Origins Thai Spa — Attraction in Arlington

So I went to this spa because a friend of mine is always talking about how great his experiences there have been (he goes once a month religiously) and because he gave me (and another friend) a voucher for a free 30-minute massage. Keep that in mind when reading this review since I was getting a service for free and so maybe that impacted the quality of my experience.

Overall, the spa seems very nice. Atmosphere wise it feels very high end (at least from my perspective) and the music is very calming and relaxing. I also liked the smell of the place, which was light and fresh. I get headaches from strong scents so I appreciate salons and spas that don’t have strong smells. Anyway, when my friend and I came in they immediately asked if we wanted anything to drink and sat us down on a dangerously comfortable couch. They said our appointment would have to be pushed back about 15-20 minutes for some reason and were apologetic. Personally, that didn’t really bother me and my friend and I just hung out somewhat awkwardly in the waiting area (it’s very quiet in the spa so we were afraid to talk too much). But it was nice to just sit there and relax a bit before our massages.

When our masseuses came they guided us to our rooms which were simple but soothing. This is where I stopped enjoying myself. I don’t know if my masseuse was having a rough time in life but whatever she was going through she took out on my back. I am not a fan of gentle massages, I like to feel like my muscles have been rejuvenated. But honestly this massage was highly unenjoyable. I went in with no issues whatsoever (just wanted a free massage) and came out very sore. I felt like my back had been straight beaten up. This feeling lasted for THREE days afterwards. I couldn’t even lean back in a chair without discomfort. I felt bruised. I went in fine and came out worse. I’m pretty sure that’s not what you want from a spa experience.

But again, this was a free voucher we were using and so that may have influenced the quality of service we received. Also, my friend said her masseuse and experience was pretty good so it wasn’t all bad.

After the massage was done, they offered us tea and told us to relax in the waiting area. They had originally told us that someone would come out and give us feedback about anything they noticed during the massage but that never happened. So we just paid the tips and left.

Overall, I think it could be a nice spa. They score high on atmosphere and environment. Even though I did not enjoy my own experience, I saw several returning customers while I was in the waiting area. They seem to have a good amount of people that continuously come back so that’s got to count for...

I wish I could give this place a 0 star for their absolutely terrible customer service. IF YOU ARE PREGNANT, DO NOT USE THIS SERVICE. I have been to this spa once before and it was decent: My husband booked me a prenatal massage after I got approved by my doctor, and was treated absolutely terribly by the management here. First of all, as soon as I walked in, she asked how far along I was and expressed concern for "how risky" it might be for my baby. That is not something you want to hear before you get a very expensive prenatal treatment. Then she said she was going to ask the masseuse how they felt about my massage...? Which I also found discomforting. Then when she returned and said "I think it will be ok" I refused to get my massage because I was uncomfortable with the service at this point and asked to reschedule.

At this point, they then charged me 59 dollars because of a cancellation fee and when I explained that it wouldn't be appropriate for them to charge us when it was their own hesitation that made me uncomfortable to get a massage, they blamed me for not "educating myself with the risks." And then proceeded to sigh heavily and laugh on the phone to their coworker when I asked to speak to a manager. Surprise, no manager was on site and they couldn't be reached.

The saga doesn't end there, my husband and I emailed he management twice and called repeatedly for a week until we got through to a manager and she again did not believe what we were saying and refused to return our money.

This is the absolute worst customer service experience and I hope nobody else mistakenly uses...

My wife and I tried out Origins Thai Spa with a 60 minute couples deep tissue massage. For a little background, I have had many massages all over the world - including Thai massages in Thailand.

Atmosphere and the massage - Origins' decor is really nice - and probably the most luxurious massage parlor I have been to. The massage itself was very good. I prefer a lot of pressure (I am 6'1") and even though my masseuse was a small woman she had more than enough strength to work out all of my knots. You are also served water or hot tea before and after your session.

Price - We bought a discounted rate session from a coupon website so we ended up paying ~$65 after tip per person. While my experience at Origin was great, I would not return if I had to pay the full price (I think it was like $120 or something for 60 minutes depending on the type of massage). However, they have a great yearly subscription which my wife and I ended up splitting. It costs $79 or $99 per month for 12 months (60/90 minute sessions) and you get 13 total sessions that can be used over an 18 month period. You also can buy additional time for a discounted rate and there are a lot of other perks. I will attach a picture of the details.

Bottom line - Origins had a great atmosphere, excellent massage, and a very nice subscription deal which seems to be worth it. While I have only had one massage there, I will update if my experience changes over the next few months.

Also, I had Arpi for my masseuse. She...