Relax Spa — Attraction in New York

August 8th, 2024- I made an appointment for my boyfriend and I, 90 min each. To begin with, we get separate rooms. We didn’t say anything. I personally enjoyed my massage. My female masseuse used oil, hot towels and hot stones, but my boyfriend didn’t get any of that. His male masseuse just put the blanket over him and massaged him like that for the whole 90 minutes session. My boyfriend later expressed how painful that was. So, I normally like getting massages done and I like to look up places and read their reviews. The many reviews on this place are accurate. The curtains dividing the rooms, the noise from the workers speaking loudly, the customers walking back and forth and the mandatory additional tip request at the end. That definitely got me.😑 I was tipping $20 for the 90 min $55 service. I was suppose to get change back but instead the receptionist (who I think may be the owner) made me give each masseuse an additional $5 each. When my boyfriend shared with me afterwards that he didn’t get rubbed with oil, no hot towels and no hot stones, I got really upset! That was totally not fair! For a moment, I thought I found a decent spot that I can come back to more often and actually bring my family but that’s not the case. As everyone suggests- maybe this place can add a sign with their price/tip...

I've been here three times and each experience was wildly different. Let me start with the most recent visit (9/24). I called ahead and specified "focus on my neck and shoulders." Owner told the masseuse and I reiterated the same thing.

The masseuse was awful. She picked up her phone two times and had a 2-3 minute conversation. She was rubbing my body and not putting any pressure into any of the muscles. She never checked in with "is it too hard/soft? Do you want me to focus on any area?" And finally, I provided a $10 tip(25%) on a $40 massage. She spoke to the owner who stated "it is customary to provide at least $15 tip for foot massages and $20 for a body massage." The foot massage is $25/hour and the body massage is $40/hour. So you want me to tip 50%?!?!

My only tip- DON'T GO. They advertise as $40 but they expect you to tip $20 more. So $60 for a subpar massage?!?

I've been there two previous times and I left a $10 and $15 tip and no one...

Tina is truly an exceptional masseuse! I’ve been to many massage places before, but it’s rare to find someone who genuinely prioritizes the customer’s needs. My neck, back and legs had been bothering me for a while, so I decided to try this place and was lucky enough to have Tina as my therapist. She skillfully worked on my back, neck, and legs, addressing all the tension with precision. I felt completely relaxed during the session, and though my body was a little sore afterward, a few hours later, I experienced incredible relief from the pain and got a good sleep. I’ll absolutely be returning and making sure to book Tina again. My Mandarin isn’t very fluent, but both us were trying to understand each other. Thank you Tina and well done for the...