Hiatus Spa + Retreat

Best Spa in Dallas. Hiatus Spa was one of my first stops when I moved to Dallas. I've been an AVEDA user for quite awhile and knew I needed my one stop shop for facials and massages. I immediately became a member and have been hooked ever since. My best part of the month is knowing I have a service waiting to be used.

I highly recommend Ameila for facials. She knows what she's doing, her touch is great, and my skin always glows after my facial.

For massages Rebecca is the best, as she really understands the art of massage and always heals me after stressful weeks :-)…

Great. Hidden behind the Inwood theater is the pusher of my newest addiction: Hiatus Crackhouse for the Pamper-Deprived. Fronted by an innocuous little Aveda store, merely part those heavy velvet drapes and find yourself sucked into an alternate Universe: dim, serene, peaceful.

You cannot know from the outside how lovely this spa is, or how Zen it feels. Given your choice of tea or refreshing cucumber water, you are lead into a petite dressing room and given a robe, slippers, and access to a locker to store your belongings. There are shower facilities and free Aveda products to use should you so desire. Once you are changed, you move to a waiting area draped with sheer fabrics and lovely chandeliers, to relax or read a periodical until your therapist is ready to see you. I have received two 50-minute massages so far, and the massage rooms are really a treat. You are offered a ritual foot bath, in which your feet are washed in a large tub after being gently scrubbed, free of charge. The massage tables are warmed tables, which feels SO luxurious to climb onto. The Aveda scent of your choice is mixed into the warm oil, and then you are massaged from head to toe until, in my case, you are snoring unattractively and oblivious to the world. Seriously: I was so relaxed after my first massage that I literally stumbled out into the light afterwards.

Tip: REBECCA HIGGINS. Trust me. I saw another therapist on my second visit who did a great job (Tiffany), and SSB visited with Jeff and had nothing but good things to say, but Rebecca is my girl from here on out, because that literally was the best, most intuitive massage I have ever received.

I also received an 80-minute long mani/pedi retreat on my first visit, which was another decadant experience, including a "zero-gravity" chair, which, well, is actually the opposite of zero-gravity, and thus extremely difficult to explain (I actually felt MORE gravitational pull when it was tilted into place, but surprisingly that was terrifically relaxing, as if you are melting into the chair).

Things to consider:

1.) Join the h-circle Platinum club if you want to pamper yourself with regular massages or mani/pedis! This is absolutely the cheapest way to be pampered, and it is SO WORTH IT. Each month, you are charged $59. You can then schedule a service from a menu of 5 "core" services (including the 50-min massage and the 80-min mani/pedi retreat). If you prefer, you can wait for 2 monthly charges to accumulate and use these at the same time (i.e., you can get a massage monthly, or you can get, say, a massage and mani/pedi one month, and then two months later, get a massage and facial, etc.). They also have a "Gold" club and a "Wedding" version- check the web site for details. Bonus: You can choose any OTHER core services at ANY TIME for only $59!!! This is a HUGE discount. Other H-circle perks: 10% off retail, priority booking, friend discounts, and free birthday add-on's! Seriously. HOOK THIS UP.

2.) Keep your eyes peeled for Groupons! I purchased one a week ago for SSB, and it was $59 for a core service (he received a massage), PLUS this time you got your initiation fee waived if you joined the h-circle (a $39 value), AND he got a free purefume in the scent of his choice. Awesome! And yes, this spa is appropriate for men as well, and they even offer a couples massage room if you so desire! Hell-O, Valentine's Day present!

3.) If you check out their Facebook page and 'like' it, you can receive the inside scoop on deals and monthly specials. For example, until August 18, 2011, you can get the h-circle initiaion fee waived with their FB deal.…

Huge Disappointment!!!!!!. I researched the best Dallas Spas online & due to the glowing reviews I called Hiatus & spoke with Patrick. I was going to be traveling into Dallas (1 1/2 hour drive) for a monthly doctor's appointment in 6 days & wanted to find a spa that I could make a monthly ritual. He booked me the 90 min. Stone Fusion Body Glow, an all over exfoliation, steam/vichy shower, and full hot stone body massage. That next week arrived & on the day of my scheduled treatment shortly before I was due to head out for the long drive, I received an email from the spa manager Maria. It was sent the night before informing me that my appointment was cancelled. It said to please call her so that I could be rescheduled to a different day or so that an alternative treatment could be scheduled instead. Why didn't I get called instead of emailing me as my phone number was requested when making the appt? If I had been called that night instead of emailed I would have had some time to try to get into a different spa. I called immediately. Patrick answered the phone & I told him who I was, about the email I received from Maria & that I needed to speak with her. He asked me what day I would like to reschedule to. I told him about my driving & circumstances & that I needed a service for that very day as I would not be in Dallas for another month. He put me on hold & then a girl got on the phone & identified herself as Kim, the acting manager on duty. She said Maria was not in but that she could take care of it for me. She again tried to reschedule me for later in the week & I again explained my situation. She then offered to schedule me for a facial or a manicure or pedicure. I was not interested in those services as I was wanting a warm, body treatment or massage. Then she said she could schedule me a 40 minute body glow. I asked her what it entails & she did not seem to be able to answer me so we decided I would look up the description on line. I told her that I was very disappointed that no one called me to give me notice of this and that finding out right before I was going to head that way was beyond inconvenient. I understand that things happen and that sometimes therapists are sick or injured, but the least I would have expected at this short notice was something to compensate the situation to retain my business. The only offer she made me was to give me a free "add on" which is basically a $15, 10 minute extension to a massage on my NEXT appointment. I emailed Maria right away & let her know my disappointment as well as the events that had just transpired. I was waiting to see what her response would be & what could be done to salvage my business today while I was in Dallas. That evening at 6:34pm I finally got a response from her. She said my phone number had been noted incorrectly & that is why I had not been called. She said that Kim offered me an add on service for my next visit, but then disagreed with me and said that Kim also said I could use the free add on service today if I booked a different treatment for today (although there were no massage type appointments available today, only services by estheticians). So the only other add on I see offered that does not correspond to a massage is a power nap. That doesn't make any sense. She ended the email by saying she hopes I reschedule my requested service soon, totally patronizing me. I am a business owner & if I had to cancel an appointment I had made with a client I would make sure to go above and beyond to satisfy them & retain their business. It's very ironic that Hiatus made me give them credit card info when I booked this appointment & said that if I cancelled within 24 hrs of my appointment they would charge me 50% of the service, yet when they cancelled on me with barely a 4 hr notice, the only thing they offered me was a $15 add on to a full priced service..in the future..not for today.…