Beijing is a city filled to the brim with spas and massage parlors. It all depends on what you're looking for, and what your price range is. If you're up for a bit of a splurge, you can't go wrong with Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat, over in the Chaoyang District. Clean, comfortable and professional, you'll leave thankful you made the trip.
Where: Bodhi Spa
Locations:
Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat
17 Gongtibeilu (opposite the Worker's Stadium)
Chaoyang District
Tel: +86 106417 9595 / +86 106413 0226
Open from 11:00-00:30
Bodhi Senses Somerset
2F Somerset Grand Fortune Garden
46 Liang Ma Qiao Road
Chaoyang District
Tel: +86 108440 1495 / +86 1084401496
Open from 11:00-00:30
Services:
(Visit their website for a full list of services and prices. Included here are a few examples of what you'll find at Bodhi.)
For a full body experience:
Using smooth stones to “harness the deep heat therapy,” their Hot Stone Massage will help release tension in your muscles. The 90-minute treatment will help increase your circulation and eliminate toxins from your system as you relax. (Price: 560RMB) Looking for a uniquely Asian experience? The Traditional Thai Massage skips the oil and goes straight to a full-body work out. Their masseuses use hands, thumbs, elbows, knees and feet to follow energy channels through the pressure points of your body during this 75-minute treatment. While not for the faint of heart (yes, they may lift you and twist you into necessary poses for full energy flow), it will leave your body rejuvenated and refreshed for days. (Price: 348RMB)
For reflexology:
The nourishing foot spa is an 80-minute session that lets your feet relax in a milky bath while you have your shoulders massaged to loosen your tension. Shortly after the treatment is lemon exfoliation and oriental foot massage. Your legs will feel silky smooth after. (Price: 248RMB)
For facial treatments:
If your face is feeling a bit gritty after a couple high-pollution days, head over for the Deep Cleansing Treatment. The folks at Bodhi will spend 90 minutes drawing out the impurities, cleaning deep into your pores. You'll leave with smoother skin and refined skin tone. (Price: 428RMB) Those with a more sensitive face may opt for the Sensitive Facial – an “organic botanical chamomile series” that nurses sensitive skin back to a healthy balance. This can also be a great way to reset your complexion after getting too much sun. (Price: 520RMB)
Among their body treatments and spa packages are a series of seasonal options combining options that will leave your whole body feeling whole and healed. You can find a complete list on their website, and at either location.
Specials and Memberships:
If you head over Mondays through Thursdays, from 13:00 to 17:00, you'll find discounted prices on some of their main services (including the Ayurvedic, Traditional Thai and Chinese Body Massages).There are a series of membership benefits you can purchase. For example, for a deposit of 3000RMB, you can get: a 5 percent discount on the Thai style massage, a 10 percent discount on facial treatments, and 7 free 198RMB vouchers. (Find a full breakdown of the benefits and conditions on their website, or speak with one of their receptionists upon arrival.)
In My Experience:
In recent weeks, a fellow teacher and I were pretty desperate. Our schedules had been filled with additional classes and side projects, leaving us both scrambling to adapt new lesson plans and marketing strategies after hours. We had blown off some steam in Hong Kong over the weekend, but two days of hiking, exploring and succumbing to swarms of mosquitoes left our bodies wrecked.
We were in need of some TLC, and soon.
When our day off rolled around, we agreed it was time to splurge on a massage. Going off friends' reviews, we made our way across town to the Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat near the Worker's Stadium. Off the main road, tucked back in an alleyway, we found a sleek, modern stairway leading up to a comfortable and inviting entryway. A quick scan through the menu later, we were being led up a few flights of stairs to a clean, cozy room for an Ayurvedic Oil Massage. Advertised to “release blocked energy and loosen the excess toxins” through “long strokes over the whole body,” we were ready to relax.
The first surprise came as we found we would be on beds next to each other – close enough to high-five, as it were – which made stripping down to our skivvies a bit of a bonding experience. Upon our masseuses' arrival, we were drifting into a sweet state of relaxation. That is, until we flipped from our stomachs to our backs. For a girl who had only had one massage before – in Colorado, back in America – I had little to no experience or expectation of what was ahead. I quickly found that in Asia, well, they don't skip over the chest. The towel covering my eyes didn't rest low enough to cover my embarrassed and awkward grin as the middle-aged woman completed the Ayurvedic Massage.
Days later, this expat is still relaxed and incredibly thankful she splurged for an hour of bliss. (Plus, our Monday afternoon arrival scored us the discounted price, bringing it from 348RMB to 308RMB. A perk to odd days off.)
Note: In our time there, there were a fair few employees who knew at least basic English. However, it wouldn't hurt to either know a few basic Chinese phrases or go with someone who does, should you need to navigate any confusion. During the massage, though, a simple “yes” or “no” will pass for the recurring, “Is pressure OK?”
