Our Stories: Spa and Massage Guides
Our Stories are short, practical guides written by the Olive Spa team on the 1st Floor of V Hotel Fujairah. They answer the questions guests ask us most: what to expect at a first massage, how to choose a style, how long to book, and how to make the most of a weekend in Fujairah.
Our Stories are short, honest spa and massage guides from the Olive Spa therapist team in Fujairah, answering the questions guests ask us most before they book.
Key takeaways
- Start with the first-massage guide if you are new to spas
- Use the "Which massage" guide to choose a style
- Every guide is reviewed and dated
How we work: Each guide is written and reviewed by the Olive Spa team and dated, so you know when it was last checked.
Latest stories
A Slow Weekend in Fujairah: Beach, Mountains and a Spa Afternoon
A two-day plan for visitors: heritage sites in the morning, the sea or the wadis at midday, and a quiet spa hour before dinner.
Moroccan Bath vs Steam Room vs Body Scrub
Steam room, body scrub or full hammam ritual? A side-by-side look at what each one does for your skin and how long it takes.
How Long Should a Massage Be: 60, 90 or 120 Minutes?
Our therapists explain what each session length really gives you, and which one to book on a first visit.
Thai Massage vs Deep Tissue: Which Should You Book?
Clothed stretching or firm oil work on knots? A practical comparison for guests torn between the two.
Which Massage Is Right for You? A Simple Guide
A short decision guide that matches nine treatments to your mood, your pressure preference and your plans for the day.
Your First Massage: What to Expect, Step by Step
Nervous about your first spa visit? Everything new guests usually ask us, answered in order from booking to leaving.
Quick answers to the most common questions
If you only need a short answer, here are the ones guests ask most. Each links to the full story or page.
- What is the best massage for a first visit? A 60-minute full body massage with light to medium pressure. Read the first-massage guide.
- What are the prices at Olive Spa? From AED 120 for 60 minutes and AED 180 for 90 minutes. A Moroccan bath is AED 120, or AED 240 with a massage. See the spa menu.
- Do I stay dressed for Thai massage? Yes. Loose clothing is provided, and no oil is used unless you choose Thai oil massage. Compare Thai and deep tissue.
- Session length: Sixty minutes is enough for a complete session; ninety allows a more complete session. Read the guide.
- Moroccan bath (hammam): Steam, olive-oil black soap, a kessa-glove scrub and a warm rinse. Read the comparison.
- Where is Olive Spa? On the 1st Floor of V Hotel Fujairah, Al Fassel Rd, Fujairah, UAE. Open daily, 9:00 AM to 3:00 AM. Get directions.
- Do I need to stay at the hotel? No. Hotel guests and visitors are equally welcome.
Where to start
Not sure which story to read first? Start with the one that matches where you are:
- Never had a massage before? Read Your first massage: what to expect, step by step. It covers arriving, the consultation, undressing and draping, and how to ask for changes.
- Know you want a massage, but not which one? Read Which massage is right for you? Three questions and you will have an answer.
- Torn between two styles? Read Thai massage vs deep tissue, which compares clothing, pressure, stretching and how you feel afterwards.
- Deciding on time and budget? Read How long should a massage be? for an honest look at 60, 90 and 120 minutes.
- Curious about the hammam? Read Moroccan bath vs steam room vs body scrub.
- Planning a trip to the East Coast? Read A slow weekend in Fujairah for beaches, mountains, forts and a spa afternoon.
A short spa and massage glossary
Spa menus are full of words that can feel unfamiliar. Here is what the most common ones mean, in one or two sentences each.
- Full body massage
- A single session that works through the back, shoulders, neck, arms, hands, legs, feet and scalp, usually with oil and light to medium pressure. Also called a relaxing or Swedish-style massage. See our full body massage.
- Deep tissue massage
- Slow, firm, focused pressure on tight areas such as the shoulders, lower back and legs. Your therapist agrees the pressure with you first. See our deep tissue massage.
- Russian massage
- A brisk, structured classical massage with energetic strokes and kneading, often chosen by people who like a firm, invigorating session.
- Kerala massage
- A traditional South Indian oil massage with generous warm oil and long, rhythmic strokes, usually including the scalp. More about Kerala massage.
