About Us: Standards, Staff and the Rules We Don't Bend

Choosing where to hand your body over for an hour is a question of trust, and trust is built with specifics rather than adjectives. So this page contains no talk of "magic hands" or "expert teams". Instead: who works here and what qualifies them, what our hygiene protocol actually consists of, how privacy is handled, and why our prices sit where they do.

It is also the page where we state our boundaries plainly. Istanbul's massage sector contains businesses that trade on ambiguity, and that ambiguity costs real professionals their reputation and real guests their confidence. We would rather be explicit than polite about it — and every section below is written so that you can verify the claim rather than take our word for it.

Our therapists: qualification and training

Massage in Turkey is a certified profession: accredited course programmes and vocational qualifications cover anatomy and physiology, core and advanced techniques, contraindications — that is, when massage should not be performed — and hygiene protocols. Every therapist on our team holds that certification; it is a hiring precondition, not a preference.

Certification is the floor, not the ceiling. Each new therapist then completes in-house training covering the flow of each of our eleven session types, pressure communication, draping protocol, the hygiene chain and guest reception. Techniques are refreshed through periodic internal training — like any craft, massage dulls without practice and review. Several of our therapists hold additional specialisations (hot stone, Thai stretching, targeted therapeutic work), which is why we match session type to therapist when scheduling: a hot stone booking goes to hands trained in stone work.

Hygiene: what happens between guests

The parts of hygiene that matter are the parts you don't see, so here is the protocol in full. Between every guest, the treatment room is aired and surfaces are wiped down. Table linen, towels and the face-cradle cover are changed for each guest without exception. Disposable materials are used once. Oils are dispensed per guest rather than applied from a shared open container. Hammam and heat areas are cleaned between bookings, and the appointment-based scheduling exists partly for this reason — it builds cleaning time into the day rather than squeezing it out.

Therapists wash hands before and after every session, and any therapist with a respiratory infection does not work that day. We also decline bookings from guests with fever or an active skin infection, and reschedule them at no cost — a rule that occasionally disappoints someone at the door and protects everyone else. If you would like to see any part of this process before booking, ask; we have nothing to hide and no reason to be defensive about it.

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Privacy and the draping protocol

Privacy at our salon follows one standard, applied identically to every guest. You change in a private space with nobody else in the room; the therapist knocks before entering. Throughout the session your body remains covered, and only the area being worked is uncovered — back exposed while the legs stay covered, and vice versa. Underwear stays on. The door stays closed and opens only with your consent. In the couples room, the space belongs to the two of you.

These rules can be adjusted only in your favour: you may keep more clothing on, exclude any area from the session, request a female or male therapist at no extra charge, ask for silence, or stop the session at any moment for any reason. The boundaries are yours to draw; the system works inside them. Nothing in this paragraph is a courtesy — it is the operating standard, and any deviation from it would be a failure on our part, not a matter of taste.

Professional service only: our clearest rule

We state this on every page of this website, and we mean it operationally rather than decoratively: Lila Spa provides professional massage and spa services only. Guests who arrive with any other expectation are politely but firmly turned away at the door, regardless of what has been booked or paid.

Why write it so plainly? Because the ambiguity in this sector harms three groups at once: qualified therapists whose profession is degraded by association, guests — particularly women and visitors unfamiliar with the city — who cannot tell one door from another, and honest businesses forced to compete against a distorted market. Clarity costs us nothing and protects everyone. If a salon cannot state this simply, that hesitation is itself information.

How we set prices, and why they are where they are

Our pricing has a structural explanation rather than a marketing one. We are located in central Bağcılar rather than a premium central district, which means our rent is a fraction of what a comparable room costs in the fashionable neighbourhoods. We also spend on rooms, staff and materials rather than on shop-window presentation. Those two facts are the entire reason a certified session in a private, properly equipped room costs ₺2,000 here and considerably more elsewhere.

The published list applies to everyone, and the figure quoted at the entrance is the figure you pay at the exit: no compulsory service charge, no gratuity expectation, no upgrades introduced mid-session. The morning band (10:00-13:00, from ₺1,200) exists to fill our quietest hours and offers the identical service. We do not sell prepaid multi-session packages — we would rather you return because the last session was good than because you have credit to burn.

Health, boundaries and when we say no

A salon that never declines a booking is not being generous; it is being careless. We do not perform sessions on guests with fever or an active infection, on guests who have been drinking, or on areas with open wounds, acute injuries or unexplained severe pain. For diagnosed conditions — pregnancy, cardiac and blood pressure conditions, disc problems, anticoagulant use, recent surgery — we ask for your doctor's guidance and adapt the session within it, or decline if that guidance says so.

We also refer guests onward when the picture calls for it: pain radiating into a limb, numbness or tingling, weakness, night pain or symptoms following trauma belong to a physician, not a massage table. Saying this costs us bookings occasionally and is the correct thing to do every time. Our role is clear and limited: professional bodywork that supports relaxation and helps manage everyday tension — not diagnosis, not treatment, and never a substitute for medical care.

What our guests can expect from us — and what we ask in return

Our side of the agreement: a room prepared for you, a therapist trained for the session you booked, fresh linen, honest pricing, privacy, an unhurried finish and a straight answer to any question you ask. Also, memory — your preferences are recorded on your first visit so you never have to explain yourself twice.

What we ask in return is modest: tell us about health conditions before rather than after; speak up during the session if pressure needs adjusting; message us if you cannot make an appointment; and arrive sober and not immediately after a heavy meal. That is the whole list. Everything else — how you feel about your body, whether you want to talk, how experienced you are with massage — is entirely yours and requires no preparation whatsoever.

Questions about our standards

Are your therapists certified? Yes — certification is a hiring precondition, followed by in-house training on our session flows, draping protocol and hygiene chain.

Can I request a female therapist? Yes, at no extra charge; mention it when booking and we arrange it subject to availability. Male therapist requests are handled the same way.

How is linen handled between guests? Table linen, towels and face-cradle covers are changed for every guest; rooms are aired and wiped between sessions; disposables are used once.

Do you accept guests with medical conditions? With your doctor's guidance and full disclosure, yes — the session is adapted accordingly. Certain conditions and acute symptoms are referred to a physician instead.

Is the salon suitable for women travelling alone? Yes. Privacy, draping protocol and our professional-only policy are the standards precisely so that every guest can arrive without hesitation.

Do you offer anything other than massage and spa services? No. We provide professional massage and spa services only; guests arriving with other expectations are turned away at the door.

Can I see the treatment room before booking? Yes — visit us during opening hours and we will show you the facilities. We have nothing to conceal.

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Last updated: August 2026