What happens in an hour
The session starts with a few simple questions: where it aches, whether there is an area to avoid, what pressure suits you. The therapist then sets up the table, linen and oils while you change, and works through the back, neck, shoulders, legs, arms and feet, in that order or in whatever order you asked for.
The pace is deliberately slow. Strokes are long and enveloping, with no strong pressure, because the aim is not to release one particular muscle but to lower your overall level of tension. Most people half fall asleep around the middle of the session, which is exactly the point.
Sixty or ninety minutes
An hour is enough for a full-body massage. The ninety-minute version leaves time to return to the places where travel fatigue builds up, the lower back and calves in particular, and to add the face and scalp at the end.
If you are unsure, choose the length by the time of day rather than by the treatment: an hour before dinner, ninety minutes when nothing else is planned. For something longer still, the relaxing ritual combines a hammam with an hour of massage.
The right moment in your stay
On the evening you arrive, after a flight and a transfer, this is often the treatment that does the most good: it helps you leave the journey behind and sleep properly on the first night. Mid-stay, it is a pause between two busy days.
Just avoid booking it straight after a large meal. An hour's gap is comfortable, and a lukewarm shower afterwards makes the feeling of calm last longer.
The treatments offered
In practice
- Length
- 60 minutes, or 90 minutes for a fuller massage.
- Pressure
- Gentle by default, adjusted to you during the session.
- What we bring
- Folding massage table, clean linen, towels and oils.
- What you need
- A little room for the table, about two metres by one.
- Hours
- Every day from 9am to 11pm. Evening is the ideal time for this one.
Frequently asked questions
How is it different from the argan oil massage?
The relaxing massage is about letting go, with gentle, even pressure. The signature argan massage is still enveloping but leaves more room for the pressure you choose, firmer if you like. If you simply want to unwind, take the relaxing one.
Can I fall asleep during the massage?
Yes, and many people do. The therapist carries on as normal and wakes you gently at the end. Nobody minds; it is rather a sign the treatment is working.
Can two of us have it at the same time?
Yes, as a duo massage: two therapists and two tables in the same room. It needs a little more space; a family room, a lounge or a covered terrace is enough.
Should I shower beforehand?
It is not required but it is pleasant, especially after a day in town. Avoid moisturiser just before: oil glides less well on skin that is already coated.
