Tao Spa

Jessica is great. Very good massage — she really cares about giving you a decent full 1 hour massage. She used to work at Asian Twins and I have had many many massages from her over the years and she is always consistently good!
So when you book or walk into Tao, ask for Jessica and you will be taken care of. Note that she doesn’t work on Wednesdays.

Just step out of this place. Had 1hr body massage on their $ 35 Tuesday special. It was a normal nothing spectacular 1hr massage. I go to pay and asked the chick in the front to charge my card $ 40. I think $ 5 dollar tip is ok for a $ 35 massage. She says to me «you sure you don’t want to leave $ 10? That’s how much people leave for the 1hr massage.» Asked me twice. What a joke this chick was! Definitely not coming back nor referring any of my friends to this place.

I’ve been here multiple times & the quality of their service seems to decrease after every visit.
My boyfriend & I called them today to ask about any openings & all the lady did was put the phone down & repeatedly say «oh my gosh» and non stop attitude. I did not appreciate the service we were given… on top of that, they demand 50% tip.
one good thing i can say is, they have good masseuses. but thats all.
will not be coming back.

I have read other reviews about tipping,
The same has happened to me.
I left over 20% tip, and you could tell he wasn’t happy. Massage was good, but I won’t go back.
Too many other places around town that are just as good and thank you for a tip with a smile.

I feel the company should either raise prices, pay their therapists more or Tell Us before the massage to Look at the Tipping Chart so we know what we’re in for! 50% Tip?! Won’t ever go back!
Went here for a $ 20 foot massage, which included the whole body. The quality of the massage is good, Chinese style in a large room with about 15 chairs and a few tables. You can hear people talk, come in/​out, not much privacy but I expected this. After the massage the therapist smiles and gives you water, nice. We tipped them more than 25%, and when we handed them the tip they looked at the amount we gave them, said something in Chinese to each other and ran to the front desk. The girl there speaks English, pointed to the little chart on the desk and said we ask people to tip $ 10 for 1 hour. There’s a tipping chart there! That’s 50% of the bill! What?! I’m in the service industry and have rarely gotten that much tip. Most people give 20% tip. I was confused and astounded but gave them another $ 5. I was pissed at myself the rest of the day for giving extra tip. Won’t be back.

Updating my review because this place just keeps sliding further downhill. There’s no consistency with the staff, it seems like new people come and go every week. I used to be a big fan but the amount of turnover here is crazy, you never know who or what you’re going to get and the last few times I’ve been there I’ve had horrible massages.
They don’t speak a lick of English and nobody at the front desk ever cares enough to ask you what you want. I’ve tried to convey specifics about what I need, legs, back, or whatever, and I just end up getting the same routine that they are programmed to give.
It’s cheap, that’s for sure, but every time I go, I feel like I’m rolling the dice. It’s been a long time since I’ve had a good massage here and that’s probably because the decent people don’t last long, at all.

My boyfriend and I came to get a couples massage. $ 80 a steal! They had immediate availability for the both of us to come on in on a sunday afternoon. It was a last minute decision after all. We both got deep tissue massages, initially the receptionist let us know there was only 1 woman and 1 man availlable. We were given the option to wait, but I thought what the heck, why not. My boyfriend LOVED his massage although it’s 3 days later and I’m super sore. I expected to be, but not so sore. Also, the lady apparently climbed on top of my boyfriend! Weird. Never heard of that. I wish the guy would’ve been a little lighter. Everytime I asked him to go lighter, he would be light for a couple of seconds and then go right back to being super rough. Next time I would opt for a woman, or idk who knows, maybe it’s better for me. We’ll see how I feel tomorrow.
The facility was nice and clean. Very professional. Everyone was super kind.

