AME Salon and Day Spa in Wayne, Pennsylvania
Julie Register visited this day spa west of Philadelphia just off the Main Line in March 2007

I was worn out. My shoulders ached. My neck was stiff. It had been over two months since I had a massage. I remember seeing AME Salon and Spa's inviting web site and had made a mental note to try it some time. The time had arrived!

AME's web site makes many references to the Japanese culture and the healing power of water. "In Japanese, the word Ame means 'rain.' A sacred concept in Japanese cultures is to visit hot spring spas known as "onsen." People of all walks of life travel with family or friends to soak away aches, pain and troubles. Shinto, the ancient religion of Japan, emphasizes cleanliness and purification of the body and spirit for physical and spiritual regeneration. This custom dates back to the distant past and is an important part of life in today's society. Ame invites you to experience a piece of the past with a fun, fresh new point of view."

AME has two "wet" facilities - a Rain Room with a 7-headed rainbar providing warm 'rainfall' massages and a Japanese Tub Room to "take the waters."

According to AME's web site, "Water has been used in ceremonial and religious rituals by all cultures since the beginning of time. In Japan, water therapy is believed to be sacred and pardon sins. Water cleanses. Water soothes. Water refreshes. Water is the essence of life. We at AME invite you to take the plunge." I accept! I decided on AME's 90-minute Tub & Rub and made a reservation for a Thursday evening. I hoped the spa could deliver what its web site promised (I've been to more than a few spas that couldn't!).

I drove from Delaware up the "Blue Route" to the St. Davids exit and Route 30 west. This is Philadelphia's famous Main Line. A train track parallels the road, and stations are found at every little town along the way - Overbrook, Merion, Narberth, Wynnewood, Ardmore, Haverford, Bryn Mawr, Rosemonth, Villanova, Radnor, St. Davids, Wayne, and others. It is now so built up, one town runs into the other, and it is hard to know when you are leaving one and entering another. The train makes everything along the route easily accessible from Philadelphia and up and down the Main Line. Sure enough, as I pulled into the parking lot next to AME, I could see the quaint Wayne train station about a block away.

I check in about a half hour before my appointment and was asked to complete a health history form. As soon as I was done, I was greeted by a spa attendant who led me to the second floor. A backlit golden onyx fountain bubbled away at the top of the stairs. I was shown to the changing room and instructed to select any locker I wanted. When I finished changing, I was to relax in the waiting area. The locker room was surprisingly spacious with two showers, vanity area, and a large bench. Lockers were clearly labeled by size and stocked with a soft robe, sandals and bottle of water. Even though my size was on the top row, I selected a lower locker since I couldn't reach the hooks of those above it. I wrapped myself in a very roomy robe, opened the water and wandered to the waiting area. I settled into a comfy lounge chair just as my therapist, Colleen, came to collect me.

We walked to the end of the wide hallway to the Japanese Tub Room. Inside was a massage table and a stainless steel tub filled with hot water and surrounded by flickering candles. Colleen asked what I would like in the tub - Hot Milk for all over sloughing & great skin softening, Ginger Salts for re-mineralizing & muscle ache relief or Oriental Blossom Tea for soothing & healing all bodies. I selected the hot milk. She then had me select the oil to use for the massage - Arabian, Indian, or two others. I selected Arabian. She said these were all Comfort Zone products. She added the milk, turned the jets on and helped me into the tub. She brought me a pitcher of ice water and a tray of snacks - crackers, dried fruit, nuts and fig cookies (my dinner that evening) and left me alone to soak and relax.

Just as I was thinking of getting out of the tub, Colleen appeared and helped me out. I dried off and got on the massage table. Colleen gave a wonderful massage concentrating on my sore shoulders and stiff neck. I was so relaxed, I didn't want to drive home afterwards. I seriously thought about getting a room at the Wayne Hotel across the street from AME, but in the end, I didn't. My experience at AME lived up to the promise of it's web site. Inspired by the Japanese, it delivered a lovely facility and a thoroughly relaxing experience.

In addition to the spa on the second floor, there is a manicure porch. AME's Salon and pedicure room is located on the first floor. The third-floor loft is used for couples' and friends' treatments as well as Thai massage and shiatsu. It has also been used for spa parties.

The Salon	Pedicure Room
Hallway	The Loft

AME Salon and Spa Services