| rev:text
| - Bota Bota is a complicated spa to review, because it really depends on what you're looking for. Some people enjoy a bit of hustle and bustle and a bit more flexibility in the rules, while others, don't.
Personally, when I looked up Bota Bota spa, I was really hoping for that quiet, serene Nordic spa experience. Quiet in all the rooms, lots of space to relax between hot baths and cool dips, and a general sense of calm. Unfortunately, that's not what I found at Bota Bota.
First, the staff were not very helpful. The front staff seemed to assume we knew where we were going, despite asking us if we were first timers. She gave us vague directions and promised a tour once we found the white desk on the second floor. Once we checked in there, though, the staff seemed to ignore us once they confirmed our massage times. It generally felt like we were being passed off, staff member to staff member, until I finally went up and asked "Can we walk around?" after being ignored for about 10 minutes when they told us to have a seat.
Second, Bota Bota was packed. I've been to other spas that require reservations, I think to avoid this exact problem, but there were people everywhere. Even when you're being quiet, having dozens of people opening doors, flip flopping through rooms, splashing in and out of hot tubs... well, it's hard to create any sense of calm with all that background noise. Plus, it meant that there was very little space in the hot tubs, in the relaxation chairs, in the cold tubs... Even trying to sit quietly in the steam room was almost impossible with the door opening every 30 seconds and the room quickly filling up to about 10 people (in a room that definitely was not comfortably meant for that many!)
Third, the design of the rooms. I think Bota Bota was going for an open concept kind of feel, with the open winding staircase in the middle, but instead it just creates a giant sound tunnel. Even if the staff were monitoring the level of chattiness, like I said, the pure volume of people just doesn't work when all the relaxation areas are in an open space. They need to somehow partition off the relaxation rooms, to create a quieter, more serene environment.
Overall, I could see Bota Bota being a great party environment, and the food was delicious at their restaurant, but we definitely overpaid for the Nordic bathing treatment and I would not recommend this place to anyone for that specific purpose. If you want quiet and relaxing, try the Scandinave Spa across the street. If you want hustle and bustle with some sunshine while you sit in the hot tub or are lucky enough to get one of the lounge chairs outside, then this place might be for you (hence why I'm giving this place a three star review).
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