Hydrotherapy massage at Ace Water Spa

Last weekend, instead of joining the mad crowd trooping out of Manila we decided to spend it the long weekend at home. These past few weeks have been really scorching hot, well except for some days. One of the best ways to escape the heat is to spend in the water and combine it with a good massage.

I purchased two vouchers (Php299/each) from Ace Water Spa for a 4-hour hydrotherapy massage via CashCashPinoy. Regular rates are Php550/adult and Php250/kid. We called up Ace Water Spa's reservations a few days ahead and they confirmed that we can just come to the spa any day we want,there was no need to reserve slots. So last weekend, with the unbearable Saturday heat, we thought it was time to visit Ace Water Spa.

Ace Water Spa follows the European concept of therapeutic spa that utilizes ultrasonic jet system that massages specific areas of the body and when combined with heat, it removes oils,fats, and other non-essential materials from the skin. This results to slimming and good blood circulation. This type of massage is is also more commonly called as hydrotherapy massage.

We arrived in their Banawe branch around 4pm on a Saturday. At the reception, we were given stubs for our lockers. As I entered the locker room, the attendant requested for my slippers to be taken off and provided me my locker key.

The locker room consisted of shower cubicles, lockers, toilets, and changing rooms. It was clean and very well-maintained. I did not see any spot of untidyness but I just didn't like stepping on a wet rubber-matted floor. But other than that, the locker room was spotless. Two thumbs up for Ace Water Spa on cleanliness!

I immediately changed into swimming clothes and met Erick outside the waiting area. I must say that fitted swimwear must be worn during the hydrotherapy massage. It would be better if a one-piece swimsuit will be used. I am guilty of this. I brought my 2-piece string bikini thinking that it was just okay but I felt awkward. Good thing, I bought an extra tight-fitting swimwear. For males, fitted swimwear like swimming trunks or cycling shorts are required. Boardshorts are not allowed.

The water spa was big enough but since it was a long weekend, the spa was crowded. It seems that everyone was there to beat the summer heat that afternoon. I also like the fact that cameras of any kind are not allowed in this establishment because this is a spa and not a resort.

There are five main areas in the spa which you can use: kids area, lapping pool, hydrotherapy massage area, hot herbal pools, and sauna and steam rooms.

The kids area was a treat for both kids and those young at heart. There are a number of water activities to choose from. I especially loved the Lazy River where you can just enjoy floating in the current using a floating mat.And oh there was also the Bucket Splash where you can pull the bucket from above using a rope and cold water will be splashed to you.

The lapping pool was for spa-goers who would love to take a swim in the pool. The pool was divided into two: fun swimming area and non-stop area. As the name suggests, when you decide to swim in the non-stop area you should be aware that there are other people swimming behind you, thus you have to continue swimming until you reach the other end. The whole pool is just 4 feet deep so you wouldn’t worry about getting drowned.

On the other hand, the hydrotherapy massage area is one huge and spacious pool with more than 20 unique and automated ultrasonic massage system. It is equipped with therapeutic aquatic jets for you to relax and target those tired muscles.  The massages can be categorized into soft, moderate, and hard massages. I personally liked the bubble bed where you can lay down comfortably and feel the bubbles massage your back, buttocks, and feet. I also had a great massage time in the chest and waist jet chairs. In the waist massage, the water pressure vibrated and massaged my tummy and waist. I felt like losing a few inches after. What you can do is alternately use the aquatic jets to target specific parts of your body such as the tummy, chest, back, and leg areas. Although the place was packed, we were able to maximize the aquatic jets since the other spa-goers were all courteously taking turns in using the water equipments. Plus points for this! Also since this is spa and not a resort, the people are not so much rowdy..well except for the kids.

The hot herbal pools are my top favorite in the spa mainly because the pools are scented with natural herbs. In this area, there are separate sections for men and women which is just actually just adjacent to each other. There are three pools in each area: mint pool at 32 degrees, jasmine pool at 36 degrees and the hottest of them all- the lavender pool at 40 degrees. Persons with high blood pressure are not advised to soak in the hot pools for it may trigger their blood pressure to rise. There are steel neckrest/side handles in the pool where you can rest your neck and head to balance your body’s temperature.

To fully maximize the benefits of the aromatic herbal pool and prevent you from exhaustion, you can alternately dip in the hot pool and in the cold pool. I did this so I can endure staying in the hot pool. If you are the type who easily gets cold, dipping in the cold pool once or twice would cause your feet to freeze and feel numb. I can only bear plunging once on it and then I run to the hot herbal pool to defy the coldness. It’d also help if you hydrate especially when you already feel parched. After all, there’s a free flowing potable water in the area.

Lastly, there are also steam and sauna rooms separate for men and women. But when we were there, only one steam and one sauna rooms are open. That means sharing the rooms with the opposite gender which wasn’t bad at all if you want to spend it with your friends. We spent five minutes in the steam room since I am not really comfortable with the steam getting into my eyes. I was wearing contact lenses. And I find it really hard breathing in the steam room, the air was just so thick. But if you have colds, the steam would help clear your lungs and air passage. We stayed in the sauna room for 15 minutes and just waited for the hour glass to finish the time.
By this time, we spent a good three hours already. Believe it or not, we felt exhausted and sleepy from all the aquatic jet massages and dipping in the hot herbal pools. We decided to have a quick nap in their rest area. Feeling recharged, we went to the lapping pool and swam for a few minutes.

The Lazy River was really my favorite so we went back there once more and just laid on our backs in the floating mats as the current gently pushes us.

After that, we decided it was time to shower and change clothes. It took me around 40 minutes to shower and dress up. Ace Water Spa’s locker rooms also have free lotion, hair gel, and cotton buds. They even have free plastic bag for your wet clothes.

The hydrotherapy massage was good, relaxing, and fun. It really felt like getting a real massage from a therapist. My legs and tummy areas were firmer. My back and shoulder areas felt relieved. It’s really like stepping out from a spa! Plus having fun in the water!

Ace Water Spa is my new discovery. I know i know, they have been here for quite sometime with two branches already – Pasig and QC. I am definitely coming back! And just to let you know that I had a really good hydrotherapy massage at Ace. I had a nice sleep and woke up feeling refreshed and energized.



Hydrotherapy massage, you will keep me coming back at Ace.