A year and a half after my first visit to The Spa at Address Dubai Marina, I was invited back there for a review last week. Since my mom was in town, it was perfect timing and I decided to treat her to some much-deserved pampering.

Walking back into Address Dubai Marina, laced with their familiar and very pleasant signature fragrance was nothing short of De Ja Vu, especially since my staycation and previous spa experience at the property was an extremely pleasant one.

We were welcomed with chilled towels fragranced with jasmine; and a refreshing lemon and mint drink. The lighting was dim and relaxing, the air balmy and the aroma calming. We were handed elegant Address pens, and pleather binders containing a form to fill out highlighting any allergies or medications we might be on, and I couldn’t help but notice how the spine of the binder was completely giving away, to reveal a wide, not-so-luxe looking white crack.

The towels, robes and slippers in The Spa at Address Dubai Marina were all beige and the spa had minimalist decor with all neutral earth tones– very classy and calming. Clear attention had been paid to the smallest details; the robes were extremely comfortable, and the slippers were perfect. They were clearly designed for the smaller petite feet of women, and it was such a treat to slip my feet into soft slippers that actually fit.

A small detail that always catches my attention is the size and layout of the lockers. Till date, the lockers at The Spa in Address Dubai Marina are by far the best I’ve experiences in Dubai. The size and layout is simply perfect. The lockers are actually tall enough for you to hang a dress or abaya in, there is plenty of room for shoes, your bag, and even jewelry/car keys/books, or in my case- a camera. You can also count on a full range of amenities to be at your disposal and not have to look for someone to bring you a loofah or tooth brush.

There was only a single specialist on duty when we went (11 a.m.,), so we had to take turns getting our treatments. My mom went first, which gave me time to laze in the relaxation lounge for a while and catch up on some reading whilst sipping on Avantcha tea. It was then that I realized that my robe smelled like stale massage oil- almost as if it hadn’t been washed properly after the previous guest wore it. I must admit this grossed me out a lottle (which is a little but a lot).

My mom was 10 mins late to start her treatment, so instead of 50 mins, her massage only lasted 40 mins. She came out looking completely and utterly relaxed, and almost instantly fell into a nap in the relaxation lounge. Super adorable. The relaxation room truly is so relaxing that you instantly feel sleepy, so you really can’t blame her.

After my mom was done, I headed off to my treatment. I appreciated how all the treatment rooms had befitting names rather than numbers, like “Tranquility”, “Serenity”, “Revitalize”, etc.

The treatment bed was heat controlled and adjustable. Bare minimum requirement, check. I just don’t understand how almost every spa neglects to iron the frill that hangs over the edges of the treatment beds. The view from my treatment bed (facing down) was of some frangipanis floating in a shallow bowl of water. Very pleasant.

For the treatment, they keep it simple when it comes to the oil selection. You choose between two fragrances, one is relaxing and the other is rejuvenating. The former had notes of Jajoba and Ylang Ylang. The latter had eucalyptus and grape seed oil. Simply put, whichever fragrance you’re more inclined towards is what your body needs. My body decided that it needs to be rejuvenated.

The treatment started with my feet being wiped with a warm towel as opposed to being soaked in warm water. My massage was very calming, and I did leave the treatment feeling uplifted and refreshed. If you’re a sunshine-loving person (like I am), you have the option of pulling the curtains and letting the rays gliding over the Marina spill inside. When it comes to massages though, I quite for it to be dark all around.

When I finished my treatment and went outside, my mom was peacefully snoring. I encouraged her to soak up some sauna and steam before we showered to leave, as our therapist said her muscles were exceptionally stiff. The treatments we both had were the Balinese Massage, priced at AED 450 each.

Overall, The Spa at Address Dubai Marina was a very comfortable and relaxing experience, barring the stale oil smell in the robes. If you’d like, you can even purchase some Avantcha teas on your way out!