Warning! ';TOP'; Salon & Spa Rip-Off

I%26#39;ve never had an experience like what happened to me today at TOP Salon %26amp; Spa on Dong Khoi. I arrived in HCMC yesterday after a 30-hour set of 3 flites, so today was my first full day of my first trip to Vietnam. When I was walking around near my hotel a few hours after after my arrival, I took a spa menu card from a woman on the doorstep of the above-named spa. One of their packages was very appealing to me, so this morning I walked over there from my hotel, the Duxton, a block away.

Everything went fine until the end of the first part of the package, the Thai-style massage. I had two friends with me, they had the same experience that I had. The masseuses would not let us leave the room and informed each of us that the tip they wanted would be ';one hundred.'; I thought one hundred dong was far too low, so offered a 10,000 note. (The package I asked for was priced at USD 21 and my offered tip would%26#39;ve been 10%.) The masseuse became agitated and kept asking for ';one hundred.'; I finally asked her to show me her money and show me the amount she was asking for. She produced a 100,000 note! She had skillfully placed her body in a position that blocked my exit from the room.

I was extremely jetlagged and would like to think that had I not been so befuddled and tired, I would%26#39;ve just pushed past her, paid for the massage at the front desk and left the premises. But (figuring it was only about USD 6), I paid the tip and was taken to another room for the next part of the package, a 75-minute foot massage. At the end of the foot massage I made the mistake of asking the young man what the appropriate tip would be (several other western clients were in the room). I had him write down the figure and he wrote ';150,000.'; Again, I should%26#39;ve gone to the front desk to complain, but I just forked over the 150,000 (about $10).

The third part of the package was supposed to be a ';tea break,'; but I was never offered any tea and when I enquired about it I was brushed off with the remark that I got a good price for the package and wouldn%26#39;t get any tea.

Now, I%26#39;m probably going to get at least several responses that say that I%26#39;m just a dummy and should%26#39;ve dismissed the two little extortionists regarding the tips. Others may say that $16 in tips is hardly anything to get miffed about. Frankly, I%26#39;m writing this report to try to prevent others from experiencing what happened to me.

Tonite I%26#39;m still jetlagged, mad at myself, but extremely put off by what happened at the TOP Spa at 32 Dong Khoi, a few doors away from the Grand Hotel. I was the one who convinced my two friends that we should try this spa, and they were really incensed at the way we were treated. In fact, they were so mad they left me at the spa and I caught up with them later.

So, my advice to spa seekers is to avoid the TOP Spa, unless you enjoy rude treatment and obnoxious masseuses.

Warning! ';TOP'; Salon %26amp; Spa Rip-Off

I wanted to post this in the past when someone had almost the same experience, but I didn鈥檛.

The 2 persons I know who are Vietnamese told me that they can鈥檛 afford the expensive massage package, but for local price at local places for US$10 or 2 US$ per hour, they pay the same amount for tip.

That鈥檚 what I was told. I seldom have a massage knowing I have to tip that much LOL.

Warning! ';TOP'; Salon %26amp; Spa Rip-Off

Land Premier: So if I read your post correctly, when you go to an inexpensive spa in HCMC you are expected to pay as much for the tip as for the service? If this is the case, then I guess what my friends and I experienced was not unusual. What was strange to us was that the servicepeople demanded the tip. I usually tip 15-20% for spa services in other countries. Having to pay 75-100% tip seems ridiculous.

The inexpensive spas could help their own business by posting a sign that explains what the normal tip is in their establishment. I hadn%26#39;t seen this topic posted here in tripadvisor, so I was totally in the dark. This information makes the spa experience far more expensive than it appears on the little price cards they hand out at the doorways.

We got massages at a resort (Ho Tram Beach %26amp; Spa) and the massages cost about 20-25 USD. The therapists never asked for a tip though. We just gave them each time 50 000 VND and they were very happy! Maybe the people on Dong Khoi St. were too spoiled but they certainly were rude and that Spa doesn%26#39;t deserve a visit.

Dianne,

You get me right.

I had a 60 minute food massage near the hotel we stayed in Dist 5 (Hotel Equatorial) for 60,000 VND. The girl gave the main massage, then later a boy gave a quick massage for neck and back. I tipped 20,000 VND to each person and they did not look happy.

The person I know showed me this Qi Spa and said they advertised in local newspaper that they do not accept tips. However I have not tried this place yet.

http://www.qispa.com.vn/e/tariff.htm

Dianne47,

The best one in Saigon is Khai Hoan hotel and spa in Dist 10.

I had 3 hours full body ';treatment'; ... and my girl friend had other lady treatment (i.e., nail %26amp; facial) it was $60 for both of us including about $20 tip

Khai Hoan (Regency) Hotel

206 3/2 street, District 10

Tel : (848) 8654950 - 8654951 - 8654952

http://www.khaihoanhotel.com/

--DanQue

On May 07, my family visited SG and my daughter %26amp; her husband %26amp; his friend went to L%26#39;apothiquaire spa %26amp; massage . The asmosphere there is good, no big%26amp; surprise tip demand after they enjoyed their spa %26amp; massage.

Here is some extract words from Reid ( Reidontravel.com):

%26lt;%26lt;LE MAISON DE L鈥橝POTHIQUAIRE

This spa/retreat takes up a stark white art deco French building from the 1950s, rimmed by gardens and a swimming pool and fully furnished like a 17th-century chemist鈥檚 shop inside. It鈥檚 simply the best in town. Their handmade products 鈥?skin creams, soaps 鈥?are used in their treatments. They offer six treatments of three-and-a-half to six hours; the full day of luxury ($140) includes facial, Jacuzzi, sauna, body and foot therapy, shampoo and food. Check the website for others. Their smaller central location 鈥?called just L鈥橝pothiquare, and also done up like a 17th-century chemist鈥檚 shop 鈥?is good for shorter treatments (an hourlong facial is $18, slimming wrap treatments $18-50, waxing $5-20).

Le Maison: tel 08-932-5181; www.lapothiquaire.com; 64A Truong Dinh St, D3. Central Location: tel 08-822-1218; 63 Le Thanh Ton St; open 8.30-8pm daily%26gt;%26gt;

Thanks for sharing your experience Dianne. As one of our guests, our concierge would have been happy to advise you on a choice of spa, or you could have used our hotel spa where you would not have been hassled for a tip :)

Spas with street touts outside are generally best avoided. Visitors to HCMC should ask at their hotel or look in one of the local listings mags such as The Word or The Guide.

To the Duxton Hotel Manager:

Thank you for your comment and for the PM you sent to me. I did use the Duxton spa for a foot massage and pedicure, both entirely satisfactory - and very restful.

I%26#39;ve had spa treatments all over Asia and was very careful elsewhere in Vietnam after my experience in Saigon. I was NEVER hassled for a tip at any other spa, so reiterate my warning about this particular spa, name and address above.

Your comment about not using spas with touts outside is probably good advice. It never occured to me that there could be a problem. I will just add that I thoroughly enjoyed the Duxton Hotel and will be writing about my experience there in the hotel reviews section of tripadvisor.

So it%26#39;s the standard pratice at this ';Top'; Salon in Dong Khoi. I was also ripped off in a similar manner. I was so silly as to do the body %26amp; foot massage. There was even a sign in the foot massage room saying to call a local number if any of the therapist asked for a tip but i just didn%26#39;t want to ruin my day further by arguing with someone over the phone. I will NEVER ever patronise them again! The massage was only so so %26amp; the chairs in the foot massage room was old and torn!

Anywhere which employs street touts, be it a massage parlour, restaurant or shop, should be avoided. Classy places don%26#39;t need to use touts!