{"id":70625,"date":"2019-09-06T14:58:26","date_gmt":"2019-09-06T18:58:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/?p=70625"},"modified":"2025-06-13T17:43:06","modified_gmt":"2025-06-13T21:43:06","slug":"lie-down","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magazine.tablethotels.com\/en\/2019\/09\/lie-down\/","title":{"rendered":"Lie Down"},"content":{"rendered":"
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]\n\"Hot<\/p>\n

We lie down for a chat with the hero of the hotel spa, the savior of the sanitarium: the model in the hot stone massage photo.<\/h4>\n

There\u2019s no shortage of transcendent hotel spas (like these<\/a>), but when it comes to spa photography, as an art form, it can be a struggle to capture the euphoria one feels during a treatment. How can a mere snapshot portray the sense of healthy, glowing rejuvenation? It can\u2019t, really.<\/p>\n

That is, except for one image, maybe: the lady lying down for a hot stone massage.<\/p>\n

Thank god for this image, and thank god for the singular woman who appears in every one of these photos.<\/p>\n

We caught up with her for a Tablet interview exclusive.<\/p>\n

\"hot
The model at work<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Thanks for speaking with us. You\u2019re a legend in the industry. Do you want to sit up?<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, thanks.<\/p>\n

Okay. So what\u2019s the key to the perfect hot stone massage photo?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Three words: Beauty. Serenity. Ecstasy. Three more words: Smooth. Black. Stones. And then another three words: On my back. If you enjoy repetition, I know you\u2019ll enjoy my work. I am in every single spa photo gallery ever.<\/p>\n

You really are. What are the challenges of the job?<\/strong><\/p>\n

You\u2019d think after all these years of lying on a massage table with hot stones on my back, I\u2019d be this completely relaxed, zen\u2019d out person. Not at all. The stones are really hot.<\/p>\n

But you make it look so easy.<\/strong><\/p>\n

There\u2019s only two choices to make. Lie there with my eyes closed, or lie there with a thousand-yard-stare I call \u201cthe Manson.\u201d I usually just close them.<\/p>\n

Are you interested in any other types of spa modeling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course. Not actively, but just as a fan of the art form.<\/p>\n

Such as?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh you know, I\u2019m a big admirer of classics like \u201clight face touching.\u201d Another one I\u2019ve seen lately is \u201ctowel mummy.\u201d And of course you have to give credit to the pioneers, shots like \u201cjust a bunch of towels in a sauna.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Towel\"
Just a bunch of towels in a sauna<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How did you get into hot stone massage modeling?<\/strong><\/p>\n

I was discovered during a hot stone massage. I started to drift off in the pure euphoria of the experience and when I woke up six hours later \u2014 completely rejuvenated, by the way \u2014 I found myself gazing into the eyes of a hotel spa photographer.<\/p>\n

She told me she had a contract with 9,000 hotel spas around the world and she didn\u2019t have time to think of unique shots for them all. She asked if I\u2019d be willing to lie down with stones on my back in every location, occasionally dying my hair for variety.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s been very lucrative.<\/p>\n

What do you think of the photos?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, they\u2019re boring.<\/p>\n

I wouldn\u2019t say that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

No, they are.<\/p>\n

Then why do you think they\u2019re so successful?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lots of massage is this really intense, good pain. Acupuncture. Deep tissue. It\u2019s obviously satisfying when you\u2019re getting it, but you know what doesn\u2019t photograph well? Grunts and porcine grimacing.<\/p>\n

The hot stone is one of the only massages that actually looks relaxing. Plus, they only have to pay for me and Hands.<\/p>\n

Hands?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Oh, sorry. The disembodied hands placing the stones on my back in a lot of the photos. That\u2019s my friend Hans, we call him Hands. It\u2019s the perfect modeling job for him. From the neck up, he\u2019s terribly disfigured.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m sorry to hear that. Is there anything else you want your fans to know?<\/strong><\/p>\n

A lot of influencers and so-called content creators are coming for my crown. Just remember one thing. As relaxed as I look, I don’t do this because I want to, I do it because I’m the GOAT.<\/p>\n

The Michael Jordan of massage photos. Thanks so much for speaking with us.<\/strong><\/p>\n

 
\nCOMING UP: Tune in next week as we\u2019re joined for another interview exclusive, this time with the model who overlooks the ledge of every hotel infinity pool.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"Freak
The infinity pool model does great work, too.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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