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War Thai

When two spas rub shoulders in the same neighbourhood, there’s bound to be friction. And located just one shop away, Bandra’s spanking new Aura Thai Spa has inched too close for comfort for the popular Aroma Thai Foot Spa, which is fighting tooth and nail to keep its turf, a slew of discounts and new treatments in its arsenal. This is war, and we hope that in the end customers will be the winners.
Spa-ticus in the Ring

Dressed in gold and red with Thai elephants at the door, Aura is attractive enough to pull in passing feet. Strangely, their meet and greet counter is also outside the door, where we were made to exchange our city shoes for comfy bamboo footwear. Inside, the cozy space is broken up into several small booths that made us feel boxed in rather than relaxed. But to be fair, the areas are fresh and pretty, with beds covered in oriental print silks. The massage menu on the other hand is unimaginative, with the done-to-death chocolate wrap qualifying amongst the most exotic treatments available. The prices are steep, with the basic full body dry massage and foot rub both starting at Rs 1,250. The deft hands of our masseuse, however, almost justified the price tag.

Feet-al Position

Establishing a new business is always a rocky road, and Aura Thai Spa has more than its share of bumps ahead, seeing as it's sharing space with the Aroma Thai. The veteran spa has pulled out the big guns, offering 25% off on select packages, new winter green hot oil treatments, and a launch of their Esscents product range. What may, work in Aura’s favour is the separate sections for men and women, and concentration on full body treatments - reflexology, scrubs, wraps, exfoliation and rub downs - as opposed to just peds : (a less similar moniker would have helped too).

So go have a look at the place – if it doesn’t suit your fancy, you can always rest your feet at the tried-and-tested alternative down the street.
Getting there: Shop no 1, Chetak Society, next to Juice hair salon, Pali Hill, Bandra (W). Call 65220000. Open from 10 am to 10 pm.