Sahra Spa, Salon & Hammam — Attraction in Paradise

Updating as I've been back since my first time and was SO disappointed (ended up canceling my treatments the next day). A pipe burst as I came in that closed off the entire spa other than the treatment rooms, which ended up ruining the rest of my day. I'd planned to do sauna, etc., and put on a hair and a lip mask pre-treatment. I couldn't use the locker room, which is understandable given the circumstances, but the guy was insanely rude in addition to not being accommodating. I had multiple services with 5-20 min breaks and just wanted to start with 2-3 min to get my hair wet - not even shower/rinse off - and put on the mask. No idea why they refused to let me since there was so much space between my services in the same room, but, really, it was the delivery that was upsetting. The services were fine this time, but there weren't any toiletries in the treatment room shower and the steam was broken. I also wasn't given any of the extra products to use later this time, though they were sitting on the counter in the single use cups. Annoying (and wasteful). I left with dirty hair hours later and couldn't get it washed and done in time for my dinner. Could've been totally fine if I was given 3 mins at the start. The kicker? Still had to pay full price! They didn't even offer something like a measly 10% off next time (update: ended up getting a discount after calling again later). Real blast being shuffled around for 40 min before services and wrecking my plans.

My first time was excellent. My friends did massages and facials; I started the day with a customized body treatment. I added on a scrub to the moonflower ritual and I cannot emphasize enough how amazing it was. It started with a 25 min scrub and she gave me a bit extra to use in the steam shower as I rinsed off (~10 min). Then, the clay is applied. You're not in the hammam so are on a table covered with towels. The clay also took about 25 min after which I showered off in the steam shower again with some special moonflower soap. Last, I got about a 45 min massage with oil followed by body butter. I got to take home a bit extra oil and butter so I could reapply in case I wanted to use the whirlpool. They really thought of everything! Next, I joined my friend for milk and honey mani pedis. Not worth the upgrade from the basic one; the service was lovely, but the main (only?) difference in cost was for the products which aren't noticeably better than the cheaper one. We both did love it, though, and don't regret the splurge.

While I was starting on nails, I decided to try a facial for the first time as well because really loved the atmosphere. As I was settling in with my champagne and snacks, they fit me in for a hydrofacial right after my nails, which was also great. The only negative was that by the end of the day there were more people in there and almost all of them were glued to their phones, which supposedly isn't allowed and did ruin the tranquility a bit.

The next day, we did the hammam soap ritual. The two of us ended up in the hammam room together, which we didn't totally expect, but it was pretty cool. Mick and Nick were our hammam journey leaders and they were great! The room is a very cool space. The floor, motherstone, and room are all heated so you're warm the entire time. You lie on the elevated stone, covered in towels where needed, then they explain the process a bit and get going. You're lying there having water poured over (or thrown on, depending on the stage) you and then they scrub you down with some mint soap. You then get a ton of bubbles sudsed onto you with this pillow-like contraption and a nice steam before they apply oil and body butter to seal it in. My friend LOVED this experience and is planning to do the longer Moroccan journey next time. I was a huge fan of our guys, but am a bit partial to the moonflower ritual I'd done the day before. It was more vigorous and I felt both more detoxed and relaxed, but it's a personal preference and you really...

I met my attendant who was pleasant named Kayla and immediately tipped her my $20 for the help she would provide me while I was there. She let me know that I could either be in the general waiting area five minutes before my service or I could meet my partner upstairs 15 minutes before service for a couples massage. I responded by saying I wasn't sure yet which one I would do and I'll see how I feel. Here's where it goes wrong.

At the 15 minute mark before my massage, the attendant came into the steam room to let me know she had already radioed to have my partner brought upstairs to wait with me. Well, at that time I was sitting in the steam room. How could I rush up to meet my partner? I had already decided that I was going to actually go to the general waiting area five minutes before the Massage so that both of us would wait separately in the men's and women's main areas. She said "OK the men's side moves slowly so I'll call them and cancel that request so he's not going up there." Ok great. I continue enjoying the steam room, showered and went into the general waiting area on the women's side when the attendant told me that he has actually been upstairs waiting. I was upset that he was up there waiting, and I didn't know it. It also doesn't make sense to just have one person up there before the other. I've had many couples' massages, and everything is done in sync and together, either same waiting area or stayed separate, meeting the therapists/providers at the same time, etc. When she told me that he was up there, waiting without me, I said, well let me go up there too then and she wouldn't let me go by myself up the stairs! Someone else had just walked in to check in so she asked me to wait so she would escort me and I said ok. Then she said "actually someone else is going to check in shortly too could you just go sit in the ladies waiting area?" ?!?!? Ummm no. It's appropriate to have both people waiting in the same space to meet the providers so a conversation can be had about who needs more pressure and who goes with who. I'm the one who needs much firmer pressure and has more experience with massages. My partner would've been happy with anything but instead of having the opportunity to have that conversation and properly assign providers based on needs, I am made to wait separately in the woman's lounge only to be called up with my provider to see my partner and his already assigned provider chatting it up without me there. That was also very irritating to come up separately to him sitting talking and laughing with the first provider who came out! A professional establishment like the Cosmopolitan should understand the nuances of couples and never have the woman greeting the man sitting laughing with his female provider without her. Not a good way to start off the couples massage. I kept a positive attitude and went in giving my girl a chance after letting her know I need firm pressure. She was very very sweet and made me feel important however I could not enjoy the massage whatsoever because 1) the pressure was incredibly light for my body I was actually crying during the massage realizing I was having a really disappointing experience 2) it was as though we were having two completely different massages right next to each other. My partner's provider was moving on different parts of his body at different pressures/speeds and at different times as mine. Every couples massage I've ever had has always been (majority) in sync. I was so sad that this was the experience so far that I had to stop in first 30 min of the massage and leave. I informed my sweet provider what happened, she understood right away and got her manager Jerret (Jared). He also completely understood and spoke calmly with me, explaining he would "not charge for services today". Well he has since changed his mind about the services and is still charging me for...

Wow what a wonderful afternoon! The hammam in the Sahra spa is better than the Old Hammam in London. The spa itself is gorgeous and well-organized. No expense was spared in the entire facility's construction and decoration. The vibe is calming and comforting in earth tones. The spa includes all services you want. The spa facilities have separate male and female areas. The female side has a large many person jacuzzi that has a warm waterfall at it's end, a steamroom, sauna and a cold mist room, showers, restrooms, and lockeroom. There is also a separate ablution room with sinks, hairdrying, makeup application areas. Lastly there are two sitting areas (one in wet area and one as a dry relaxation room). The spa is well staffed, immaculate and stocked with any complementary toiletry you might need to clean up afterward. The hammam room itself is upstairs with the oval earthtone heated motherstone in a about 30 x 25 foot room. It is a beautifully calming space with two steam rooms and two two person jacuzzis on the sides of the room. When you select the hammam service, you stay in this room throughout all hammam services. The service is performed while you and up to two other people lay on the heated oval motherstone in the room's center. Each person has their own therapist who cleans, exfoliates, scrubs and moisturizerizes you. Near the end of the service you steam to help the honey coat absorb followed by time in a jacuzzi that imperceptivly empties around you as you enjoy it. At the end, you can sit on the stone heated lounges and/or go directly into a massage. OMG. Our therapists were top-notch, professional and in the beginning explained what we should expect. After the hammam service was completed, our therapist became our respective masseuses because we had added a massage service after the hammam service. After the 80 minute hammam, the full body massage was 50 minutes. The entire service was nirvana and blissful. This is a fabulous splurge even though the price with tip for two people costs low four figures. Bucket list stuff for...