Zen Villas - Traditional Massage — Local services in Hà Nội

It’s a beautiful place but I never felt comfortable. The male staff assigned to me was more like a soldier than working in a spa (no concern for ensuring the person is enjoying the experience). There was no exfoliating but just the application of exfoliating mud then told to sit in the bath. Then the steam was a horror show. I was in a single room and steam room was pretty small. The steam came out at an incredibly hard rate and I’ve never experienced anything like it before - I’m assuming it’s because of time. I had to tap out at the 4 minute mark. I could not breathe within 15 seconds and had to cover my mouth and nose with a towel to keep from passing out. It literally wrecked my nervous system. Then the massage was annoying and I can tell the masseuse was not focused. She would be on one temple but on the other side she was on the bone (how can you not feel it?). When massaging my neck there were good moments but then spoiled by her lack of focus. She kept repeating movements to the point the skin got irritated. She kept doing it until I stopped her. Then she moved on to my arm and did some weird irritating repetitive movements there also. At that point I just stopped her, got up and left. I did not think she had the capacity to salvage the massage. I spoke to the assistant manager and we spoke about my experience then he apologized and offered to...

This is a great place to get a massage—possibly the best in Hanoi! The treatments are excellent, and the staff are friendly and highly skilled. I’ve been here around ten times and have always been satisfied.

However, one thing I didn’t appreciate was the difference in pricing when I visited alone. When I go with my Vietnamese friends, we always receive the standard menu with prices excluding tips, and we are free to decide how much to tip (I always tip generously). But the one time I visited alone, I was given a menu where the tip was already included in the price, making it noticeably higher.

While this may have been an honest mistake, it stood out to me because it was the first time I visited alone. I’m not suggesting there was any bad intent, but it’s something that could make foreign guests feel uncomfortable.

Despite this, I still highly recommend the place to friends for its outstanding massages and warm atmosphere. Just a small note for management to consider consistency in pricing...

I came to Zen Villas with three of my foreign friends visiting Hanoi and Zen provided a great experience. My friends needed to catch a flight right after their massage and Zen accommodated all of their needs, such as letting us start our massages a little earlier so my friends could arrive at the airport on time, as well as booking them a taxi to the airport at a good rate. The massages themselves are stellar. The masseuses are experienced and the staff are friendly. Will definitely be returning to Zen in the future and recommending this experience to my friends visiting Hanoi. Thank you Zen for offering...