Plenty of people book a massage thinking "I don't know what to ask for". In practice there is less to say than you might expect, and all of it fits into a few sentences. This guide helps you prepare those sentences. It covers the five things worth telling your massage specialist before you begin, how a 55, 80 or 90 minute session can be divided between areas, how to describe pressure and oil, a set of short phrases you can use during the session, and the lines to add to a booking message. To get to know the different styles, see our types of massage guide; for telling a good venue from a poor one, read how to choose a massage spa. The menu itself is on our massage page.
What does "personalised massage" mean, and how does it differ from a standard session?
A personalised massage is the same type of massage, shaped by your choices: the length, the areas of focus, the pressure and the oil.
It is not a separate massage type or a separate item on the menu.
There are two things hidden in that definition. First, a "standard session" does not really exist. Two massages with the same name, given by two different massage specialists to two different guests, will feel different, because the person giving the massage adjusts pressure, pace and focus to what the guest says. The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) treats this as a guest's right. According to its written guide, a guest can agree to the techniques and the level of pressure used, ask for the pressure to be changed during the session, choose between conversation, music or silence, and stop the session. The same guide expects the practitioner to check on pressure and comfort throughout.
Second, "personalised" describes a process, not a promise. We do not use the word as a quality claim. What makes a session personalised is a short conversation at the start and the feedback you give along the way. A massage specialist cannot guess a preference you have not mentioned, so how well the session fits you depends largely on what you say.
In practice, three things separate one session from another:
- Was there a conversation? Two minutes at the start tell the massage specialist which areas deserve the time, what pressure to begin with and whether there is any concern about the oil.
- Was feedback given during the session? If the pressure, the temperature or the music is bothering you, saying so changes the rest of the session.
- Was the length chosen well? Asking for many areas in a short session means a few minutes for each. We give this its own section below.
What five things should you tell your massage specialist before the session?
Five things are enough: how long you want, which areas to focus on, your pressure, any oil or scent sensitivity, and whether you prefer to talk or stay quiet.
It helps to treat them as a short routine. The list below can be said in two minutes at the start of the session:
- Time. Confirm the length you booked. If you ask in the middle of the session for it to be longer, that may not be possible when the next guest's time follows yours.
- Areas. Say clearly whether you want the whole body or an emphasis such as "back, neck and shoulders". Back, neck, shoulders, arms, legs, feet and head are all you need as area names.
- Pressure. Describe it on a scale of 1 to 10, where 1 is barely a touch and 10 is as deep as possible. Starting with a middle number, say 5, and adjusting as you go is an easy approach.
- Oil and scent. If you are sensitive to an oil, a scent or a product, say so at the start, before any oil is applied. AMTA also advises guests who are allergic to oil or lotion to tell the practitioner beforehand.
- Conversation or quiet. "I would like to stay quiet" or "I like to chat" is enough. The same goes for music: you can ask for it to be turned down or off.
None of these five points involves health information. If you have a health matter, it is covered in a separate section below.
There is also the time before the session. The International Spa Association (ISPA) suggests that guests phone the spa before booking and ask any questions they have, and arrive about 30 minutes before the appointment to complete paperwork and begin to relax. The conversation with your massage specialist then takes place without a rush.
How can 55, 80 or 90 minutes be divided between areas?
The longer the session, the more time each area gets and the more areas you can cover.
A 55 minute session can cover the whole body, but if you want extra attention on one area, 80 or 90 minutes is the more comfortable choice.
On our massage menu, durations run from short targeted sessions to 120 minute packages, and the most common lengths are 55 and 60 minutes, and 30, 40, 80 and 90 minute options are also on the menu. Which massage is offered for which duration can differ from one location to another, so ask the location before you book. The AMTA guide also says a table massage usually lasts 30 to 90 minutes, and that a session can cover the whole body (private areas excluded) or only specific areas.
The table below is a planning example. The numbers are not a rule or a standard at our locations; they are rough splits to help you picture the session in parts. You settle the real split with your massage specialist at the start.
| Session length | Areas you can focus on | Example split |
|---|---|---|
| 30 minutes | One area, two at most | Back, neck and shoulders; or legs and feet (about 25 minutes plus transitions) |
| 55 minutes | Whole body, or two main areas | Back of the body 25, legs and arms 20, head and neck 10 minutes |
| 80 minutes | Whole body plus extra time on one area | General flow 55, extra 20 on your chosen area, closing 5 minutes |
| 90 minutes | Whole body plus extra time on two areas | General flow 55, 15 minutes each on two areas, closing 5 minutes |
A few practical points follow from the table:
- Match the number of areas to the length. Asking for the whole body in 30 minutes means a few minutes per area. That is not wrong, but if you expect depth, the length may not suit.
