Shams Mitha

I've been going to John Allan's in Saks, on & off since 2006. My stylist is Lauren, and she does a solid job: good attention to detail and friendly demeanor.

The atmosphere is nice. They recently got new chairs, which is key, because the old white leather ones were showing serious age.

The pricing is about right for NYC midtown. $52 for a haircut, plus tips to the stylist, shampoo lady and coat room / shoe shine guy leave you in the neighborhood of $70.

You're also paying for a "clubby" atmosphere though that feeling is probably evoked more at the dedicated salons. You get a beverage of your choice here plus a shampoo and hot towel.

If you want to pay more, you can opt for the "full service" which includes a manicure and shoe shine.

One negative is that aside from Lauren, I've used 2 other stylists in emergency situations and have not been happy with the results. Affirmatively bad haircut - quality wise.

So find a stylist you like, and stick to him/her!

I went with my wife as part of a gift.

1) Overall, I enjoyed the massage and experience very much, primarily due to the therapist. My therapist was great and adjusted pressure to my preference and also focused on some problem areas.

2) The downside: The room was a bit cramped, as it was a converted hotel room. I think that says something about the rooms at the Dream Hotel! I wondered if the two therapists were going to bump into each other during the couples' massage!

3) The downside continued: The bathroom in the room was fine, but there were a bunch of cleaning products and other random things in the tub. Obviously that didn't affect my massage, but if the place is going to position itself as high-end, the details matter...

4) The good stuff: Great massage. Relaxing. Good pressure. Responsive therapist. Soft music. Between the oil and the candles, I remember getting kind of hot, but it added to the experience. :-)

Go for the massage, and ignore the facilities...

Chill Spa was offering $50 facials, about 50-60% off the usual rate, so I decided to check it out.

When you walk-in, the reception area is nice and airy. However, the dude at reception, who appears to be the manager, is a bit aloof, doesn't pay much attention to detail and doesn't set the tone for the experience. For example, in the 5-10 minutes I sat in the waiting room, he had a loud phone conversation and also talked across the room to one of the therapists. Definitely no zen here.

Unfortunately, despite the roomy reception area, the treatment room was cramped, even by NYC standards. I am of average height, but my feet were hanging off the bed and hitting the wall! I was there for the treatment, primarily, so the lack of ambiance or amenities did not detract too much.

My therapist was pretty good. As I am not a facial expert, she walked me through the steps, the different applications and masks, etc. The facial itself lasted about an hour, and the therapist was efficient, gentle and pretty good. I left the spa feeling refreshed and unclogged!

Overall, I don't think I'd spend full price to visit Chill Spa, but the discounted price made it a decent value.

I purchased a special pedicure for $21. The place does the job - no more, no less. It's spartan; most of the staff is friendly & speak Spanish with a smattering of English; they have interesting massage chairs; etc; etc. If you're looking for luxury, this place is not it. If you want to get your basic pedicure, this place does the job. I think they have a Mon - Wed special: mani & pedi for $20. We went on a Thurs so couldn't take advantage.

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.

I just went to Sharp's on Charlotte St in London. I'm from NYC but found myself wandering London in desperate need of a haircut. My review:

1) Initial impression: place tries to have the old school, masculine feel with a motorcycle in the front window and antique-looking barber chairs. However, there are also nods to present with each chair having its own television and the offer of a beverage.

2) Stylist: my stylist was a hipster from Toulouse sporting a Guns 'n Roses t-shirt and skinny black jeans. He was not very talkative socially, which I don't mind. I'd rather watch TV or read while the stylist concentrates on my hair. However, I wish he would have walked me through what he was doing procedurally, and my options - for example, I had to ask for a shampoo at the end of the haircut instead of being offered.

3) Haircut: ah, the important stuff. They offer a full menu of men's services, but I opted for a haircut and shampoo. I have simple, thin & straight hair. I like to leave it long with a bit of hair hanging over the top of my ears. He achieved that objective but made it a little too "school-boyish" with a pronounced part on the side. I prefer the messy look, but it shouldn't be hard to fix with a bit of wax.

4) Misc.: a) you get a complimentary beverage at the beginning and a hot towel for your face at the end; b) they don't take American Express. Debit card machine was broken, so I walked up the street to hit up a cash point. c) the haircut is £21, shampoo was £5 and I tipped £5. decent value. d) the location is great - central, cute street and plenty of bars to show off your new haircut afterwards. e) they also offer shaves but seem a bit pricey at £31.

5) Overall: I would go back, but I'd like a more attentive stylist (perhaps I need to be more assertive), and some of the kinks need to be worked out (e.g. broken credit card machine; no business cards).