«Never Have I Ever»
I started my heavy duty personal training on Monday, and after deadlifting twice my body weight, my body was screaming. There are many massage establishments in the area, one of which I used to work at, but I chose the one closest to my house.
I called to schedule a 90 minute full body massage. They quoted me $ 60 and were able to take me in right away. Located in Mira Mesa’s sad little strip mall, this place is another Chinese «foot» massage business; although brighter, more airy and professional looking than their competitors.
My therapist barely spoke a lick of English. That’s fine because I just needed to point to her my problem areas to get my message across. The massage was good. She hit every spot, threw in a couple stretches, and didn’t overdo it with the massage oil.
So what’s wrong and why the 2 stars you ask?
I have always known the guideline for tipping spa services to be 20%. NBD. The massage was good, she ironed out my muscles and did what I asked her to do. So if my math is correct, 20% x $ 60 = $ 12.00, right? Well, that’s what I handed my therapist, shook her hand and said our goodbyes. She took a few steps away and immediately came back to the front desk girl, showed her the money I gave her, exchanged a few Chinese words and they both looked at me.
Front Desk Girl: «I’m sorry, but we have a ‘guideline’ for tipping here. (Showing me their tip ‘guideline’ chart.) You have to give her $ 15»
Me: «I see that it’s a guideline. I gave her $ 12 which is still 20%. I work in the industry, I do massage, I know what I’m supposed to tip.»
FDG: «Yes, but this is our rule. This is here so you know what you are supposed to tip here. In case you are too relaxed to calculate it. I’m sorry, I just work here. This is what the owners want me to say.»
Me: «I can still do my math and I WAS relaxed. Here’s her extra $ 3. You’ve just ruined a good massage. Tell your owners they lost a client over $ 3.»
SERIOUSLY, I WOULD LOSE MY JOB IF I DEMANDED TIPS FROM MY CLIENTS.
Never have I ever. And never again.

This is my go to massage place!
I love Tao Spa (before Zen Spa). Their Full Body Massage is $ 40 & on Tuesdays, they are $ 35! I do not have a regular masseuse but I am always happy with whoever I end up with because each person uses their own style & technique to give you a relaxing, enriching experience while listening to the soothing music of nature.
Last night, I had Vivian & she was phenomenal! What I love about Tao Spa, or any other Asian massage place, is that they do not dip into your massage time by making you fill out paper about yourself & what you need. Rather, Vivian just asked me if I wanted medium or hard & just began my massage. She began by giving my body a general massage. Then, she massaged my back & arms. I did not even need to tell her where my problem areas were because she could feel them & she worked out the kinks in my neck, shoulder blades, & lower back. Then, she moved her way to the back of my legs. Then, she turned me around to work on my scalp, face, arms, legs. In addition, I love how they will get on the bed with you to use their body weight to kneed out the tougher areas. After each body area worked, your masseuse will clean you off with a warm, moist towel. All in all, Tao Spa & their masseuses give you a true full body massage!
My recommendations:
–Some masseuses will turn on the heated pad for you during the massage & the rooms are generally cold. Before your massage, remind your masseuse to turn on the heated pad.
–The body oil is room temperature (cold). I would suggest that Tao Spa prewarm, perhaps with a heated towel they use to clean you off, because your body will get shocked with the application of cold body oil.
–The walls are thin!!! You can hear everything that is happening & that will kill your vibe. Please be more courteous to those in massages.

I’ve never had a bad experience here. Have done foot massages and full body massage and usually without an appointment. Evenings and weekends are harder to walk in, but overall service is always cordial and the massage is great (esp for the price).

