AI Meets Massage at AWAY Spa Scottsdale
These days, AI is everywhere, including in the wellness space. So when I got the chance to be among the first in Arizona to try an AI-powered massage, who was I to say no?
W Scottsdale has partnered with Aescape, the award-winning tech company, to introduce a first-of-its-kind spa experience at AWAY Spa. These precision-engineered, robotic massages are billed as offering on-demand, always-available and fully customizable robotic massage experiences.
Naturally, I had questions. What would it feel like? How would it compare to a traditional message?
Here is my take.
After donning a special pair of AI leggings and a long-sleeve top, which you wear during the session, I laid on what looked like a standard massage table, with one major difference. Next to it was a futuristic machine with two robotic arms — my masseuse for the day. Under the headrest, a touchscreen gave me control over the experience. I could adjust pressure levels, skip entire areas and offer real-time feedback on what felt good.
The session started with a high-tech body scan, which mapped my body’s muscle structure to create a unique blueprint, and then the massage began. The touchscreen displayed a timeline of my treatment, including which areas would get attention and for how long. I could also zone out to calming visuals and choose my favorite chill-out music.
And chill, I did. As Aescape dug into the knots in my upper back, I realized this was a pretty great massage. It honed in on my problem spots and applied just the right amount of pressure. It also sidestepped some of the common hang-ups of traditional massage — no small talk, no self-consciousness of having, say, my glutes worked out, no worries about leg stubble. It was just me and the machine.
That is both the magic and the trade-off of the experience. It took away the skin-to-skin contact that only a real person can provide. But this wasn’t trying to be a replacement — it was a whole new category. Apples to oranges, and an awesome, unique experience.
I left the AWAY Spa feeling fully refreshed: no oils to wash off and no downtime, just well-worked muscles and an upbeat attitude. Priced at $60 for 30 minutes and $120 for 60 minutes — with the one-hour session including complimentary access to W Scottsdale’s WET Deck — I would definitely take advantage of this thoroughly modern self-care again.
For more behind this Frontdoor, visit awayspawscottsdale.com.
Karen Werner is the editor of Frontdoors Media. She is a writer, editor and media consultant. She has interned at The New Yorker, worked at Parents Magazine, edited five books and founded several local magazines. Her work has appeared in Sunset, Mental Floss and the Saturday Evening Post.
