTV and drinks. I watched football and sipped a whisky in a comfortable robe while waiting for my girlfriend to finish her manicure.

2) Venue: A bit small, esp the locker rooms. Given there were few other customers, this did not bother us. However, I can imagine that if the place was busier, the locker room and lounge experience would have been more harried.

3) Treatments:

- massage: we purchased the 1hr eastern meridian massage. It was nearly identical to the pressure point / elbows / knuckles massages that I grew to love in Hong Kong. The therapist had hands of gold, knew where my knots were and worked hard to remove them. The therapist adjusted pressure to each of our preferences.

- facial: i'm not an expert. it seemed to involve the application of a number of hot and cold wraps, lotions and the like. there were also "extractions" from my "congested" t-zone. all in all, fairly relaxing. however, i was a little taken aback when after diagnosing my congested t-zone and other problem areas, the therapist attempted to upsell my facial from what the duo package outlined. i'm half-naked, eyes closed and relaxed. i'd prefer not to think about such issues.

- manicure: as a dude, i appreciated that the manicure was quick and painless. nails filed, cuticles pushed back, etc. professional work.

- customer service: since the place was empty, and we purchased the duo package, the staff upgraded us to the VIP room - a big room with its own steam shower and two treatment beds. much appreciated.

- overall: very good treatments; friendly staff; and nice venue. it's a little expensive but worth the occasional splurge.

- note: if you're looking for a spa experience where you can lounge all day in hot and cold pools, steam rooms and saunas, this venue does not contain such facilities.