Went to Tao last night for reflexology. I was a big fan when it was Zenspa but apparently they moved to Carmel Mountain (
) and kept the same domain name. Toa’s website sucks and it’s not even the right domain name. Seems shady.
On to the massage review. Then the saga about payment, wow, what a nightmare.
The foot massage part was okay. They also include face, neck, arm, and back. I wasn’t crazy about the odor of the cream they used when smeared all over my face. It made me feel greasy. When I got up to leave, my neck was really hurting. It hurt so much this morning that I had to make a chiropractic appointment today.
I’d give the foot massage 3 stars, it was too short. I would have preferred a much longer foot massage. I’d give the rest of the massage 2 stars and I’d give their customer service, payment and tip procedure NEGATIVE 5 STARS if I could.
On to the negative points: Tao sells these prepaid spa packages where you can purchase 10 for $ 218 thereby getting a $ 25 massage for about 12% off if you prepay and get 10 in advance.
I was going through some paperwork and found a couple of passes from when it was zenspa. I called zenspa (referenced above) since that was the domain on the certificates. They told me I had to use them where I purchased them and it was now Tao. I called Tao and the woman said that if the passes were more than a few years old they would still accept them but there would be an additional $ 15 charge. She couldn’t tell me until she had the pass numbers.
When I arrived and gave them the pass, they looked up the number in the computer and told me there would be an additional $ 15 charge. Now this is where I got pissed. The sign showing the prices for the passes was still the same sign when I purchased them under the name of Zenspa. The envelopes on the counter used for tipping which my passes came in still said Zenspa. These passes were numbered and they were easily able to look them up in the computer to see the status including when they were issued, and what was paid.
They had the nerve of telling me that they notified all pass owners when they were changing owners. I asked how they notified pass holders, and they said they sent letters. Hmm. that’s interesting, they didn’t get my address when I purchased them. She said, oh, if we had no address we sent email. Hmm. I didn’t get and email, what email address did you sent my notice too? She said she didn’t know since that was not in the computer. That’s interesting, since I never provided my email address. Now, they have lied to me twice, and they won’t give me the value of what I paid for the passes.
Let’s see, the owner purchased a business that continues to sell gift certificates that are numbered and tracked in the computer. The old owner collected the funds, and knows exactly how many certificates are still unused. Any smart business owner purchasing the business would have negotiate a fee based on the number of outstanding certificates so they can keep those customers happy.
I paid $ 21.80 for these passes. It’s not a coupon, it’s a certificate that I paid for. I explained that in California you must at least give me the value of what was paid for the certificate.
The woman at the counter then called the owner and spoke Manderin so I could not understand her. When she got off the phone she said the owner told her it’s $ 15 plus the certificate or $ 25 without.
I was pissed but what choice did I have. Leave and get no value, find my receipts and take them to small claims over $ 43.60 or get the service, and leave a review and contact the BBB as well. I reluctantly paid the $ 15 and used the certificate.
So I ended up paying $ 36.80 for a $ 25 massage, but when it came time to tip, I felt that $ 5 was more than appropriate. It wasn’t the best massage in the world and that would be 20% based on $ 25. The woman at the counter berated me for leaving a $ 5 tip. She said «our recommended tip for a one hour massage is $ 10», and I said I left 20%, she said «but they touch your feet» you should really leave them $ 10 continuing to try to make me feel guilty and cheap. It was the worst experience I have ever had at any massage establishment. I was outraged.
They didn’t honor the certificate, force me to pay an additional $ 15, then tell me that a 20% is too little? A $ 10 Tip amounts to 40%. They make the price cheap to get customer in and then pressure them to leave a higher tip. It’s just bad business.
Not only was I denied the value of a certificate I paid for, I was treated poorly by the office staff and received a mediocre massage.
You have been warned. Stay far away from this place. The owner is greedy and doesn’t understand that a lousy $ 15 cost him a loyal customer and his reputation. I will never return to this spa, ever, and hope this review saves others from a bad experience.

Went to Tao Spa today and I was impressed! I have been to Chinese acupuncture/​massage places in the past, and they were great but this one was awesome! First off, we called at 4:30 and were able to book our appt an hour later. When we arrived we were taken right away. It was very clean in there and that was a plus! We had an our foot massage, which is pretty much a fully clothed 30min foot massage 30 min full body massage. One thing I didn’t like so much (hence the missing star) is the amount of chatter going on between the massage therapists. They would whisper and laugh and it made self conscious like «are they laughing at me!?» Lol. But overall great experience and I recommend them! $ 25 for a great massage, laugh all you want hahah.

An absolutely amazing expirience. I loved the full body masage and the foot masage ! Loved everything

Been there twice now, in the evening, saw me immediately, very attentive, polite, great skills.

Loved the ambience, comfy massage beds (not tables, literally full size firm massage bed!!! I want one!) quiet music, trickling of a water fountain and faint smell of eucalyptus. Anyway, I took a star away because the room has about 8 beds and so when new people come in for their open bay massage it was a bit noisy– not their fault as much as it was the customer who failed to be considerate to others… I guess maybe if there was a sign to use a whisper lol … Bleh… So anyway I got the «C» package ($ 25 for 1 hour!) but asked try skip my head and face… 1 hour of relaxing massage head to toe!!! Hot water for my feet to soak in and then flipped over for awesome back massage. Reflexology style is what I got but there are other options and various other massage options as well as far as what body part. They do have private room and couple massage rooms available too! Sighhhhhhh I cannot wait to go back. I went with my bestie to celebrate the fact that her «roomy» was moving out finally hahahah next time I taking my hubby! You should definitely go check it out!!!

Maybe it’s because I’m used to Little Saigon area (SD and OC) massages and their cheaper prices and non-​heckling you for tips. But yeah. It was alright, the same foot massage as anywhere else, less emphasis on the face/​head massage than most reflexology foot massages I have gotten, which is one of my favorite parts. other than that yeah… it was alright.

