Newbury Bodywork

TL;DR: There are so many other half decent massage place in Boston - even on Newbury St - youre better off going elsewhere and avoiding getting scammed.I discovered Newbury Foot Spa through Group. I prepaid for a massage with my card and they said everything was all set when I made an appointment. Arriving today, they were a bit surprised when I came in, but figured out my appointment had been put into the book for the wrong week and since they had an available masseuse they could see me.The issue comes at the end of the session when then made me pay for the massage AGAIN. Luckily Im able to contest the card charge but the fact that they dont have records of whos paid and who hasnt means I cant trust them as a business.

Normally I wouldn’t leave a bad review but this massage experience was unlike any other. Got a deep tissue massage here & they were very aggressive during the entire massage. Told my masseuse multiple times that it was too much pressure and she didn’t let up, just told me to “relax”. Not relaxing at all. Immediately after, my neck and head are already very sore and in a lot of pain due to very rough pulling and kneading around my neck. Muscle soreness is normal, but not to this severity in the neck area. Feels like I have whiplash along with a bad migraine. I was also told to flip face up about half way through which was very disorienting and was subject to a lot of uncomfortable limb pulling. I was forced to tip 20% before I could leave. Overall a waste of $70. Unfortunately, I will not be returning.

I had a great experience at this place. No frills spa, you get a discount if you pay in cash. My massage therapist Ada was kind, friendly and checked in throughout the massage. Was very quiet and clean and hot stones and hot towel at the end were a pleasant surprise. I would definitely come back.

Love this place, this is my first time been here. They very nice asked me the pain. And gave me good service for 1 hours. I felt very relaxin after the body massage. I think I will be back soon.

Please avoid this place for your own sake. I got gifted a 60 minute massage here and was really hoping the negative reviews would be proved wrong... First, when I booked my appointment I didnt get asked for my name, only my number and when I showed up they didnt ask for my info nor my appointment time. They directed me into the far left room where I waited almost 20 minutes just laying on the table. I would have rather waited in the front area until they were ready. My masseuse finally came in and at no point was I asked the pressure I wanted or whether I had any injuries/sensitive areas to be aware of. The massage itself was extremely deep pressure and in certain areas painful, and while they probably got some knots out of my back, it was not a relaxing experience. There was no music in the room and all I could hear was the street. It wasnt until half way through the massage when a lady barged into the room and brought in a speaker with music playing. Someone else kept barging into the room several times after, no knocking not even an attempt to be quiet. The worst part was when my masseuse left the room several times in the middle of the massage and left the door WIDE OPEN EACH TIME for the entire front reception area to see me laying naked on the table. No privacy at all. I didnt even know the masseuse finished. She asked if I was okay and then scurried out of the room, to which I thought she was coming back like every other time. No goodbye or anything. THEN when I went to pay with the coupon I received, I was told that the manager of the business changed and they dont offer coupons anymore so I couldnt use it. If thats the case they should not be advertising their services on Groupon - which THEY STILL ARE. I agreed to pay and was told they only accepted Zelle... I offered Venmo. They didnt take Venmo or have a credit card machine so I was forced to take cash out from their ATM. The cherry on top was when I paid I was told my tip was NOT ENOUGH and I need to pay more tip - what???? since when do you demand customers to tip more? ESPECIALLY after that whole experience. TERRIBLE customer service. This was the opposite of a relaxing experience - please save your energy and avoid this place.

My friend and I went there for a couple massage. Coco was the one who gave me the massage. Her technique was excellent. I was totally relaxed and my pain was all gone. Thank you Coco! My friend was also very happy with her therapist, Sophia. I highly recommend this place.

Since when do we ask for a tip before the service is performed? And when is it mandatory to tip?I called and asked to use a Groupon, they wanted to be sneaky and accept the Groupon amount but ask that I pay them directly. They then charged $10 to use a card (pretty high for a card charge)--their reasoning was that there would be a $5 charge to use the card. This is reasonable but then they wanted to charge $5 for each person although it was one card. They then proceeded to ask me to pay for the tip (BEFORE the service). I had cash for a tip but the customer service was so poor, rude and the massage itself lack luster. I didnt feel I needed to tip. I still paid $122 for the couple massage. Its not like it was free. Treat customers coming in like they will have a relaxing spa experience, not like ATMs. No water was offered even. Not a spa Id recommend.

