The Gentleman’s Lounge, which was launched just over a week ago, is geared towards catering for men as indicated by its name and its objective is to provide quality grooming and relaxation services for men in a calming atmosphere.
The business is owned by a duo of accountants, Odetta Barton-Sukhraj and her husband Mahendra Sukhraj.
“It’s really about the idea for relaxation and while we do cater for women also, our target market is men. The [concept] for this started two years ago while I was sitting in my doctor’s office. He was talking about men and depression. There is a higher percentage of suicide in men than women. When men think about relaxation, a lot of the time, it’s just two beers. I go to the spa and there are maybe one or two men there and I realise that the atmosphere caters more for women than men,” Barton-Sukhraj said.She noted that everyone is stressed at some point in life and should have an avenue through which to release this. Men as much as women, she noted, should feel comfortable about getting massages and not only from their significant others but from certified therapists if they so choose.
On several occasions, she said, she had invited her husband to go to the spa with her but he was never keen about being in an atmosphere that catered mainly for women. As a result, she had a massage therapist visit their home to provide the service, which he welcomed. “When me and my husband get massages, we feel relaxed for the rest of the week. Our service is for persons to come and unwind,” said the entrepreneur.
Barton-Sukhraj shared that when she came up with the idea for the business and how the business environment would be geared for men, her husband was in agreement. At present, they run an accounting company which provided the capital for their new business venture, she said.
Initially The Gentleman’s Lounge was slated to be launched in December but was delayed due to COVID-19. In the run-up to the opening, they chose different marketing strategies, including advertising in print media, printing brochures, business cards and social media.
Banks DIH is on board with The Gentleman’s Lounge and assisting with its future success.
In creating the atmosphere, Barton-Sukhraj, who did much research, arrived at a design for the business while looking for ideas that spelt three words – masculine, sophisticated and elegant.
The furniture is dark polished, the couches leather and sturdy purpleheart was the wood she selected for the interior.
Prior to the opening, there was a trial period where people got to enjoy the services offered. The feedback, Barton-Sukhraj said, was great and some of the men have been returning for their services. Most of the clients so far are said to be prominent people within society, like affluent political figures and businessmen. However, the prices have been tailored to suit the pockets of the small man.
The Gentleman’s Lounge offers a spa, barber/salon and a restaurant and bar. Among the services provided by the spa are partial or full body massages and the varieties are Hot Stones, Cold Stones, Deep Tissue, Swedish, Exfoliating and Couples. Other services provided by the spa are pedicures inclusive of a bath and massage, classic manicures, facials, treatments for hair, beard and colour, braiding and face waxing. General Manager of The Gentleman’s Lounge Annastacia Grant, is a professional massage therapist.
Meanwhile, the barber/salon services include haircut (fade, tapered, trim), speciality haircut, royal shave, child haircut, senior haircut, line up plus beard, and hair treatment as it relates to dyeing and fillers.
From the restaurant and bar, clients can choose from a wide range on the menu that includes burgers, grilled fish, Hawaiian rice and more. Certified chef Jermaine Munoz, who has garnered much praise for his amazing food, is responsible for all the dishes. A television set up in this area is for entertainment purposes whether for sports or news.
“We hired certified massage therapists. We are providing clinical massages and we also have massage classes for couples to learn how to give each other massages. There is the trigger point massage where you have certain tensions build up in your body, which is mostly in the shoulders. This massage helps to create the release that is needed,” Barton-Sukhraj pointed out. The spa also offers diabetic and pregnancy massages which are required to be booked at least two days in advance as the therapist who specialises in these massages is not employed by the business full time. Barton-Sukhraj herself does not provide the services and explained that from her chef to her massage therapists to her barbers are all certified and trained.
One of the most asked questions by men is whether The Gentleman’s Lounge provides erotic massages. Barton-Sukhraj stated that such massages are considered a form of prostitution and the business will definitely not be providing any such services.
“It is a business that is promising. We are working on getting Guyanese men to get out of the norm of their kind of relaxation methods and enjoy a wider range of rejuvenating methods,” she said.
Prior to the launch, gift certificates for fathers were available as part of a Father’s Day special. A number of people took up the offer to pamper the fathers in their lives. Some of the fathers have already had their massages, while several others booked to have theirs done this past week.
Barton-Sukhraj shared that because men are still uncomfortable about pampering themselves this way, business has been slow for the first week but she is certain that in time, they will become more welcoming of these services.
When asked about how COVID conscious the business is, Barton-Sukhraj said that all clients are required to book appointments to allow for social distancing. The massage and salon services cater for up to five clients an hour. She added that all other protocols like sanitising and the wearing of face masks are also in place.
Barton-Sukhraj remains optimistic that more men will become open to this kind of relaxation. While it is not confirmed, she is now considering collaborating with hotels and guesthouses to have the services available to their guests.
The Gentleman’s Lounge can be followed on Facebook and Instagram and can be reached at thegentlemanslounge592@gmail.com; 225-7007 or 636-5539.
