Mecca Gym & Spa

Called last week to make reservations for three people to have two treatments each; six treatments and never got a return phone call. I called four separate times. I won’t ever call again.

Super bummed about my express pedicure. The experience itself was pleasant enough-​the salon was clean and the nail tech was nice-​but unfortunately the quality of the pedicure was pretty bad.
There was a fair amount of polish on my skin at the end, and hardly any dead skin was removed. The tech did use a scrub and exfoliator, so during the pedicure I thought it was going to turn out great, but after my feet dried they were still as rough as before.
I really wanted to like Mecca but unfortunately won’t be going back.

I’ve been a member since day one, and can say without hesitation that Mecca always maintained a level of professionalism you rarely see these days. My experience consists of going to the gym during the lunch hour, but every year my wife and I go in for a Valentine’s Day couple’s massage; and every year I say «we should do this more often than once a year.» The staff is always friendly and helpful, and the trainers will always take a minute to give you a few pointers even though you’ve never used them as a «trainer» per se.

I joined Mecca as a charter member when they opened many years ago. I moved to NYC for many years and upon my return to Austin re-​joined. Sufficient to say I’ve experienced about all there is to experience — the inside and out of Mecca — and I love every bit. Let me give just a few things I like about this place.
1. The gym is quiet and calm. There are not TVs hung everywhere or over crowded with obnoxious people. The cardio machines do have LCD screens if you want to watch something while you work out, but they are unobtrusive and don’t interfere if you simply like to listen to some good tunes. The gym is smaller, but well appointed. There is a verity of cardio and strength training equipment. It is clean and well maintained.
2. The locker rooms are incredible. Hard wood lockers and limestone tiles. Very nice. In addition the eucalyptus scented steam room is amazing. During allergy season, I dream about that steam room.
3. The classes and instructors are all highly professional and super friendly. They don’t have a ton of classes. This is definitely a boutique experience. But the ones they do have knock it out of the park.
4. The spa. How nice is it to be able to pickup a massage gift card for that last minute gift. Or enjoy a treatment for yourself. All under the same roof.
Can’t recommend this place enough! My only hesitation in posting this is that it might get too popular!
Oh, and did I mention it is right next door to the hike and bike trail, so taking an outdoor run is super convenient.
And, finally, they do your laundry! Well not all of it — but they’ll wash your workout clothes and put them back in your locker clean and ready to use the next time you come in. This is super convenient and allows me to duck in for a workout even if I’m on my way somewhere!

I do not recommend Mecca to anyone which is dishonest business who pads the bill they ruined my birthday which in fact was a couples massage turned into a terrible experience. They are known to not give you the right price for spa treatment so beware of a shady place. Not a clean place robes are a grey color with sandals crusty with skin flakes terrible, This was a nice place years ago and gone down hill. I warned you and this really is not clean spa like it used to be. I live on a resort and this is not hygienic place to relax. Crickets were in the spa area.

Hate to post a bad review but I was incredibly sad to see how Mecca has changed. I have two stars because the aesthetician was okay. The place was not clean, now serving tap water out of plastic cups and the services are far from exceptional. I had Jet Lag and their ridiculous version of microdermabrasion which was «so gentle» it did nothing but take my money. Sad to see a great place go so far down hill.

My hotel booked me a massage with Brooke, and it was great! I told her about some problem areas and she focused on them a good amount of time without sacrificing time on the rest of my body. Would definitely go back next time in town!

