My 60 min body massage was great and they even used hot stones. It was very thorough with attention to your muscles unlike some places that just follow a routine. But it was very oily. Thanks read more

Excellent experience. Super attentive. Check in on pressure levels. Great pricing. Fast service from entry to being on the table. I was full of knots and stressed out and I left feeling noticeably different and NOT sore. They are really great at measuring pressure. I usually leave a deep tissue knowing I will bruise but this place, amazing, no soreness or bruises. They also used hot stones, hot cloths, oil, and the only thing missing was maybe some aromatherapy (I like good smells). I just feel lighter already. They tend to focus on the areas that are the most stressed so if you are really wanting attention elsewhere just be vocal because they are excellent at unknotting and taking their time. I was pleased they focused on my upper back area so much because that's what I needed but I can see wanting more attention to legs or arms possibly being missed if you don't add extra time. An hour is perfect but I am definitely doing 90mins next time. I heard folks coming in asking for two hours. That sounds like heaven. It's not too noisy but its also not whisper quiet. You can hear a little traffic noise and chatting when people come in. Most people are respectful and talk quietly however. I had a male masseuse and I couldn't have been more pleased with how he handled everything, I would actually seek him out again. $60 cash gets you an hour right now and that sounds perfect but you can still use cards for a few dollars extra and that is huge for me. I never carry cash these days! I will be back sooner than later. read more

Holy cow! 2 of the best massages I've ever received from Linda! Strong deep tissues, but also relaxing -- worked out at least some of the kinks after not having bodywork at all during the pandemic. Clean, great prices and attentive to what you are looking for. I'm sad we don't live in Boston, because I would come EVERY WEEK! read more

Arghhhhh I wanted to like this place so much more but the experience we had during our couples massage went downhill pretty fast. I had booked here knowing that this was a no-frill, non fancy place and read reviews on Yelp saying that their massage techniques were great. I called and on the upside, they were super accommodating. They were able to fit us in at a time requested without a problem. Another perk is that if you pay using cash, you get the massage for a cheaper price. We opted for a 60 minute deep tissue massage for $59 Cash, otherwise $65 with credit/debit payment. We arrived late unfortunately, due to having trouble finding parking in the area. Rainbow is located upstairs on the second floor and can be easily missed, had it not been for a sign located at the downstairs entry way. I had a male masseuse and requested a female one for my boyfriend. It started off just fine, with soft music playing in the background, when the female masseuse got interrupted, not once, not twice, three times. I believe the female masseuse that we had ran the business or was the big boss. She stopped my boyfriend's massage to pick up the phone, and later to deal with other customers. When she came back, she had talked to my male masseuse, making the entire experience awkward and uncomfortable. Not only was my boyfriend's massage interrupted, but she didn't even make up for the lost time. Completely rude and unprofessional. Although it was a good price, the entire experience and mannerisms of the female masseuse warranted us to never come back. read more

Another 5 Star Massage from Rainbow Health Center, 1 day after running a full marathon. Wei is amazing. I had a 1 hour legs-only massage, and man did it hurt, but in a GOOD WAY! My legs were DESTROYED from the marathon, and Wei worked them to get them recovered. And today, 2 days after the marathon, they feel three times as good as they did the day after. This place is amazing. read more

I booked a couples massage, the lady who was massaging my husband coughed and hacked the whole time it became impossible to enjoy the massage and concerning with Covid. When he asked her to move from his back to his hands she ignored him and continued to massage his back. He then told her the pressure was too hard and bothersome and she ignored him causing discomfort. After the massage was over we paid and left a tip, the lady and guy with glasses laughed and told us that they expect a higher tip because they usually ask for a certain amount. We couldn't believe what we heard and was tempted to take the tip back! We will definitely not be back here! The creepy part is that my brand new socks went missing. We couldn't find then with my clothes or shoes after the massage and we looked everywhere in the room for them. read more

