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The short answer
Match the massage to the goal, not the menu. For pure relaxation, choose a Swedish oil massage. For tight, stiff shoulders or back, choose deep tissue. To stretch and move more freely, choose traditional Thai. Torn between the last two, choose Thai Flow, which blends them.
That covers most people. The rest of this guide walks through every treatment on our menu - what it is, what it feels like, and who tends to choose it - plus the one case where our honest answer is to book somewhere else entirely.
Start with what you're carrying
"I just want to deeply relax"
Swedish oil massage is the classic answer: slow, fluid strokes with warm oil at gentle to medium pressure, with an aromatherapy oil add-on if scent helps you switch off. If you relax best under real pressure rather than light touch, Thai Flow gives you depth without giving up the calm.
"My shoulders and back are full of tension"
Deep tissue is built for this: warm oil from the first stroke and slow, sustained pressure into the deeper muscle layers where accumulated tension lives. Expect intensity in the tight spots and possibly a day of mild soreness after - most regulars consider that part of the deal. Prefer to stay clothed? Traditional Thai reaches stiffness through compression and stretching instead.
"I want to move and stretch better"
This is what traditional Thai massage has been for centuries: assisted stretches and rhythmic acupressure along the body's energy lines, fully clothed on a floor mat, no oil. It is active rather than sleepy - guests usually leave feeling open, light, and awake. Our therapists trained at Wat Pho in Bangkok, the school where the practice was codified.
"I want warmth"
Two answers, one Western and one Thai. Hot stone massage carries heated basalt stones along the muscles with slow oil strokes - the deepest warmth on our menu, and the favourite in a Vancouver winter. The hot herbal compress is the Thai tradition: heated herbal compress balls pressed and rolled along the body, warming and aromatic at once.
"My feet are done"
Foot reflexology: structured pressure on the reflex points of the feet and lower legs, 35 or 60 minutes, fully clothed - you only take off your shoes and socks. The 35-minute session also fits neatly into a lunch break, or on the end of another treatment.
"It's for two of us"
Book a couples massage and each person picks their own style from everything above - one of you can have clothed Thai massage while the other has deep tissue with oil, in the same private room, with two therapists working in parallel. First time? Here's what to expect at a couples massage.
Looking for pain or injury care? Start with an RMT, not a spa
Here is the part most spa websites skip. If your reason for booking is pain - something that has been hanging around for weeks, or that started with an injury - the right first appointment is with a Registered Massage Therapist, not with us. RMT is a regulated health profession in British Columbia: assessment, treatment planning, clinical notes, and receipts that most workplace benefit plans cover.
Leelawadee is a Thai spa. Our sessions are not performed by RMTs, we do not assess or treat medical concerns, and our receipts cannot be claimed through extended health benefits. We would rather tell you that plainly than have you book the wrong thing. We have written a fuller, honest comparison in couples massage vs couples RMT in Vancouver.
What we do well sits beside that, not instead of it: relaxation, tension release, mobility, and warmth. If your muscles are tight and stiff from desks, training, or long days on your feet - rather than injured - deep tissue and traditional Thai are the two treatments guests choose for exactly that. Plenty of people see an RMT for the clinical side and come to us for the unwinding side; we think that is the right way around.
One more honest note: we do not offer prenatal massage. If you are pregnant, please look for a practitioner trained specifically in prenatal work.
All eight at a glance
| Massage | Format | Pressure | Choose it for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Traditional Thai | Clothed · floor mat · no oil | Moderate to firm | Mobility, stiffness, guided stretching |
| Thai Flow (signature) | Clothed stretch work + warm oil | Medium to deep, adjustable | Mobility and oil-depth in one session |
| Deep Tissue | Table · warm oil | Firm to very firm | Stubborn, built-up muscle tension |
| Swedish Oil | Table · warm oil | Gentle to medium | Pure relaxation, first massages |
| Hot Stone | Table · warm oil · heated stones | Medium, warmth-led | Deep warmth, cold months |
| Hot Herbal Compress | Heated Thai herbal compress | Medium, warmth-led | Aromatic warmth, Thai tradition |
| Foot Reflexology | Clothed · shoes and socks off | Focused point pressure | Tired feet and legs, shorter visits |
| Couples | Private room for two | Each person chooses | Shared visits, mixed styles welcome |
Most sessions run 60, 75, 90, or 120 minutes; foot reflexology is 35 or 60. Both treatments in a couples room can be different styles.
Still torn? Three quick rules
1. Let clothing decide. If you would rather stay dressed, the choice is traditional Thai (or reflexology for the feet). If warm oil on skin sounds like the point of the visit, you are choosing between Swedish, deep tissue, and hot stone. Thai Flow sits exactly in the middle. The full breakdown is in our Thai massage vs deep tissue guide.
2. First massage ever? Start classic. Swedish if you want quiet and gentle, traditional Thai if you want engaging and active. Both are forgiving introductions, and we have a first-timer's guide to what to expect from your first Thai massage.
3. Don't overthink it. Every session starts with a short chat about pressure and focus areas, and therapists adjust as they go. Picking the "wrong" massage at Leelawadee still ends with you face down in a warm room for an hour - and once you know what you like, here's how often to come back.