The room felt more like a hip hotel room than a fru-fru spa. The room had the requisite low lights, candles and robes, but the subdued colours, cool jazz and bare walls made the room - and us - feel stylish yet relaxed. A perfect setting for two friends in dire need of some quick relaxation, not a romantic getaway.

The massage therapists left the room, to giving us time to change and slip under the covers of our individual beds. Yes beds. With constant heat radiating from below and incredibly warm and soft blankets this wasn't a hard, impersonal massage table - it was heaven. Waiting for the masseurs to return, the tension in our bodies and minds faded away, despite our uncertainty about would happen next.

I have visited many well-known spas, and Skoah was surprisingly different. It didn't follow the traditional spa routine: lounge for an hour, read magazines, listen to waterfall music, inhale an overwhelming vanilla scent, lie uncomfortably on a hard bed until cold hands start their job and achieve relaxation only after you're out the door.

Instead, we rested comfortably to smooth, hip music that put us in a more restful state than singing cherubs ever could.

With a knock on the door and an OK from us, the masseurs returned to the room. They asked each of us which scented massage oil we each preferred - invigorating, calming or relaxing. At 4PM with a wedding dinner to attend, my friend chose invigorating. I, however, wanted nothing more than the sweet smell of relaxation. This was our only decision and for good reason - as soon as the masseurs placed warm, scented cloths over our eyes, we were out.

For the next fifty minutes we received our Melted Muscles Massage ($85 Canadian) which delivered on the promise to "melt away stress, tension and achy muscles." The massage turned me into a pile of mush and looking over at my best friend, I saw it had done the same to her.

I asked her how she felt and she told me fabulous. Did it work? Yes she said. Are you ready to get married tomorrow? I asked. No, she said, I'm ready for a really great nap. I knew how she felt.

We changed, paid and completed the mission in just over an hour. We were de-stressed, relaxed and smiling - even with an impending wedding.

Now that's a good massage.