I've been wanting to try Hawaii Choi Spa for a while now, and today the timing seemed right.
I phoned and made an appointment for noon and scheduled for 90 minutes. I was excited to try something different.
I arrived early, so was waiting outside. A woman arrived right after me and tried the doorknob. It was locked, but the owner (Ms. Choi) opened the door to let her in, and I followed her. They seemed to know each other, and Ms. Choi asked if I had the noon appointment, which I confirmed. She asked us to wait, speaking to me in English and to the other woman in Korean. She explained the options to me, and I opted for Deep Tissue.
As we sat waiting, I learned that the woman had been there several times before and spoke highly of them.
It was very interesting to watch. I saw three different therapists coming out of the treatment rooms, walking briskly back and forth, seemingly coordinating with each other. From the outside (our vantage point), there was a lot of activity going on. I did not feel forgotten, with Ms. Choi occasionally stopping by to briefly converse with us in the waiting area.
After a few minutes, two clients exited their treatment rooms around the same time. Ms. Choi met with each personally, asked about their treatments, and assisted them in settling their payments. Then a third client came out from her room, and Ms. Choi met with her as well.
It was our turn now, and we were guided to our respective treatment rooms. Ms. Choi gave me a brief explanation of how things are done there and left me to prepare.
When I was ready, one of the therapists came in to work on me. I reminded her that I wanted a deep-tissue massage, and she confirmed that was her understanding as well. She asked if I wanted cupping, and I declined. Later, she asked if I wanted a facial done, and I declined that as well. I wanted to have the full 90 minutes devoted to the massage my body had been craving.
My first impression as she worked on me was that it felt completely different from massages I've had elsewhere. I asked her if it was her style or Korean style, and she answered, "Korean style."
After a few minutes, I heard Ms. Choi's voice asking how everything was and if I had any injuries on my body. She then asked if it would be okay if she walked on my back, and I said that would be fine. I felt her on my back, and as soon as she started treating me, things took on a livelier tempo and energy. Working from above, she seemed to know exactly where to apply just the right pressure, finding spots on my back, arms, and legs that needed to wake up. She concluded her portion of the treatment, and then my assigned therapist resumed with the rest of the treatment.
My impression as I lay there in the treatment room was in complete contrast to the one I had in the waiting room. The treatment itself felt calming, continuous, and relaxing.
I had lost track of time, but they seemed to do amazing work in just 90 minutes.
After I dressed and came out, Ms. Choi greeted me again and explained her part in the overall treatment. She described their style of massage as "Korean." I would have to agree that it was way different from any massage I had before.
I look forward to my next visit. read more