- Thai massage
- A clothed massage on a mat or table using assisted stretches and rhythmic palm and thumb pressure. Thai oil massage is a softer version with oil and fewer stretches. More about Thai massage.
- Moroccan bath (hammam)
- A guided hammam ritual that leaves skin smooth. More about the Moroccan bath.
- Black soap (beldi soap)
- A soft, paste-like soap traditionally made with olive oil, used in the Moroccan bath to soften the skin before the scrub.
- Kessa glove
- A textured exfoliating mitt used to scrub away dead skin during a hammam.
- Couples massage
- Two guests massaged side by side, in the same private room, by two therapists at the same time. More about couples massage.
- Draping
- The way a sheet or towel covers your body during a massage, so only the area being worked on is uncovered.
- Effleurage
- Long, gliding strokes that spread oil and warm the muscles, usually at the start and end of a massage.
- Petrissage
- Kneading, lifting and rolling movements that work a little deeper into the muscle.
- Consultation
- The short conversation before your treatment about how you feel, the pressure you like, areas to avoid and any health notes.
Massage and wellbeing: what we can honestly say
You will read many bold claims about massage online. We prefer to be careful. Massage can help you relax, ease the feeling of tight and tired muscles, and give you an hour of calm away from screens and noise. You may sleep better on the night of a treatment. What massage cannot do is cure illness, fix an injury or replace medical care, and we never suggest otherwise. If you are managing pain, an injury or a health condition, speak to a doctor or physiotherapist first, and then tell us what they advised. That way your treatment can be planned around you.
Every story on this page is free to read and share. If one of them helped you choose a treatment, or made your first visit feel easier, we would love to hear about it when you come in, and it helps us decide what to write next.
Why we write these guides
Every day, guests at Olive Spa ask us the same handful of questions. Which massage should I book? Do I have to undress? Is ninety minutes worth it? What actually happens in a Moroccan bath? Is Thai massage painful? These are good questions, and the honest answers are rarely on a spa menu.
So we started writing them down. Each story on this page answers one real question in plain language, the way our therapists would explain it to you at reception. We do not use them to sell you a longer treatment or an extra service. If the honest answer is “a 60-minute full body massage is enough”, that is what we write.
The guides are written by the Olive Spa therapist team, who deliver these treatments every day on the 1st Floor of V Hotel Fujairah, and reviewed by Olive SPA Management before they are published. We update them when our menu, prices or advice change.
How we keep these guides accurate
We follow a few simple rules when we write and update a story:
- Experience first. Advice comes from what our therapists see with real guests in the treatment room, not from a template.
- No medical claims. Our guides treat massage as relaxation and wellbeing. We never say it cures, heals or treats a condition, and we tell you when to check with a doctor first.
- Clear prices and facts. When a guide mentions a price, a length or opening hours, it matches the spa menu and our contact page. If they ever differ, the menu and the confirmation we send you are correct.
- Dated updates. Each story shows when it was published and last reviewed.
Why Fujairah, and why a spa here
Fujairah is the only emirate that lies entirely on the UAE’s East Coast, with the Hajar Mountains behind it and the Gulf of Oman in front. It moves at a gentler pace than the cities on the other side of the mountains. People come for the beaches, the snorkelling around Snoopy Island, the wadis, the old forts and the cooler evening air by the sea, and they stay for the quiet.
A spa fits naturally into that rhythm. After a long drive from Dubai or Sharjah, a morning on the water or a day of hiking, a massage is often the part of the trip people remember most. Many of our stories are written with that in mind: practical, local and honest.
Suggest a topic
Is there a question about massage, spa etiquette or visiting Fujairah that you would like us to answer? Send it to us on WhatsApp (+971 50 271 8276). If several guests ask the same thing, it becomes our next story.
Looking for something else?
The short answer: Every treatment page explains the experience step by step. Start with the spa menu, compare styles on our massage center in Fujairah page, or ask us on WhatsApp. We will gladly point you in the right direction.
Questions about our guides
Each guide is checked by Olive SPA Management. Each one shows the date it was last reviewed.
No. They explain spa treatments in plain language. For any health question, please speak to your doctor before booking a massage.
Send your question on WhatsApp to +971 50 271 8276. Questions that come up often may become future guides.
Found the answer you were looking for?
The short answer: Put it into practice. Book the treatment that fits how you feel, or ask us anything on WhatsApp.