rev:text
| - As much as I really wanted to love it, I can't say I loved my experience at Bota Bota. My boyfriend and I had come here after having only visited Scandinave Spa in the past to compare to.
CHANGING ROOMS
The changing rooms felt dark and dank. At Scandinave, facilities were bright, clean, and well equipped (cotton pads, face lotions, etc.).
At Bota however, the showers felt dirty with rusted pipes above you.. Towards the end of my 5 min shower, the hot water started to run out and got cold..
At one point, while myself and several others were getting changed, a man came into the (female) change room! It turned out to be the maintenance worker who had come in to fix a locker, but I was surprised that they hadn't given us any warning or even sent in a female worker instead.
THE BATHS
Although the outdoor view was beautiful, we quickly noticed that the hot tubs weren't all that hot. If you prefer hotter temperatures, Scandinave definitely wins as Bota tubs are milder in temperature.
As for the saunas, the temp was perfect but the eucalyptus room was a bit too strongly fragranced. Like... to the point where it almost hurts to breathe and open your eyes.
FOOD AND DRINK
Another thing to note is that you gotta bring your own bottles. Just a minor nuisance but I felt that a spa providing glasses should have been commonplace. Another comparison is that at Scandinave, you are given access to a complimentary snack bar for you to munch on while you relax! But if you aren't one to care about food, this shouldn't be an issue for you (but COME ON, WHO DOESNT ENJOY FREE SNACKS).
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Check-in was pleasant, but I was surprised that we were not asked if we knew how to do the hot/cold cycle properly as first-timers may not understand how a Nordic spa works (they are very thorough in explaining this at Scandinave Spa).
At check-out however, a not-so-friendly receptionist UNDERcharged me and I tried to point out her mistake. She argued back and became defensive until her coworker realized that we were being billed too little. Not a fabulous ending to a mediocre visit.
Perhaps the treatments and massages are great at Bota but the nordic baths are not amazing. Go to Scandinave for that. It's cheaper, it's better, and you'll feel more like a prince(ss) when you visit!
|