Even though we have just had the summer holidays and the children off school, I feel like I’m in more need of a break than ever before. One of those reasons why is that when you’re self-employed, you don’t earn if you don’t work. And when the children are home all summer, it means a lot of early mornings and late nights to get the work done before they need me to be mum. So although we had a pretty chilled out schedule, I have definitely felt quite stressed out and in need of some routine.
Now that the children are back to school, routine has resumed, but some self-care is still needed, as I still have various things to be doing, as well as being taxi-mum driving them to lessons here, there, and everywhere!
This past weekend I was in for a real treat as I was invited to The Massage Company in Tunbridge Wells to try out their massages and see how their membership works, and it came at just the right time.
To start off with, I was impressed with just how welcoming the centre is, with a large reception area and modern decor and seating while you wait. The reception staff were polite, friendly, and really helpful, as I chatted through what kind of treatment I was after and the forms that I needed to fill in; they couldn’t do enough for me.
After that, the massage therapist that I had, Charlie, came over and then it was down to the therapy room. Charlie was great too, very friendly and welcoming so put me really at ease. She was clear about what she was going to be doing, and clear about what was needed of me (such as what I should be taking off (I never know so this was useful). I think that when you’re in a new place and are basically going to be stripping down to your undies it helps if everyone helps you to feel at ease and when it is clear what to do, where she will be, and how long you have, you can do so comfortably.
The room itself was clean and bright, and set up perfectly for relaxation with some calming music. I was even offered to have the bed be switched on as it was a heated bed, which sounded amazing, and not something I have ever experienced before. Then once I was changed and the therapist was back in the room, the lights went down, and on with the massage.
I chose an add-on of having hot stones (add-ons for non-members are £7.95). It was great, and really helped me to relax – I felt great afterwards. I had some areas of tension, and I knew I would, so it was great to have those niggles ironed out and feeling much more relaxed afterwards. There are different options for massage though, from deep tissue to Swedish or pregnancy, and can even have the add-on of a foot massage too. So there are options for everyone.
Pricing
What I wasn’t entirely sure on was how the pricing works. You can get your first massage for £39.95 which is a pretty standard rate. Then from there, you can go back as a non-member and pay £79.95 per massage, which I think is way expensive, or go back as a member and pay £49.95 a month, and that includes one massage and a few other perks. I definitely think that the membership is going to be worth doing if you wanted to do this regularly, because the stand alone price is pretty high, I think. At the reduced rate then I think it would be much more worth it, and like a gym membership, you have to go and get a massage then – the dream!
I really enjoyed my massage. The whole setting was great and the expertise was brilliant. I’m not sure I would be able to afford the membership each month, but if I could, it would definitely be something I’d pay for (much more enjoyable than the gym, right)? 😉
Have you ever heard of The Massage Company before? They have four centres around the South of England, and you can buy as a franchise too.
*the massage was gifted in exchange for review – all words and opinions are my own.
