Zalla Massage — Local services in Houston

Administratives: I had not gotten a massage in a few years, and since Groupon was running a deal on Zalla (which has fantastic reviews on Yelp), I went ahead and bought a 100-minute treat for myself. Similar to most office bees, I have tension in my back and shoulders, so I cannot speak to more severe issues. Since Groupon holders had to call to schedule an appointment, I called and left a message twice before the owner Zalla called back. It is understandable since it is a smaller operation. Zalla was kind enough to call me twice to tell me there were appointments available prior to the one I booked since I asked to be on their wait list. Also, I appreciated the text and email reminders since the appointment was made pretty far in advance.

Pre-massage: When I first walked into the building, I was taken aback by how it appeared to be an office building in the upscale River Oaks shopping plaza. The office/massage room looked clean and well-kept though. My masseuse, Linda, greeted me at the counter as I walked in the office space and handed me some routine paperwork to fill out. When I asked to borrow the restroom, it was to my surprise to find that the entire floor share a public bathroom by the stairwell - which, though inconvenient, is okay pre-massage, but might become kind of embarrassing post-massage when my hair and makeup are all messed up.

The massage: The massage itself was very soothing and relaxing - I think I may have dozed off at one point. Linda explained what to expect before she left the room to let me undress, which was helpful to ease my nerves since, as mentioned above, I have not had a massage in years. At one point during the session, however, some people were chatting in the hallway outside the offices. Although they probably used their "inside" voice, it still interrupted the session somewhat, and Linda had turn up the spa music to drown the chattering out.

Conclusion: Overall, the experience was pleasant, and I am excited that Zalla is moving to a new, hopefully more private, location in December. I have already booked my next session after the holidays, and I am very much looking...

Zalla Massage had been recommended to me a few months ago so when I saw a deal on AmazonLocal for an 80 minute massage, I bought it right away. Sometimes when you buy massages/facials through bargain sites, you get treated like a "lesser" client by the front desk and staff, but that was not the case here. Booking an appointment time was easy, the front desk was great to work with both on check-in and check-out, and my appointment started on time.

Jessica was my therapist for this visit, and she was awesome! I carry all of my stress in my shoulders, and she did a great job working out the kinks. Some massage therapists I have been to seem to be following a routine as they work and they don't necessarily deviate from it in order to address a clients specific issues, this was not the case with Jessica. One side of my body needed a bit more work than the other and she definitely focused in on where extra attention was necessary.

My only complaint was the parking, but I wasn't expecting it to be great due to the location. There is a small lot in front of the building so you don't have to find street parking, but it can be a bit tricky to get out of if it's full.

Overall, I was very pleased and will be back to see Jessica again.

2nd Visit: Last week I went back for my second massage with Jessica this year. This time I'm six months pregnant, and I was hoping that she would give me as good of a prenatal massage as she did a deep tissue massage this summer. She did! First, I was pleasantly surprised to find that instead of having to lie on my side for the massage as with most prenatal massages, the studio has special pillows that can prop you up so that you can lay face down. The massage itself was wonderful - the same deep pressure I had enjoyed the previous time. Also, we started a few minutes late, and when I checked my phone at the end, I discovered I still got the full amount of time. This made me extra happy as I had recently been shortchanged by a massage therapist at a different place. I will definitely be coming back at least one more time before the end of...

I went to Zalla’s with a Groupon for the very first time over a year ago. Linda was my masseuse at the time and I really wanted to go back to her, but time constraints and their location at the time, did not permit.

A few weeks ago I found another Groupon for Zalla’s and called to schedule an appointment. Linda was no longer there, but I had already purchased the Groupon, so just left it to chance. My appointment was with Brenda and, I must say, she is an amazing masseuse. Strong hands and really knows what she’s doing. I asked that just my neck and shoulders be massaged and leave the rest alone but Brenda explained to me why I was shortchanging myself and why having a full body massage would be more beneficial, especially with all of my back issues. Well, let me tell you….she was absolutely right. I’ve had more flexibility and feel a lot better than I ever have after any massage before.

Today was my second time going to Brenda at their new location and my GPS misdirected me and I got lost. I was still trying to find it when Zalla’s called me to remind me about my appointment. I explained that I was lost and told them where I was. They talked me in, staying on the phone with me until I got there. How special is that?! Even though I was late, I still got the full 100 minutes that I had scheduled, which amazed me!

This is the first time in a very long time that I have made a second appointment with the same masseuse. Brenda was so great the first time I went, I just had to go again. And, I made another appointment for next week. The discount opportunities certainly make it enticing and I’m very pleased with the level of service that they provide. Other places may give you just a “fluff and buff”, as Brenda called it, but the massages at Zalla’s go far beyond that and...