Pure Energy Spa Review: Welcome to Blissville! 

Last Updated on February 21, 2023 by Kirsten Raccuia

I’m a sucker for ambiance. I’ll frequent a restaurant with an incredible ambiance, even if the food isn’t great. Conversely, I hate going to a restaurant with great food if the atmosphere sucks. I’m all about the vibe.

When I walked into the Pure Energy Spa at the Lone Pine Hotel, I kind of felt…meh.

The check-in area wasn’t very warm or zen. There is a bookshelf with a few products and a couple of tee shirts for sale. The whole vibe is a bit minimalist and sparse.

Where are the candles? The gong, bird-chirping music? How come it doesn’t smell spa-ish?

Little did I know what was waiting for me behind the curtain.

As I followed Maria, masseuse extraordinaire, into the spa, everything changed. The room goes from being a little bland in the waiting area to a warm cozy spa that transports you to another era.

The small spa consists of four private cabanas, three singles, and one for couples. Each square cabana is made of rich dark wood and white canvas panels. They are simple but have a zen-like feel that blends with the atmosphere of the Lone Pine hotel; it combines old-world charm with modern amenities.

Maria slid open the pocket doors of my cabana; the dimly lit amber room oozed with the mood that I want from a spa. White cloths draped from the ceiling like a dreamy canopy overhead. It was still basic, but it had a lovely warmth to it.

Then I heard the soft music playing in the background. Yesss! My spa day had officially begun.

The Scrub-Down

Maria left me to undress, and as soon as I laid face down on the table, I noticed it was warm. There was a heating pad under the sheets to keep me toasty and soothe any aching muscles.

There are four body scrubs to choose from at the Pure Energy Spa:

• salt glow for detoxing (probably should have gone for that one given my propensity for vodka-sodas)
• ground coffee for energizing
• hibiscus rose for whitening
• mococoa for hydrating sensitive skin

I went for the mococoa body scrub, which is made from cocoa beans and smells like chocolate cake. All I could think of while Maria was scrubbing me was how this chocolate would be great with a glass of red wine.

Maria left no stone unturned, so to speak, write. She exfoliated every scrub-able spot on my body, from the webs of my fingers to the tips of my toes. My mosquito bites have never felt so good.

After she was done, she led me to the bathroom for a shower. I felt bad about leaving a little chocolate river behind, but Maria assured me not to worry.

I felt like a polished diamond.

While I was showering, Maria was cleaning up my trail of cocoa footsteps, as well as the cabana. I came back to my lovely little room and popped up on the toasty bed, ready for phase two.

The Rub-Down

Next up was the 60-minute Purity Special massage. I can’t tell you exactly what made it a Purity Special massage, but I can tell you that without a doubt Maria knows what she is doing. I’ve lived in Malaysia for 6 years and have had countless rub-downs. The massage I had from Maria was by far the best.

So many massages in Southeast Asia are merely oil rubs, which clearly, I can do for myself. If they find a knot, they either cram their elbows in there for three seconds and move on. Or just ignore it because that isn’t in their massage routine. Five rubs on the left side of the back, five on the right, move to the lower back, do not stop for a knot. That would screw up the counting.

Full-o-knots

Imagine my surprise when Maria got in there, found knots, and actually worked on them. I didn’t even know my calves were tight, or why for that matter. But she pinpointed all the spots and massaged them until they were a thing of the past.

She skillfully used her elbows, forearms, fingertips, and thumbs to work out my kinks. Although she’s a tiny little thing, she is powerful and knows how to work out the sore spots gently.

It felt as if Maria had been massaging me for years and knew my body. She was extremely attentive and could almost read my needs before I expressed them. When she saw me getting restless or fidgeting, Maria moved made me more comfortable. She was thoughtful, mindful, and quiet. And above all, a trained professional.

I was trying really hard to focus on what she was doing so I could write about it in detail, but I kept getting swept away, into the moment. During most massages, I think about my to-do list, what’s for dinner, how the massage sucks. But not with Maria, I was in blissville.

After Maria worked through my knots, it was time for phase three, the express facial.

The Money Maker

By the time it came to my facial, I was in nirvana. I forgot to ask what she was putting on my skin. I found out later they use a high-end line of products from Switzerland called Swissline by Dermalab.

The products are all plant-based, which I love, and in 40 minutes, my face looked renewed. I was glowing, and my skin was noticeably plumper. Next time I’m going for the whole shebang. If Maria can do that in 40 minutes, I’ll look 10 years younger if I go for the 90-minute, Purely Ageless facial.

When Maria applied the face mask, she could have taken a well-deserved break as it dried. Instead of leaving the room, she massaged my head for 15 minutes. I looked like Beetlejuice afterward, dreadlocks and all! But it was totally worth it.

So, what sets the therapists at Pure Energy Spa apart from other spas on the island?

The Energy Academy

Pure Energy Spa is part of the Energy Wellness Group based in KL. They are an award-winning spa group that opened its doors in 2003. They paved the way for day spas in the region to follow a holistic path to wellness.

To ensure their therapists provide top quality services for every client, they created the Energy Academy. It is Malaysia’s first Center of Excellence for training spa professionals. Every therapist who works in the Pure Energy Spa has been through their training courses, which explains why Maria is so skilled and masterful.

The Final Word

After almost three hours, Maria was finished with me. She practically had to scrape me off the table. I was a puddle of calm.

Look, would I love to choose my scented oil? Would I like to shower in my own room, so I don’t have to traipse out of my cabana in a robe?

Yes, to both.

But seriously, who cares when you get mind-blowing massages at affordable prices? At the end of the day, it’s about the treatment, not the gongs and candles.

I’ve been to spas at some of the other high-end hotels on the island. I’ve paid well over the prices at the Pure Energy Spa for far less.

Yes, I got to choose my oil, but it took me two days to squeegee it all off – and I almost slid off my car seat. I’ve also had massages while hearing the thumping music from the hotel bar and had a masseuse who smelled like cigarettes. I can’t even count how many times I’ve had to shush two therapists chatting in our couple’s massages.

I can guarantee that none of those therapists have been through a training course. If they had, they must have failed. Oil rubbers, I tell you, all of them.

But not at Pure Energy Spa.

If you are looking for a lovely spa experience, but don’t want to spend a lot of money, I absolutely recommend going to the Pure Energy Spa. If you’re not looking for a spa, go anyway! Treat-yo-self to something exceptional for a fraction of the cost. You can thank me later (with a gift certificate, preferably *wink-wink*).

The Deets:

All scrubs are 45-minutes and cost RM165.

They have various full-body massages, which range in price from RM145 for 60 minutes up to RM275 for 120 minutes.

The 60-minute facials are RM150. The longer, specialty facials start at RM195.

They also provide other services like body cocoons (wraps), waxing, and mani/pedis. There is a 5% service charge added to all treatments.

When you book your treatment, and you should – STAT, mention my blog, and you will get 20% off.

They also have monthly specials, this month is:

Read my full and honest review of the Lone Pine Hotel here.

Pure Energy Spa at the Lone Pine Hotel
97 Jalan Batu Ferringhi
11100 Penang
Tel: +604 886 8511
E: [email protected]

Disclaimer: I was a guest of Pure Energy Spa, and my treatments were covered. However, all the thoughts and opinions in this review are 100% honest and my own.