** If you are a person with any underlying medical conditions, PLEASE consider reading my review before getting a massage at this place! **
I was on vacation out here (I'm from St. Louis) and decided I really wanted a Thai foot massage. I'm a student in a massage therapy program and have always been really interested in Eastern medicine, and had heard through locals that this area was perfect for just that. I chose Master Spa based on the awesome reviews since I don't know the area very well. Like others have mentioned, it's pretty basic, but that didn't really phase me since I really just wanted an authentic experience. The place was clean, quiet, small, and the lights were dim enough for that super mellow feel. A young woman started working on my boyfriend first, then another gentleman a little while later came out to work on me. I found it interesting the woman was wearing gloves (which I sincerely hope were nitrile, NOT latex! A huge part of the population are allergic!) Even if she had open wounds on her hands, I can't justify why she would need gloves (they make airtight bandaids) - and if you don't like touching people, why are you in this occupation (?) Anyway, interesting. The guy plopped down without much of a greeting and just started working on my feet. I briefly explained that I had sort of tender feet from being on them so much, and he nodded. I found it interesting that there were no basic questions asked (aka: are there any areas to stay away from, what type of pressure would you like, etc.) I told him how I was a student and then asked a few questions about reflexology and what kind of training they get to be licensed. I don't know if he thought I was grilling him (I wasn't, I was only curious and wanting to know more about the culture) but he became very flustered and hesitated when I used the word "licensed." However, it was a decent foot massage, the dude definitely knew what he was doing.
They both ended their massages around the same time. When it was time to pay, they harassed my boyfriend that he wasn't tipping them enough (they wanted $10 each for a 30 min foot massage) and when he said he was only doing $5, the woman mumbled to the man "such little money" in Chinese (which my boyfriend fluently speaks...whoops!) It was incredibly awkward. Demanding a 50% tip? Wasn't going to happen, it wasn't like they used a ton of materials or anything. What's more, the guy didn't start my massage until maybe 5 minutes after my boyfriend had (but they both ended at the same time), so it wasn't even a full 30 minutes
All in all: if you have any medical conditions, I do NOT recommend going here, the people just don't seem to understand enough English to know how to personalize the massage, which could lead to an injury (and I really do question if any of them had any official licenses or formal training). If you're looking for an authentic Thai massage without the bells and whistles, this might be the right place for you :) read more