In December 2002, Oriental Taipan celebrated the opening of their first spa. Now, six years later, the chain is set to open its sixth and seventh branches, a duo of three-story spas built in conjunction with the brand’s upcoming serviced apartments in the CBD and Financial Street. That said, we decided to pay a trip to the spa’s Ritan branch to discover what it was that led to the spa’s success.

Upon our arrival, we poured over the seemingly endless list of services before finally selecting the 80-minute Four Hands Aroma Massage. At YY780, the massage features two masseuses and Jurlique oil from Australia—a combination that’s too good to resist. After escorting us to our room, an attendant presented us with a menu of goodies for us to choose from.

Realizing that a massage on a full stomach would be less than desirable, we decided against the shrimp wonton soup and instead ordered a glass of their complimentary fresh watermelon juice. Perfectly chilled and deliciously sweet, it was a refreshing start to our relaxing journey.

Soon, we were joined by two masseuses who, upon entering, began to dim the lights until all that remained was the flicker of a lone candle in a small corner of the room. Closing our eyes, we became increasingly aware of the New Age music playing in the background and the calming aroma of the lavender massage oil.

Meanwhile, our masseuses slowly worked their way from our calves to our shoulders using fluid and perfectly synchronized movements before eventually parting ways to massage our head and feet.

Then suddenly, before we had time to prepare, our massage was over. Alone once again, resisted the urge to lay there forever and instead, clumsily rolled off the bed and gathered our things before reluctantly re-entering the real world. After all, all good things must come to an end and sadly, massages are no exception.

Location:6 Ritan Lu, behind the CITC Building

日坛路6号国际大厦后面

Cost: RMB780

Tel: 6503-5701