Aquis Body Spa — Local services in New York

BEWARE OF THIS COMPANY'S BUSINESS PRACTICE.

The masseuse was excellent. But the owner's business practices are shady, so they get one star.

I bought a Groupon deal and called Aquis to set up an appointment same day. The cashier told me I had to pay an $8 fee for using Groupon. I immediately emailed Groupon asking if businesses are allowed to charge extra but it was a weekend so I knew I wouldn't get a reply right away.

I walked into Aquis and asked the cashier what the point of the Groupon deal was if they were going to charge me an extra $8 after purchasing it. She said that if I didn't want it, I could cancel and pay the full price in cash. I asked her if this was Groupon's policy or theirs. She said it was theirs – the owner is the one who set the fee.

Because of this, it was a little difficult to enjoy the massage; however I did make sure the masseuse got a big tip of $20 – more than 20% of the full price of the massage. Surprise, there was no itemized line showing a separate $8 fee (plus an unnecessary $.01 for credit card usage) and only one line to enter the tip, so it appeared as though I tipped the masseuse a total of $28.01.

I finally got a response from Groupon, and sure enough, businesses aren’t supposed to charge extra. Luckily, Groupon reimbursed me.

Aquis needs to stop these shady business practices just to make an extra buck. Doubtful that will happen, so they'll have to deal with...

Been here 2x now. Fyi - They'll pressure you for paying tax with cash if you have a groupon. They have an atm machine so if you don't have cash (or in my case I had just given all my cash as tip), they point to the atm machine. If you pay by card, there's an extra charge. The lady was almost mad or seemed annoyed that I had a groupon. They'll discuss what you gave for tip, or at least it seems as they dont understand or speak much English.

Both times, the massage was good. Painful at times even tho I asked for medium, but I felt good in the end! Elbows were used too, so at times I was cringing in pain. 😅

What I'm surprised no one is talking about is the smell. As soon as you turn the corner to go back to the massage rooms, there is an overwhelming smell like mildew. Or mold, strange food, cat litter. I cant pinpoint it. I went there months apart and it had the same smell both times. But being faced down on the massage table I got used to it after a while I suppose.

Side note, be warned that the block itself is a little sketch.

Overall, I'll likely still go back though as my massage was good in the end and at a...

This spa gives you amazing work for a reasonable price. I purchased a 60 minute full body massage for just $49!

The spa was clean and nicely furnished. The whole salon is a series of sectioned off rooms in a large loft space. Everyone is encouraged to whisper so as not to disturb other guests.

My massage was great but there was a language barrier between myself and the staff. I received a deep tissue massage and then there were some hot stones added at the end. The masseuse asked me if I want medium or hard pressure. I said medium and the massage was amazing. I could definitely see myself coming back.

I gave it 4 stars because I wasn't able to share with the masseuse my areas of concern for my body during the massage. He didn't talk to me much during the session. Afterwards I asked for his name so I could request him if I return. He seemed confused by this question. I didn't mind having a male masseuse but that could be an issue if you have a preference because I...