The NOW Massage West Hollywood — Local services in Los Angeles

I really want to share my experience at The NOW Spa, and honestly, it was a big letdown. I had booked an 80-minute prenatal massage, thinking it would be a great way to unwind and feel better. But what actually happened during the session was extremely disappointing. The therapist, who was nice but totally inexperienced in prenatal massage, didn't do a good job at all.

Right from the start, it was obvious that the therapist wasn't confident in what he was doing. He clearly didn’t know how to do a prenatal massage and was scared of touching me, which made the whole thing very awkward. He only used his fingertips, and it didn't feel like he was actually massaging my muscles. While I understand the guidelines of light pressure for a pregnant woman, this “light touch with the tip of his fingers” seemed more like a joke, that was giving me more frustration than relaxation. I tried to tell him a couple times, but he really seemed so scared to touch me and told me that I was a delicate flower and should be treated like so. To which I responded that I was not and would appreciate a little more pressure. But the pressure was not the only issue unfortunately. He mostly focused on my upper back and didn't even touch my middle or lower back. On my legs, he only worked on my calves and didn't pay any attention to my thighs, knees, or the front part of my lower legs. At all. The whole lack of technique, using short back-and-forth movements was also very frustrating.

I thought about leaving the massage early, but I stayed because he was friendly. Looking back, I wish I had left and not wasted my time.

The front desk did offer a discount but that didn't really make up for how disappointing the whole experience was. I was really looking forward to a soothing massage, but it turned out to be the opposite. I ended up paying $125 for this massage, and honestly, this was a total waste of money and time.

I tried to reach out to the manager through email to explain what happened, but I never got a response. It left me feeling like they didn't really care about their customers.

Considering how things went, I really can't recommend going to The NOW Spa. They let someone who wasn't properly trained give me a specialized massage he was so afraid to do. And the fact that the manager didn't even bother getting back to me just ads to this whole negative experience. I wish I had spent my money elsewhere and spent the time to write this review to help you not making the...

I'm going to preface this with the fact that I get a lot of Thai massages/ Japanese Shiatsu massages... so this review is strictly based on their "deep tissue"... I decided to try The NOW since I had a gift card from 2020 (right before Covid broke out). I wanted an 80 minute deep tissue massage with a focus on my shoulders and neck....

I was honestly excited to try this place - unfortunately I came out disappointed as I received 80 minutes of light rubbing on my legs.

The receptionist specifically said this masseuse was great at deep tissue..... but he wasn't. She said he had experience so I was expecting him to know where to press. He did not do much work on my shoulders (when I asked him to focus on shoulders) and just softly rubbed his fingers where he should have been adding pressure. When he massaged my legs I asked him to add a bit more pressure...he then proceeded to press A LOT harder and I started feeling his nails dig into my skin several times. I even mentioned this to him. On top of all of this his hands were extremely cold and rough. Every time he touched my skin I cringed and got chills. At the end of this journey (thank God), The receptionist gave me a discount however not sure how I can come back... everything about The NOW seems professional and elevated until you experience the massage itself.

Also, as an FYI, the central area (where the rooms are separated by curtains) is pretty chilly esp. these days. I think the masseuse should always ask to see how the temperature of the room feels and offer to make the bed warmer or bring in a Heat lamp as needed. I felt like I was naked in a warehouse with no central heat. "Rustic" is cute, but not during your hundred something dollar massage.

P.S. I did not appreciate the fact that the massage oil was not taken off. Most massage places bring a hot towel to wipe the oil off. It was extremely sticky and my skin stuck to my clothes.

P.P.S. The masseuse's name is Khalil. Please don't waste your time w this guy. No offense to him but that was a...

I have gone to The Now for 6 plus years now and have always been a fan. So much so my friends get me gift cards for my birthday. Unfortunately, my experience today has changed that for me and I don’t think that I will ever be going back. For context, I have only ever left a few reviews on Google or yelp but this one I felt was necessary.

The Now was always a place I went for a reasonable and good massage. I always knew it wasn’t luxury or private but I never found the lack of privacy to be overly distracting. My experience today didn’t allow me to relax at all because for the first 40 minutes or so of my 80 minute long massage, there was constant laughing, giggling, whispering, and doors opening and closing from what I presumed to be the employees. A lot of the time I heard whispering with a name Daisy mentioned, which come to find out she was one of the girls at the front desk.

It was a really big bummer because it was truly hard to relax. My masseuse was great and it was not at all her fault, but my experience was not great. I told the front desk when I checked out and she apologized but was pretty cavalier about it and when I mentioned I likely wouldn’t be returning, she said she was sorry and that was it.

Since the massage is now not much cheaper than a luxury private experience, at a location with front desk employees who are loud and disruptive during the massage process, I sadly won’t be returning. I may give another location a shot but my experience really changed my view of the place and as someone who used to recommend this spot to a lot of people, I felt it was deserving...