Gourmet: From a Stall in Northern Europe
Chapter 357 - 269: Terrifying Sixth Sense, The Front Door Is a No-Go!
Originally, they had a great plan: to operate one day and rest for three, focusing on maximizing utilization.
But while the ideal is rich, the reality is quite stark.
At least until the end of the Olympics, this plan won’t work.
Moreover, large events that attract large crowds usually continue to have a strong pulling effect for some time even after the event ends.
This means that for at least three to four weeks, the hotel rooms will be fully booked.
If they want to use this plan, they’ll have to wait until mid-August to reconsider based on the situation.
"Let’s talk about it later. Su, you go and experience it first to see how the massage service is. If it’s decent, I might open a spot tomorrow. The recent milk increase has been messing with my sleep, and my shoulders are becoming stiff. I really want to find time for a massage."
While Dieppe has legitimate massage parlors, the quality isn’t great. For a better experience, one needs to drive to Paris, but the well-known massage parlors there require reservations, and it’s not easy to book an appointment.
If the Thai massage therapist at the hotel is good, then it’s worth spending that money.
"Okay, I’ll go downstairs with you guys. It’s meal time now, so there probably won’t be many people getting massages, and it might be relatively empty."
In the morning, when they toured the hotel, they roughly visited the floors below but couldn’t explore inside, though it seemed decent from the outside.
Su said goodbye to the trio and left the elevator, heading to the second floor.
This floor had nothing else, just spa and massage services, with the entrance and reception right as you exit the elevator.
Guests who booked a room are entitled to a basic one-hour massage for free daily, but to experience better services, additional payment is required.
"Miss Su, right? We currently have therapists available. Would you prefer a male or female therapist?"
The front desk staff checked the system to confirm her room number and identity information, then began introducing the services offered here.
"The free services we offer include Thai massages and Chinese manual therapy. Additionally, we have baths, saunas, ear cleaning, and a series of other services that can be purchased individually or as a package."
"The package is comparatively more economical, allowing you to experience all services, but it takes quite a bit of time to experience everything—at least six hours or more."
"However, we also have relaxation areas, gaming areas, cinema areas, and karaoke rooms. If you purchase a package, you can stay overnight in the relaxation area and also get dining privileges in the restaurant."
"What?!"
Su was stunned; she never imagined that the massage area would allow overnight stays and even be used as a room qualification.
Yet for someone like her who booked a room, she could only enjoy one hour of the most basic massage service, which seemed a bit of a loss.
In the morning, they just wandered around outside without asking for details, assuming that only basic massage services were offered. Little did they know there were so many hidden features.
"So, what are the prices for the various services here, and how much is the package ticket?"
"Currently, due to the price hikes during peak tourist season, prices have generally doubled. The Thai massage and Chinese manual therapy cost 128 euros per hour, and the sauna is 68 euros for half an hour."
"Ear cleaning, a skillful art, is a feature service from Great Xia, and we currently have only one therapist skilled in it, so the price is relatively high, 198 euros per hour."
"Additionally, minor services like fish therapy and foot baths range between 68 to 98 euros."
"The package ticket price is the same as a single room rate, just 498 euros. The difference is that our relaxation area is a public space, unlike the privacy of a room."
After listening to the front desk’s introduction, Su compared it roughly in her mind and had a general idea.
However, it’s her first time hearing about such a massage parlor with so many services. The specific details can only be known after going inside.
Since she already paid for a room today, she couldn’t possibly spend the same amount to buy a package ticket. That would be a waste, having money with nowhere to spend.
Moreover, the place sounds time-consuming; purchasing a package ticket would require setting aside a full free day to visit, preferably with an overnight stay, to maximize the value.
"Well, I’ll first try the free Thai massage. What’s the difference between female and male therapists? Also, is it possible to tour your facility?"
"Sure, Thai massage typically has male therapists who are more popular because they’re stronger, resulting in a better effect. But some female clients prefer not to be touched by male therapists, so they choose female therapists."
"For clients who are afraid of pain, they also can choose female therapists. Our therapists are all top-notch, so you can rest assured."
"I’ll choose a female therapist first and give it a try. If the strength isn’t enough, I’ll opt for a male therapist next time."
"Okay, I’ll arrange it for you. The room number is 102, and the therapist will arrive in ten minutes. Meanwhile, ma’am, you can tour our internal areas."