I hate to give businesses bad reviews. I really do. I want to live in a Liz Lemon world filled with romance and rainbows. I want to shop in cute boutiques where the jeans always fit and I yell "put it on my tab" but never have to pay. I want to wake up after 8am and not have a parking ticket, go to brunch and not wait for a table, and, even, get a good massage when I need it most. But I have to tell you that this is NOT five-star worthy and to give it that score is to insult to massage therapist and spas everywhere. Yes, it's cheap. Yes, it's easy to get an appointment. But there are some serious flaws and you'd best be warned. You get what you pay for and here that means shortcuts all around. I tried this place based on it's proximity, price and rave Yelp reviews. My first time was okay. My second time was a nightmare. The main problem is the consistent noise and frequent interruptions. Janie W. nailed it when she said the ladies speak loudly to each other while giving massages. They'll even walk out during the massage to answer phone calls, or the door. I find that royally disturbing and would gladly throw money to get them NOT to leave the room. But that would be assuming the massage was good. I'm not sure what training and qualifications the staff have but it was clear by my second visit that training is minimal. The woman gave me some random squeezes as she ran around the table in random order. Then she started this slapping thing that can only be achieved by putting your hands in prayer form, and wacking a human with the hypothenar region of the hand (muscles below the pinky). You can actually injure your spine by letting an unskilled person do this to you...and if you have back problems don't even think about it. It is an ancient method and the therapist really needs to understand what they are doing and pay attention. I argue it's outdated. (Google it.) One of my favorite parts was listening to her toss hard candy around her mouth, as she braced her self against my back with one hand and slapped me around with the other. Loved the loud breathing too, but I couldn't tell whether I liked her loud breathing more, or the dude's groaning from the next "room". Oye. If you go here expect to lie on a mix of bath towels and paper napkins that cover a no-frills massage table. I can deal with this. What I can't deal with is freezing my a__ off because they give you one measly towel to cover up with. I also can't deal with the "making the bed" sheet toss that leaves you completely out there. Hello world! But whatever. I was annoyed that the massage "therapist" never touched my arms because the last time I check I had two and they were still attached to my body-- part of the full body massage I believe. She about tore off my face (I'm now laughing as I write this) and well, couldn't get enough of my-- lets call it Lower Back. It was kinda ridiculous. Reflexology was a joke. I should have ended it after the massage but I was hoping she was a reflexology wizard and would redeem herself. I kept looking up at the foot diagram that indicated where the pressure points were because she never got there. Oopsie! Perhaps my favorite part was the check-out process. Five women running around frantically, telling me that they could only process a credit card with a 20% tip. Girlfriend, you a lie. I let her run my card, signed over $88 as I dreamed of Exhale day spa and went to pull her NOT 20% tip from my wallet. Here's how things went down. Her (looking at signed cc slip): Two-hour massage twenty percent. Me (opening wallet): Yes, I am paying with cash. Her (looking down and up): Twenty percent. Me (looking up): I have cash. You said I couldn't charge the tip so I'm give you cash... Her: You have to pay twenty percent tip. Me (staring): I'll be right back Her: You go to ATM and get twenty percent Me (turning into the Incredible Hulk): I think we've already had this conversation. Her: Go and come back in five minutes. Five minutes twenty percent. Me (blank stare) In short Rainbow Health Center is only good for people who don't know a good massage or can't get a back rub at home. I've had many massages and after having been here twice will tell anyone that you can do much better, for not much more money. A good day here would be a three-star, which on Yelp means A-Ok. I'm being generous. I don't understand the five star "good as it gets" ratings. This is not as good as it gets-- you deserve better. read more

People, you've got to understand: this is an Asian massage place, not a Newbury spa. What this means: They're not going to chat you up (because most of them don't speak English anyway). As others have mentioned, they sometimes talk to each other if there are two of them in the room. (I've done couples massages with my boyfriend and both of us speak Mandarin so they've also had conversations with us.) Sometimes, they do run out of the room in between to answer the phone. I don't really mind it, as I'm used to Asian massages as a LA native. These places are a dime-a-dozen in California, but they don't tend to be anywhere near as clean/effective as this place. The massages themselves: We've gone a ton of times since it's down the block from our place. I don't like that tickly, gentle stuff that some masseurs do. The ladies here can deliver VERY strong massages -- be sure to ask for more pressure if you look petite like me! Otherwise, they may assume that you can't take it. My boyfriend is a marathon runner and 6' 2" but they have no problem handling him even though he's much, much larger than the average employee there. He's always pleasantly relaxed/sore afterward! Some other posters have said that they'd pay more for better ambiance, customer service, etc. but you can't expect that from a place whose business model does not take those things into account. (It's way, WAY worse in China, trust me). I wouldn't even put this in the same category as Beaucage or Emerge other Back Bay spas. As such, the rating reflects the fact that I think it's an awesome value for what it is. Want better service? Bring in someone who speaks Mandarin. The employees here are always total sweethearts with my boyfriend and me (and we've even gotten discounts for paying in cash) -- I think the language makes all the difference. read more

