The treatment The cost The experience

The Oberoi Massage Dh700 (90 minutes)

Nestled on the third floor of the luxurious The Oberoi is a haven of oak, marble and a couple’s room complete with its own terrace pool for romantics on Valentine’s Day.

We opted for the five-star hotel’s signature 90-minute Oberoi massage, carried out by a male and female therapist, while we lay on the most comfortable treatment beds ever. I’m always disappointed when any beauty treatment doesn’t start with a refreshing foot scrub, and this one didn’t let me down. Hot towels were wrapped around my feet, which were then cleansed and dried.

My therapist then asked me if I had any problem areas – knotted shoulders and sore calves – and began the medium pressure massage. Usually I can tell within the first five minutes if a massage is going to be good – too soft and it’s ineffective. Too hard and it becomes an hour of tolerating pain rather than relaxing.

But after jumping up on the table to work on my shoulders and back, my therapist settled back into using Balinese-style strokes to have me convinced she was one of the best masseuses in the city. I spend 50 hours a week hunched over a computer so I’m plagued by a stiff neck and tight, knotted shoulders. The knots crunched, and disappeared under my therapist’s nimble fingers. She found each one in my lower back and followed up to my shoulder until I was so relaxed I had to force myself to stay awake.

My partner had lost the battle and was snoring just a few feet away. It made me feel superior, knowing I hadn’t succumbed to the soothing pressure. By the end of the 90 minutes I felt the best I had in ages, with all signs of stress and fatigue literally massaged away.

My partner was embarrassed that he’d snored in front of us all but our therapists assured us it was normal and a sign that they had done their jobs properly. We decided against a plunge in the private pool and went to the main one instead to soak up the sun and enjoy a delicious lunch.

“Did you like your treatment?” I asked my partner. He smiled back sheepishly. “I loved it,” he said. Open 24 hours

call 04 444 1444 or spa.todb@oberoihotel.com.