I am new to Mecca and its a great exclusive gym, it’s never crowded, and has nice friendly people!
You’d think its a bit fluffy judging by the ridiculously posh stores below… but Mecca has been here for 15 years and there are no scenes here– not a pickup spot, no hardcore jocks, no fakey-​looking women. Most of the members are over 40 and married. Everybody says hi, and most people don’t wear headphones. I’ve made some workout friends since I’ve joined, and the staff already remember my name. Members here literally walk in, no scan, no cards, no keys. The morning desk ladies (Fawn, Lisa and Cassidy, who are all really nice) just check you in on sight. After so many globo gyms, this is cool 5-​star service to me!
The workout space is big and sunlit (as you can see the 3^rd floor giant windows from West 6^th st). They have mostly new equipment– full array of free weights, machines, treadmills and ellipticals, Pilates reformer machines and classes, mat space, great outdoor barre area, spin bikes and classes. The weight room floor never has more than 12 people on it — Mecca really feels like a huge private studio because most members work out with personal trainers and it’s so open. This is so different from most of the other gyms I scouted. Close by there are Pure (cluttered & crowded), LifeTime (20,000 members), Castle Hill (old & cramped). Sure I’ll pay a few bucks more for an exclusive full-​sized gym with new equipment that never has more than a couple dozen people in it!
The locker rooms are big and have a sauna and remind me of a country club for some reason. You can leave your laundry here and never have to bring gym clothes.
There are maybe 10 personal trainers on staff, and a few Pilates teachers too. They are diverse betw men and women, and younger and older trainers too. The training rates were actually very affordable! Really surprised at the low price but that’s why so many members have trainers. They also have a free training package when you sign up, and it made me feel very ‘exclusive’ when I got to pick a time with a trainer, Jules– she is super strong, creative and fun to work out with too! Seems like the trainers are good as I watch them and steal their moves. Tommy the fitness manager was really helpful in helping me get started.
In all, it’s a great exclusive gym space at a good price, I feel good when I go there and it’s the best view in town. If you like to workout and relax with a your own personal space, you’ll like Mecca!

Facial bliss! Don’t ask me how many steps were involved in the treatment… I was so relaxed I forgot to count. For fantastic skin and a nice pampering, you can only go right with Mecca. Ask for Cassandra!

The gym and spa is located above Chico’s and across the street from Whole Foods. There’s a free parking garage you can use in the same complex, but if you’re unfamiliar with the area, you might miss the entrance (there are two ways to get into the parking garage though).
Scheduling was a piece of cake and we had no issues from start to finish. We are not members of the gym/​spa, but it was no problem at all. Had Jasmine as our pedicurist and she was wonderful to talk to. The pedicure room is a bit odd as you sit in a regular chair — the springs in the chair are worn, so it’s not terribly comfortable. The privacy of the room is nice so you’re not surrounded by other spa-​goers. They also have a lovely long balcony that was a pleasant surprise.
The nice place about this spa is that if a male needs to get a pedicure, they offer a service where the guy’s pedicure comes with a beer! Sometimes a guy just needs to get rid of those awful callouses, too! Nice place for a couple’s spa day. My husband and I enjoyed it.

The nail technician did a fantastic job however I found the setting to not be very relaxing. The seat was very uncomfortable and started to give me a backache half way through the pedi — it’s a regular chair, not a large massage chair that is typically found in day spas. The room also wasn’t that nice — I felt as though we were sitting in a supply closet off the hallway. In fact, across from the room was a supply room — not the best view when trying to relax.
I’ve tried many other spas for mani/​pedis and for the price didn’t feel I received as much. The massage was short and I didn’t receive a neck massage (like other places do when you pay $ 100 for a mani/​pedi). in addition they charged me an additional $ 15 without telling me for removing dry skin. Why wasn’t this included in the pedi???
Maybe the other services are much better???

Love coming here at least once a year (from DFW). The spa and services are fantastic. I can’t say enough good things about this place, thus why we have been coming here for years.

The Spa at Mecca is absolutely fantastic. The front desk staff always makes you feel incredibly welcome and the atmosphere is so soothing every time. My favorite’s are the deep tissue massage, hot stone massage, and the mango ginger rub. Hand and feet treatments are done in your own private sanctuary. This spa is definitely my favorite in the city and the only one where I feel like I’ve actually escaped to another destination.

I received a gift card for a 50-​minute Mecca massage earlier this year, put it away for safekeeping, promptly forgot about it, and then did a little happy dance when I stumbled upon it last week. My discovery could not have been better timed because I was having some serious neck and shoulder pain that made sitting at my desk excruciating.
I booked an appointment with Inga, arrived 10 minutes early, and was promptly taken back into the spa area, which had a lovely, almost Grecian vibe to it. I didn’t realize that the woman who greeted me was, in fact, Inga so I was surprised when she immediately ushered me into a massage room. Inga inquired about any areas of tension and then set to work on turning me into a puddle of jello-​y muscles.
Despite her initial reserve-​verging-​on-​brusqueness, Inga was fantastic. When I responded well to firm pressure, she upped the ante and gave me a deep tissue massage. She showed a real understanding of musculature, noting possible underlying causes of my aches and stretches to alleviate them. Toward the end of our massage, I felt like I earned a badge of honor when Inga, a former ballerina from Ukraine, told me that I have a high pain threshold. Yes, I now have street cred with a professional dancer whose entire career hinged upon pushing her body to the limit.
Given the price point of Mecca’s spa services ($ 95 for a 50-​minute rub), I probably won’t become a regular. However, I will definitely make another appointment with Inga if my neck and shoulders seize up again — her therapeutic massage was pretty darn incredible.

