Planning a Couples Massage or Group Spa Day in Rehoboth Beach

Rehoboth Beach is a town people visit together: anniversaries, girls' weekends, birthdays, the week before a wedding. A shared spa visit is a natural fit, and it works best when it's planned a little ahead. Here's what to know about booking a couples massage or a spa day for a group at Avenue Apothecary & Spa, from timing to cancellations to where to leave the car.

The Traditional Couples Massage

The couples massage is the spa's simplest shared treatment. Two guests receive Custom Herbal Therapeutic Massages at the same time, side by side, in the couples room, which the spa has recently expanded to be more spacious. The price is $345 for 60 minutes or $495 for 90 minutes, for the two of you together. Each guest gets a glass of champagne or sparkling cider, plus chocolate truffles.

Because the massage is custom, each of you can ask for your own pressure. The menu also says sessions may be upgraded to other massage styles for a surcharge, so if one of you wants deep tissue and the other wants something softer, ask about the added cost when you book.

The Couples Bliss Package

For a longer celebration, the Couples Bliss Package builds on the same side-by-side massage. You choose a 60 or 90 minute Traditional Couples Massage, then each guest also has the Slow Beauty Manicure and Pedicure. All together the visit runs 3 to 4 hours. It's $640 with 60 minute massages or $790 with 90 minute ones, again for two guests. Treat it as a half day: lunch before or dinner afterward, and nothing tight on the calendar around it.

Booking a group

The spa's packages are completely customizable. If you have a group in mind, call with the services each person wants and the team will put a package together. The scheduling advice is specific: reach out 1 to 2 weeks ahead for the most flexible times, and for parties larger than 3 guests, the spa recommends 3 to 4 weeks. The reason is simple. A group needs several therapists and rooms at the same time. The spa has 3 facial rooms, 5 massage rooms, the couples room and a manicure and pedicure suite, but they can only be in use once.

The Bliss at the Apothecary Package ($455, 4 hours of treatment time) is designed for one guest and includes a Botanical Refresh Facial, a Custom Herbal Therapeutic Massage, a Slow Beauty Spa Manicure and a Slow Beauty Spa Pedicure. In a group, each guest books their own, so ask about lining the start times up. The menu also says package prices reflect the services named, so if you swap or upgrade a service, the price may change.

The group cancellation rule

Groups follow a 24-hour-per-person cancellation policy. For four people, that means four days of notice. For six people, six days. Individual services, by comparison, need 48 hours of notice to avoid a fee of 50% of the booked services, and spa packages and groups use the per-person rule. Appointments are reserved with a credit card number.

In practice, pick one person to hold the booking and agree on a date, well before the cutoff, when final headcount is settled. That way a friend dropping out becomes a quick phone call instead of a surprise.

Parking and arrival

The spa is at 110 Rehoboth Ave, Ste A. Parking is usually relatively easy to find on Rehoboth Avenue or the side streets within walking distance. In summer those spaces are paid, through coin meters, a parking pass from the city of Rehoboth, or the ParkMobile app. In fall, winter and spring, all parking is free. The three private spaces on Wilmington Avenue are gone because of construction at the Avenue Inn, and you may not park in the Avenue Inn garage or in spaces marked for hotel guests. The spa warns that cars there get towed.

Plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before your service, and give a group a bit more, since check-in and consultation forms take longer with six people than with two. Agree on a meeting spot, and let the car-parkers go first. Robes and slippers are provided when you schedule multiple services, which covers anyone in the Bliss packages, and shower facilities are available if you ask the receptionist when scheduling.

Small things to settle before the day

• Therapist preference: the spa employs both male and female massage therapists, so tell them when you schedule.
• Phones: they ask that cell phones be turned off or left at the front desk, with conversation kept quiet in all areas.
• Children: the spa does not have accommodations for young children, so plan care ahead.
• Gratuities: prices don't include them.
• Gifts: if the couples massage is a present, gift certificates can be for a specific treatment or leave the choice to the recipient.

Call or text 302-227-5649 to start a booking. Every package and its current price is on the treatment menu under Spa Packages, and the spa will talk through a custom plan if what you have in mind isn't listed.