I like this place. I've been twice now and had two different therapist.. both men, but I can't remember their name. The massage itself was really great... perfect amount of pressure and he knew where to focus. It's $59 CASH (a few more with a card) plus tip for a 1 hour massage... which is pretty much unheard of in Boston...they also have a punch card where if you get 6 massages in 6 months you get 1 free... And that being said, this is NOT A SPA! Or anything like it. You are in a "private" room, but the walls don't go to the ceilings so you can hear everything that's going on. There are no thrills and nothing fancy. Your therapist will likely not ask you what to focus on or how much pressure to use... they likely will not say anything and will just come in and begin. I honestly like this and kind of dread the awkward small talk when getting a massage...! read more

What does one do when seasonal bugs and holiday cheer have you feeling overwhelmed? A solid Chinese massage is my go to solution. Does it fix everything? No. It does help, though. I opted for a sixty-minute massage at the Rainbow Health Center. It was a solid massage in a clean environment. Here's where I am obligated to give context based on reading other reviews. This is not a venue where chakras or spirit animals will be identified and subsequently invoked. Are you yearning to be immersed in faux Buddhist culture? Then, you need to opt for an expensive, elite salon over in the Republic of Cambridge. After specifying 60 minutes of deep tissue massage, one is taken to a private clean room where disrobing occurs. The masseuse comes in and begins at your shoulders and works her or his way down. There's often no dialogue inside the room sans the notification that one's time has run out. The first word spoken is usually at the cash register where the masseuse will offer you a glass of water. This experience is pure heaven for the introverts seeking respite from the loquacious, small-talk heavy culture of our modern world. You get tension release coupled with invaluable silence. It's a holiday miracle. O.o read more

This review is coming from someone who gets foot massage at least once a month and very customed to the Chinese style of foot massage (people talking around you and walls are thin. Etc) I have been here 2 times now, and each time is a shit show. On the website, it states that it opens until 10pm... As a mom of two, this is awesome. So I called one night, the woman who answered the phone tells me 9pm is too late... (WHAT????) and if I can go to the Chinatown location. Well.. Here is the thing, if you are closed by 9, then update your information, and second, if I want to go to the Chinatown location, why would I call the back bay location? So I got a sitter the next night, went... And it was ok. The latest shit show..today: I called this morning w an appt at 12:30. Got there, and there was a whole discussion about my appt (mind u, I was speaking Chinese w them, so no language barrier), finally got seated and waited another 15 min before someone showed up. Then two more people (w reservation showed up)... Then the shit show started. 4 workers started screaming at each other in Chinese. There are more people w reservation than the number of workers... So someone made the mistake and 2 of them got into really heated argument. I understood everything that was going on and felt really uncomfortable... And I also got shafted when it comes to massage, the guy rushed my upper body massage and I got less than 10 min of body massage. The one start is for the guy who worked on my legs. Really worked on my legs after he shafted me on my body massage. Good thing I have been running and needed a good massage anyways. But I will prob never go back. There are plenty of other options on newbury st. More importantly, I should have never cheated on my go-to person in Chinatown (she's on vacation for 2 months and I was desperate). Go check out happy feet massage. U won't be disappointed. read more

I've been to their other location in Chinatown and it was a lot better. Had a similar experience to another reviewer in that I really needed to fix some shoulder/neck issues. Not only did the woman who was giving me a massage not focus on my shoulders at first, but 1) when I insisted that she work on neck and shoulders and she started to massage my back and then my arm bones....which was not so helpful, 2) I told her to use more strength and she said it was too difficult (hm, unlikely, i might have tight muscles, but they're not made of steel), 3) she had to switch to a guy because her hands weren't strong enough, 4) neither of them really seemed to know what they were doing 5) I still have a huge, painful knot in my shoulder. :((((( read more

