In Good Hands

Splurge on pleasure and relaxation at Valencia’s Hotel Balneario Las Arenas.

- Kimberly Krol

IT WAS MY BOYFRIEND SCOTT’S first time getting a massage, so he was a bit apprehensive, to say the least. Unsure of what to expect or how the whole process worked, it was normal for him to have some nervousness associated with our upcoming experience. It briefly brought me back to my first massage, now more than a decade ago, and I remember butterflies in my stomach about the entire process. Those quickly dissipated as the soothing massage strokes began, and I felt the same would prove true for Scott.

We were in Valencia, Spain, on a long weekend jaunt, and any quick search or word-of-mouth recommendation on the city’s best spas yields Hotel Balneario Las Arenas high among the rankings. After two days in the city center, we were heading to the seaside hotel, so it seemed an obvious choice to spend some time unwinding in its noted spa. Given the glowing reviews I’d found on the facility, I knew Scott would be in good hands for his first massage.