Absolutely fantastic place to have a massage! I was in town for a week and this was my first massage since the pandemic, so my body is a bit of a mess. Paulo was super friendly and had a good healer vibe. I've had a lot of massages for various issues and have seen many different practitioners - Paulo ranks with the best of them! It was a very nice surprise and I booked a second massage for later in the week. That time was a couple's massage with my partner. I opted for seeing Paulo a second time and my partner saw Osmar. We both had an excellent time and felt wonderful afterward.
I will absolutely be booking at Unna Spa any time I'm in the DC area!
More detail about what made it such a good experience: Easy to find location that is the lower floor of a row house Welcoming atmosphere to the office. It should be noted this is more of a homey/comfortable feel instead of something that is going to be a hotel spa. Rooms have a mellow feel that helps to enter a meditative/relaxing state of mind Paulo was very receptive to hearing what areas I needed focus on and then worked that in slowly through most of the massage so that by the time he was done it was feeling considerably better. The signature massage is pretty comprehensive and a good all-around experience. I needed pretty hard pressure for both massages and Paulo delivered. I actually felt him having to push so hard that he was trembling a little during the first massage and that really impressed me. Paulo is a very dedicated healer and it shows in how he responds to the subtle cues the body gives during a massage. He is intuitive in ways only the best are and it made for a much more immersive experience while having all my needs met. Hot towels are used to help soothe after a section has been completed and then to wipe the skin down a little so you aren't too oily. The CBD massage is super nice and there wasn't a huge upcharge for it as I'd been seeing with other places. Easy booking and responsive to texts if you have questions.
Partner's experience with Osmar: This was her first professional massage and it went so well that she now wants to have massages on a more regular basis. She tends to be touch sensitive and Osmar was able to massage without causing her to tense, infact she relaxed so deeply that she fell asleep towards the end. I found Osmar to be just as friendly and...
   Read moreIt has taken me a while to write this review. I visited Unna spa for a couples massage on June 15, 2024 in the afternoon. Upon entering the atmosphere was welcoming and clean. The customer service was excellent, with friendly conversation. Unfortunately that is where the praise stops. The massage itself was more than disappointing. The technique was severely lacking, and I felt NO relief after the session. There was never any kneading or rolling of the muscle to relieve/ loosen tension. My entire body was merely rubbed down solely with the gentleman’s forearm in a singular repeated motion. The pressure was too light despite my request for a deeper massage, and i left with a new knot in my neck from the singular technique used. My partner received an amazing massage while i was ready to cry from the wasted day, and finances. I hope they can improve the quality of their massages. Also disliked the usage of cold lotion that wasn’t warmed in the hands first as well as the abrupt end of the massage with automatic lights being turned on and loud conversation asking how i enjoyed it as opposed to a gentle stirring I would not go back at all because i paid for a massage that was more than inadequate and did not have the heart to tell the gentleman to his face that it was terrible
Unfortunately, I have to join two other negative reviews as it seems we had the same therapist. We went for a couple massage, and I have never been so disappointed with a massage, and I visit studios regularly at home and when I travel. Exactly as two other reviewers pointed, the technique was strange and probably should have been something like deep tissue massage and trigger pointing. Instead, it was just singular elbow pressure movement, no kneading or other rolling movements to work the muscle tthrough. There was pressure applied, but it was inconsistent and not rhythmic flow, abruptly removing hands, apply more cold and unpleasant lotion, and it all made me feel more tense than relieved the tension. I left feeling not relieved, but only more tense. I asked for hot stones services, and these were just slowly moved over my back, to no effect and I didn’t understand what was the point. My partner’s therapist was better but also not the most professional. Also, to make matters worse, they use not oil, but some mineral lube which was too much, too cold and felt super unpleasant on the skin. I only regret I didn’t interrupt the session as it began and I reaslised that it is not good - I thought maybe I am not familiar with technics or so. I have talked to the therapist after the session, got waiver for 30$ for the hot stones and feedback that I have too many knots and probably need more massage. If so, not here, but it is simply not true too, because I do...
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