After enjoying this board for nearly four years now, It's with inordinate excitement that I'm finally posting my first review. It's not that I've been holding back all these years, it's that my paid-for adventures are so few and far between that I've had absolutely nothing to report. The most I've ever gone for is a non-AMP style body rub, my first in 1994 at a place called California Salon on 55th St. near B'way, my last in January 2002 at the old CharmsNYC location in the east 50s, with only two or three unmemorable forays in between. But a recent trip to Montreal sparked the old desire, and my online research only exacerbated the condition. I myself love the detailed reviews, so will endeavor to do the same. If that's not your thing, feel free to jump to the last paragraph where I'll sum it all up. If, however, you enjoy the minutiae as much as I, read on . . .
I'd heard that Montreal had plenty of upscale spas, and ****.ca/merc.ca confirmed this. I ultimately decided on centresantekama (http://www.centresantekama.com/) for the predominantly good reviews, the photos of their "therapists," and its proximity to my hotel. I was staying at Le Sheraton Centre downtown, two short blocks from Ste. Catherine St., which is a main drag full of shops and restaurants, and peppered liberally with strip clubs. I'd read glowing reviews of Kim, who was purported to also be part owner of the place, and though she would not have been my first choice based on the photos, I took the plunge and made a 9 pm appointment, the last of the day.
It turned out that I was done with my family obligations earlier than expected, and decided to head over to the spa, figuring if either of the other two girls on the schedule were on duty, both of whom I liked the looks of, I would see one of them instead of Kim, leave it up to fate, and if no one was available, I'd kill time for an hour until my scheduled appointment. The subway system is very simple, and I made it over to the neighborhood in about 10 min. Upon exiting the station, however, I found myself on a section of Ste. Catherine that was the equivalent of Christopher St. in the W. Village, which only affected me insofar as there really wasn't a bar I felt comfortable killing time in, as it turned out that all the girls were busy. So I found a Starbucks nearby, read the paper, and cursed myself for not priming the pump, so to speak, at one of the strip clubs that were literally a five-minute walk from my hotel.
Centre Kama is on a quieter street, Maisonneuve, that runs parallel to St. Catherine. A neon sign out front announced that they were open, and at the appointed hour, with typical nervousness (for me), I was buzzed in. The online photos are very accurate in terms of the pains taken to make the place very comfortable; low lit, and smelling just like all the other spas I've been to, a combination of scented candles and soap. I later learned that there are five private rooms, all equipped with a shower, I believe, and a massage table bearing the logo of the establishment. Nice touch, but I wonder how often it gets cleaned, and I can't recall if a towel was placed over it before I lay down.
I entered into a reception area, where a young woman at a desk greeted me and checked me off the schedule. I was surprised that another customer was waiting his turn also, but he didn't seem embarrassed, maybe because these things are ostensibly on the up and up north of the border. I got a good look at Vanessa, another therapist, and worried that I'd made the wrong choice in choosing Kim. The cost was $50 Canadian for the hour, or about $43 US, with further options to be discussed once in the session. The receptionist requested I remove my snow-caked boots and had a pair of slippers for me. She then led me to my room, which I later learned was a standard, that is, massage table and shower, no extras. She told me to take a shower and Kim would be in presently. A small stall shower, new if on the cheaper side, with two settings, scalding hot or ice cold. Sufficiently washed, I wrapped a towel around my waist and sat on the table to wait.
I'd heard that Montreal had plenty of upscale spas, and ****.ca/merc.ca confirmed this. I ultimately decided on centresantekama (http://www.centresantekama.com/) for the predominantly good reviews, the photos of their "therapists," and its proximity to my hotel. I was staying at Le Sheraton Centre downtown, two short blocks from Ste. Catherine St., which is a main drag full of shops and restaurants, and peppered liberally with strip clubs. I'd read glowing reviews of Kim, who was purported to also be part owner of the place, and though she would not have been my first choice based on the photos, I took the plunge and made a 9 pm appointment, the last of the day.
It turned out that I was done with my family obligations earlier than expected, and decided to head over to the spa, figuring if either of the other two girls on the schedule were on duty, both of whom I liked the looks of, I would see one of them instead of Kim, leave it up to fate, and if no one was available, I'd kill time for an hour until my scheduled appointment. The subway system is very simple, and I made it over to the neighborhood in about 10 min. Upon exiting the station, however, I found myself on a section of Ste. Catherine that was the equivalent of Christopher St. in the W. Village, which only affected me insofar as there really wasn't a bar I felt comfortable killing time in, as it turned out that all the girls were busy. So I found a Starbucks nearby, read the paper, and cursed myself for not priming the pump, so to speak, at one of the strip clubs that were literally a five-minute walk from my hotel.
Centre Kama is on a quieter street, Maisonneuve, that runs parallel to St. Catherine. A neon sign out front announced that they were open, and at the appointed hour, with typical nervousness (for me), I was buzzed in. The online photos are very accurate in terms of the pains taken to make the place very comfortable; low lit, and smelling just like all the other spas I've been to, a combination of scented candles and soap. I later learned that there are five private rooms, all equipped with a shower, I believe, and a massage table bearing the logo of the establishment. Nice touch, but I wonder how often it gets cleaned, and I can't recall if a towel was placed over it before I lay down.
I entered into a reception area, where a young woman at a desk greeted me and checked me off the schedule. I was surprised that another customer was waiting his turn also, but he didn't seem embarrassed, maybe because these things are ostensibly on the up and up north of the border. I got a good look at Vanessa, another therapist, and worried that I'd made the wrong choice in choosing Kim. The cost was $50 Canadian for the hour, or about $43 US, with further options to be discussed once in the session. The receptionist requested I remove my snow-caked boots and had a pair of slippers for me. She then led me to my room, which I later learned was a standard, that is, massage table and shower, no extras. She told me to take a shower and Kim would be in presently. A small stall shower, new if on the cheaper side, with two settings, scalding hot or ice cold. Sufficiently washed, I wrapped a towel around my waist and sat on the table to wait.