dtox Day Spa - Happy Hour Meets the Spa Experience

I can’t say that I’ve been to a lot of spas in my day, but after making a trip out to dtox Day Spa, I’ll have to say I’ll surely be making it a point to make more trips in to pamper myself in the near future!  I received an invitation to dtox Day Spa’s celebration of their one-year anniversary Happy Hour Friday Birthday Party Bash with music, drinks and massage.  All I have to say is what class!  When I arrived to the spa on Friday evening, I was greeted by the friendly Dtox Spa staff with smiles all around.  As soon as I walked in I felt a great energy around me and was in anticipation for a spa treatment.



Happy Hour Friday is a one-of-a-kind three-hour event that dtox holds once a month in Atwater Village.  For the party, the spa is converted from the normally quiet and serene 6,200 square foot space into an area that’s filled with people mingling and sharing good conversation while eating cheese and sipping on a glass of wine awaiting their mini-spa treatments that are sure to come throughout the evening.



In speaking with Michelle Shortencarrier, PR for dtox Day Spa, I learned a bit about the history of Happy Hour Fridays.  “Who wants a treatment with a massage therapist you don’t even know?  This way guests get an opportunity to meet their massage therapist even if it’s only for 20 minutes. What they do is they come back and ask for the person who gave them their 20 minutes.  The Friday event is one the employees enjoy but it’s hard and stressful. It doesn’t look like it but it is and tonight was one of the biggest nights ever.”



For a 20 minute treatment it’s $39, two for $69, and three is $99. If you get stuck in traffic and are late, you’ll forfeit your service but thankfully you can get a refund.  There is one gentleman who has never missed a Happy Hour Friday and one time he even brought his entire office. A majority of people just have to come back being that they get a chance to get to know their massage therapist and they even get to know the owners because they are always there.
 


One of the biggest compliments, says Michelle, is the service there. Everyone loves the beauty, they love the atmosphere. During the day the curtains are closed and the area is quiet and calming.  The loudest thing is the waterfalls so it’s very quiet. Only during happy hour Fridays is it loud with techno music playing.  The owner Cary is the designer of the spa which was once a tuxedo rental and dry cleaner a year ago.



Ken King and Cary Mock are the owners and Tayler Kent is the spa director who manages the staff and what the services are.  In fact he’s the guy who came up with happy hour Friday!  He came up with the idea five years ago and thought spas were the kind of place to have fun and enjoy yourself.  Cary manages the design- how people feel, how people are treated, Ken does the books, and Michelle does the PR.  Michelle stated “The first happy hour Friday was all free and had 150 people, full blown a DJ, and dance floor.  It was crazy. We wanted to do it again but it was gonna be too crazy.”



Being that there were a few treatments to be had, I chose to go with the facial after determining my skin needed a little TLC with the heat of the summer taking its’ toll.  Lila, who has been at dtox for about six months, performed my mini facial.  She talked about how much she has enjoyed working there because of the peaceful environment and great people.  The facial left my skin feeling invigorated, alive and perfectly balanced and my body feeling like I was floating on cloud 10 looking down at cloud 9 smiling.
 


Before and after my facial, I enjoyed myself and socialized with friends while sipping on beverages, nibbling on hors d’oeuvres and moving with the music.  I can’t tell you how neat of an experience it was to get up from the chair after a facial, and walk out into a party! Upon leaving the spa, I found myself feeling equally relaxed and energized at the same time. My skin felt great the next day as well, and I have concluded that Lili has given me the best massage I've had yet. Overall my experience at dtox was excellent and I will definitely go back.













Photos by Quang Bui