An oasis in a hurried, rushed, oft stressful environment, ATL’s XpresSpa (located in Concourse C across from gate 37 and Concourse A Centerpoint) is worth scheduling a layover for. And, you have more time for a spa service than you realize.

My early flight landed at Concourse D, so I took the airport train to Concourse C to grab a pedicure. I was greeted by Misty, who took my carry-on and stored it for me, then guided me to a massage lounger. She made it a point to ask me when my flight was. Turns out this is a standard question for passengers who visit XpresSpa.

Unfortunately, there was a 25 minute wait (the place was busy at 8:30am). Fortunately, I sat in a massage lounger as I waited. Ah, the massage lounger…it was dreamy.

While waiting for my pedicure, Misty had me select my OPI nail color from a cart she wheeled over (very nice considering that lounger was making me woozy). Then, I sat back and took-in the environment. The lighting inside XpresSpa was warm and relaxing compared to the harsh fluorescent lighting out in the terminal. The soothing music, cozy colors and silent staff made me forget I was in an airport. One of my favorite things about XpresSpa is the fact that the staff rarely talks. No awkward banter here. Just me, a massage lounger and my BlackBerry. Bliss.

The immaculately maintained facility accommodates walk-ins. The three free-standing massage chairs constantly saw action from those smart enough to realize the value of a great massage. The massage menu is extensive, but the most popular massage was the Neck & Back Massage (10/15/20/30 minutes…$25/$35/$40/$55).

My Pedi-Pure pedicure ($50) is one of three types of pedicures offered and was performed right in the massage lounger (manicures are also performed in the loungers). Kelliama did an excellent job of moisturizing, exfoliating, massaging and scrubbing my feet. With a coat of OPI Red I was set. Since I had time to kill, I continued to sit in the massage lounger whilst my polish dried, observing a steady stream of passengers walk in the spa – an equal mix of men and women.  The men were generally drawn to the massage chairs; the women to nail services.

Tips

If you’re short on time, consider the Polish To-Go service. Take your OPI polish-of-choice home with any mani/pedi service. That way you’re not stuck waiting on polish to dry or worrying about damaging a freshly painted surface.

Be careful with freshly moisturized feet. They are surprisingly slippery inside shoes. How do I know?  I fell face-forward in the baggage claim area due to slippery feet. The bruise on my wrist matches my red toe nails.

XpresSpa locations.

XpresSpa services.

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