Live Health Center

I have never written a Unilocal review and this visit compelled me to share my experience. I purchased the Couples Massage Groupon thinking that it would be a good location to go to since it was located in Old Town Alexandria, I was mistaken.
I called multiple times to try to schedule a couples massage. No one answered and the voicemail said that it was not set up so I could not leave a message. We finally got someone on the phone and were easily booked the next day.
My boyfriend and I had an early appointment so we were able to be seen right away.
The place had a nice setup and soothing ambiance however the rooms are not private as the walls do not extend all the way to the ceiling. You can hear everything even from the front desk reception answering the phone which killed the mood of having an intimate couples massage.
There were two ladies that were working there and one of them led us to the room and didn’t provide us with any instructions. She led us in our room and left right away. This was my first time doing a couples massage so we were confused if someone was going to come back and speak with us or if we were take our clothes off right away. After no one showing up for a while we had to come out the room ourselves to ask for further instructions.
The whole time during our massage the two ladies would be speaking to each other in a different language and giggling!!! Completely unprofessional and I did not appreciate it at all. It’s a fine line when you expect a massage business to carry out certain etiquette and the customer needing to tell them how to act. I was completely turned off by the talking and giggling and expect a massage business to know not to talk and giggle with their staff member during the massage, WITHOUT me telling them to not do that. I guess I had high expectations for this place as I did not receive the service I was hoping for of a relaxing experience and instead I was left feeling irritated and annoyed.
The massage itself was overall a good hard massage. She used the oils or lotion very sparingly. She massaged the entire body although half way through I wasn’t sure if she would get to my lower body since it seemed like she spent a long time on my upper body. She did this one move where she picked up my legs and dropped them. I’ve never experienced that and thought it was odd.
The hot stones were a surprise. I was given no warning that she was about to do it and they were really hot.
At the end, the guy at the front told us that our Groupon had expired but that he would waive it which was helpful.
I’d say overall, the massage was okay but the experience however was TERRIBLE and I will never go back and share this review to forewarn people!

My wife purchased a couples massage from groupon as a birthday gift. I was very pleased with the cleanliness of the room when we arrived. Very relaxing music and soft lighting. The massage was amazing. The hot rocks on my back felt great after a long day at work.
We will definitely return here for our next massage.

This was the worst experience. It started off great — when I called to make reservations for three people, they let me know that it was actually cheaper to purchase a massage directly through them than through Living Social, which was very nice of them. I made the appointment, received the text message confirmation and looked forward to a relaxing massage.
Never did I expect what we got. When we showed up, they said that there had been a mistake with the scheduling, even though I had the text message to prove that we had reserved three massages. The waiting room had a view of the man getting a foot massage over to our left, which was very unappealing. We had to wait almost 45 minutes before going into the rooms, and they told us they were calling in additional masseuses (who never came, by the way). We undressed and lay down, and waited an additional 20 minutes lying on the bed. At this point, we should have just walked out.
Finally, we got our massages — they were okay. All three of us had similar situations where the masseuse got a little frisky, which I did not go there for. The hot stones were nice, but also incredibly hot — I don’t have a different experience to say if they’re supposed to be that temperature or not. We also experienced the strangest part of a massage I’ve ever had — they picked up and just dropped our legs. Repeatedly. It was so weird. After the 60 minutes was up, a horrible beeping alarm went off to signal the end of the session.
Overall, this was a horrible experience and the only thing I got out of it was a ridiculous story to tell. Do NOT go to this place. It’s not worth it!

Wonderful! My boyfriend and I got a couples massage and we both agreed that they gave a complete and thorough massage for the full 60 minutes. I have a lot of tension and pain in my back and shoulders and they certainly helped to relieve the pain. I’ll hopefully be back!

«The massage style was the same style I had gotten in Korea. I love it! My boyfriend and I got the couple’s massage. Awesome customer service as well! We are definitely going back on a regular basis. Thank you Live Health Center!»

If I find could give negative stars I definitely would! My fiancée made an appointment for a couples massage at 6pm. We have been looking forward to it the entire day. We get there at 5:50 to be greeted at the door with «appointment at 6? Sit down»… So, we did. Not one person working there speaks English very well. So, we had NO IDEA what we were waiting for. Finally I asked how long it would be and the lady laughed said «sorry I oh sorry» and looked back down at the papers on the desk. A gentleman walked up to the desk they spoke to each other and then she said oh cleaning room maybe 10 more. So it’s already 6:20! Yes, 6:20 at this point. Another woman walks to the front laughing and eating says with a mouth full «English no good» customer leave and change then you go”. At this point we are disgusted and decided to leave. She then proceeded to chase us out the door. At this point the other couple was exiting the room so the lady was saying see customer leave now you go. Over and over. Are you kidding me? So, what you want us to just jump right on the same sheets these people were just laying on? Wow! Ridiculous service. Strange atmosphere. We also didn’t like that we could hear everything from the waiting room. Lots of strange «slapping/​sloshing» noises coming from the rooms. Will definitely NEVER return or actually attempt a massage at this place again.

