East Spa

I stopped in to check out this new massage spot in the neighborhood and choose a 60 min massage service.
I am not sure the lady who performed my massage had any massage training or experience. Her technique consisted mostly of pinching and some long strokes. I found it very unusual that she didn’t massage all parts equally. For example she massaged my right foot but not my left. She massaged my left glute but not my right and she did not massage my arms or hands at all. She never asked if pressure was ok and when I asked if she ease up on the pressure in an area where my muscles were particularly sore she just moved to another area altogether.
I was also grossed out by all her nose blowing throughout the massage. She assured me she was not sick, but lying on the table knowing she was touching me with the same hand she just blew her nose into was very disturbing.
Unfortunately, I did not get the name of the lady who performed my massage service, so I can’t advise here in this review which therapist to avoid at East Spa.

I passed by here a couple times next week and noticed this was a new place, so I tried it today when passing by again.
I went in without a reservation to check the prices and ask if there was an opening, and as usual I was the only person in there, so yes there was an opening.
The price list showed $ 60 for a 1-​hour massage, a little pricey compared to the plethora of Chinese foot spas that offer body massages for $ 40. This place tries to be a little different by making themselves into a mini-​spa. No open room for foot massages, with several rooms for massages and one room with 2 chairs for the foot massage service.
My first and only concern was that when I asked if I could pay by credit card, they said yes, but they would charge a $ 3 fee for the card. I was getting tired of places sometimes charge extra fees for credit card use, as I heard that was illegal, so I excused myself to make a phone call outside first.
Outside I called up my VISA card to ask them if it was permissible for merchants to charge extra fees for card usage. The agent put me on hold to find their detailed rules, and found a new rule as of January, 2013 that states in the U.S. some merchants ARE allowed to charge a credit card fee of up to 4%, but the fee must be billed as a separate transaction so it’s identified. This seems to be a new rule by VISA/​Mastercard. I haven’t checked AMEX yet. If we wanted to complain, we could still submit a complaint.
So I went back inside to try the place out, since I like trying out new places. I did tell the lady that the fee should be a maximum of 4%, or $ 2.40 and not $ 3, so she processed a charge of $ 60 for me without the fee.
She took me back to one of the rooms for the massage. The rooms here are more spacious than cubicles at the foot spas, but still simple. But I could see that the owner spent some effort in making this place clean and nice. So they’re giving it a decent effort at being a mini-​spa.
When my massage started, it was the same lady who checked me in. OK. She checked in with me several times and ask for my preference on pressure, which was a good thing to do — many other foot spas don’t even try to ask or speak English at all. Her strokes were good and flowing which I like, not like the standard TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) massage routine that I’ve experienced in most foot spas. But there were still some pieces I could identify from the standard routine. When she climbed on the table to start walking on my back and glutes (bars overhead), that was too much for me, so I asked for a normal massage instead, and she was OK to change and accomodate.
Overall the massage was OK to good, but I didn’t think it was that great to be $ 60.
When I left I picked up their card and price list from the front desk to take home with me (added photo).
When I saw the card I saw some other interesting specials which I probably would have liked instead:
— Swedish massage, $ 50/​hour vs. Relaxing massage, $ 60/​hour
— Special Offer for women: Massage $ 50/​hour (why didn’t they offer or give this to me?)
— Special package: $ 50 — 60min massage & body scrub (I would have liked this too)
So the place looks nice, but I didn’t feel completely comfortable with the prices and how they were offered. Maybe a little more consistency would make me feel more calm in getting a massage here.
I also just checked out the spa’s website —
It mentions a Grand Opening special of 10% off spa services, and a $ 50 massage price. Too bad they clearly charge me $ 60 instead…
Also, for the page on the staff (and the photo gallery), they have photos of 2 very young ladies there. My therapist was a lady about 20 – 30 years older than them… I didn’t see any ladies that young in the place. Perhaps at a different hour.