I love this place, the prices are excellent, the staff is so friendly, the massage is excellent, and the only thing I would mention are new sheets for the massage table. Other than that I love it. Im bringing family for the experience this week. I am all about comfort and they make me feel right at home.

The massage is okay, even though arguably they’re a bit aggressive, but that’s not the worst part. They kept pressuring us to pay by cash and we said we’d rather pay by card as i inserted it, she automatically put the tip she wants. I tried to change it but she kept saying no and changing it back amen pressed done then kept asking to leave and when we tried to complain or ask for the manager she said she doesn’t speak any english and was super rude.

The first time I went, I really enjoyed my massage! It was relaxing and felt very good, made me feel at peace.The second time was not very good. I did not enjoy the bone technique used it just hurt and not in a good way. We will not go back.The hospitality was non existent too. Not a great experience the second time around!

Steer clear of this business….. Similar to other reviews posted below. I made an appointment for a 1 hour couples massage for our anniversary. When we arrived 10 minutes early, we were told that it would be a few minutes. 15 minutes later, she asked if we were doing separate massages…. We said no…., it was suppose to be a couples massage that we had booked for 4pm. (I even called the morning off to confirm our appointment). After 30, minutes of waiting, we realized that they didn’t have the appointment and couldn’t care less….we eventually left.We understand mistakes happen (we both work in the service industry), but the lack of communication and care for our experience/time was probably the most unprofessional thing we’ve ever experienced.Don’t waste your time.

Highly disrespectful the woman that gave my massage continued asked for more money for her tip. Then refused to let my use the bathroom nor did she tell me where I could find one. She opened the door and told me to get out. Thus business is terrible with scheduling. Aways putting in the wrong day and time. Then calls asking of I can reschedule. Only reason Im given two stars is due to her being able to get some knots of from my back.

Mixed feelings after my massage. My appt was at 5:30 for a couples massage. I called to confirm at 4:25. We show up, and they say they don’t have our appt listed and that they can take us at 6:30 instead. They show me the listing of the appts that day to prove they don’t have me listed and I point out my phone number with “5:30” listed on the page. They say they overlooked this, and that they still couldn’t take us until 6:30. They were very apologetic unlike other reviews. We come back later, and I will say the massage was excellent. We came away feeling relaxed and energized. So take this review for what you will, poor logistics and organization, great massage and kind staff.

Do not recommend this spa. Their communication is poor at best and they do not live up to what they say on the phone. We Booked a couples massage for our anniversary. Showed up 15 minutes early and no one was at the spa. Once the workers arrived they tried to put us in 2 different rooms and convince us to not get the massage we booked. After finally agreeing to separate rooms, they put us each in a different room there were no robes and we were not given instructions on how they would like us to prepare. Here again the poor communication skills were an issue. They were going to squeeze 2 beds in a room meant for 1 as a fix but that point the experience was ruined. We told them it was unacceptable and left. Understanding they are recently under new ownership but all our issues were not due to being new. The was a lack of organization and professionalism.

