302 Grand Spa — Local services in New York

I had an issue with my back and was looking for an affordable place to get a massage.

This place had immediate availability so I booked 90‘ for $80. Very cheap.

The place: Friendly welcome and a clean entrance. The massage rooms are not as charming, with old carpet and the key problem (at least in this season): it’s freezing cold in there.

The massage: First things first: my back pain is gone and I feel much less tense than before. So while being a bit painful at times, this massage did the job. I personally don’t mind the pain and the masseuse also asked if it was okay several times. What wasn’t great is that she massaged by face right after massaging my feet. Same hands, no washing in between. My other issue again is that it was really cold in the room. A heater or a bigger blanket would be great to make this experience even more relaxing. The other thing that was a bit disappointing was the aromatherapy that I paid for extra. They only had lavender aroma, and tbh I did not smell anything at all. In fact, I should have not paid for it.

The checkout: The lady at the front desk handled the payment but she was not alone: both my masseuse and another more serious looking woman stood next to her. I did not feel very comfortable in that situation and in my choice on what to tip.

My take away: Be realistic with what you expect from a place that offers massage at this price point. I would probably come back but only when it’s warmer outside. I’d also ask them to not...

This review is specific for my experience today. My first two visits were great! I felt relaxed and refreshed after my massage.

This time the masseuse seemed new ( but they told me she's not new) and did not know what she was doing. There was pretty much one main technique she used which was pressing a lot using her elbow. There was minimal finger strokes massage. I explained to her the area I wanted her to focus and she did not really follow, and we ended up spending a lot of time on the area that I did not need attention for. Overall I just feel like she's not skillful enough and she also wasn't paying enough attention to her work.

What made everything worse was when I went to the front desk to pay, I explained the whole situation and how I was not satisfied with the service I received today. The front desk lady did not apologize at all ( not her fault, but if a business values their customers, she should have shown empathy and say something like "I'm sorry that our service is not meeting your expectations, can I ....") All she did was make it my fault for not remembering who did a good job during my first two visits, and basically saying if I took their name down and requested the right masseuse, this wouldn't have happened.

Like.... seriously!? Anyways, she gave me $5 discount...and my body is pretty much as sore as before I visit them. Very disappointed. Not worth the money...

Update: original review below

They called me after I posted my review and offered me a complimentary massage and acupuncture. I went in today and they were so apologetic and nice I almost cried. Got one of the best massages I’ve ever had, but sadly I couldn’t go through with the acupuncture because I’m terrified of needles. I tried lol. Thank you Grand Spa for making up for my last experience and doing such a great job at it. I’ll definitely be back.

The first time I went here it was amazing. I went back and this time it felt super rushed and there’s no way for me to know for sure but I’m like 99.99% sure the masseuse was on her phone the whole time. The first time I had an appointment and this time I was a walk in. I wasn’t expecting an appointment but they told me if I waited 25 minutes they would fit me in, so I waited. Maybe she was expecting to have a break instead and I messed that up? Either way everyone should be treated the same each time. Getting a massage is a big deal for me and I only go when I absolutely need to relax and it’s impossible to relax when it feels distracted and...