Discovered this place when I purchased a 3-​massage Groupon. I like that the massages are a full 60 minutes, not 50, like many other places. I’ve had 2 massages with different female masseuses. They spend about 30 – 35 min on your upper back, which was great since that is where I carry most of my tension. Very little time spent on your feet which was a slight disappointment. Pressure medium to hard which I liked for the most part. I felt they were really trying to work out my muscle knots. They do speak very little English so don’t expect a lot of conversation. As some have pointed out, their sheets are a little smaller than most places, but the air temp was comfortable. You do get a bottle of water at the end. So, not high on frills and fancy. They don’t give you a fluffy robe with plastic slip-​on sandals to wear, but you pay 50−60% less than what you would pay at a high end salon. I like that the affordable price will permit me to go more regularly. Their private rooms have glass doors with a frosty covering on about 70% of the door. Someone who is really tall could probably walk by and peer in at you, however they would be pretty obvious if they did that. The checkout system is a little loose. When they «redeemed» my Groupon, they issued a business card for me to write my name and number on. They drew 3 lines on it to record my massage dates. I was a little skeptical on my first appointment since I had no real proof I had 2 massages left. But, sure enough, when I was there today for my 2^nd massage, my card was in a little box right at the checkout desk. Parking is available on King St at a meter but if you go north just 1 block you can probably find up to 2 free hours of parking in the residential area. Score! Remember to tip. It’s hard to know what the actual value of my massage was. I tipped $ 20 one time because that is what I had and then $ 15 today for the same reason. I feel that is a solid 18−20% tip. Restrooms are very clean but they do ask that you discard toilet tissue in the trash. Try it. Oh, they have other specials you can purchase such as a package of ten, 60-​minute massages for $ 490. You can do reflexology stuff and that is a tad cheaper. While I was there today someone came in for eyebrow threading. Enjoy!

Meh… you get what you pay for… I’m not convinced these are licensed massage therapists. The massage itself left a lot to be desired. Some deals are too good to be true. The place is NOT sound proof and we could hear the complete conversation of the couple in the room next door… including the moans of them enjoying their massage and discussing the remainder of their anniversary plans. My husband and I had a laugh about it and vowed never to return… but I’m not mad because, you get what you pay for…

My boyfriend and I came for a belated Valentine’s Day couples massage. The masseurs were very professional, starting and finishing on time, covering our bodies except for the area being massaged. They also used a mixture of Swedish and hot stones, which was much appreciated by us both. If there was one thing to negatively comment on its that the walls don’t reach the ceiling which makes hearing the conversations throughout the building audible, which is not very relaxing despite the calming music being played. Overall a good massage though, we would return.

I’ve never wished for a massage to be over before. It was absolutely awful. For starters, the walls don’t extend all the way to the ceiling so you can hear everything going on in the whole place, including women talking about waxing. Not relaxing. To add insult to injury, my masseur (I never caught his name because he never spoke to me) left the room THREE TIMES to answer the phone at the front desk in the middle of my massage. To top it all off, the massage itself was HORRIBLE. I feels like he was washing a car, not massaging a human. He was just rubbing and digging in frantic circles, not following the contours of my body at all, not listening when I asked for less pressure or less frantic stabbing motions. All in all, far and away the least relaxing massage ever. I left with more pain than I came in with.

Had a groupon for a couple’s massage. They asked me if I had already purchased the groupon — I assume they’d honor the price if you want to call them and pay them directly.
We showed up 5 minutes before our appointment and were immediately shown to our room, no wait.
The massage was nice, they incorporated hot stones and traditional massage. I’d go back.

Was introduced to Live Health Center by purchasing a Groupon. I was skeptical by the negative reviews but decided on it based on location and availability. Fiancé and I got the couples massage and thought it was great! From the friendly staff to the massage and the masseuses we have no complaints. Judy and Mary were the masseuses, Judy was mine and she was polite and worked magic. I will be going back!

I am new to the area. So I bought a Groupon to try this place out. It was for a one hour deep tissue massage. What I ended up getting was a typical Asian massage. That I have received many times in the Middle East. But the average American might think is weird. I asked her to specifically work on some of my problem areas. But what I got was a standard canned massage.
The bathroom is a coed two stall bathroom. They ask you to put your toilet paper in the trash instead of the toilet. I have done this many times in other countries but never in America. They also did not have any hand towels in the bathroom.
When the massage is done I go to give a tip to my massage therapist and she hands it back to me picks up a sign that says customary tip for a one hour massage is 10 to $ 15. I am NOT going to tip that much on a $ 39 massage that was originally $ 60 and not worth what I paid. I handed her $ 5 and said that’s what she earned have a nice day.
I should have given her nothing for being so rude to tell me what I should tip! A tip is earned. If they want more money they should build it into the original price it was so offensive I will never be back!

