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Nickel, Covent Garden - 4 bubbles
As Lemony Snicket has so wisely pointed out: "A new experience can be extremely pleasurable, or extremely irritating, or somewhere in between, and you never know until you try it out." So, when we sent our newest male spa spy to Nickel, the men-only treatment rooms, he anticipated pleasure and irritation in equal measure. Luckily, pleasure won out.
First impressions?
How did they welcome you?
What happens next?
Which treatments did you have?
What were the treatments like?
How did you feel afterwards?
What happens afterwards?
Long-term effects
Was it worth it?
What else could you have?
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
Who do you think would like it?
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Would you go again?
First impressions?
Good. Nickel Spa is a small but tidy establishment in Covent Garden. The ambience is that of an upmarket health and beauty products store, with a small banquette sitting-out area by the reception counter, plenty of products arranged on low-rise shelves around the shop, and a few magazines such as Men's Health on a little table. Clean, stripped-pine floor. Nickel is the sort of place that wouldn't be too threatening for guys to come in and browse.
How did they welcome you?
The receptionist took my name and confirmed the booking efficiently. The receptionist invited me to take a seat, while I filled in the consultation form.
What happens next?
My masseur, Dewi, came upstairs and introduced himself, confirming the treatment once again. Dewi led me down to the lower depths, where there are five treatment rooms off a narrow corridor lit in moon-glow blue. A trio of punch-bags hangs in the corridor, but probably only decoratively. The rooms at Nickel are small and the tables fairly narrow, with the standard hole for the face. There isn't any obvious place to put your clothes, apart from a coat-hook, so I folded everything and slung it on the seating, like I would at home.
Which treatments did you have?
I had the whole-body massage (£60, 60 minutes).
What were the treatments like?
Excellent. Probably the best massage I've had. The lights were turned way down low as the massage got under way, which helped relaxation. African-effect chillout music, of which I am more than a little sceptical, played throughout. The massage was the kind of treatment guys expect, with plenty of firm pressure and hard strokes to encourage blood flow. Dewi located my problem areas -- lower back, rhomboids -- without prompting, and persisted with the knottiest areas of muscle until everything had loosened. The moments of borderline pain were fine, and compensated for by the inevitable tickliness when it came to the soles of the feet. The oils used in the massage were gorgeously aromatic, each one more enticing than the last. Dewi applied something that smelt of sandalwood and mint to my neck and shoulders. Little talk, just lots of profound relaxation, until a half-sleepy, half-contented feeling came over me. Suddenly, central London seemed a world away...
How did you feel afterwards?
Superb. Both supple and immensely relaxed in both the physical and mental senses. Not even the Christmas crowds around Piccadilly Circus dented the serenity.
What happens afterwards?
I was left alone to gather myself and get dressed again, before making my way back up to reception. Dewi was waiting to give me a final handshake and to ask me how I felt post-treatment.
Long-term effects
Great. The wrenched muscle pain I'd been having in my back had gone.
Was it worth it?
Definitely. The massage didn't just feel good at the time, the treatment felt like it actually had some much needed medium-term benefit.
What else could you have?
An array of different massages running from 30 minutes to an hour and a half, as well as a "love-handle wrap". You can also have facials, brow and eyelash tints, manicures and pedicures, microdermabrasion and osteopathy, as well as waxing.
What do you wish you'd known before you went?
Nothing really. There's nothing to frighten the horses.
Who do you think would like it?
Guys who want proper grown-up men's massage: the pummelling as opposed to caressing approach. Nickel definitely provides a non-threatening environment for men who might have issues with the more cosmetic atmosphere of some places. The products all look safely masculine, with not a drop of rose oil in sight.
Why did you give the spa this rating?
Nickel isn't the showiest place, the towels aren't the fluffiest towels, but the treatment is top-notch, very professional and efficient. Nickel fully deserves to retain its 4 bubbles.
See more on how we rate the spas
Would you go again?
Very much so. Nickel feels like the kind of place that you could drop into without hassle if you had a spare hour in the middle of a day about town. Nickel aims to make "a spa visit for men as easy as a trip to the barber's", and they certainly do.
We visited Nickel in December 2009
Like the sound of this? You're in luck.
Follow this link to book a special hotel offer at Nickel with our partners lastminute.com
See also:
* Contact Details for Nickel
* Treatments for men
* Should men shave before having a facial?
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