Treatment we had: Hydrotherm massage, $120.
What we liked: The extras make this place: the foot soak in a quiet and low-lit waiting room, caring attention to any health concerns, soothing flute-and-waterfall music, a choice of scented oils. Once on the table, you lie on warm, water-filled rubber “pillows” that swish like a waterbed. You never turn over: The therapist reaches beneath to work out knots in back and shoulders. Morgan Nerad also massaged my scalp and each arm and leg thoroughly, with appropriate draping. She turned on a heat lamp when the room cooled and later started a shower for me to wash off.
What you should know: The shower is stocked with several Aveda products, but the stall was too dark to tell what they are. (We were later told the lighting is adjustable.) And no antiperspirant?
Bottom line: Good for those who dislike turning over during a massage. A different approach not special enough to justify the higher price—a basic massage is $95—but the all-around soothing atmosphere and foot soak make any visit worthwhile.
Elaj Aveda Day Spa, King Farm Village Center, 801 Pleasant Dr., Suite 110, Rockville; 301-977-1514; elajavedadayspa.com.
