Category Archives: Field Test

Spa of the Month – Spa at the JW Marriott Downtown Houston

Spa of the Month – Spa at the JW Marriott Downtown Houston

JW Marriott Hotel Spa - 1

The Spa at the JW Marriott Hotel in Downtown Houston is a cozy, compact little facility. It has all the basics, in miniature form – a four-seat quiet room, a two-seat mani/pedi alcove, and 4 treatment rooms. Darian, the spa manager is the jewel of the spa. She makes sure every guest is happy and well cared for (more about this later).

The other gem is the executive lounge! Spa guests who book at least a 1-hour treatment, have full access to the executive lounge down the hall…with lots of snacks, beverages and comfy seating areas. This is a wonderful space to sit with friends, have a meal or do a little work before your treatment.

During my visit in February, I had the Quench Wrap ($150, plus tax and tip). It is described as:

“This lusciously hydrating full body quench infuses your skin with aloe, algae and honey to naturally moisturize, heal and sooth. Combining the anti-inflammatory properties from aloe and algae with the skin brightening and firming properties of pearl and coral powder. While cocooned, warm agave nectar oil is drizzled onto your hair for a luxurious scalp massage and hair treatment.”

It sounded perfect for a cold February day. In the end, the warm oil didn’t materialized for the hair and the “lusciously hydrating full body quench” applied to limbs and back wasn’t enough for my thirsty skin, leaving my skin screaming for moisture by bedtime (the quenching is probably perfect for people with regular skin…just not enough for my alligator skin). However, there was an unexpected back massage that was wonderfully soothing. And, the service ended with a complimentary glass of sparkling wine. All three of us in our group had some unexpected hiccups in the services.

JW Marriott Hotel Spa - 2

We arrived 2 hours before the treatment to relax in the executive lounge and have a lunch. The executive lounge was WONDERFUL!! Quiet, comfortable, sunny with lots of seating areas for talking, eating and working. There were plenty of complimentary self-serve snacks (conventional, gluten-free, vegetarian) and beverages (infused water, coffees, teas, sodas, bottled water). We had a great time relaxing and talking together.

There were some hiccups with meal service…we asked to order lunch right away, knowing that this can take some time. Our order was taken an hour later and lunch arrived 10 mins before our appointment time.  Manager Darian handled the hiccups and we were all very satisfied by the end of our day. And all our lunches were delicious! I ordered the Tuna Poke Bowl ($25 plus tax and tip)…so fresh, crunchy and flavorful!

All in all, I enjoyed my day at the spa. It was a 3-star day that Darian turned into a 4-star experience. If you want to meet someone who is a master of the art of customer service, go meet Darian!

Here are more details:
Spa at the JW Marriott Downtown Houston
Location: Eleventh Floor, 806 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77002 USA
(take the elevator from the main hotel lobby and follow signs to the spa. You’ll wind around the halls…but keep going and you’ll find it!)

Parking: Valet, free with spa validation. For self parking, there is a garage next door at 801 Travis St. ($5 per 30 mins, $25 max)

Tips: 20% tips are included in all bills for spa and meal service. 15% tip goes to the service provider and 5% to the spa desk attendants.

Phone: (713) 360-3636

Food and beverages: Complimentary sparkling wine is offered at the end of your treatment. Complimentary infused waters, teas and snacks are provided in the quiet room and executive lounge. Meals can also be ordered through the spa attendants. If you’d like lunch or snacks from the menu, order at least 1 hour before you’d like to eat. In a hotel, the spa and food service departments are separate, so they need plenty of time to coordinate, prepare the meal and manage delivery. Gluten-free and vegetarian options are available.

Facilities: Compact 4-seat quiet room and expansive executive lounge with many comfortable seating configurations for reading, casual conversations, meeting or working. If arranged in advance, the spa can accommodate larger groups by setting up a “quiet area” in the executive lounge and booking up to 4 hotel suites for treatments. If you would like to shower before or after your treatment, a hotel suite can be arranged in advance.

Amenities: Robes and lockers inside each treatment room. Lockers are stocked with personal care items such as deodorant and combs.

Treatments: The spa offers a full menu of massage, body scrubs/wraps/treatments, facials, and nails. For details, follow this link and click on the “select treatment type” drop down menu.

For January’s Spa of the Month, The Spa at the Post Oak Hotel, click here.

Field Test: Visible Solutions by Max – Day 19 (Part 2)

Field Test: Visible Solutions by Max – Day 19 (Part 2)

I’ve been using Visible Solutions over the last 19 days.My face is much smoother and softer and the age spots have begun to fade. It took a while to figure out how to use the One Minute Wonder. Thankfully, the products come with ongoing customer service from Bobbi Horne. She held my hand until I worked out the kinks. Here are the results so far. Continue Reading

La Prairie Field Test – Final Results (Part 7)

Evening out skin tone and fading age spots is an exercise in patience and commitment. No matter what product line you use, you’ve got to use the fading and sunscreen products consistently every day. That addresses the three causes of darkening (1)   today’s surface darkening from the sun; (2)   recent scars from picking/injuring anything on… Continue Reading