Lovely Lomi Lomi
Super Stones

As we’ve often said, we consider ourselves quite the massage therapy connoisseur. We get weekly massages, we’ve had massages all over the place in the U.S. and around the world. So there. We are experts.

One thing we realized is that destination massages is that they are almost always not good. And way too expensive. For one thing, the spa administrators know that customers are not going to become regulars, and that probably a good percentage aren’t experienced in massage or don’t have a good comparison to designate it as rote. There have been exceptions, of course, but they’re few and far between.

We have a regular place we go weekly, right near the BeansTalk offices. It’s called Swanya (see our review from insiderpages.com, below) and they do Thai massage and it’s amazing. It’s also so reasonable it’s stunning. Of course, like most places, the experience varies from therapist to therapist. But find one you like and it’s dreamy and something to look forward to each week.

That said, on the rare occasion we have the opportunity to take it up a notch to go to what we might colloquially call a “fancy” spa, which translates into an elegant, expensive celebrity favored one. Such a spa is Kinara, which is popular with of one of our favorite funny ladies, Megan Mullally. We recently had the amazing treat of one of their newest treatments, the Lomi Lomi Hot Stone Therapy. Our therapist was Colette and she was wonderful.

Another nice factor was having the treatment done on a Sunday a.m. If it wasn’t for the L.A. Marathon or whatever that marathon was that was blocking those of us from the Westside going easterly, it would be a super quick jaunt over to Kinara, which is located on Robertson, between Melrose Place and Santa Monica Blvd.

The facility is beautiful and private, and we can see why celebs like to slip in and out for moments of peaceful luxury. We took a steam and then a hydrobath which was fantastic. The tub was so large it almost encompassed the entire room. It also had these different colored lights that turned the warm water relaxing colors. Very nice. Then, finally, the 75 mins. Lomi Lomi Hot Stone Therapy

Here’s what they say at Kinara:

Lomi Lomi Hot Stone Therapy
Whether it’s daily stress or an imbalanced rest schedule, melt away stresses with the soothing warmth of heated, river-worn basalt stones. The stones are heated to an ideal temperature and bring you to a profound state of relaxation through specific placement and Hawaiian Lomi Lomi massage characterized by deep, long, rhythmic strokes. Ancient therapeutic benefits are further enhanced through the use of organic virgin coconut oil, a natural exfoliant and moisturizer. This is Kinara’s most relaxing massage, unlike any hot stone treatment. Fifty Minutes $150, Seventy-Five Minutes $200

Here’s what we thought:

We love coconut and the coconut oil the therapist (in our case, Colette) used enhanced the entire tropical feel and flavor of the massage. The coconut oil was rubbed into our skin, she then held the warm stones in her hands and used them to work through the tension in our tense places. There are other various ways the stones are used, under the sheets, under glutes, between toes, ect. Lovely!

Kinara features a day spa, café and boutique in West Hollywood at 656 North Robertson Boulevard. Kinara Skincare products are exclusively distributed at the Kinara Skin Care Clinic and online at www.kinaraspa.com. To make an appointment, call 310-657-9188.