Booking needs only four facts: where, what, how long and when. A good session benefits from a few more. Knowing what to tell your therapist before she arrives is the difference between an hour that starts by asking questions and an hour that starts by answering them. None of it is a form to complete, and none of it is compulsory. It is simply a short list of details that shape how she prepares, what she brings to the fore and how she paces the first minutes. This guide covers each item, explains why it matters, and ends with an example message that includes everything in fewer than sixty words.
Why a two-line brief changes the hour
Therapists read rooms and bodies quickly, but some things cannot be read. She cannot see that your left shoulder has ached since you carried a suitcase up a canal-house staircase, that you dislike the smell of lavender, or that you need to leave for the airport at seven. Without that information, the first part of the session becomes a gentle investigation. With it, she arrives with a plan already adjusted to you. The brief takes a minute to write, and it is best sent either in your first message or straight after the confirmation, before she leaves home. Everything below can be said in a few words.
Pressure, described in words she can use
Firm means different things to different people, so the most useful way to describe pressure is with a comparison or a number. Say light, medium or firm, or use a simple scale from one to five, where one is barely there and five is as strong as you like it. If you are unsure, say so; she will start in the middle and ask. Mention too whether you want the pressure to stay consistent or to build slowly. And remember that the preference you send is a starting point rather than a contract. A single word during the session, softer or stronger, changes it at once, and no therapist is offended by being guided.
Anywhere to leave alone
If there is part of your body you would like her to avoid, tell her before she arrives. It could be a knee you twisted cycling across the city, a new tattoo that is still settling, sunburn from a beach holiday before Amsterdam, or simply a ticklish spot you would rather not have touched. There is no need to explain the reason or provide detail. There is no questionnaire, and nobody will ask follow-up questions. She simply works around the area. If something relevant develops during the session, a word in the moment is enough. This massage is for relaxation and pleasure, so anything needing specialist care belongs with a specialist.
Scents, skin and oil
Oils and their fragrances are part of the experience, and some guests have preferences or sensitivities worth mentioning. If certain scents give you a headache, if you prefer something as neutral as possible, or if particular oils have disagreed with your skin in the past, name them. The choice she packs before leaving can then take that into account. Guests with sensitive skin sometimes also prefer less oil overall, which is easy to accommodate. Similarly, if you have a strong preference against gel formats, or you are curious about trying one, say so; nuru massage uses a different medium entirely and needs a shower afterwards, so it is worth knowing in advance whether your bathroom suits it.
Language and conversation
Every therapist on the roster speaks English, and many speak other languages too: seven speak French, six speak Spanish, six speak Russian, and there are therapists who speak Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, Greek and German, among others. If you would be more comfortable in your own language, mention it and the match can take it into account. The therapist profiles list each woman's languages.
Just as useful is telling her how much you want to talk. Some guests enjoy conversation, especially at the start; others want near-silence from the moment the lamp goes low. Neither preference needs justifying, and knowing it in advance spares both of you the small awkwardness of working it out.
Your room, in one sentence
Describe anything about the room or the building that affects arrival or setup. Useful examples:
- The lifts need a key card, so she should message from the lobby.
- The front door locks after eleven and you will come down to open it.
- The room has twin beds rather than a double.
- The room is small, with space on only one side of the bed.
- There is a bathtub rather than a walk-in shower, or no bath at all.
- The room is at the top of steep stairs with no lift.
These details take seconds to write and save minutes at the door. They also allow the right format to be confirmed. A four-hand booking in a narrow room, for example, is better discovered as a problem in the thread than in the corridor.
The clock you are working against
If the session must end by a certain time, say so plainly. A dinner reservation, a wake-up call, a flight, a video call with another time zone: any fixed point after the session should be mentioned, along with how much time you need between the end of the massage and that commitment. The session can then be planned to finish on time, with a closing pace that does not feel rushed. Guests who omit this often find themselves watching the clock in the final quarter of an hour, which undoes much of what came before.
Who else is in the room
If a partner will be present, say so, and say what role they will play. Are you booking two therapists for a session each? One therapist working with each of you in turn? Four hands for one of you while the other rests? Or is your partner simply staying in the room while one of you receives a session? Each arrangement needs different preparation, and some need a second therapist. Every adult involved in the booking must be twenty-one or older.
If it is your first time
Mention it. First-time guests often feel they should appear experienced, but saying it simply allows the therapist to explain a little more as she sets up, to check in more often during the early minutes, and to make sure nothing about the process comes as a surprise. It also makes the first minutes easier for you, because you no longer need to pretend you know what happens next. The guide to what an in-room massage includes is a helpful read before a first booking.
What she does not need to know
The list of things you should leave out is equally important. She does not need your name, and you are welcome to give only a first name or none at all. She does not need to know your employer, why you are in Amsterdam, your home address or your hotel room number until she is on her way. She does not need your life story or a reason for booking. A health history, however well intended, is not needed either; a short note about an area to avoid covers everything practical. The brief is about the session and the room, not about you as a person.
What to tell your therapist before she arrives, and when to send it
The best moment is the first message or immediately after you receive the confirmation. Details sent once she is already travelling may arrive too late to shape her preparation. Keep it to a few lines rather than several separate messages, so nothing gets lost. An example that covers almost everything:
Near the museum area, two hours of oil massage from 22:30. Medium pressure, please avoid my right knee. No strong scents. First time. Card lift, message me from the lobby. Need to finish by 00:30.
That is fewer than forty words, and it gives the coordinator and therapist everything they need. The booking page shows the basic message in more detail.
What comes back to you
In return, you receive a confirmation with the therapist's name and the time she will arrive, usually about ten minutes after your first message. If something in your brief affects the booking, such as a room too small for two therapists, the reply will say so and propose an alternative. When she reaches your hotel, twenty to thirty minutes later if you are in central Amsterdam, she may send a short message from the lobby if you asked for one. Payment is handled at the door with cash, a card or crypto, and everything you wrote is already part of the plan she walks in with.