My boo loves to get pampered, and last year for her 29th birthday she suggested we spend a day at Chateau Elan. Me, being a very stupid man, totally forgot to book a reservation several weeks out and scrambled several days before.. And with that scramble, I could only book two men for our day at the spa.
I wanted a woman -- because I feel more comfortable with a woman touching me -- but no other massage/ spa place had any availability. So yeah, fellas, don't mess this up like me. You. Will. Pay... Anyways, things to know:
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I. SERVICES
I bought the Seasonal Couples Ritual. It's $575 Monday-Thursday and $640 from Friday-Sunday. We went on a Monday in the Summer. Booking an appointment, over phone, was super easy. All the services are noted on their website here: http://www.chateauelan.com/spa-service-menu.html.
II. LOCATION & PARKING
Chateau Elan is located off of Highway 85, and plenty of signs on the highway will tell you where to exit. Once you do, you'll then find yourself on Haven Harbor Drive and see a large estate to your left. After passing through the gates, spot the spa on the your right. And like all things on the trip, there are helpful signs to help guide you.
Also, since you're in the boonies, there's plenty of free parking at the spa. So no worries there.
III. EXPERIENCE
A) PRE-APPOINTMENT
Plan to arrive at least a couple hours before your appointment time to enjoy the complimentary amenities that I'll note in a bit.
Upon entering the building, you'll find the receptionist to your right. She will tell you to mosey on down stairs to where the (spa) magic happens.
They have separate bathrooms/ locker rooms for both men and women (of course). It's where you'll leave all your belongings. Don't worry about bringing a lock, because their lockers have this simple keypad lock. Just remember your code.
After you lock up your stuff, enjoy the steam and sauna rooms (both very small, yet clean). Outside of the bathrooms is where the hot tub is. They also give you a robe that you can wear around the building.
B) APPOINTMENT
I met up with my lady in the waiting room, where they have these comfy chairs. Then the two men, who would provide the services for the Seasonal Couples Ritual, arrived. (The dude assigned to me was the very large, bald, and burly man who could easily crush my body.) They led us up the elevator and to our room. And I have to admit that the awkwardness reminded me of Tom Cruise in Eyes Wide Shut when he went into that orgy party. You know, with all the masks. --Weird.
We found ourselves in this dimly lit/ romantic room that had two massage tables, tub, double shower, and toilet. They gave us these thin mesh outfits for us to cover our privates. Not that I wanted to be naked with this burly man, but they're interesting. I accidentally stepped incorrectly and tore them the first time trying them on and had to ask for a new one.
FOOT SCRUB: The two men came in and asked us to sit in these chairs where they scrubbed our feet with, uh, scrub salt? The burly man sat on a stool and sandpappered the bottoms of my feet, and I admit that I had a really hard time looking the dude in the face. But yeah, after a few washes my feet, he made me feel like I could hover across the floor.
BODY SCRUB: We then laid on the table with chest down first, and then the dude rubbed my body with the same scrub salt. It hurt. I lost a lot of skin. There were red marks everywhere. And then he did it on my chest. "Just terrible." (Charles Barkley voice.)
SHOWER: They then left the room, and we rinsed off in this immaculate shower with double, dramatic heads and all. Best part, by far.
MASSAGE: We then received a massage. The dude gave me some good pressure, but his arm hair kept brushing against my face and I couldn't fall asleep. (LOL.)
COCONUT MILK BATH: My lady and I then took a bath with coconut milk, and let me tell you, it's not anything special. It just feels like regular water and looks cloudy.
CHAMPAGNE AND CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES: The champagne is a bit bitter (which is fine) and the chocolate covered strawberries tasted good!
C) POST-APPOINTMENT
We then left the room, with our robes and all, and chilled by the pool downstairs. There's not a lot of people during the day, so we had it all to ourselves. There's also a large garden with man-made pond, but we didn't bother to venture out there.
Before you leave, venture upstairs to get some complimentary snacks and drinks.
IV. AMBIENCE & DÉCOR
The room where we received our services was quite nice. The rest of the Chateau could definitely use upgrades, though.
V. PRICES
Compared to other massage/ spa places, I think that Chateau Elan is competitive with their prices for their high-quality services.
VI. OVERALL
I think, if you have the money to splurge, Chateau Elan is a good time and is worth checking out at least once. It's a nice getaway from city life. read more