Saturday, October 9, 2010

Gimme A Massage! : Pearlsacho Massage and Wellness Center

Tired. Body aches. On and off colds. Those were my unrelenting rants this week that Vin finally decided to go and get some stress-relief with me.


Vin and I are suckers for cheap but relaxing massages. We always find ourselves on the hunt for 24/7 places (due to our crazy work schedules) that offer great massages but won't hurt our pockets. Nothing beats an honest-to-goodness full body massage after a crazy week at work.

When I was still working and living in the Makati CBD area, I have been a huge fan of Mont Albo Massage Hut (http://www.montalbomassage.com/site/). It was right next door to where I work and a couple blocks away from where I lived and were open 24/7. Unfortunately, they moved their spa and training center just right across the street but changed up their operation hours and only stayed open until 12:00 am.

We had no choice but try and look for a place that's still open in the wee hours of the morning (it was around 3:00am, right off work for me). Vin mentioned passing by a place that is usually open on his way home.

We found Pearlsacho Massage and Wellness Center in Pasong Tamo that's still open. We stepped inside and were welcomed by a friendly receptionist who immediately took our preferences. The rates were good, Php350.00 for a one-hour full-body Combination massage. We decided to make it 1.5hrs (yes, we were extra-stressed. Haha!) for Php525.00 and were directed by 2 female therapists to the second floor.

I was a little dubious at first because I think the facilities could use some further improvements. The couple's room we were delegated to consisted of an airconditioned bare room with 2 massage tables. The poor soundproofing sent streets noises of cars and jeepneys passing by through the closed windows. I thought to myself then, 'the massage better be good'.

Well, I was not disappointed. Ate Marlyn , my therapist, started off with slow, sure strokes and asked for my pressure preference. And in the next one hour and a half, I was treated to a relaxing and calming massage that loosened my tired muscles. Halfway into our massages, they placed heating pads (or maybe those were heated towels) to lie on, which felt very soothing. I found myself drifting off towards the end of the massage, during my shoulder and head rub. I rarely fall asleep during massages and this is an indication that it indeed was good, I was lulled to doze off! :) Needless to say, we tipped very generously on our way out. We were offered hot and cold tea upon paying for the services too.

Again, I won't recommend this if you're used to a place with spa facilities like a jacuzzi, a sauna, or a reliable hot shower. I suggest you just get home service, which they offer too. But for affordable, really-need-a-great-massage-now situations, I'd definitely bring you there. :) They're currently open at 4:00pm-4:00am but we were told that they're planning to be open 24/7 soon.

You can visit Pearlsacho Massage Center at Davila St. cor. Pasong Tamo, Makati City. It's near Shopwise, just right before you get to the PD Inquirer's head office. They can be contacted at 895-6205 and 0907-3251530. I believe they also have a Vito Cruz branch but you can just inquire. ;)

Happy stress-free week ahead!