You know that feeling when you’re shopping and you’re in love with everything around you but you are positive you can’t afford anything. Then you look at a price tag and OMG YOU CAN afford it. That’s what it’s like at Hiatus Spa+Retreat that just opened up at 5740 San Felipe in Tanglewood.
Hiatus is no stranger to Texas with locations in Austin, San Antonio, Plano and Dallas, but it took its sweet time making it to Houston, huh? The goal of the spa brand is simple: High luxury, low cost. And, I know, eye roll, but I actually felt super luxurious and Hiatus’ spa membership is super affordable at $69 a month. With that, you get either a 1-hour massage, facial, mani pedi, body glow, body wrap or acupuncture. And if you want/need more, being a member gets you mad discounts as well.
My Hiatus experience started as most spa days do: Paperwork. But, coupled with the Aveda tea I fell in love with in Chicago, it wasn’t so bad. Seriously, I am obsessed with the tea and may or may not have had 4 glasses in the hourish I was there.
Next, I got to tour the brand new spa. Highlights of the tour included:
- The mani/pedi room with NASA-designed chairs that take you up and back so that you feel weightless. Um… ok what sort of insanely clutch mani/pedi is that?
- The standard facial and massage rooms. Each service begins with a foot wash and scrub for extra luxury.
- The hydrotherapy room. This room has a Vichy shower that rains down on you and helps introduce essential oils and dead sea salts into your skin with five shower heads spewing warm water. This is called The Body Glow treatment. In what world would you think this would be included in an affordable spa membership?
- The locker rooms, in which the girls’ far exceeds the dudes’. Lockers, robes, sandals, showers — all the things you expect from a nice spa.
- The relaxation room with… MORE TEA and flavored water. I love this tea, y’all.
I headed from my tour to the locker room to, once robed up, the relaxation room and waited for my masseuse, Gregoria. I got the foot scrub and wash and we talked about aromatherapy. I smelled several scents and picked my favorite to sniff for the duration of my treatment.
There’s only so many ways a massage can stand out to me, but this one really did. The foot wash, aromatherapy and killer chair — it was on point with the NASA chairs, with extra soft cushions and the adjustments (it went up, down, and all around) — made all the difference from a normal massage chain experience.
Gregoria did not skimp on any time. My appointment was at 5:30, and I walked out after my massage (and, you guessed it, more tea) at 7:05. I think when people hear “affordable luxury,” they think they are going to have to make sacrifices, but I’m so impressed with how Hiatus checks all the boxes of luxury. If you’re a gal who needs her monthly treat yo’self, this H-Circle membership program is for you.
