SPAaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah

last weekend was 추석 (sounds like CHEWsock) holiday in Korea. it's sort of like Korean thanksgiving. ergo, our weekend was a wonderful 3 days long. i decided to treat myself on the friday with a trip to this place:

the W Seoul - a big, shiny hotel on the Han river, east end of Seoul. before you roll your eyes and think, 'ugh. she's one of those' - let me preface the rest of this post with this: i've never been to a spa. any spa, let alone one in a fancy shmancy hotel. and i'm the type who generally feels uncomfortable and completely out of place anywhere fancy shmancy.

but i like to go for the occasional massage. stress builds up in the traps, ya know? and after a few less-than-sparkling massage experiences, i figured a fancy shmancy hotel, with a fancy shmancy spa was a safe bet.













and it was.
the W is clean and modern - maybe a little futuristic, even. the staff was cheery and helpful. Away spa, on the second floor of the W, was equally welcoming. and jenny, who did all my treatments (back, neck, and shoulder massage | express facial | foot and leg massage) was lovely and very good.

afterwards, i sat a while with some cold ginseng tea, before walking out into the sunshine - past the line of black cars awaiting the jet set, the elite - and heading downhill along the Han river, toward the subway station.