I’ve been to this place few times and had average to really good (with Mary) to the worst massage I’ve ever had (with a very short Asian lady… I forgot her name). She (short Asian lady) was way too hard even after I asked her to be gentle (I actually never asked a masseuse before to be gentle until I had this short Asian lady). Here’s my experience with her:
–she was way too hard even after I had asked her to be gentle
–she did NOT spend the same amount of time on both sides (left side was too long and right side was way too short!)
–she was not gentle when she turned my head to massage the sides of my neck (I was certain she was going to hurt me… sure enough she did)
–the scalp massage was horrible in that she used her nails instead of massaging the scalp with her fingers
–she did not really massage my calves instead she was just rubbing them
–the WORST part was that at one point, she was just sitting down for a long time (try about 10 minutes) massaging my right shoulder with just one hand
So, what was the result of this last experience?
–I had a huge knot on my right shoulder (my aesthetician felt it when she was trying to give me a neck massage during my facial the day after I had the massage)
–I HAVE a pinched nerve (yes, until now and I had this massage a week ago!)
–I CANNOT move my head freely because of the pinched nerve I have in the left side of my neck

I just went here over the weekend and I would say it’s just okay…
The facilities are nice and clean. The actual room I was in was pretty big, had the towel warmer in the actual room, and a sink as well. So it did look a lot more professional than other Asian massage places I’ve been to where it’s just a makeshift room with a massage table.
The massage was a little strange because I chose the 30 min foot massage and 30 min whole body. So the first 30 minutes, I sat in the lounger chair. Then when she was done, we moved over to the table. Kind of a weird transition, but still worked.
My only thing I didn’t like was that my scalp wasn’t massaged and neither were my hands. It was hard to relax because she went straight into foot massage and usually I’m so relaxed and close to falling asleep by this point, but since she didn’t massage my scalp or hands first I was completely awake for my foot massage and noticed how it wasn’t really that relaxing and was left feeling unimpressed. So I was pretty disappointed.
Not that this matters, but I did see 3 different masseuses and they were all women. I do prefer sometimes to only have women, so just a tip for others. The prices are pretty competitive compared to other places.

Was going to give this place a 4-​star review, however…
I went to this place today after I noticed a sign that stated $ 20/​hour massage special. Upon entering, I was greeted by a guy I presume is the owner. He convinced me to take the $ 25/​hour massage instead. After I received my massage (which was average, but the masseuse was friendly), I went to the counter to pay. I had the $ 25/​hour massage which I felt was a reasonable price even though other places charge $ 20/​hour. I paid for the massage and left a $ 5 tip. The guy at the counter stopped me as I was walking out and I assumed that he wanted to give me one of those frequent visitor stamp cards or something. He then said,” Normally, people leave a $ 10 tip.” What?! How dare he hustle me to tip more. Normally, I tip in the 20−30% range which is well above the standard. According to my math, a $ 5 tip for a $ 25 massage is 20%. That was gratuitous enough considering the massage was just par. I replied, «Maybe next time.» There won’t be a next time after his comment.
I know these foot massage places give the masseuse half of what was charged so in this case, the masseuse made $ 12.50 and the house made $ 12.50. The tip goes to the masseuses. I understand that they want to be tipped but for the owner to hustle up a few extra bucks is not only unprofessional, but downright degrading towards their character. If he felt that his masseuse needs to make more, then forget your ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ split and give them a better cut (⁷⁰⁄₃₀ maybe). Funny how one comment can subtract 3 stars to a review. Here’s a tip to the owner/​person at the front counter, never hustle someone for a tip because it will definitely be the last time you will ever make a single dollar from him.

Hmmm… The former Zen Spa, now Tao Spa. where to start. Well this place is most definitely a hit and miss. If you do end up with a hit, WRITE THE NAME DOWN! Because trust me, you’ll end up getting that really bad massage that will make you want to run! & this place really isn’t that bad though.
I always do the $ 25/​hr foot massage, though they do your whole body. You are obligated, sorry, encouraged, to give a $ 10 tip. So in reality it’s $ 35/​hr. Which I still dont mind I suppose.
Soooo… give it a try, I really hope you give it at least a second chance and if you still get a crappy masseuse, I’m sorry. If you get a good one, ENJOY!