As a spa junkie, I'm always scouring the internet for deals and discounts to feed my habit. Anything over Dh200 I consider too expensive, usually because there's little difference between the actual treatments themselves. Only the facilities and amenities differ. A massage is a massage, right?
Not so at The Burj Club, a secret Dubai hideaway in the world's tallest building that now welcomes outside guests. At Dh400 for a signature massage, it's double my personal limit, but how many times am I going to be face down in the world's tallest building while someone works my back? So it is with alacrity that I book a Thursday afternoon appointment.
The Club doesn't say what kind of treatment it is even after I ask repeatedly. All I'm told is that the therapist decides after consultation with me. Right, I think, one of those two-minute chats that exists to justify the price (after all, this is the swankiest health facility in Dubai!).
I'm wrong about price inflation and most other preconceptions. Once I've changed, I'm greeted at with a refreshing drink and cold towels and offered a lounger with a calming view. My therapist, Mihai, comes over for a long chat. He talks me through the treatment and consults on problem areas. I tell him I'm sore all over, since it's the end of the week, but my shoulders and calves need work.
Turns out my entire body gets a workout. As does Mihai. He literally throws himself into the treatment, massaging with his palms and fingers, kneading with elbows and forearms, and using his upper arms, shoulder and abs for support at different points.
As a trained therapist who has studied physiology, Mihai understands how the body's muscular system is interconnected with everything else and is able to hone in on specific issues, providing both quick relief for minor stress and deep release for chronic problems. His bag of tricks includes sports techniques such as passive stretches, Swedish and deep-tissue strokes, and the occasional bit of acupressure. At one point, he uses his vigorous movements on my lower back, a chronic problem area, to generate heat that soothes my compressed disk.
Hams, quads, glutes - every muscle gets a workout, and even my pecs are stretched. It's rare for a therapist to work my Achilles tendon, and I whimper in pain, but clearly Mihai knows what he's doing. Within minutes, the spasms have eased and my tendons are almost cheering.
By the time the hour's up, I feel I've been through the equivalent of a two-hour treatment at some of the city's other five-star facilities. As I head to the sauna, I'm on an energy high and am ready to go out and party. The week's tiredness is a distant memory. The Burj Club truly is a Dubai experience that lives up to its promise.
Details: The Burj Club signature massage is Dh400. The facility has a special summer promotion, which includes access to an indoor pool, sauna, steam room, and from July 20, an outdoor pool as well. Call 04 888 3900 or email reception@theburjclub.com
