LaDolce Salon & Spa - Swedish Massage & Express Facial

Welcome to my first post! I got the idea for starting this blog as I was enjoying a Swedish massage at LaDolce Salon & Spa in Carmel. My very good friend and spa-buddy Natasha gave my a Sunshine Spa Promotions gift card that she had purchased for me (and herself) through her work, I think. This gift card entitled me to 4 spa services at LaDolce: an express facial, mini-mani, 30 minute massage, and hair conditioning and design, with optional upgrades. Today I chose to partake in the express facial and the massage upgraded to a 1-hour Swedish massage.

Scheduling this visit on a Saturday required about a week in advance, which is reasonable for a medium-scale spa, which I judged LaDolce to be based on the prices listed on my gift card. I arrived at the spa today at 10:30 (my original appointment was at 10:00, but they called to reschedule it, which was ok). The salon/spa is not so special looking from the outside, but was very nice inside. There was a salon up front in addition to some jewelry and other sale items, and the massage rooms and pedicure stations were in the back through a closed door. The feel of the place was trendy. I was helped within a minute, and waited for my massage therapist for about 5 minutes. I was surprised that I wasn't asked to fill out a health release form which I am normally asked to do at this type of spa.

Michelle, my massage therapist, led me back to a pretty spacious massage room. The room had all the right components: candles, piped-in calming music (although a bit too muzak for my taste), and even a shower. The massage itself was great. Michelle used hot towels before and after massaging each area, and did some over-the-sheets massaging as well, which I like because it changes up the texture on your skin. She did a good job of maneuvering the sheets and towels so that no part of me was uncovered unnecessarily, which I appreciate for temperature's sake more than for modesty. And speaking of temperature, the massage table was heated, which was nice. Michelle also did quite a bit of manual stretching of my limbs. Because it was a Swedish massage, I knew it would be a lighter touch, but it wasn't too light. A definite plus for my taste was that there was a minimum of chit-chat. I really don't like to talk during spa services because that is not calming for me.

After the massage, Michelle went right into my express facial. The facial was standard, although Michelle did use an extra scrub product even thought it was not normally part of an express facial. There was only a little consultation as far as the condition of my skin, recommended products, etc., which was fine for me. After the massage and facial, Michelle left me to get dressed. The one thing the room lacked was a mirror. If you have ever had a massage or facial before, you know that you can look an absolute mess afterwards. However, Michelle met me right as I came out and pointed me to the restroom. She also gave me a cup of water which had been spiked with fruit (a classic spa touch).

All in all, this was an excellent spa experience. But what was the damage? Well, for me this was a gift, so all I had to pay for was my massage upgrade price ($39) plus tip. But without a gift card, it would have cost $75 for the massage. The express facial isn't on their menu, but I estimate to be about a $35-40 value, as their signature facial is $75. The prices are average for this type of spa, as part of what you are paying for is the "spa experience." I do enjoy the spa experience, however I often don't like to pay for it. But, I also judge the quality of the services to be above average compared to other spas of this level I have been to. I will be back to this spa for the other services on my gift card, but other than that, I would consider this location to be a once in a while splurge (for my budget).

Service Quality Rating: 4 stars out of 5
"Spa Experience" Rating: 3.5 stars out of 5
Price: $$$ - normally charged price ($ - what I actually paid)

Price Guide
$ = less than $1 per minute (very budget friendly!)
$$ = about $1 per minute (reasonable)
$$$ = more than $1 per minute (an occasional treat)
$$$$ = about $1.50 per minute (only if I get a gift certificate or great coupon)
$$$$$ = more than $1.50 per minute (I'll be surprised if I ever get to go to one of these)