Casa Serena Spa

By Sam Daniels

What: Aromatic Oil Massage (90 min)

Where: 68 Taicang Lu, near Songshan Lu. Tel: 5382 1600

Why: For a moment out of time that's not out of place.

How Much: RMB 477

Who needed to know best how to relax in 1930s Shanghai? Why, Chinese gangsters, that's who. These guys were seriously in need of some TLC; after all, what could be a more stressful job than tackling the pressures of gang warfare and drug trafficking? And while today's Xintiandi strutting, high-powered Shanghai executives might not be looking life and death so squarely in the face, their jobs are still stressful. Thankfully, the vintage Casa Serena Spa transports you to the time of 1930s Shanghai for a bit of R&R.

Operated by the already well established Green Massage, my experience was a professional and relaxing one from start to finish. The narrow hallways led immediately into an area of quiet and deep meditation, a remarkable accomplishment considering that the property is just metres away from bustling Xintiandi. The dark finished woodwork and the stained glass windows radiated with Old World charm that was stylish, but not overbearing. Every good gangster needs a hideaway; this one will definitely do.

My treatment began with a soothing foot bath. Afterwards it was time to choose from one of five aromatic oils which would be used in my treatment. I chose the strongest one, a real nose-tingler. A gangster has got to keep his wits about him, even when he’s getting a rub down. Before my masseuse took to rubbing and tugging the knots in my back, she held aromatic oils under my nose, allowing me to breathe deeply. Pure refreshment and relaxation radiated through my body. The massage flowed on and I found myself in a daze, looking at my worries from a place of calm far, far away. After it was over, this gangster was ready to take on whatever this city had to throw at him.