This place is incredible every time! I live in San Diego and go to Boston for work. I have always been able to get in on the same day. Great Value read more

Ha ha. Michelle L pretty much nailed it. Look, I love this place - but you have to realize what it is: It's a no- frills cheap massage place. I like it because I can walk in and get a foot massage or full body and not spend a bunch of money. If you want a "real" massage or a good one, this is not the place for you. If you are like me and feel like any massage is better than no massage, then this is the place for you. read more

Fantastic - attentive, relaxing, best price I've found. I made a last-minute appointment and showed up late. Not only was the experience overwhelmingly positive and accommodating on a Saturday night, Ann (was that her name?) even added extra time. I mentioned I had a headache and had been on my feet all day, so she started with a head massage (which made it go away in just a few minutes) and then gave a foot massage. She even offered candy and water at the end. When I joked about being so relaxed that I just wanted to sleep, she joked back, saying I was welcome to sleepover :). Very friendly. Couldn't have wished for anything better. Will definitely be back 5 more times to get my free 7th massage. read more

I don't quite understand the negative reviews. I called and was told that I could come on over. There was a little confusion at the front desk because I didn't have an appointment but nothing big. The massage was excellent. Tina spoke good English - not perfect but good enough. She asked several times if I was comfortable. Everything was great until a couple came for a massage in the room next to me. When left to undress, they were talking away at full volume and acting like uncultured ignorant jackasses. The man was saying things like "they don't f---ing know. They don't speak English" and actually said "sucky sucky five bucky" several times!!! I was horrified! The workers were so tolerant of his blatant racism and sexism. So yeah if I had to deal with a**holes like him all day, I would be demanding tips too. I gave Tina a 30% tip and I thought she was about to cry! She was absolutely fantastic and I will be going back next week. read more

Nice things about Rainbow are that it's easy to get an appt, it's centrally located in the Back Bay, and it's clean. Negatives are that the tables are very uncomfortable and the employees don't seem to have training or technique. I really wanted this place to work out for me, so I visited several times and tried different people. None of their work was painful, but it was definitely pointless. Just really pathetic massage. They're pleasant and I think that they want to do a good job. They just don't know how. Every time, I walked out pissed that I'd wasted time and money. Not the best frame of mind to be in when paying, because they are pretty aggressive about getting a 20% tip from you. Each time, I told them that I was dissatisfied with the service, that I would pay for the service, but that I had no intention of paying 20% tip. They got ugly and twice actually put their hands in my wallet to take money out! Who does something like that????? That changed my mood from pissed to furious. Unfortunately, there's no deal to be had at rainbow. Spend double and get a real massage elsewhere. There are great places throughout the city. read more

5 stars for a nice combo of great price and great service. I stumbled onto this place using Yelp for a much needed massage and tried their $49 for 50 minutes massage. Absolutely kneaded all the knots out and felt heavenly. Highly recommend this place for a no frills, let's get down to business massage. read more

I did a walk-in and was happy they can accommodate me. Really had high hopes since my gf gave them a 5 star review. Think I got the unlucky draw on this. I told the lady I wanted her to work on my shoulders. I had a massage 2 weeks prior and got serious work done on it - so my muscles are not hard as a rock but still tight. More work needed. Hence, the reason I'm here. She started working on my shoulders then ended up working towards to my legs. As I'm laying there - I'm thinking...maybe she thinks I need to relax my body before she can really work my shoulders. During this time, she was using gentle palm pressure. After 20 mins., I got antsy and reminded her to work on my shoulders because they were tight. After asking 3 times, think she finally got it that I wasn't kidding. I had to ask her to go stronger. It felt like she was trying to use a little energy as possible within the 60 mins than helping to relieve my knots. Sucks to feel like you need another massage after having one. It was such a waste of my time and $$$. read more

If you are looking for a foot rub this place is great. If you are looking for a trained person in relexology who knows how and where to apply pressure in the correct zones than forget about this place, it's not foot reflexology! The person who gave me the foot rub did not apply pressure to my feet. I couldn't wait for the treatment to be over with , just found it to be rather annoying. Its not really even a foot massage, there was no deep tissue at all. Very disappointed but you get what you pay for! Sorry Guys.. read more

