In short
Maybe the biggest difference I've ever seen between…read morehow nice a place looks and how good it actually is. Really great massage here in a super-humble setting.
In long
7 months ago, my lovely bride had a massive stroke, and we're still working to get her mobility back to where it needs to be. After so many lifeless months, anything to get her muscles moving (even if someone else does it) helps.
We've been having trouble finding massage places that accept her insurance, at least for their massage therapists (it's often the chiropractor who takes it). We decided that since the prices AND the rating here were so good, we would pay out of pocket for one and see how it goes.
It's not a new building, and even the parking lot itself feels kinda worse for wear. Inside, this place is quiet and dim. Very relaxing, as advertised. Some twinkling rope lights around the acoustic sub-ceiling. There's a squishy old couch in the waiting room, and some worn wall-to-wall underfoot.
The private rooms are small, and there's slow soft piano music everywhere. Lights are low everywhere. We got her set up on a table under a sheet and Leia (I hope I spelled her name correctly) went to work.
She had no special training in dealing with folks with neurological problems, but knew a million ways to move joints and get flexibility and movement back. We added the hot stone massage for her feet, so she spent 120 minutes on the table. By the end she was pure jelly, just happily smiling at the ceiling.
With the extra half-hour, tax, and tip, it was about $180, which is twice what I expected to spend, but it was so worth it. Driving home, she had movement in her shoulder and hand that has not been there in 7 months. Pretty amazing. She's been getting tension headaches off and on for over a week now, too, and her neck and shoulders released all of that pressure. Her hair looked quite amusing, too. :-)
In fact, the place is so good she wants to keep it to herself, and thought about asking me not to review it, because it has to be 5 stars, and she doesn't want it to get overbooked. I pointed out that she might not be the only one who needed massage for more than simple relaxation, though, and she immediately said we had to get the word out.
