Zen and the City — Attraction in Baltimore

TL;DR: Don’t buy a gift certificate/card from this place.

Zen and the City really appears to be set up for members and isn’t equipped to interact with outsider customers. Unsurprisingly, most of the negative reviews are from people trying to deal with their gift certificates or gift cards since they are not able to provide reasonable service to people unfamiliar with their procedures. Throughout the process, I had to chase the owner, Gary, repeatedly over text and phone in order to get any information.

A list of things I wish I knew before attempting to use a gift certificate here:

I was alone in the building, not just the room, with an unknown man. Zen and the City is a therapist-owned establishment that has appointment-only booking for services. In light of this description, I probably should have known that I would be alone with my massage therapist. Except the website contains none of that information, which I only learned about after the appointment, so I was blindsided. My massage therapist was a very nice man who did his best to make me feel welcome and taken care of (Thank you, Anthony. You were the only good part of this whole experience!), but it was hard to set aside how uncomfortable it was to be alone with a strange man without knowing before that no one else would be there.

The gift certificates (physical) and gift cards (e-cards) are redeemed in different ways. The website doesn’t make it clear (either in the description or during the purchase) that physical gift certificates are only redeemable for a specific service, and that the gift certificates and gift cards are considered two different products. When I got the certificate for Zen and the City, neither my father (who bought this as a gift) nor I knew there was a difference between the two until after I had my appointment and was told otherwise.

If you redeem the service-specific gift certificate for the wrong service by mistake, Zen and the City will not inform you of the mistake when you book your appointment and will instead pocket the remaining money without further services or refund, even after their error is pointed out to them. I suspect they would have prevented me from redeeming the gift certificate for something that was MORE money than the one I used, but when I accidentally used it from something that cost LESS, I was only told afterwards when I couldn’t fix my mistake, or receive a refund for the balance.

The initial confirmation text message is meaningless. It doesn’t accurately reflect that an appointment’s successfully been made (because you get a text regardless), and it does not result in you being correctly signed up to receive text messages. Instead, they will contact you by email, no matter your indicated preference (which they don’t know anyway because they never ask for your preference). If there is a problem with your email address, they will not use your phone number to follow up. There will be no further attempt to contact you.

I’ll be honest and admit that I made quite a few mistakes in attempting to deal with Zen and the City, and I accept the responsibility of those mistakes. However, I think it’s important for future potential customers to know beforehand that this is the kind of business that is happy to take advantage of your confusion, your mistakes, or your unexpected illness (check out their sick policy). It’s up to you whether you want to risk giving this place your...

WARNING Don’t contract Covid less than 24hrs before your appointment because you will get burned on top of having the flu.

Or maybe just go while you are contagious and hope for the best since you will not be refunded or offered a credit due to their iron clad endless policy pages.

I had planned on surprising my boyfriend with a couples massage to close out 2023. I had read some really great reviews about how fantastic the services are. But also read a few reviews about communication or lack there of. It wasn’t the easiest talking via text but all my questions were answered and credit card charged when trying to book this appointment. I traveled from NYC to visit my boyfriend who lives in Baltimore for the New Year and unfortunately a small head cold on Thursday ended up testing positive for Covid by Friday morning, the day of our appointment. I reached out via text numerous times, hours before the scheduled appointment time, I tried calling and sent a few emails because texting & emailing is their only means of communication being that it’s a “therapist run facility”. But no response or acknowledgment. He was sick, so this was a case that was unforeseen & out of our control. I just wanted to make sure I didn’t lose my $250 and able to get a credit for my next trip down in April. No reply.. for FIVE DAYS!! Great service is super important in a business but communication is also a critical element in dealing with the customers that make your establishment thrive.

Finally on January 3rd, I get a text reminding me of their policies & that there was nothing they could do. The next day, a new text said that they had “thought about our conversation” and offered me the option to rebook in 3 months excluding holidays but by then I was so frustrated & just over the whole ordeal, I didn’t even want to go there anymore. Happy New Year to...

This is my forth time booking a session with Gary at Zen And the City. T, my Wife and I committed to making more time for self-care and massages are definitely a part of the plan. Today, we booked a massage for the both of us (1-hour each) and man oh man did Gary come through as he always does. From the ambiance of the space, to the offering of tea or wine to help you settle in to your appointment, you can tell from the point of entry that you’re in for a treat. Each time I’m invited to the massage table, I am reminded of just how amazing he is at what he does! I think “bodywork” is the term he used to reference this magical experience. The use of aromatic oils, soothing music, the personalized pressure, and attention to detail is where the magic comes in to play. Gary was sure to inquire about problem areas and was sure to address these areas during the session. We left feeling relaxed, rejuvenated, and ready to conquer the day! I am beyond grateful for Gary and his practice. He is professional and offers services to contribute to your overall wellbeing. I can’t wait until our next session. Anyone who has not experienced his greatness is missing out on life for sure! I recommend booking a session or two or three! Trust me, your whole life will change. With love and relaxation.

~A...