The Gym is great but, the spa is fantastico! The atmosphere transports you out of the city & into a tranquil retreat. If you want to be reminded of where you are, jump on a cardio machine & you’ll have a great view of the downtown area.
Alexis is my fav therapist… LOVE him!

i was debating joining hiatus spa’s h-​circle membership, but thought i’d do my due diligence and try another spa in the area first. i was also looking for a gym downtown.
first, let me start by saying i didn’t use the gym. while you can use the gym for an additional $ 10 with any spa treatment, the $ 500 initiation fee to become a gym member is just plain outrageous, on top of a $ 150 monthly membership fee. the receptionist admitted that the initiation fee was «a bit steep» but that the membership fee was «on par with other gyms». REALLY?! I pay $ 70 for my membership at body business on anderson lane, and they have a non-​chlorinated pool, sparkling clean hot tub, amazing steam room, and a cold plunge shower. mecca has a tiny, tiny work out space, showers that only half worked, and a steam room that was «automatic» but during the twenty minutes i sat in there, never steamed up beyond a couple sad little puffs.
why charge the $ 500 initiation fee? to keep out the «riffraff»? it’s keeping out more than that, because when i went in on a saturday afternoon, there wasn’t one single person using the gym.
this place doesn’t know if it wants a gym or a spa. i went for the sugar scrub and vichy shower (because i’m obsessed with vichy showers). i got there early to use the steam room. i was greeted by a receptionist wearing gym shorts, given a robe and slippers, and was told to come back out after i changed so she could show me into the spa area. the robe i was given could’ve been for a sumo wrestler. it was so big, that when i tied it, the sleeves were bound up in the tie. there were also several tears in the robe. but whatever i thought, no big deal.
the locker room was a basic gym locker room with wood panel lockers, and to my dismay, they were playing workout, not spa music. not exactly the best way to get into the spa zone. then i get in the steam room, which looked great. but as i said, it never steamed up. i go into the locker room and try to use the phone available to call the front desk to ask about the steam, but when i pick up the phone all i get is an out-​of-​service beeping sound… ok… when one of the cleaning ladies walked by, i asked about the steam, and she said it was automatic and to keep waiting. well, i waited, and waited, and the room never got steamy.
so i opt for their advertised «dual head shower». the second head didn’t work beyond a dribble. UGH!
i see a door from the women’s locker room to the spa. good, i think, i won’t have to go back out into the gym area as instructed by the receptionist. i have a seat, and wait, and wait. i see a woman looking around, but thought there was no way she was my therapist because she was also wearing workout clothes and beat up tennis shoes. but alas, she was, and she led me out of this spa area, back through the gym in my sumo wrestler robe with holes in it, to a different spa area. really?!
the hydrotherapy room was a huge let down after being in hiatus’ hydrotherapy room, which feels like you’re a queen in a medieval castle. mecca’s felt like a hospital room, with white tile walls and floor.
while the treatment itself was ok, and the therapist was nice, i treat myself to high end, high dollar spas for the complete experience, and this place did not have it. i’m not rich, so when i do have the money to pamper myself at a spa, i’m expecting a seamless experience. this place fell short in every regard. i was particularly dismayed that i had to walk through the foyer of the gym and café in a robe to be led into the spa area. i’m not a modest person, but c’mon.
needless to say, this weekend, i’m going back to hiatus and joining their h-​circle. i would recommend the same for anyone else who wants to truly be pampered.

