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The Halla
Spa
Experience
Bob's Virtual On-Line Tour
[HALLA HOMEPAGE]
[PHILIPPINES HOME PAGE]
[BOB'S BIO]
[HOMEPAGE PJ'S IN VIETNAM]
The Virtual Tour - Once you
have selected the services you wish at the reception area and you have paid the
fee, the receptionist will hand you a key with a number on it. This key is used
for your shoe locker and clothing locker. You depart reception through the
appropriately marked door (men or women.
NOTE: With the
exception of the relaxation area, this virtual tour will describe the areas used
by men.
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You are now at the anteroom to the men’s locker area. Here you are greeted by an attendant who will take your shoes and lock them a shoe locker that corresponds with the number on your key. Next you walk into the main locker room. Here you will see more keyed lockers. Go to the one that corresponds with your key number.
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Remove your clothing, place it in your locker and lock it. If you do not wish to use the wet area of the spa nude, you can bring a bathing suit or request a pair of cotton shorts from the attendant. Your key has an elastic retaining strap that allows you to put the key on your wrist or ankle. Go over to the entrance to the wet rooms and select either a small blue towel or a pink scrubbing cloth. I use the small towel to wet with cold water to take into the sauna with me and then as a wash cloth in the shower. If you want to use a towel to soap up with and scrub yourself, pick out a pink scrub cloth. Now walk into the wet room.
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The wet area of the spa is a large room that contains:
 Shower room left side. Scrub table located an rear of this picture. Click photo for larger view |
 Shower room left side. Sauna door & cold pool at rear of picture. Hot pool at front of Picture Click photo for larger view |
 Cold water pool Click photo for larger view |
 Hot water pool Click photo for larger view |
The sequence of that you do next is up to each individual. What I do is:
Prior to going into the sauna, I soak a small towel in cold water and take it with me to cool my head off. The sauna room is heated to a temperature of 82°C (179°F) and that is pretty hot for me. There are two wooden benches covered by towels. I take a seat near the glass door. That way if I have any sort of problem while in the sauna, one of the attendants will see me and come to assist. If you are by yourself and you passed out in the sauna, you could get into serious heat problems very fast.
The sauna walls are lined with amethyst rocks imported from Korea. According to the spa’s brochure, amethyst may have helpful effects on those exposed to it. The "effects" of this amethyst are listed at this amethyst hyperlink that I copied from the Halla brochure. I cannot state with certainty if it is the amethyst, heat, or humidity that causes my improvement. I really do not care why I feel better; but, I am pleased that the sauna has that effect on me.
The last time I come out of the cold pool, I head over to the seated shower area. Here I pick up a disposable and clean my teeth and shave. This particular setup of the shower room will be considered unusual to westerner’s as they are not used to sitting on a stool and showering. I have found it to be quite practical and this last part of cleaning up prior to the massage definitely makes me feel as if I am totally clean and very refreshed. Now it is time to leave the wet area of the spa and head back into the locker room.
Once back into the locker room you will first be given a towel to dry yourself off with. Then the attendants will then give you a pair of cotton shorts and a bathrobe to don.
You can then proceed over to an area with hair dryers, combs, brushes, and several types of men’s toiletries. Splash on a little cologne and you are ready to head upstairs to the relaxation and massage area.
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 Staircase leads to relaxation area Click photo for larger view |
 Relaxation area from staircase Click photo for larger view |
On the second floor is a carpeted relaxation area that features large screen televisions, comfortable chairs and couches, and a bar that serves a small selection of drinks and food. As you exit the staircase, one or more attendants will greet you. The relaxation area is for use by both male and female guests and there are both male and female attendants present. You may choose to sit down and relax for a while; or, just inform an attendant that you are ready for your massage. If you order drinks or food, you will pay in the reception area where you paid for the massage. This payment is made as you leave the spa.
Unless you have a specific masseuse you wish to use, the next one who’s turn it is will take care of you. If you have any special requests regarding the type of masseuse you wish to utilize, let the reception area or relaxation room attendant know. I usually inform them that I would like someone who understands and speaks fairly good English. Not all of the masseuse’s speak English well enough to understand me while I inform them of specific parts of my body that are injured and require caution when massaging, All of them do understand enough English to basically communicate with you and to stop the massage or to apply harder or softer pressure when told to.
 Relaxation area attendants and bar Click photo for larger view |
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 Drink menu Click photo for larger view |
 Food & drink menu Click photo for larger view |
The masseuses are not collocated with the relaxation area; so one will be called for you. The longest I have ever had to wait is a couple of minutes. Most of the Korean guests take advantage of the relaxation area to converse socially and conduct business.
If you are getting the foot massage, it will be provided while you relax in a reclining chair. Select a chair you like and wait until your masseuse arrives. If you are getting a table massage and do not want to wait while laying on a table, you may wait in a reclining chair.
 Foot massage area Click photo for larger view |
 Reclining chair Click photo for larger view |
If you are getting a table massage and you do not wish to wait in a reclining chair, the attendant or your masseuse will direct you to the massage room.
 Table massage room entrance Click photo for larger view |
 Inside table massage room Click photo for larger view |
When you enter the main massage room, you will be greeted by a room attendant who will assist you until your masseuse arrives. Upon entering the main massage area, you will notice that it is a large room with a dozen massage tables. Each table has a foam pad mattress, linen, and a couple of small pillows. Select a table you wish to use, proceed to it, take off your bathrobe and hand it to the attendant. She will fold it and place it in a basket that is kept under your table. Then lay down on your stomach and the attendant will cover you with a large towel. Soon your masseuse will arrive.
