The Spa of Los Gatos

Los Gatos affords many nice places in which to be pampered. I can't say I've tried them all, but one I return to time and again is the Spa of Los Gatos. Yesterday I enjoyed an hourlong massage there (finally using a giftcard from Christmas!) and it occurred to me that I might want to say a good word about this haven for folks who are in need of some relaxation, as I have been. (This is not a paid blogpost and the folks there do not even know that I am writing this.)

Located across from the post office, near the Town Park Plaza, the Spa of Los Gatos is easy to find and a relatively easy place in which to find a parking spot, too. The folks there ask patrons to arrive 15 minutes early - I suspect it helps to create a more relaxed beginning when we don't arrive full of adreneline for being late - but they do not take the time to make you wait in a long line. Each time I've been there, I'm quickly escorted in, given a locker and shown where to wait for the technician.

The setting is relaxing once the visitor gets past the frosted glass door. There, lights are lower, the decor is a muted Mediterranean, music is soft and an effort is made to slow the tempo before the tecnician is even seen. The locker rooms are well appointed (water, brushes, hair products, dryers etc.) and comfortably private. Robes and sandals are provided, and patrons are asked to make their way to a soothing lounge where they'll be met by the technician.

With low music and lights, the waiting lounge is a funny kind of tease because there are magazines to be read but the light's too dim to actually read  - at least for me. There are teas and juices available, and water sprinkled with lemon juice too. Large armchairs are the place to sip on a beverage and wait. Everyone's in a terry robe and plastic sandals that have a lot of ergonomic feeling bumps under one's feet. Some try to read but quickly give up. Reading won't work. Sip on the beverage and try not to look at the other patrons (like in an elevator). Soon your name will be called. And by the time he or she calls your name, you'll already be a step or two deeper into relaxation just because of the setting.

The Spa of Los Gatos offers several types of massages, and even if you always pick their sigature Sweedish Massage (as I have done), it'll be a little different each time. Over the years I have probably been there a half dozen times, and each time has been enjoyable and relaxing - and a little different, as each person giving the massage is different and reads your needs a little differently too.

The rooms are very pleasant, with the same low light and quiet music that sets a restful tone. There are always choices for the massage oils (cocoanut vs lilac vs unscented, as I recall). And the tecnicians I have had seem to be flexible with either conversing or not depending on the customer's mood or personality. Some days I haven't wanted to talk and other days I have - and it seems to me that no matter my inclination, the people who worked on me made me feel relaxed both physically and emotionally. And that was very nice to be "met" where I was each time.

After the massage, the Spa offers a very nice, private steam shower. Some resorts have a common, co-ed sauna (not for me!), but here it's a private room with a shower that doubles as a steam room. So you can have a steam bath for a few minutes, shut that off, and then shower if you like. There is no sense of being rushed either. The shower has a lot of pressure and an adjustable head to vary the spray and that's nice too.

From start to finish, my visits there have encompassed about two hours for a one hour massage. The results tend to last awhile as the professionals there seem very adept at slaying the knots in my back.

Other types of massages are available, involving heated stones and water sprays and all kinds of interesting things which someday I'm sure I'll try. And I know there are lots of other places in Los Gatos where I could get a massage too, but so far, I've been so happy here that I haven't ventured elsewhere.

Los Gatos: it's a great place to be pampered.

Workshop: A Hidden Treasure
in the Village Lane Area of Los Gatos

Los Gatos is a town of about 30,000 people (around 18,000 registered voters) and about 40 hair salons. Additionally, there are places in Los Gatos for nails and others for a massage.

Truly, Los Gatos is a great place to be pampered. Maybe that is why so many people seem happy as they stroll the downtown!

With no shortage of choices, the difficulty isn't whether or not to go to Los Gatos for that perfect haircut, but only where to go in Los Gatos for that perfect haircut.  The whole gamut exists here in terms of the type of "do" available and the environment in which to get it done.

For the last five or seven years, my stylist has been "J", who runs Work Shop in the Village Lane area of Los Gatos.  J is a down to earth guy who's been doing hair for more than a decade. He's easy to pass the time with, but even more, he does a wonderful job.

Elsa and Shane work alongside J in this offbeat, non-stuffy salon where the decor is anything but standard "California fare". If you are expecting to hear Bocelli and see a Tuscan theme (neither of which do I mind), you'll be surprised. It's more like a Dia de Los Muertos scheme, purple and metallic silver paint, and kidney shaped mirrors at the stations. It's fun, but nevermind the decor. These folks are friendly, skilled, and will make you look your best when you step out the door. The atmosphere is lighthearted, but the attention to detail is not. Finally, you won't feel like you raided your kids' college fund to have your hair done, either.

I can't recommend J or Work Shop highly enough. (And no, this is not a paid endorsement. It's just something I wanted to post since I've been so happy with J's work for so many years.) It's not the kind of place you are likely to just stumble upon - it's a bit off the beaten path in the Village Lane area of Los Gatos.

So the location raises a question: since Village Lane used to be where the old Los Gatos Cemetery existed, is the place haunted?

There are plenty of Village Lane shops that certainly are.

"There are no bodies under this shop", says J with certainty. Asked how he knows - after all, utility workers and others occassionally still bump into coffins when excavating some of the area - J replies that the area under Work Shop has been excavated for a parking garage.

While I love to hear ghost stories, especially local ones in Los Gatos, I have to say, in closing, that the only surprises you'll have at Work Shop are pleasant ones.