Pure Serenity Spa — Local services in Chicago

Upon arrival I noticed the extremely low pricing outside of the building and couldn't figure out why...later after my massage was over and I got home I knew why. My therapist Tina was extremely rough with me and my body felt jolted and stressed. By the time I got home I had a full blown panic attack and was obviously triggered because when Tina used hard pressure she had no sense of honoring or listening to my body and she used extremely hard pressure with the hard stones over the back of my ribcage and the back of my vertebrae. I actually had professional training administering hot stone therapy by a team of licensed therapists who visited Chicago from Arizona specifically teaching proper use of hot stones. You're supposed to lay face up initially on the heated stones and or indirectly over a towel or sheet to warm up your back muscles first! Tina used a very hard shocking form of Chinese acupressure and it really bruised my body and left me feeling sore immediately after and my body and my mind were very stressed out. I also had to wash my hair and cut some of it! Tina's hands had lotion on it when she gave me a scalp massage 💆‍♀️ and initially she had tied my hair up in an elastic band and a cheap, plastic clamp so pieces of my hair were frayed at the ends! My intention initially was to leave this tiny space a four star review; but after witnessing the damage to my hair I basically need to share my truth here as an honest review. This will be the last time I ever come here again based on this experience. During a traditional clinical massage a new client must receive a paper to fill out initially pointing and circling a diagram of the front and back of a human body. You should be given a pen 🖊 and be able to circle areas of the body you wish to be addressed. Usually a therapist will ask you beforehand what areas of your body are giving you pain and she or he will concentrate on those areas only. I've had training in massage therapy and especially hot stone and these people obviously weren't trained in hot stone so if you're seeking an authentic hot stone application you will be disappointed here. Also I was told to pay everything up front for my services and then add a tip later. I tipped her 20% not realizing how damaged the ends of my hair were until much later. I never wear elastic rubber bands or plastic claws in my hair. Those are extremely harsh and who puts lotion on hair or uses lotion when using stones over your body? The prices were cheap and there's...

Believe the bad reviews. I try to avoid Chinese-style massage because I don’t like it but I didn’t realize this spa was that. Unfortunately i also didn't read the Google reviews before buying the Groupon. I also need to remind myself to check the training of any massage therapist. The physical space is as others describe—not private and they don’t even try to use sound machines to mask any noise. It was pretty quiet when I was in there but I could hear them whispering and giggling and then when a dude came in and got on his bed— awkward. Each space is set up for a couples massage so I think that’s where most of their business comes from and that’s why the reviews are skewed—it’s hard to rate a romantic gesture as bad. and probably those folks don't go for massages very often. My massage person used firm pressure which I wanted but she didn’t follow the muscle tissue or work knots. Instead she used her knuckles starting at my neck and moved in a radial pattern down and across my upper back. She used the same knuckles and pressure when crossing bones and it hurt. It felt better on my butt/hips but then she moved up into my lower back with the same move and pressure and it felt like I was being punched in the kidney. her strokes were too fast and not intentional or relaxing. The face massage dragged my eyeskin. I’ve had much better massage and hot stone experiences elsewhere using Groupons so this was very disappointing. i hqd read (just before i went, sigh) about the pressure to tip (which is accurate) so I left mine in cash on the bed. When I told them at the front desk I’d done that, my person immediately turned around and ran back to the room for it. I won’t...

When we arrived for our couples massage, we were shushed right away. As soon as I gave them my name, I was asked to "pay cash right now". Then again, "yes, cash first" as I quickly fumbled for my wallet.

The massage was so bizarre. First, there was very loud and persistent banging from next door for the first 30 minutes. We were to remain under the sheets while they truly just pushed and prodded up and down our body. Not a "massage-technique" by any means. Then, the the oil massage—at best, I left well-moisturized. At worst, I was freezing and being rubbed down with no pressure, and no specialized attention to any specific muscle group. We were not convinced the people working on us were actually licensed. They also carried on a whispered conversation between the two of them for a notable portion of time.

I cannot emphasize this enough: this is the least relaxing environment I have ever been in for a massage. Eventually, I understood why they shushed us when we walked in; you can hear EVERYTHING throughout the spa. The "walls" are just temporary dividers that don't reach the ceiling, the floors are extremely creaky, and there is not the slightest attempt at sound-muffling. You can hear the toilet flushing down the hall (repeatedly), you can hear every word whispered throughout all the rooms, every guest walking in and past your room... It was so unintimate and distracting. It also was so so cold throughout the building.

In summary: Not only was the atmosphere uncomfortable, distracting, and cold... the massages were bad, and the people working there were...