I came in without an appointment and was quickly shown to a room. At first the room was very cold, but by the time the massage started, I realized the table warmed up and I no longer noticed the cold. The massage was excellent-perfect after long days of meetings and poor posture. they had soft music playing throughout the space and it was pretty peaceful. The only con is that the rooms are divided by walls that do not reach the ceilings. So, halfway through my massage, someone else was put into the adjoining room and the chattering was a little disruptive. But again, super minor detail and I would encourage anyone to get a massage here. Great pressure, very competent masseuse and at a great price! Next time, I will try the foot reflexology. read more

Overall the massage was great, but my experience there was terrible. If you're looking for a professional and soothing atmosphere, this is not the place for you. Our entire time there, the employees were all running around and talking very loudly to each other in their language. It seems there was no clear way to Track their appointments so there were a few conflicting ones, we had to wait an additional 30 minutes to get into a room. We had a couples massage, while getting the massage the masseuses were constantly talking to each other and laughing, at one point my masseuse walked out to go solve a problem at the front desk, no apology or nothing. When it came time to pay, I tipped 15% due to my experience, the front desk lady made me change it to 20% which I thought was beyond rude, I expressed my feelings towards how tipping is optional and my experience there definitely did not meet my expectations of a 20% tip and I am usually a generous tipper read more

Favorite place in boston. Always good to great (and more often great) foot or fullbody massage. Ask for Wei! read more

The massage was really light. And at the end the masseuse asked me how it was, and I said it was a bit light. And she replied..."what?"...lol I'm not going back! read more

I did the couples massage with my boyfriend and it was such a wonderful and relaxing experience for both of us! Also, the discount price was great: only $110 total. Other reviewers said that the masseuses pressure you to tip a lot but that was completely false! We'll definitely be back :))) read more

The pro about this place is the semi-privacy offered by the partially walled off massage rooms. The rooms are very clean and well organizee. The downside is that the ladies talk very loudly to each other and incoming customers so that can be distracting. They must be understaffed because while I was there all the ladies were with customers and when some customers came in my masseuse left for five minutes to go talk to them. However, the massage itself was very effective, meaning she really got in there and worked those knots out. i passed out for 15 hours afterwards, which is usually a sign of a high quality massage. read more

I Love the place - the Massage were as good as any I have ever had. If you want fancy robes, water with lemon, and slippers this may not be the place for you. However if you want a GREAT deep tissue message, none of this fru fru back rub - this is a message. The place is clean, neat and a pleasure. I am a regular. You cannot beat the price read more

Great Massage, and Cheap! I made an appointment for earlier today and damn, it was everything I hoped it would be. I asked for a deep massage, and got a deep massage. I can see why some of you may not rate this place so well, if you go in expecting some fancy spa. However, I found it to be perfect for what I needed and I plan on returning. read more

I came in here for a couples massage. They said $118 for one hour cash only. I brought with me $140 expecting standard service and giving a 20% tip. The service was not standard. The massage itself was fine, nothing special. It was very canned and robotic with not much attention to detail, just moving from area to area. I had better massages when I was living in Worcester at the Bancroft School by massage therapy students. Now let's get to the main issue: professionalism. During the massage, when we are trying to relax, there was sporadic and loud chatter among the two masseuses doing the massage. The massage also lasted 50-55 min, not one hour. Under these circumstances a fair tip would be $0. I didn't feel comfortable with that so I gave them $12, or 10%, expected for substandard service. The individual at the front desk was very angry and demanded more. I explained to her the issues with the massage, she denied everything and kept asking for more. Completely unprofessional. If they had apologized for the experience, I would have been happy to tip them more but instead they started harassing me. This is not a business interested in customer satisfaction, they are only interested in making a few bucks. I would avoid, there are no shortages for massage parlors, you deserve better. read more

Emma is the worst therapist at all. My day was ruined by her. Unprofessional, low skill, showed 0 respect to customers. If she is working at rainbow, I will take all my friend not going to this place. Worst. So ridiculous. read more

