I have fallen in love. I visited Prague for the first time, and she completely captivated me. What an incredibly beautiful city; around every corner, there was something more that took your breath away. Her beauty is awe-inspiring with every building’s attention to detail and storytelling. Prague is well kept and very clean, and her people are all embracing and kind.
Our visit was on a weekend, and it was extremely busy. Understandable so, with all the tourists wanting to soak her up and see everything she has to offer. My husband and I partook in the sight seeing for sure, but one thing we did was schedule some downtime at ecsotica spa; and let me tell you, it was the best decision made that weekend!
From the moment the Alchymist Hotel (home is ecsotica) came into view, the sense of relaxation eased in. Walking over the threshold into their beautiful courtyard, we knew we were in for a treat. Entering the hotel, we were greeted with welcoming smiles and kind staff who guided us toward the entrance of the spa, which, of course, was below ground. Not to get off topic, but in medieval times, Prague was accepting of the alchymist, and there is a lot of interesting history worth exploring, especially all the ungrounded tunnels and Alchymy labs. Knowing this is why I chose this spa, instead of the one that was situated right in the hotel we were staying in. I wanted somewhere that embraced this history on some level… and it did not disappoint.
My husband and I walked downstairs to enter a cozy, inviting reception area where Damir warmly greeted and invited us to take a seat and offered a delicious, refreshing, healthy elixir to sip on. We reviewed our bookings, completed a health waiver, and then we were presented a tray with beautiful bottles of oils (very occult-like and fitting). It was a tough decision, but both of us picked the same oil for our 90-minute alchymist massages; ecsotica’s signature treatment combing Balinese, Hawaiian, and Swedish massage techniques.
We were then given a tour of the spa and its amenities, beginning to feel like VIP, as we were the only ones there. After each being led to the locker rooms, to drop our belongings and slip into a robe, our therapists led us through these gorgeous doors over a bride, below us a koi fish pond, and to a couples treatment room, where they had prepared for us a foot soak prior to our massages. That was a nice little surprise.
They gave us a few private moments to enjoy the foot soak and unwind, and then when ready to unrobe and climb onto the tables. Once situated, our therapists quietly entered the room, and our treatments began. Wow!
Now, as you know, I am also a massage therapist, and I have very high standards as to what I expect a great massage to be, and my therapist, Damir, delivered. I feel his style very much matched mine, and his intention, energy, and techniques quickly had me melting on the table and entering a very healing, relaxing space. I actually didn’t speak a word the entire treatment. I must comment on his transition from having me turn over from prone to supine. It was the most smooth, graceful removal of the bolster under my ankles. I felt like he never stopped the massage as he gently removed the bolster. Actually, on that note, it felt like he remained connected, physically in constant contact the entire massage. Which, in my opinion, is also a sign of an expert therapist. The 90 minutes passed, and it was perfection.
After our massages, we were guided to the resting area where we sipped on another healing elixir and relaxed and enjoyed the amenities. Again, it was still just the two of us, which was beyond lovely to swim and kiss and enjoy each other in the pool under a beautiful crystal chandelier. We leisurely hopped between the pool, the sauna, and the relaxation area. Once we had our fill we went our separate ways to the men and women locker rooms, where I sat in the steam room for a few minutes, followed by a cool shower, slowly getting ready to emerge into the sea people exploring the beautiful city of Prague.
Jyll's Zen Lounge 