Let me skip right to it… if you have muscle pain, book a massage with INGA — yes, I know that sounds really trite — but I promise you Inga is the woman you want. She is a former ballerina from The Ukraine and will kick your muscles asses! She was grabbing and pulling on muscles I did not know that I had. She also asked all the right questions and together we were able to figure out what I was doing wrong in the first place. So not only did a get a great, corrective, deep tissue massage, but I also got great advice for fixing the root problems.
Now for the rest… Mecca is a beautiful spa. I was greeted by a gorgeous Bull Dog whose name I think is Rudy. I was then handed some slippers and a robe and given a key to a locker. The facilities are really nice. After my AWESOME massage (thanks again Inga), I was able to use the steam room and then take a shower.
You will love it here!

Wow!
I do not have enough nice things to say about this place. The facial I recieved from Giselda was one of the most luxurious, pleasant, and effective facials I’ve ever had (and I get about one a month). I feel like the cost of the facial was a total steal compared to what I usually pay, and the effects I usually get, but her facial was SO relaxing, refreshing, and my skin looks so much better than when I pay more for hydrafacials elsewhere.
I got a 1 hour massage with Alex on Monday, and it was also, EASILY the best massage I’ve ever had. I get bodywork done about every 3 weeks, so I’ve had a lot of massages in my time, and I was so impressed with Alex’s work. He could feel which of my muscles were sore without even asking me, just by feeling the tension in the muscles, and when he got out the kinks and knots, it didn’t hurt or feel uncomfortable like usual (I have a LOT of intense kinks and knots. Hence the constant massages), it was just completely organic and smooth and relaxing. The pressure was perfect. I was so impressed with his one hour massage, that I booked a 1.5 hour massage with him THREE DAYS LATER!
I have never encountered a desk-​person who was so friendly and helpful! Not at a salon, or a gym, or a spa, ANYWHERE. Booking appointments that fit my schedule was so easy, and when I had to change my appointment today to a different time, it was no problem. I’ve never had a problem getting through to talk to someone.
Any ONE of these three factors would easily make Mecca my favorite day spa, but all of them together just make for an awesome experience. I would HIGHLY encourage making this the only place you go to for any pampering in Austin, TX,

BAD REVIEW!!!
I have had a few services at Mecca and they are always consistently good and high quality, The atmosphere and surroundings are clean and nice.
However, it has been brought to my attention (by multiple sources) that any gratuity left by a credit card is not all going to the intended recipient. The owner has been getting away with stealing a portion of the tips for years. The employees know but can’t say anything or she will fire them in a heartbeat. Doing this without fully disclosing it to the customer is nothing short of stealing and greatly upsets me. Not only do the employees need and deserve the entire gratuity, but misappropriating the customers money is horribly irresponsible, greedy and morally reprehensible. I plan on notifying the authorities, possibly filing charges and putting a stop to it immediately.

Those of you keeping score at home know by now that I do up my birthday like it’s my birthday. So this year, the spa that got my bday biz was Mecca. Wooo Hoooo.
Came here for the Continental package and loved it. Why? Because of Jason, Sarah, and Lorilyn.
I had the best massage of my 37 years with Jason. I was a stressed out mess, but not after he was through with me. I see the term «healing hands» thrown around a lot, and I’m sure that’s true of a lot of people, but it’s truly the case with Jason. He set the bar HIGH for any future massages. Thanks, Jason, I’ll be back!!!
Next stop the lovely Sarah Valentine. She’s an esthetician/​therapist. I had the best talk with her. We talked skin, we talked life, we talked kids (she’s almost got me talked into having one). My skin looks INCREDIBLE today. I might be 37, but I break out like I’m 20 yrs younger. She did such an amazing job on me that I’ve gotten a few compliments on my skin in the last few days (that doesn’t happen to me very often). She also did THEE best job on my eyebrows. So thank you, Sarah, I’ll be back!!!
Final stop, the delightful Lorilyn. I have gotten at least a dozen compliments on what she did to my toes (St. Lucia Lilac looks amazing on your toes, Ladies). I’m so grateful for that, but I’m mostly grateful because I was/​still am in the middle of an epic eczema flare up, and my left foot (haha) is particularly afflicted right now. She was sooooo gentle and sweet and did not make me feel at all self conscious (which I always do when I have a flare up). Thank you, Lorilyn for your grace and kindness. I’ll be back!!!
So there you have it. My little tour of Mecca. As I’ve stated, I’ll be back. :)