Contact them: You can find them online at www.bodhi.com.cn.
Where: Bodhi Spa
Locations:
Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat
17 Gongtibeilu (opposite the Worker's Stadium)
Chaoyang District
Tel: +86 106417 9595 / +86 106413 0226
Open from 11:00-00:30
Bodhi Senses Somerset
2F Somerset Grand Fortune Garden
46 Liang Ma Qiao Road
Chaoyang District
Tel: +86 108440 1495 / +86 1084401496
Open from 11:00-00:30
Services:
(Visit their website for a full list of services and prices. Included here are a few examples of what you'll find at Bodhi.)
For a full body experience:
Using smooth stones to “harness the deep heat therapy,” their Hot Stone Massage will help release tension in your muscles. The 90-minute treatment will help increase your circulation and eliminate toxins from your system as you relax. (Price: 560RMB) Looking for a uniquely Asian experience? The Traditional Thai Massage skips the oil and goes straight to a full-body work out. Their masseuses use hands, thumbs, elbows, knees and feet to follow energy channels through the pressure points of your body during this 75-minute treatment. While not for the faint of heart (yes, they may lift you and twist you into necessary poses for full energy flow), it will leave your body rejuvenated and refreshed for days. (Price: 348RMB)
For reflexology:
The nourishing foot spa is an 80-minute session that lets your feet relax in a milky bath while you have your shoulders massaged to loosen your tension. Shortly after the treatment is lemon exfoliation and oriental foot massage. Your legs will feel silky smooth after. (Price: 248RMB)
For facial treatments:
If your face is feeling a bit gritty after a couple high-pollution days, head over for the Deep Cleansing Treatment. The folks at Bodhi will spend 90 minutes drawing out the impurities, cleaning deep into your pores. You'll leave with smoother skin and refined skin tone. (Price: 428RMB) Those with a more sensitive face may opt for the Sensitive Facial – an “organic botanical chamomile series” that nurses sensitive skin back to a healthy balance. This can also be a great way to reset your complexion after getting too much sun. (Price: 520RMB)
Among their body treatments and spa packages are a series of seasonal options combining options that will leave your whole body feeling whole and healed. You can find a complete list on their website, and at either location.
Specials and Memberships:
If you head over Mondays through Thursdays, from 13:00 to 17:00, you'll find discounted prices on some of their main services (including the Ayurvedic, Traditional Thai and Chinese Body Massages).There are a series of membership benefits you can purchase. For example, for a deposit of 3000RMB, you can get: a 5 percent discount on the Thai style massage, a 10 percent discount on facial treatments, and 7 free 198RMB vouchers. (Find a full breakdown of the benefits and conditions on their website, or speak with one of their receptionists upon arrival.)
In My Experience:
In recent weeks, a fellow teacher and I were pretty desperate. Our schedules had been filled with additional classes and side projects, leaving us both scrambling to adapt new lesson plans and marketing strategies after hours. We had blown off some steam in Hong Kong over the weekend, but two days of hiking, exploring and succumbing to swarms of mosquitoes left our bodies wrecked.
We were in need of some TLC, and soon.
When our day off rolled around, we agreed it was time to splurge on a massage. Going off friends' reviews, we made our way across town to the Bodhi Therapeutic Retreat near the Worker's Stadium. Off the main road, tucked back in an alleyway, we found a sleek, modern stairway leading up to a comfortable and inviting entryway. A quick scan through the menu later, we were being led up a few flights of stairs to a clean, cozy room for an Ayurvedic Oil Massage. Advertised to “release blocked energy and loosen the excess toxins” through “long strokes over the whole body,” we were ready to relax.
The first surprise came as we found we would be on beds next to each other – close enough to high-five, as it were – which made stripping down to our skivvies a bit of a bonding experience. Upon our masseuses' arrival, we were drifting into a sweet state of relaxation. That is, until we flipped from our stomachs to our backs. For a girl who had only had one massage before – in Colorado, back in America – I had little to no experience or expectation of what was ahead. I quickly found that in Asia, well, they don't skip over the chest. The towel covering my eyes didn't rest low enough to cover my embarrassed and awkward grin as the middle-aged woman completed the Ayurvedic Massage.
Days later, this expat is still relaxed and incredibly thankful she splurged for an hour of bliss. (Plus, our Monday afternoon arrival scored us the discounted price, bringing it from 348RMB to 308RMB. A perk to odd days off.)
Note: In our time there, there were a fair few employees who knew at least basic English. However, it wouldn't hurt to either know a few basic Chinese phrases or go with someone who does, should you need to navigate any confusion. During the massage, though, a simple “yes” or “no” will pass for the recurring, “Is pressure OK?”
Contact them: You can find them online at www.bodhi.com.cn.