For Christmas, Kit got me a really nice spa membership to
Gene Juarez downtown. It’s a three month “passport” to spa services – you get
one a month for 3 months and you get to choose if you want a massage or a
mani/pedi or whatever.
He thought it was a good way to check out the spa and decide
if it’s a good downtown option for us on a regular basis. So far I’ve done 2
months and have one treatment to go – but I thought I would share my thoughts
so far.
Gene Juarez means well, but I think they have gotten “tired”.
They have turned into sort of the mass market spa/salon, and while they offer
nice services and are well located, I think they are phoning it in on the
customer service and maintenance of their facilities.
First of all, the entrance to the salon on Pine is pretty less
than average. There is a little retail storefront for product and usually a
salesperson there that leads you to the elevator in the back that takes you up
to floor 4 where the salon and spa services are. All fine except it just looks
a little bit dirty and shabby. The gal or guy working there is nice, but
sometimes a little “insincere”. Last time I was there, a not so well groomed
tranny was working the storefront. She/he was perfectly nice, but looked as if
she/he were well past a few grooming appointments herself. Hair and make-up ok,
but the lowcut top with ½ inch chest hair grow-up was a little unsightly. Don’t
get me wrong – I really enjoy the beautifully well groomed tranny’s around
town, working the MAC counters at Nordstrom, doing their thing. They are
spectacular and their make-up is AWESOME – but c’mon, you can’t show up for
work looking like you’ve been up for 2 nights straight with your “look” all
messed up.
Next – 4th floor check in people –AWESOME! Super
nice, so really pleased at how well the front line is taking care of customers –
Nail treatment – my first Mani/Pedi was really good. It was
really the best manicure I’ve even gotten. It lasted through 2 airports, 4
rounds of golf and a week at the beach in Maui without a single chip. Really
good, and so was the pedi. I would definitely go back for that. Great job from
Julie – but she may have told me TMI about her entire life….. just a little. Sigh…Still,
good job.
Massage- Here’s where we get back to the less that great
treatment. Get in the spa area, they warn me that the normal “foot bath”
attendant wasn’t there today, so I would get my foot bath from my massage lady.
That’s fine. I was led into the changing room, given a locker and told to
change and go back out to the cozy little waiting room area. I could barely fit
my coat, bag, shoes into the super little tiny locker, so that was irritating. Then,
I pull out the robe, and the lining is sort of tattered and torn which is also
irritating. Doesn’t someone do quality control and cull out the older damaged
robes after they come back from the laundry? In my case, apparently not. I was
kind of discouraged by that. Also, I think my robe was a small, so I felt like
a medium would have been better and was worried it was going to fly open during
my little foot bath. So, also a bit uncomfortable when it should have been
nothing but cozy. Then, my massage gal – she was really nice, but why do they
make you fill out the form and go over with you what kind of massage and
pressure you prefer – and then THEY DON’T DO IT. It was one of the weakest
massages ever. I don’t know if this lady was just tired or it was the best she
could do, but it was so light. I had told her I liked FIRM pressure, ha. She
didn’t talk to that was nice, and the room was nice and warm and all that, but
I won’t go to her again.
I have one more treatment in March – I think I’ll arrange another
massage just to try another person and see if I get a better robe, etc. But, if
it’s not good – I think I’m done with Gene Juarez.
There is another spa downtown called Ummelina that I used to
go to – but over the years it had gotten a little run down too. I heard
recently that it’s improved again, so I think I’ll try it too.
In the end, I only have a few rules:
1. Walking distance from our apartment.
2. A robe with no holes in it.
3. A tranny greeter with nice make-up and no chest-hair grow-out.
Is that too much to ask, people?
 |
| Yes |
 |
| no |
