When Georgie Yam, founder of Shanghai's Dragonfly Therapeutic Retreat, accepted a contract to represent a German hair-care brand in the city about three years ago, he would visit the massage parlours and spas in his free time.
He found three types: up-market spas in five-star hotels, elaborate Chinese-style complexes with everything from karaoke rooms to live entertainment, and the traditional blind men's massage parlours offering the basics.
'I realised there was a huge vacuum in the middle,' Mr Yam says. 'I saw the need for a place offering five-star service at three-star prices.'
Dragonfly is located along a tree-lined street of bars, restaurants and boutique hotels off bustling Huaihai Road.
From the contemporary Asian interior to the soothing music, therapeutic aromas, running water, subtle lighting and tasteful use of stone, bamboo and wood, it offers relaxation.
A native of Hong Kong, Mr Yam studied hairdressing under Vidal Sassoon in Britain. He worked in Europe as a hairstylist for three years, and went to Singapore in 1979, opening a salon in the Grand Hyatt.