Amazing! Thank you for finally listening to your client's needs and not ripping them off! Sure english is not as fluent as at the W hotel spa or the Ritz but then again you are not paying for authentic Asian foot reflexology and massage! for the $$ these therapists go above and beyond! Ive gone here for over a year and only had 2 not so stellar experiences. They have people who can translate if you need a specific area to be worked on or be careful with, (like when the time i got a cut on my foot, they were super gentle) They are great with deep tissue and they are just very pleasant especially if you become a regular! As you will read in my reviews, i'v gone to many other places but these guys never disappoint! They are happy when i bring in my own oil and they are careful with the toe nails and wont pull your toes off if you ask them! LOL But for the money its a great deal and a great job and they treat you well :) read more

Excellent massage. We went for a couples massage today. There were hot stones and deep tissue massage. They had great deals and friendly staff. Perfect music and very clean rooms. We will definitely be returning! read more

I have been a regular client of this establishment for the past 2 years, and have always been extremely pleased with the quality of service. Prices are reasonable and the staff is friendly, yet professional. I highly recommend this place if you are looking for a very good massage. Please make a note that while management will make every effort to accommodate you as a walk-in customer, I suggest making an appointment to make sure your trip is not wasted read more

I bought a couples massage with Groupon as a gift for my girlfriend, and I guess you get what you pay for. The woman massaging me had a "technique" that felt like she washing dishes on adderal. Some of it wasn't painful or weird, which I assume was by accident. She applied massage oil (equate baby lotion) the same way you slather up a baby at the beach with sunscreen. She knocked over my umbrella sitting by the chairs next to us several times, dropped the bottle of lotion on the floor once, and her phone was ringing throughout, getting notifications. The worse-than-average background music was too quiet, highlighting the odd building noises and sounds of the two therapists clunking around the room. The place where you rest your face was just a whole in the table covered by paper towels, with a (bonus!) nice view of cleaning materials stashed beneath it. At one point I had to pull my towel up higher because I wasn't comfortable with her massaging that low past my back, but she never asked me in the first place. The whole thing felt like it was a chore to her, which made it the same for me. The only reason I didn't leave early was because I wasn't sure if my girlfriend was enjoying her massage. It turns out hers was better than mine (from a male massage therapist) and that's why they get an extra star. The hot stone part was kinda nice, though. After showing my Groupon bar code for payment, the woman behind the desk asked me -- with the two massage therapists standing next to her, all staring - for a tip. I was surprised they'd ask for it outright, but fine, I just wanted to get out of there. So I pulled out a $10. She said that wasn't enough, and asked for $10 for each table! I thought the service might deserve a refund, not a tip. I've had a few massages in the past and never a bad experience, so I have an idea what to expect. I'll know better to avoid this place next time. read more

I absolutely love rainbow massage. They do a very good job. I took off one star because sometimes it is a bit cold in the spaces. They should get more space heaters or turn on the heat. read more

I heard about Rainbow Health via a Groupon. The facility is very clean and the staff are very friendly. This massage boutique does not offer the same ambience as say Etant in the South End. However, for me, the prices are much more reasonable and my massage therapist - Mark - took over my muscles and joints with his hands, harms, elbows and hot rocks for a full hour and I feel absolutely wonderful. The massage was quiet and so relaxing that I think I dozed off for a while! They also offer a punch card. If you sign up for 1 massage every month for six months the 7th massage is free. It's my goal to save up for a self care day once a month and earn that free massage! Thank you Rainbow Health. read more

Spent a few days in Boston visiting a friend and decided to book ourselves a 90 minute couple's massage at Rainbow.....THANK GOD WE DID!! I'm a massage snob and have been fortunate enough to have had many--this was among the best I've had in my life!!!! Chen was AMAZING!!!!! Every kink and knot were worked through, the hot stones were deliciously hot and I felt like a new woman when I walked out. I wish I could have brought Chen back to DC with me...but he'll always be in my itinerary on a Boston visit! read more

Love this place. No frills but price is more than right. Always able to accommodate us on short noting. Been here 10+ times for foot massages and never had a bad one. Their English is limited but who cares? They speak massage fluently. read more

Highly recommend this place. The staff went above and beyond to accommodate me. The massage was superb. Only thing I didn't like was that the rooms are not 100% private. The wall that separates the rooms doesn't fully reach the ceiling so you can hear when someone else is talking in another room. read more

Great price -$59 (must pay cash) for 60 min massage. The woman was extremely thorough and used perfect pressure throughout. Like everyone else says, the place is very clean but casual. read more