Update: I was just called by the same person I had spoken to on the phone asking why I left because they were ready for me at 5:40pm. At no point during the 40minutes I was there waiting did they say Id be seen at that time because everyone kept insisting on after 6pm or another day. She said the front desk lady had no idea what she was talking about which just goes to show the lack of communication, coordination, and professionalism. Now theyre asking me to reschedule which would mean a whole other trip to Boston which could potentially result in the same ordeal. I understand things sometimes dont go as planned but its really the awful customer service that is making me never want to come back here again. Also, based on previous yelp/google reviews- they are repeat offenders.—If I could give negative 10 stars I absolutely would. This establishment is unprofessional, unorganized, disrespectful, and dishonest. I called to have an appointment booked for 4:30pm for a couples massage Groupon voucher I had purchased, the person on the phone told me she could only fit me in at 5pm, I agreed. They called me at 3:10pm asking if they could move my appointment to 5:30pm because someone (never said who) was getting there late. Reluctantly, I agreed (this place is like an hour away from my house and I was running on the commuter rail schedule). I show up early, willing to wait and theres no one at the front desk. 5 minutes later this person who barely speaks English says I wont be seen until after 6pm and then goes into another room and closes the door. There was another couple in the waiting room at the same time saying their appointment was booked for 4:30pm and they told them they wouldnt be seen until 8:30pm. How does that make any sense? They had been waiting there for even longer. Meanwhile, the front desk lady is giggling and chatting in the other room the whole time. We wait for another 20 minutes and I finally knock on the door that the woman disappeared behind asking when exactly wed be seen or if we could reschedule. She comes out saying theyre just too busy right now so itll just have to be after 6pm (that could be 6:05, 7, 8 for all I know). The other guy in the waiting room asked her if he could have his money back since they were going to make him wait 4 hours for his appointment. She gives him their business card and asks him to call the number (even though the phone is right there). He calls, the phone literally rings in front of us and some other lady picks up who agrees to give him his money back (he bought the exact same Groupon voucher as me). When i call and ask for the same she completely refuses saying Ill just have to wait until after 6pm or come back another day. Obviously at this point, Ive lost all trust in these people because they cant keep their word and were so rude I no longer felt comfortable receiving a massage from them. I insist she gives me my money back because she quite literally just gave it back to the other guy for the same exact reason (booking him incorrectly, making him wait) and she still refuses. I tell them its unprofessional and Im going to leave a bad review and she said to do it (so here I am). After some more back and forth, she hangs the phone up on me. 5:35pm comes around, still no one in sight. Theyre no longer answering my calls. This place basically robbed me because even if I wanted to reschedule they arent picking up the phone. Do not come here. Its pure trash.

I have had their deep tissue massage twice. You can typically get an appointment the same day which is a huge plus for me. I hate having to wait a few weeks or take some time off work to make room for self-care. Their technique feels great, I have had $180 massages that werent half as effective as the ones I had here. They insist that you pay cash and charge you extra for using a credit card which is a con for me. Despite leaving a 20% tip on the service, the massesue seemed unhappy with me when she realized I was paying with a card. This was in addition to the credit card fee they charged me. Slightly annoyed by that.

I was gifted a massage coupon by a friend. I had an amazing experience. Ivy was my masseuse for the appointment. She was absolutely fabulous. Very polite and accommodating.

Newbury Spa is clean and professional. Their staff are kind, and I got a fantastic massage. They create a relaxing environment & really know their stuff! I totally recommend for a low key, rejuvenating experience.

Would give it zero star if it was an option. Was gifted massage via groupon. Very unprofessional and rude. Had an appointment at 10. Arrived on time but they weren’t ready, after standing there for a few mins I told her I’d run to the car and grab something. Came back and the room was still not ready. She asked me to take a seat on the bench. A few minutes later she asked me to go into the room to change. When I laid down on the bed it had an unpleasant mildew scent. She came in 10:20 and started massaging. At 11 she said it was finished. I said oh is it not an hour long? And she replied oh you were late and walked off. I would never go back to this place. Place is not clean and staff is rude.

The massage was good, but after they said it was $48 over the phone, they charged me $65.00! I said why? And they said I was 5 min late... ridiculous. I didn’t want to leave tip because of them overcharging me and they MADE me tip. They hit the back button, and I was like you’re overcharging me, so that doesn’t deserve tip. Very unprofessional!

After a long day at work, I decided to treat myself well today. The treatment was good. The service was nice! I felt so calm and refresh after massage.If you wanna find a place to relax and get a massage, you definitely should try this one out! Couldnt recommend this place enough!

Amazing massage. Went for a 60-min couples body work massage and left feeling so much relief. They are so knowledgeable and talented at identifying problem areas without you even having to tell them. Will be back and definitely recommend!!

Please dont waste your time these people are very unprofessional and have very poor communication skills. I drove 40 min to my appointment spent 20 min to find parking. Just to not be seen. When you’re downstairs you have to wait to get buzzed in. I waited 10 min and called 3 times no answer. Luckily some random guy was walking outside and I was able to get in. When I reached the front desk the receptionist tells me in a nonchalant voice if I can come back at 2pm (I had a 1pm appointment). At this point I was frustrated because You could’ve called me a few hours prior to reschedule bc you were short staffed or whatever the case was. Then she told me to wait 30 more min in the waiting room. Mind you my parking meter was running. Overall I ended up canceling bc I got tired of waiting. They had the nerve to call back later to say sorry I missed your call are you still coming to your appointment. Like seriously worse experience ever!!

