The Spa at the Mount Auburn Club

I have been a regular customer at the MAC spa for about 3 years. I go see Kat to get my brows waxed about every 3 weeks. She’s great! Very friendly, quick yet precise and extremely clean. I highly recommend her.
I recently had a massage which was better than I expected. The masseuse was very considered and detailed to a back issue I was having. The massage was relaxing and enjoyable.
The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is the price. $ 20 for a brow wax (pre tip) is steep. They only charge $ 30 for bikini so it’s odd they’d over markup the brows.

All of the previous reviews are around four years old. As someone who’s been to this spa many times over the years I have to say that I have yet to encounter any of the issues that have been mentioned. All of the massage services I have had have been exceptional. Booking and customer service has gone smoothly and they have been quite accommodating. They have now added cupping which in looking forward to trying. The staff is polite, professional and skilled. The spa itself isn’t overly luxurious, but it’s pretty, clean and quiet — exactly what it should be. The prices are competitive and if you’re a member of the sports club you get a discount.

So when I saw the groupon for a 30 min massage/​30 min pedicure, I immediatley purchased two for my mother and I! Having purchased a handful of groupons before for salon purposes, I understand that groupons are just a way to get people into the door. The whole point of a groupon is to show the customers how fabulous your services are and lure them to come back. I also understand that sometimes this results in a lower standard of service. I feel like whether or not the company chooses to maintain their standards with a groupon customer is a great reflection on the integrity of the company. Unfortunately, The Spa at Mount Auburn Club fell short. My mother and I arrived early for our appointments, filled out the appropriate paperwork after being greeted by the spa receptionist who was very friendly and polite. We were then moved upstairs where my mother was taken into her massage relatively quickly. I sat for 15 minutes waiting for the nail tech Yolanda, who was finishing a manicure. I understand that appointments get backed up… it a reality I can deal with so I waited patiently for my pedicure. My 30 minute pedicure turned into a 20 minute pedicure that was just sub-​par. Yolanda was very pleasant but failed to even remove all the nail polish. My feet didn’t even soak in the footbath!!! Just a 2 second foot scrub, very minor clean up of cuticles, and nail polish to go. The chair was also really uncomfortable and kept rotating in the opposite direction so I felt like I had to keep my body stiff to keep my foot in place for her, which resulted in me being tense and flexing my legs the entire time. I feel guilty writing this because Yolanda was very friendly and pleasant but the service was just mediocre. Right after my pedicure, I thought it was sort of strange that Yolanda took another client for a manicure when I knew my mother would be out of her massage in minutes. I doubt it was a conscious decision but she was clearly double booked. They probably don’t want to say «no» to their non-​groupon clients. This resulted in my mother waiting for 15 minutes for her pedicure. Then I moved to my massage with Amy. Amy was very friendly and got right to the point and asked me what areas to focus on since it was only 30 minutes. I appreciated her directness and she focused on the areas I mentioned. My only complaints are that she could have used a little more pressure, the room was quite hot and it didn’t last 30 minutes. Two of these are in my control and it’s my fault for not speaking up.
Overall, it was poorly executed groupon and I hope the spa doesn’t function at this standard regularly. If I had paid full price, I would have been a little more vocal with my disappointment. Instead, I’ll complain about it on Unilocal

I got the 30 min massage/​mini pedicure groupon deal as well, and enjoyed my experience here!
The spa was a little hard to find at first (groupon had the wrong zip code… but the receptionist contacted them while I was receiving my services) and apparently it is now fixed! By the way, the wrong zip code takes you to the Mount Auburn Cemetery, which is probably not a place that you would want to strip down and get massaged (!!)
Speaking of which, my little detour to the cemetery made me about 15 mins late, as I sat along the road in confusion fiddling with my GPS, and then my phone to look for their number! However, the staff was EXTREMELY gracious about my tardiness and although my massage was cut a tiny bit short (20ish minutes instead of 30), I didn’t feel rushed and I was surprised to even get 20!
I forgot the names of the people who worked on me, but they were both pretty great and did a good job. The pedicurist was extremely quiet, but it was nice because I got to read a magazine and sit in the amazingly plush and comfy pedicure chairs that they have!
For hygiene stuff, based on the giant container of files and orange sticks they had, I think they use new ones on each customer, which is good. Also, all the metal tools went straight into the sink after they were used on me, presumably to be sanitized.
I can see myself going back here for full-​priced treatments, especially since their prices are pretty good and they have free parking and are close! Maybe the mud wrap? Yay!

Groupon was gracious enough to credit our accounts after this horrible experience– a nice receptionist was able to schedule my friend and me for a same-​week appointment but mistakenly booked it a week off.
I had arranged for child care for my son and drove an hour from New Hampshire for this appointment, and this day-​of receptionist had no customer service skills, not offering any consolation or alternative, leading me to simply cancel. I was interested in finding a relaxing spot I can turn to on a regular basis, and this was far from it.

I like this place better than any of the Vietnamese places I normally frequent in the Back Bay /​South End areas. The Mount Auburn Club is at least much cleaner, though it reeks of frumpiness and outdated décor. I like my 30 min. massage just fine but it is nothing like getting the real hardcore stuff from Boston Bodyworker or altTHERA. The pedicure is great and obviously the sanitary conditions are several grades above my usual nail place. The only complaint I really have is that this place is right by Target in Watertown. This is an inconvenience for me since I am thinking about getting rid of my car.

Like the last reviewer, I decided to check out the spa and club because I had a Groupon for a massage/​pedicure combination. I thought if I had a good experience, I would go here again and maybe even consider a membership. My experience was a mixed bag.
I went to the spa a few hours early to use the gym and the steamroom. The gym has a lot of nice ammenities, but would need a bit of a makeover for me to justify the monthly fee. But that’s a different review.
The reception staff at the Spa were very nice every step from making the appointment through the checkout. They made sure the had everything I needed (towels, robe, flip flops, etc.) and they made me feel welcome.
My massage was with Amy. She was friendly and attentive. Since 30 minutes is not a long time, Amy asked me what areas I would like to concentrate on. She gave me a great massage and gave me what I asked for.
The pedicure was the downfall. The pedicure treatment itself was OK, and it did look good, but technician ruined the experience for me. She seemed annoyed the entire time, offered no pleasantries, didn’t smile, didn’t thank me, and just seemed like being there was the last place she wanted to be. The impulse pedicures I’ve had a the mall have been much better experiences. Usually I don’t want a pedicure to end, but I couldn’t wait for it to be done. It’s a bit of an odd concept to have a stranger having that much physical contact with you and rubbing your feet, but to have them do so begrudingly is lousy. The best part of the pedicure was when I sat in the chair in the lobby waiting for my polish to dry.
I’m sure they get a lot people who don’t tip properly on specials, but I’m not one of them. At the reception at the end, I made sure to ask what the breakdown was if I didn’t have the special and made sure to tip appropriately on each service. Except for the massage, I don’t feel inspired to go back there for spa services.

Ok… brace yourself! So I went to the Spa because I got a Groupon deal for a 30 min massage and a Petite Pedicure. The massage was pretty good my masseuse was Amy. Amy was great and very professional.
HOWEVER, the pedicure was horrible. The esthetician didnt take off the cuticle, she didnt even buff my nails, or do any real work!!! I got a french pedicure and it looked like crap. I was really disappointed I hope other Groupon buyers have a better experience than mine. Oh and by the way, the place is very outdated and is currently under renovation so it looks horrible