Spicy Panda: Spa Reflexology in Chongqing & Chengdu

Have you ever wanted to rest after a relaxing spa but they always make you change and get out immediately?

A spa with a buffet? Unlimited drinks and food? Catching a movie or your TV series while having a leg massage? Let me share how ridiculous the spa and reflexology places are in China! While planning my trip to Chongqing and Chengdu, I was trying to find some spa places as I have always heard how amazing they are. There were plenty of reviews showing these places with awesome movie rooms unlimited drinks and unlimited food! It is hard to find these places online and to get information. You are better off looking at apps like TikTok, XHS and Meituan. I also got some concierges that I have access to for recommendations. Let me share some of the places I went during this trip!

SPA Concept in China

The spa concept in China is very unique. It is like a one-stop concept where you can spend the entire day or even overnight. You can choose to get a reflexology or leg massage package and there will be loads of food and drinks included. This is all included in the price you pay. Full body treatments are available too. After your treatment, you can continue relaxing in your private room which usually comes with a huge screen with streaming networks and order even more food and drinks! Prices are very affordable and sometimes you can even get a cheaper price for the package online in places like Meituan. Prices are great for the quality and inclusion you are getting. I would say it is more expensive than Bali but cheaper than Bangkok’s prices. You will pay slightly less or on par with JB. The quality and cleanliness are far better. Furthermore, most of the time you will be in a private room.

观远足道 GuanYuan Zu Dao – Chongqing

This is the one I went to in Chongqing. I learned about this place from my friend. They are one of the biggest chains in Chongqing and have multiple outlets in the city. Most of them are open for really long hours and some of them even round the clock. You can check out the timings easily on Baidu maps. I went to the outlet near Jiefangbei Square. It is very easy to locate and central. You can search for this on the map 观远足道养生SPA(重庆解放碑中心NO·5店).

It looks so ordinary from the outside and kind of a little shabby but the whole decor and vibes amazed me once I exited the elevators. Check out the place! Wow! My jaw dropped. We were greeted by a host who guided us around and gave us slippers to change into. Cleanliness was key here and the slippers were sanitized and came out of plastic bags. We lucked out as they had availability. Call ahead to make a reservation to prevent being disappointed.

The host then shows us the menu and the various packages. It is quite hard to make sense of what is the difference between them since they are not stated. The host did explain the difference by mouth. We wanted something with body massages as well. You can check out the menu and pricelist below. We went for the 观远•至尊理疗 which is a 90 mins full body treatment. It cost 459 CNY per person. The staff managed to get us the online promotion price of 330 CNY when we enquired about it. That is about 60 SGD. All of the above comes with access to the buffet and unlimited drinks.

We were then brought to our private treatment room. How nice is this? The place is huge and like a maze. Staff are readily on hand to guide you around. This room is hands down the nicest spa room I have ever been to. It comes with an ensuite bathroom, a huge TV screen and even a tea appreciation corner. Wifi is available too. Seriously? I could have spent the entire night here. Some do!

You can stay in the room as long as you want. If you want to start your message later you can simply tell the staff. There is a call button that you can press for anything that you need including drinks or any assistance.

The therapist will then come in and start your treatment. Everything is done on those massage chairs. The leg rub are integreggated inside those ottoman and you can also adjust the chairs to be fully flat. While the therapist is working on your legs, arms and shoulders, you can still use your phone or watch the TV. There is a healthy selection of entertainment options on them.

We started the massage with a milk bath for our legs and that was bliss. Watching a movie or using my phone never felt that great. After our treatment, we can still choose to laze or relax in the room. We could also pop by the buffet restaurant for a meal and more drinks before heading back to our private room. I could certainly get used to this. This is very foreign to us. Here are some pictures of the food.

I do have to say that the food quality isn’t that amazing but if you are not that picky it still works very well. We should have come here hungry! We are too used to having a treatment and leaving. This place is really popular and suffice it to say, it will be on my list when I am in Chongqing.

金色印象 Golden Impression – Chengdu

This is another one that I went to in Chengdu. It is known as Golden Impression 金色印象. They have outlets both in Chongqing and Chengdu. I went to the one near IFC in Chengdu. The location is not that ideal as it can be quite hard to find. This was more popular and crowded when I was there on a weekday evening. They only had availability for the more premium packages in the executive room.

It is less fancy than the place I shared earlier. Prices on the other hand are cheaper. The cheapest treatment package goes for just 169 CNY. I went for the 90 mins full body treatment which cost 299 CNY. You can check out the treatment menu here.

Here are some pictures of the treatment room. It comes with a bathroom inside too and they had a fridge inside with a non-alcoholic minibar too.

They do not have a restaurant here but you can just order food and drinks to your room. They have some exclusive items just for guests in the VIP room. Check out the menu here.

I didn’t enjoy the experience here as the wait was long and this made the experience bad. The therapist was alright but the service wasn’t that good and there was a long wait for everything, therapist, food and drinks. They also didn’t have the right size of clothes for me.

M 谧境•爱 SPA Tranquility – Chengdu

This is technically the second last spa place I went to in Chengdu. The last one was really bad, so I am not sharing it. This is my favourite out of all places. It is posh and classy. The massage and therapist were also excellent. They use very high-quality items and amenities. It is also super popular and we couldn’t get a spot for the usual Reflexology. This is actually due to Singaporeans since we were all there for a conference that week. We sure love massages. We did a full-body massage here instead.

I love the blue decor and stylish finishes. You can find the full spa menu on Baidu maps or via WeChat. We went for the best, the 120 mins full body package which cost 475 CNY. The full price cost 498 CNY but the staff gave us the online promo price after we asked for it.

Since we have the full body massage option, this will take place in a traditional spa room. As such, our room does not come with those huge TV screens to watch shows. It is a much more traditional affair over here. The room is lovely and my favourite out of all. They had this galaxy or space theme. The room is well stocked with all sorts of amenities from bath robes to a Dyson hairdryer. There was even a tub in the room.

Shortly after settling in, we were brought some drinks and fruits.

The staff are excellent here and polished. The same goes towards the therapist! The 120 minutes of body massage was the best I had in China. We were also given the option to choose our preferred essence oil. They do not have a full and drinks menu but these were simply mentioned by mouth by our therapist. We enjoyed some desserts and chicken wings after our treatment. How amazing is this!

I regret not coming back again the next day for this as the traditional reflexology and head spa sounds amazing too. I highly recommend this place and do make a reservation ahead.

Conclusion

I had a lovely experience at these places above and the end of my trip, I was beating myself for not going more. I can’t believe that I am saying this but massages are one of the things that is attracting me back to China. I love the concept. I have had so many top-notch massages worldwide, including one at Capella Singapore. It always kills me that when you feel so relaxed at the end of your treatment you can’t even get a 5 mins shut eye. You have to change out and leave immediately. Here you can take your own sweet time. After China, JB is no longer that wow. Singapore does love massage. We are the reason why I face difficulties at one of the spa places since there is a major conference in town. The prices are also very attractive! I would say that it is on par with JB, and in the middle of Bali and Bangkok.