 Massage room Click photo for larger view |
 Massage table Click photo for larger view |
95% of the masseuses are female and all received their massage training at the Halla. One of their questions to you will be do you want an oil massage or a dry one. The oil they use is similar to baby oil and you have the choice between a slightly scented pleasant smelling oil or an unscented oil. You will then be asked if you want an easy, medium, or hard massage. These masseuses are very strong and can apply some major pressure during the massage. I suggest that you begin by telling them medium and then tell them to increase or decrease pressure as they give the massage. Before they begin is the time to let your masseuse know if you have any areas that you want excluded or extra attention too. Occasionally, I sprain my ankle while exercising and if that happens I make sure the masseuse knows that I do not want her to massage it. Massaging a sprain that is less than 12 hours old can aggravate the problem. I also like extra attention on my upper spine and shoulders. Once you have provided massage instructions the masseuse will begin.
The massage is typically a combination of light and deep pressure using her hands and occasionally feet for gliding strokes, kneading strokes, friction, and vibration. During the massage, your masseuse will also exercise your joints to improve their movement. Once begun, the massage normally begins with work on your back and buttocks, then your legs, arms, and head. Special attention in paid to your feet, hands, and any area you specified. Once done with your posterior (rear of body), the masseuse will ask you to turn over and then she repeats the process on your anterior (front of body).
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Pictures 23, 24, 25 – need a pictures of me lying on table and getting (23) posterior, (24) anterior, (25) head massages (need to take these pictures still)
The massage normally ends with a request that you sit on the table while the masseuse uses flexion techniques to your back. At some point in the posterior massage, you may be asked if you want your back “walked on.” This is a technique that uses the masseuses feet and toes combined with her body weight to massage the back. Some of the therapists are quite skilled at this and somehow use their toes to expand the space between some spinal processes. When done under the right conditions, this technique has resulted in a major reduction in my chronic back pain. However, I should caution you to immediately tell her to stop if this technique if it causes you pain or if you think it is being done incorrectly. This caution is good advice for any part of the massage but especially the “back walking” and sitting “back flexion.” Your masseuse will not know that she is causing you pain unless you tell her or she can see some sort of involuntary body movement.
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Pictures needed of sitting spinal flexion, back walking & head massage
Normally there is not much talking by any of the masseuses or their clients. The room is normally quiet even if several clients are getting massaged at the same time. At the end of your massage the masseuse will tell you she is done and hand you back your bathrobe. Prior to leaving, she will hand you a slip to sign. If you wish to leave a tip, there is a spot on the slip to indicate how much you wish to tip. The masseuses make a significant amount of their total pay from tips because the wages in the service industry in the Philippines are low. I tip based on the quality of the massage. If it was just an OK massage, I leave 100 pesos. If it was a good massage 150 pesos, an excellent massage 200 pesos. Or if it is one of the very best I have had I will leave 250 pesos. The vast majority of the massages have been excellent and earned the masseuse 200 pesos. Many expat Western residents of Angeles will say that I am leaving way too large a tip; but, I do not see it that way. Paying someone the equivalent of four U.S. dollars for an hour of excellent work seems fair to me. Additionally, the masseuses are aware that they will be rewarded for excellent service and they may be working on me extra hard because I tip well. Tips are not paid directly to the masseuse. As you leave the spa, you will pass through the same reception area that you began your Halla experience when you walked in. The receptionist will collect any addition money due from either the bar or a tip.
Once you have signed the slip, you depart the massage room and once again find yourself in the relaxation area. The relaxation room attendants will greet you again and you are welcomed to have a post massage drink or snack. You are also welcomed to just sit down and relax. By this time, I have normally been in the spa for two hours and it is time for me to head home. So, I usually decline the invitations to remain in the relaxation area and head down the spiral stairway back to the locker room. Because I like oil with my massage, I head back into the wet room for a quick shower, then dress and head back to shoe storage area. The room attendant will give you back your shoes and you are now ready to part. I normally give a small tip directly to the two locker room attendants as I go (20 pesos). As I leave the spa, I happily say goodbye to the receptionists at the entrance and I go home feeling a whole lot better than when I walked in.
Most Asian nations have a centuries old tradition of wide scale use of bath houses. The immigration of Asians into Western cultures resulted in the bath house experience being opened up to societies who were not used to bathing in public. The renaming of bath houses into spa’s has resulted in wider acceptance in the Western world. However most Westerner’s do not visit spa’s. The reasons for not using spa’s are cultural, financial, and legal. Culturally we are not used to bathing in public and being nude in public causes most Americans to be uncomfortable. Financially, spa’s in the Western nations are expensive. Use of the wet rooms and a one hour massage typically cost $100.00 or more a visit. The high costs in the USA are driven in part in by legal liability laws. Insuring a spa against claims from dissatisfied customers is expensive. Considering that courts have made astronomical financial awards for spilling hot coffee on one’s self, thing about what spa operators have to worry about if someone passes out in the sauna or complains that a massage caused them pain and suffering.
Fortunately for visitors to Angeles City, we do not have to worry over these
financial and legal concerns. A visit to the Halla with their combination wet
room / massage package, a drink, and tips costs me less than $20.00 USD. That is
one of the “real” bargains in Angeles City. So, if you are in need of some “body
work” head over to the Halla Spa. You won’t be disappointed!
