Massage in District 1 — Frequently Asked Questions

We are open 10:00 to 22:15, every single day of the year — weekends, Tet and every public holiday included. We never close. Last bookings are taken with enough time to complete your full treatment before closing.

Not always. Mornings and early afternoons are usually fine to walk in. Evenings between 18:00 and 21:00 fill up across District 1, so reserve if you want a specific time, a specific treatment or a two-hour package.

Between 10:00 and 15:00. The spa is calmer, you get the pick of the menu, and nothing runs to a queue.

Three ways: our online booking page, which is open 24 hours, or a message on WhatsApp or Zalo to 0775 271878. Messaging is fastest if you want to ask something first.

Hair wash availability is limited and is confirmed directly rather than through the online form. Message us on WhatsApp or Zalo and we will confirm a time.

Fifteen minutes before your appointment. That covers check-in, the health form and changing, so your full treatment time is spent on the treatment.

Your session may be shortened so the next guest is not delayed. If traffic has caught you, message us — we will do what we can to rearrange.

Yes. We open every day of the year, including Tet, National Day and every other public holiday — same hours, full menu, no holiday surcharge. Holidays are our busiest period, so book ahead for evening slots.

It depends on the treatment. Oil treatments — signature, aroma, hot stone, body scrub — are done in your own underwear or the disposable underwear we provide, under a towel or sheet. Only the area being worked on is uncovered.

Dry treatments — Thai-style work, shiatsu, foot massage, hair wash — are done fully clothed in the loose spa clothing we give you.

Your shoes come off and your feet are washed in warm water — standard hospitality here, not an extra charge. You fill in a short health card, choose your treatment, then change in private before your therapist knocks and begins.

The full sequence is in our guide to your first Vietnamese massage.

Anything comfortable — you will change into what we provide. Leave rings, watches and jewellery in your bag or the locker, and tie long hair up unless you have booked a hair wash.

No. Firm work on a tight shoulder can feel like a strong ache that eases as it is worked, but sharp or nervy pain should never happen. Say something the moment you feel it.

Five words are all you need, and our therapists understand every one of them: “soft”, “strong”, “pain”, “stop” and “good”. Say it during the session, not at the end — we cannot fix an hour that is already over.

Yes. Treatments take place in clean, closed rooms rather than curtained booths. Lockers are provided for your belongings.

Before, if you can. After an oil treatment many guests prefer to leave the oil on the skin for a few hours — which is why a hair wash or scrub is usually booked as the last part of a package rather than the first.

Not at all. Our therapists follow your lead — quiet if you are quiet, conversational if you start it. Neither is rude.

A signature or aroma oil massage is the safest introduction — full body, adjustable pressure, no surprises. If you would rather not undress at all, book a foot massage or a herbal hair wash.

60 minutes covers one area properly. 90 minutes is where a therapist can work your back, shoulders and legs without rushing any of them, and it is what most people book on their second visit. 120 minutes works best as a package rather than one long massage.

Our duration guide breaks down what genuinely fits into each.

Signature is our own technique — essential oils, warm stones and gentle assisted stretches combined in one session. Aroma is flowing oil strokes with a scented blend, the calmest of the three. Hot Stone uses warm basalt stones so the heat does the work and the pressure stays moderate.

A 60 or 75 minute foot massage if the damage is below the knee. A 90 minute body massage if your lower back joined in — which it usually does after Cu Chi or a full sightseeing day.

A foot massage, or a head, neck and shoulders session. Both target what a plane seat does to you, and neither leaves oil on your skin.

Yes, when you want more than one thing on the same day. A package runs as one continuous booking in the right order — a scrub before the oil massage, a hair wash after it — with no gap and no second check-in. See the package menu.

If your problem is specific — sore feet and nothing else — book a single treatment instead.

The most distinctly Vietnamese thing on our menu. Natural herbs such as pandan, lemongrass and ginseng, warm herbal steam and a long scalp massage, while you recline fully clothed. 45 minutes, or 70 minutes with head, neck and shoulder work and basic facial care.

Two therapists working at the same time — one on the upper body, one on the lower. It is the most time-efficient treatment we offer, available at 60 or 90 minutes. Note that it means two therapists if you are tipping.

Prices depend on the treatment and duration. See the current rates on our services menu and packages page, or message us and we will send them to you.

The foot wash on arrival, spa clothing or disposable underwear, lockers, and herbal tea afterwards. Nothing is added at the end except a tip, if you choose to leave one.

No. There is no holiday surcharge on any treatment or package, including Tet and National Day.

No. Tipping is genuinely optional and nobody will treat you differently for skipping it. It is welcome and it is noticed — but it is a thank you, not an expectation.

Around 10% of the treatment price. In practice that is roughly 50,000–100,000 VND for a 60-minute treatment and 100,000–150,000 VND for 90 minutes. For a four hands massage, that is two therapists and therefore two tips.

Tipping is a thank you, not a tax — if the service was not good, do not tip, and tell us why.

Cash, in Vietnamese dong, handed to your therapist at the end. Card terminals here usually have no tip line, and foreign coins cannot be exchanged in Vietnam at all.

Yes, we accept both cash and card for the treatment itself. Tips are best given in cash.

154 Cong Quynh Street, Pham Ngu Lao Ward, District 1, Ho Chi Minh City. Open in Google Maps.

About a five to seven minute walk. Most Pham Ngu Lao hotels and hostels are within the same distance.

Roughly 1.6 km — about a 20-minute walk, or 5 to 8 minutes by taxi or Grab outside rush hour. The walk down Le Lai is flat and well lit.

7 to 8 kilometres. Allow 25 to 35 minutes by road off-peak, and up to 55 minutes in rush hour.

Yes, with six hours or more between landing and an international departure. Tell us your flight number when you book and we will build the session around your departure time. See our layover plan.

We can usually keep a cabin bag at reception during your treatment — please ask when you book. Lockers are provided for personal belongings. For large luggage, use the storage counters at the airport.

Yes. Cong Quynh and the surrounding Pham Ngu Lao streets are busy and well lit until late. Standard city sense applies — keep your bag and phone on the inside of the pavement.

Tell us before you book. Some treatments can be adapted and others are not suitable during pregnancy — heat-based treatments and cupping in particular. If you have any complications, ask your doctor first.

Often yes, with the treatment adapted — but tell reception and write it on the health card. For a recent operation, an active injury or an ongoing medical condition, please speak to your doctor before booking.

Tell us before you book. Oil massage and body scrubs over burnt skin are genuinely unpleasant. A head, neck and shoulders session or a hair wash avoids the area entirely.

Do not book cupping if you take blood-thinning medication, have a bleeding or clotting disorder, are pregnant, are sunburnt, or have any rash, cut or skin condition in the area. If you are unsure, ask your doctor rather than your therapist.

Usually 3 to 10 days, occasionally up to two weeks. They appear on the back and shoulders, so a t-shirt covers them — but do not book cupping shortly before a beach day, a wedding or a photoshoot.

Not on the same day. Wait at least 24 to 48 hours. Freshly shaved or waxed skin plus friction is an uncomfortable combination — and skip a scrub entirely if you are sunburnt.

Not while you are still drunk — we will ask you to come back later. The morning after is fine once the nausea has passed and you have eaten and rehydrated. Ask for light pressure and avoid heat-based treatments that day.

Please contact us before booking so we can advise on which treatments are appropriate and arrange the room. Our family spa guide covers the arrangements.