My husband and I just had the loveliest couple’s massage here on our anniversary! I bought a LivingSocial deal for a 60 minute couple’s massage with essential oils. I checked out the Unilocal reviews later, and was a little worried when I saw only 2.5 stars. Well, they must be reading their reviews and taking them into consideration, because we had a fantastic experience. Not only was the massage itself relaxing, but they included hot stones in the massage, which I didn’t think were included in the deal. When we were done, we were already trying to think of the next occasion we could come back for another massage. If you’re skeptical about Live Health Center, I’d encourage you to give them a try. They’ve clearly worked through whatever hiccups they may have had before, and they seem to have deals on massages pretty regularly.

We had a Groupon deal for a couple’s massage. My husband had been working a lot of long hours and I thought it would be a nice surprise for him. We both thought our massages were just OK. The part that made it less so was the fact that the women kept talking to one another while giving us the massage, making it hard to really relax, especially as they were giggling a lot. They also didn’t divide their time very well so the end of the massage felt very rushed for me and my husband said his therapist never got to his arms or hands, etc. It wasn’t a terrible experience, but it wasn’t great either.

My husband purchased a couple’s massage for us for our 10 yr anniversary. I was super excited and b/​c it was in Old Town, my expectations were high. The atmosphere seemed to be decent when we went in. The first weird thing was when I went to the bathroom, there was no door knob on the bathroom and then there was a note in the stall asking that toilet paper be put in the little trash can in the stall instead of the toilet. When we were called, we thought we would be going into one of the rooms with a door or perhaps one with the tall drapes in front. We ended up right up front just behind the front desk off to the right behind a couple of screens. We were very surprised as we had to get undressed and were practically in the waiting area. We were asked to undress and get on the tables faced down. Shortly, a woman came in and the man that was at the front desk. They didn’t have real sheets for us to drape ourselves like at other places, but cover that felt like burlap and did not cover our bodies completely. The man massaged me and the woman massaged my husband and they started with massaging over the cover. It was so long that I thought they were not going to use the oil. When the man started finally massaging my back w/​the oil, the pressure was so hard that i thought I almost couldn’t bare it as I had requested medium pressure. All of a sudden, the phone rang and he left to go answer it! I couldn’t believe it! He came back and began talking w/​the woman that was massaging my husband. When I finally started feeling comfortable w/​the pressure, especially on my lower back, someone came through the door and again he left! When he came back, he came back to massage my back and I thought my back was on fire… I didn’t know what was happening! It turned out that he was using hot stones and did not mention it at all! After the third time of using the stones, i hoped that was it and he did it at least 2 more times! Also, the phone rang again and someone else came through the door and her went out and someone then brought a kid in that was playing a loud device w/​cartoons on it. It was totally disruptive! At the end the timer beeped and he and the woman left the room w/​o saying anything. I told my husband that he didn’t do the front of my legs. My husband got dressed and asked him about it, and he stated that it wasn’t done b/​c I was a woman and because of my top part. I was so done w/​this place and did not want to leave a tip, but my husband did. His massage went better than mine as when I left, not only do I feel like I didn’t get our money’s worth, I also felt like I had been batterd! I was sooo sore! He barely massaged my arms and feet. My husband feels that he could give them a second chance, however the more I think about it, the less I would be willing to go back. It was horrible! If you go… you better ask for light pressure as their medium pressure is equivalent to deep pressure… unless you like being abused!

Horrible. I purchased through groupon. 60 minute «hot stone» with «essential oils». Want to hear this story? Pull up a chair.
#1 — This is not a deal. This is how much a 60 minute massage with them costs.
#2 — My massage therapist was brand new and I was her first ever customer. She did a horrible job.
#3 — She forgot. The hot stones…
#4 — She really seemed to hate using any oil or lotion either… Literally, she would pump a tiny thing of lotion to moisturize just her hands? I guess? My skin was dry the whole time.
#5 — She spoke about 2% english. I tried to tell her to massage harder, use more lotion, use oil, etc. and she couldn’t understand me. At one point, I used google translator.
#6 — When I complained that she did not use hot stones, instead of refunding me, they gave me a 15-​minute hot stone massage. I paid for a 60 minute hot stone massage. I didn’t have time to deal with them further.
#7 — There were no essential oils used. There was no oil used period. And even when I used google translate, she still didn’t use oils.
#8 — They have a list of how much they want you to tip. So they want you to tip up to $ 28 for an hour massage. I’m from the south where massages in general are a lot cheaper and SOOO much better quality — I can get a 90 minute massage for $ 30 and feel like a new woman –, but it was just offensive to see them request a large tip when they aren’t even good at what they do… …
Come to this massage parlour if you want to leave feeling like you didn’t just get a massage. Literally, I started calling around to see what other massage places were open. I’m still aching. And I told everyone who asked how awful this place is. Put it on your X list, massage-​lovers!

I had a great 90 minute massage by Linda. She was thorough and attentive to my stress areas. She used a variety of styles that and always checked to see if the pressure. Linda also used hot stone treatments and warm towels. A fantastic massage!
The only area of improvement is that the room was a little cold. Having an extra blanket or a heated table could have definitely helped. That being said, I’ll definitely be back.