Ask Susie: How Do I Find a “Good” Spa

Question:

How do I know whether the spa in my area is a “good” one for a full cleansing facial?”

RG

Answer:

Dear RG,

Good question.  When we spend money on a spa service, we want to make sure that we have 1) selected a good spa and 2) are getting a great therapist for the particular treatment we want – in your case a full cleansing facial.  Here are four things I do to tilt the odds of getting an excellent experience in my favor:

1. Read online reviews
2. Check out the spa’s website and photos
3. Ask friends for a personal recommendation
4. Call and ask, “Who is your most popular aesthetician?”

What I like about online reviews is that they are from fellow consumers who are usually pretty candid about their experiences. While I don’t consider just one review (good or bad) the entire picture, after reading multiple ones, I can usually get a good sense of the service level.  Reviews can be found online in many places these days – including on www.spafinder.com.

I find that a spa’s website and photos will give me a lot of information about the professionalism of their business. While a polished website doesn’t always indicate that you will receive a great service, a homemade website makes me think twice.  Also, professional photography gives me a much better impression than photographs that look like they were taken by an employee.

Personal recommendations are the number one way people find out about spas and specific service so ask your friends.  If you meet someone who has lovely skin, ask them where they go for facials and who their aesthetician is.  (You might also ask what product line they use?)

And finally, if I don’t have a specific name and treatment after doing all of the above, I usually call the spa and ask, “Who is your most popular aesthetician (or therapist)?” Notice I don’t ask, “Who is your best aesthetician or therapist.”  That’s because the answer to that question is usually, “They are all good.”  When I ask the question about who is most popular, well, they almost always have to give me a name.

Susie