What do men really want? That is the age-old question for which Bodé Spa may have answers. The sleek and discreet spa on Marlborough Avenue in Sandy Hill refreshingly refrains from marketing to women and offers a range of services entirely dedicated to the needs of men. Uniquely for the fellahs, Bodé’s adage is “You don’t have to be tough … just be a man.”

Along with luxurious services and educated staff, Bodé offers a physical space that is impressive and historic. Unmarked by signage, the spa is located in a converted house last occupied by the Italian Embassy. The building has the semblance of a speakeasy that any guy would appreciate. Built in the 1920s, the house is framed by large, rough grey stones. Inside, the structure, lighting, and proportions should heighten any male’s comfort level while he’s waiting to momentarily unwind.

With exposed cement blocks, heated floors and a dark and brooding color palette, Bodé’s space is definitely for the strong and silent type. Owner Daniel Francoeur is well aware that while women tend to view spas as a social experience, men use the time to reflect and get away from the daily grind. The highlight of the space, and a hit with most of the clientele, is the immense vault door that leads to the massage rooms. What was once an old safe has been remade into an area for solitude and relaxation.

Over the last decade, more males have been patronizing salons and spas and have opened themselves up to the idea that grooming is more than just the use of some deodorant. Lads from all walks of life are looking for ways to obtain the immaculately effortless aesthetic that treatments such as waxing and pore-squeezing can achieve.

Francoeur has been in the business of esthetics and massage for more that six years and was previously the owner of Little House Spa, a picturesque space in the countryside of Cumberland. At Little House, Francoeur found that when men were exposed to the spa when tagging along with their wives, girlfriends or mothers, many of them became hooked. “In six years the male clientele grew to 40%,” says Francoeur.

When the opportunity arose for Francoeur to set up shop in the beautifully aged home in Sandy Hill, he jumped at the chance. With the movement of man-scaping on the rise Francoeur put together a finely tuned, male-specific menu of grooming services.

In addition to old favorites such as pedicures, manicures, waxing and massage, Bodé also offers educational services. Realizing, for instance, that a good many men learned to shave using a bar of soap and an eighty-cent disposable razor, Bodé offers skin analysis and simple care and shaving solutions.

For details, visit http://www.bodespa.com.