Bliss-LESS Spa
I got a YELP message about Bliss Spa's Grand Opening Special: $20 for a 60 min foot massage! It sounded TOO good to be true, so I decided to check BS's reviews. There was just one, which looked sketchy based on the content and the Yelper's profile. But, I forwarded the info to my gfs and we thought for the price it wouldn't hurt to try it out.
I called on Sat 4/3 and was easily able to make an appt for three for Sun 4/4 at 3 PM.
After our Xiao Long Bao fix nearby, my gfs and I headed to BS. BS has no signage but a yellow banner that says, "Grand Opening" with a lit-up Foot Massage sign. We had no expectations, but were pleasantly surprised when we walked in. BS is very clean and had leather coaches and a set-up of facial cream items which put us at ease that it was legit place.
We opted for the $25 massage, which consisted of a 40 min foot massage, 15 min head massage, and 15 min shoulder/neck/back massage. Our appt time was 3 PM, but the actual massage didn't start until 3:20 PM. Here's a breakdown of the process.
1. We were escorted to a room with two leather recliners and were brought tea which was lukewarm, borderline cold.
2. Wendy, my masseuse brought a wooden bucket of water for my feet to soak in and walked off for 10-12 minutes. My gf and I found this odd as normally, they work on other parts of your body while your feet soak.
3. When Wendy returned, she dried off my feet and preceded with the foot massage which was painful, but felt good at some times. She kept on pressing on my big toe, which was painful and made me squirm. She told me to relax which is difficult when you are in pain. She spent most of the time massaging my toes and the arch of my foot. She used very fast strokes which made me more tense at times than relaxed. Also, she wore plastic gloves and didn't use enough lotion, so it felt like plastic rubbing against my skin the entire time.
4. After about 20 min or so, Wendy proceeded massaging my calves which was again painful because she was using the force from her thumb and pressing against my shins the entire time.
5. Wendy then reclined the coach and had me turn over for the head and back massage. She started with the head massage which felt like she was scratching my head as opposed to massaging it. This lasted for about 5 min or so.
6. She then transitioned to the neck/shoulder/back massage which was NOT relaxing. I felt like my back was being "waxed on" and "waxed off" and the pressure was very light (like a light pat). I found it weird b/s she had used a lot of force and pressure when she was working on my feet and calves. Also, the back massage wasn't consistent; i.e. she would pound the left side of my back and not the right side.
AMBIANCE:
BS is very clean and the rooms (6) are split in half by a partition. The rooms were freshly painted white and had grey carpet. The entire time, I could hear footsteps from above which we thought were the residents living above. However, when we left, we noticed there were no windows on the second level; ummm, so where exactly was that noise coming from?
PRICES:
*Introductory prices of $20 for 60 min foot massage, $25 for a 70 min foot/back massage, $35 for 60 min back massage and $30 for a facial which are good until 4/15. Prices are $10-15 higher after 4/15.
OTHER SERVICES:
BS also offers 4-5 different type of facials like for anti-aging, acne, and deep pore cleansing, and body waxing.
PARKING:
Since BS is located in the Outer Richmond, it's relatively easy street and metered parking.
If it weren't for the price, I would have given BS 2 STARS b/c the massage was inconsistent in pressure and motions which left me more tensed than relaxed. But, I can't really complain much because sometimes you get exactly what you pay for. read more