Dragonfly Spa – An urban sanctuary for stressed mamas

It doesn’t happen very often, but once in awhile, I come across a place that seems like it was made just for me. Sometimes something just clicks, and I leave a place so obsessed with the fragrance or color scheme that I want to buy everything I come across that reminds me of that place for the next few weeks. This sort of fascination with the look and feel of a place is a little bit unusual for me – some of my favorite restaurants are total hole-in-the-wall sort of places, and I have never been fully convinced that it’s worth paying double for a manicure or haircut just because a salon has nice artwork and a Nespresso machine. But when my ambiance obsession does strike, it hits me hard, and as cheesy as it sounds, something about the atmosphere at Dragonfly struck a chord with me. As soon as I had my first peek inside, before I even sat down in one of the cushy, over sized massage chairs for a Sweet Lullaby foot massage, I was hooked!

The decor at Dragonfly is what I would best describe as a great combo of luxury and nature – natural stone floors in the corridor are complimented by touches of rich chocolate brown and gold tones, with low lighting from amber glass chandeliers, and wispy cream chiffon draped from the walls and ceilings of the massage room. Small waterfalls and a soothing musical soundtrack provide the background noise. Since the foot massage area can hold up to six or so people at a time, I found myself thinking that this would be a great place to come with girlfriends to celebrate a birthday, or just have a “girl’s day out”. Besides the foot massage I sampled, Dragonfly also does mani/pedis, facials, and waxing, so you could easily pass a whole day inside, and emerge claiming you’ve had a very productive and restful afternoon.

While my foot scrub and massage were very nice and relaxing, what really won me over about Dragonfly were the little details. I loved getting to chose the scent of my foot bath before the massage (I went with an herbal blend), and the type of pillow (fluffy and soft for me). The temperature is kept very cool, so that you can snuggle up in a cushy massage chair under a plush down blanket with your chosen pillow and a heating pad, completely forgetting that it is sweltering outside. This element of being “tucked in” reminded me of calling in sick to work on a cold, rainy day, opting to stay under the covers in cozy pjs instead of braving the nasty weather (not that I’ve ever done such a thing, of course…), and I relished every minute of it.

Naturally, I left my massage scheming about whether there was any possible way to turn my home office into a Dragonfly-esque relaxation room. In my very short walk home, I convinced myself this project was totally doable – a bit of paint, a new light fixture, some drape-y fabric, and a staple gun…no problem, right? Unfortunately for me, my husband loves his man-cave of electronics just the way it is, so I think my little renovation project is unlikely to take off. For now I think I will just have to settle for a return trip to Dragonfly to soak in a little bit more luxury!

Dragonfly, 52 Wyndham Street, Central, 2869 9238