- Be exact about the area. "My back" can mean the whole back; "between the shoulder blades and the back of the neck" is a clearer instruction.
- Leave time for the close. The last few minutes of every session are for easing you out gently. Squeezing them out makes the whole session feel rushed.
- Check the length against the menu. If one of the durations in the table is not on your location's menu, choose the nearest and build the split around it. Only the location can confirm the current durations and massage types.
The type of massage also plays a part when you pick areas. Thai massage is typically done on a mat with the guest clothed and relies on stretching, while Balinese massage uses warm oil on a table with flowing strokes. That difference affects how the time is divided; for more, read our Thai vs Balinese massage guide.
How do you describe the pressure you want?
Describe it on a 1 to 10 scale, or say "a little lighter" or "a little firmer".
You can change it whenever you like, and asking is a normal part of the session rather than an inconvenience to your massage specialist.
The most common mistake is staying quiet and thinking "it will do" while actually being uncomfortable. The AMTA guide advises the opposite: if you feel uncomfortable at any point, tell the practitioner. The practitioner is also expected to check pressure during the session, but a sentence from you is always more precise than a guess.
Three practical tips:
- Set the scale at the start. "It is about a 5 now, it could go to a 6" is a clearer instruction than "a little firmer".
- Vary it by area. You might want medium pressure on the back, light on the shoulders and deep on the legs. The preference does not have to be one number for the whole body.
- A different feeling is not the same as "deeper". A slow, flowing stroke feels different from a faster one at the same pressure. If what you want to change is the pace, not the pressure, say that too.
Thai massage and scrub-and-foam sessions have their own details about pressure, which we do not repeat here. For Thai massage, see what Thai massage is; for the hammam scrub, see our scrub and foam massage guide. The scale and phrases in this guide work for any type of massage.
Which oil, scent and temperature preferences should you mention?
Tell the massage specialist about any sensitivity to oil, scent or products at the start, before oil is applied.
If you have no scent preference, you can ask for unscented or lightly scented. You can also ask for the warmth of hot stones or heated towels to be adjusted during the session.
Massage specialists generally use oil or lotion. The AMTA guide says guests who are allergic to oil or lotion should tell the practitioner before the session. For hot stone massage it asks you to say whether you are comfortable with the temperature of the stones and to speak up straight away if you are not. Those two sentences are the whole of this section in miniature.
The menu on our site includes sessions with aromatic oils, and which oils are used can differ from one location to another. Useful questions to ask are:
- Which oils are used, and is the scent strong?
- Is there an unscented or lightly scented option?
- If you have a skin sensitivity, or have reacted to a product before, how can you tell the massage specialist at the start?
We make no promise about what an oil or a scent will do for your body. Aromatic oil sessions are presented on this site at menu level, as a type of massage, and not as a health practice. What matters is that the oil and the scent do not get in the way of the session. Telling the massage specialist about your sensitivity is enough, and you can also say at the start whether the oil feels pleasant on your skin.
On temperature there are two situations. Items such as the peştemal and towels are provided depending on the location, and if the room temperature bothers you, say so at the start. In sessions that use hot stones or warmed towels, you can also have the warmth changed during the session.
Can you talk or stay silent during the session?
Yes. Talking or staying quiet is your choice, and you can ask for the music to be lowered or switched off.
AMTA says a guest has the right to choose conversation, music or silence throughout the session.
A guest who stays silent to avoid "bothering" the massage specialist may only realise after the session that the pressure or the warmth was not right. A short sentence can change the rest of it. The card below gives six phrases that are the most useful during a session, in English and in Turkish. It is kept short for guests who do not share a language with the massage specialist, or who are visiting with someone who does not.
| Situation | English | Türkçe |
|---|---|---|
| Lighter | A little lighter, please. | Biraz daha hafif lütfen. |
| Firmer | A little firmer, please. | Biraz daha derin lütfen. |
| Just right | That's just right, thank you. | Şu an tam uygun, teşekkürler. |
| Quiet | I'd prefer quiet, please. | Sessiz kalmayı tercih ederim. |
| Warmth | The stones are a bit warm. | Taşlar biraz sıcak. |
| Pause | Could we pause for a moment? | Bir an durabilir miyiz? |
If you would rather not talk, there is one more method: agree a signal at the start, for example "I will stay quiet, but I will raise my hand if I am uncomfortable". This is not a procedure applied at every location; it is something you and your massage specialist can agree on the spot.
The languages spoken differ from one location to another. If you need your massage specialist to speak English, ask in your booking message which languages the staff speak. The phrase card above is there to make communication easier if there is a language barrier.
Can you choose the gender of your massage specialist?
This varies from location to location, and we cannot promise it for a particular location. Write your preference in the booking message and have the location confirm it.