Su nodded, put on a rubber wristband with a number, and wandered inside by herself.
The interior decoration was predominantly black, somewhat like a high-end bar, with dim lighting, providing strong privacy.
Perhaps it was because of lunchtime, she almost finished touring without seeing other guests, giving her the feeling of having booked the entire place.
During her walk, she peeked into some open rooms, boldly turning on the lights and taking a few glances. Most were single massage bed rooms, occasionally with two or three beds, separated by sheer curtains.
She wasn’t particularly interested in these. What caught her attention most was the rest area and entertainment area.
Having entertainment facilities and an overnight area in a massage parlor seemed unimaginable to her.
Following the signs, she quickly reached the relaxation area.
This side is a very spacious area, with a few pillars in the middle, and along the walls, neatly arranged with basic facilities like blankets, quilts, and pillows.
Additionally, some walls have been hollowed out to create individual rooms extending inward.
The space isn’t big, just enough for a person to lie down and stretch their arms, and there’s a curtain at the entrance for privacy.
Though not soundproof, it blocks sight, making it a decent single room.
If it’s just for staying overnight, such a place seems much more comfortable than a room.
There are massages, a small cinema, a sauna, and a game room, enough to pass the time.
Unlike booking a room, besides having a soft Simmons bed, there’s nothing special.
A sea-view balcony?
She doesn’t care about that at all.
Having stayed here for a few months, she’s long been tired of the sea and the beach.
"Hello, are you Ms. Su?"
As she was walking back toward the massage area, she happened to meet a female masseuse pushing a cart to start her shift.
"That’s me, I was just struggling to find where the room is."
"Please follow me~"
Just as she was about to start enjoying the massage service, the other three women faced a very severe problem.
"Damn, do you see those two standing under the tree at the intersection over there?" 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
The three of them didn’t think much and were about to directly walk out the hotel door to go home.
But suddenly, something triggered someone’s sixth sense, making them feel uneasy, like something bad was about to happen.
The feeling didn’t originate from inside the hotel lobby, but rather from outside.
So, the three didn’t rush out, instead, hid inside the door and carefully observed the outside world, then saw the two figures blocking the intersection.
"Why are they here?"
"Something’s not right, this place is a ten-minute walk from where we live, and the two of them usually don’t walk towards the beach. There must be a problem if they appear here!"
"They aren’t taking a walk, they aren’t moving at all, and they don’t seem to be talking, more like they’re waiting for someone."
The three were all mothers who had just given birth a few months ago, fully hormonally charged, making their sixth senses extremely accurate.
"It must be my husband!"
One of them darkened her face, raised her phone, and thought of the missed call earlier, guessing what had happened quite accurately.
"Probably couldn’t find me, didn’t get my calls, and then went to one or more of our homes to look, and somehow these two women heard about it."
"Definitely not my house, no one’s home."
"My place is also empty, but Sergy must be at home, he doesn’t go out if there’s nothing going on."
"Yeah, yeah, Su mentioned that he ordered pizza to eat at home for lunch!"
The group furrowed their brows, hiding inside the lobby, too scared to go out or enter the central area to avoid being seen, only able to discuss a solution behind the walls.
Elise, spacing out at the front desk, had long noticed their strange actions.
This group of ladies had already seemed weird when they checked in in the morning; four people were asking questions, but only one person booked a room.
Now, three of them had come down together from upstairs, undoubtedly to grab a free meal.
This kind of small trick was easy for her to spot, considering that, as a front desk person, having a keen eye was essential.
However, neither the hotel nor the restaurant had any rules against multiple people entering the same room or limited food purchases, so she had no reason to interfere as long as the three didn’t spend the night all squished in one room.
She watched and just happened to lock eyes with one of them, who, just as she was about to look down, lit up and walked towards her.
"Hello, Miss, I want to ask if there’s a side or back door other than the front entrance of the hotel?"
"Yes," she nodded instinctively, pointing to the passage beside her, "this leads to the back parking lot. From there, you can reach the beach road. Visitors often choose to walk out the back door."
"Great!"
The woman was overjoyed, scurrying back to drag her two companions towards the back door.
As they passed by the front desk, they didn’t forget to thank her.
"Thank you, have a wonderful day!"