In the spa industry generally, such a preference is stated when you book.
ISPA suggests that guests state a preference for a female or male massage specialist when they reserve. Because the arrangement differs by location, something one location can do may not be possible at another. For that reason this guide makes no general promise: if you have a preference, put it at the start of your booking message and wait for the location's reply.
A note on wording. In this guide "massage specialist" is a job description. It does not stand for a title, a qualification or a length of service, and we make no claim of that kind. If you want to know more about a practitioner's background, ask the location directly.
At our locations, massages are given by massage specialists from the Thai and Balinese massage traditions; at our Maltepe location they come from Bali and Nepal. This tells you which tradition's techniques may be on offer. It has no bearing on your ability to adjust the session to your preferences.
What should you do if you have a health condition?
If you have any health condition, or you are pregnant, consult your doctor before a massage.
Treatment-oriented techniques are not carried out in a massage salon; a session is for rest and relaxation. Tell the massage specialist about any concern as well.
Two things should be kept apart. The first is that a massage salon is not a healthcare facility. Turkey's regulation on business opening and operating licences, in its section on massage salons, says that treatment-oriented massage techniques cannot be used in these venues and that advice about treating illness cannot be given. If a venue tells you a session will "help with" a particular complaint, it is stepping outside that regulation. This guide stays within that frame and describes sessions as being for rest and relaxation.
The second is that a doctor's view does not replace a massage specialist's, and the reverse is also true. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) advises talking to your healthcare provider if you are unsure whether a massage is right for you. If you have a concern about the areas or the pressure, the sensible order is to speak to your doctor first and then tell the massage specialist about it.
One more point about WhatsApp. Turkey's Personal Data Protection Law (No. 6698) treats health data as a special category of personal data. You therefore do not need to write health information, medication or pregnancy in your booking message. You can say these things to the massage specialist in person at the start of the session. The message needs only the location, date, time, number of people and service.
What if two people want different things?
In a couples' room, each person can choose their own pressure, areas and oil, even though both receive a massage at the same time.
Tell each massage specialist separately, or put the differences in your booking message.
Personalisation applies to couples' sessions too: one of you may want light pressure and the other deep, one may prefer silence and the other conversation. It does not have to be a joint decision. Each massage specialist works to the preference of their own guest. The flow of a couples' massage, which locations have a couples' room and how to plan for special occasions are covered in our couples massage guide.
If you both want to finish at the same time, you need to choose the same length. If you want different lengths, tell the location in advance and ask how the couples' room is arranged.
How do you give feedback at the end, and make a note for next time?
When the session ends, tell the massage specialist briefly what you thought of the pressure, the length and the areas.
That feedback is the most reliable information for setting up your next session.
AMTA expects guests to be allowed to get up slowly and dress in privacy at the end of a session. There is no need to hurry; before you leave you can give an evaluation in two sentences, such as "The pressure was just right" or "A little more time on the shoulders would have been good". Feedback like this helps not only that session but also your next visit to the same location.
It is also practical to keep a note on your own phone. A few lines are enough:
- The length and type of massage you chose.
- The pressure level you liked (a number on the 1 to 10 scale).
- The areas of focus.
- A note about oil or scent.
- One thing you would change next time.
At your next booking, you can paste this note into the message or read it out at the start of the session, so you do not have to explain your preferences from scratch.
What lines should you add to your booking message?
Write the location, date, time, number of people, service and length, then add three short lines for areas, pressure and oil.
There is no need to include health information; you can tell the massage specialist in person at the start.
Reservations at our locations are made by WhatsApp and phone; there is no online booking system. The phone numbers are on the call card on this page, and we do not put numbers in the text of the article. The template below pulls the decisions above into one message. It is written in English, and staff at some locations also work in Turkish, so you can add a short Turkish line if you prefer:
Hello, I would like to book a [massage type] for [number of people] on [date] at [time]. Duration: [55 / 80 / 90 minutes]. Areas of focus: [for example back, neck and shoulders]. Pressure: [for example 5 on a scale of 1 to 10]. Oil and scent: [I prefer unscented or lightly scented / no preference]. Massage specialist preference: [if you have one; I would like the location to confirm]. Are these durations and options available at your location? Could you confirm availability?
The last line matters: not every duration and massage type on the menu is offered at every location. Before you write, look at the menu on the massage page and choose which location to message from the locations page. You could start, for example, with the Trabzon location or the Şişli–Osmanbey location.
Turkey's Consumer Protection Law (No. 6502, Article 54) requires service tariffs to be displayed where they can be seen. We do not publish amounts on the site; you can get current information from the location. For a general picture of what makes the cost of a session vary, see how massage and hammam costs are set. Opening hours, last appointment and entry details have their own checklist.