Mixed feelingsFirst note I got there with a grouponShowing a significant discount from $90 to 57.50While at the SPA I remember the prices to be as follows (note I remember and therefore can be incorrect I will make sure to take a picture next time as I might go a next time, will come to that later) $65 card $59 cashSo I felt misled by the groupon perk.When making the reservation on the phone there was a moment of being lost in translationThen at the spaIt is in general one open space with curtains and little walls. You can hear all conversations from staff and clients. Especially when people come and go I found this very disturbing.The massage itself was great. Lisa did an excellent job and identified all pain points in neck and legs and proactively changed approach to address this.I prob will go back paying cash

I have been coming here for a few months now and its has been amazing. You feel so welcome, and everyone is so nice. Ive been going to the same person the whole time and Amy is amazing. I was in a car accident before I started going and she has helped minimize the pain. I look forward to my weekly visit.

I had the 1 hour combo where they work your back and your feet ( 1/2 hour each) and it was relaxing and awesome.The therapist was very skilled and was able to find all the soar spots. I have had many massage but this must be one of the best.I was a regular at rainbow but I like the sessions better at newbury foot and bodywork.The atmosphere is more private and relaxing. Two thumbs up, I will be back.

Poor, poor service. Made a reservation for my daughter and two of her friends for a relaxing day out. Called days ahead of time not only to make the reservation but also to ensure that a specific payment form was accepted and if not I would be happy to arrange prepayment ahead of time, he assured me with wasnt necessary. The day came and unfortunately upon arrival it was not accepted so her day was a mess and required last minute rescheduling.Find another establishment, there are plenty around Newbury St.Additional note: the prices registered online was not the prices quoted to me over the phone.

Wow!! Just left, after being a walk in. My neck has been killing me for 2 days. The lady that gave me a massage worked me over till I felt like jello. Awesome deep tissue and joint manipulation. Super reasonable price. Thank you! I feel like a new man.

I arrived 10 minutes late to my appointment.They said itd be 1 hour wait. I ask to reschedule to another day. They said dont, its only 15 minutes wait now. I said OK. I wait 40 min, still nothing. They said Id agreed to wait 1 hour 15 minutes when they *knew* Id only agreed to 15 minutes. This was not a translation problem or language barrier. They just didnt want be blamed. Shame.

Lady at the register forced my friend and I to pay a 20% tip despite the fact that we were not happy with our massages. She pushed the 20% tip button and would not let us pay any less.

Friendly staff, the warm oil and hot stones were super soothing. Came in with a groupon and they accommodated my walk-in wonderfully. I also got a loyalty card- I’ll be back again with my mom!

Went here for a relaxing hour with my friend, it turned into a comedic, uncomfortable endeavor. We walked in and they had no clue what we were talking about but agreed to do a massage. We were shown to a room and instructed to undress and cover ourselves, the room was a cross between the hostel movie franchise and a brothel (yes, we shouldve left then). After an hour of basically being smacked and punched they screamed that they were finished, we both acknowledged this was the most bizarre massage wed ever had. Upon payment I gave them a tip that wasnt as much as theyd hoped, to which they angrily and unprofessionally scoffed. Do not bother with this, wait a day and go to Massage Envy down the street.

Notes groupon is misleading. Expected a fancier place since it was on newbury street. It is not. It is a place not to necessarily get pampered but more of a place to get a massage. The room i was put in was right next to the reception so you can hear people talking, the room was not scented, massage therapist was chinese and didnt speak much english, Etc. But if you want a thorough massage the massage was good. Not great but not bad. For the price i think it was fine.

Massage was no good, very aggressive and not enough lotion. They masseuses would talk to each other during the massage and demanded we tip at the end even though service and ambiance was not good. Don’t go!

We went on Friday for a 60 minute massage deal we got on Groupon. Lisa was lovely, made me feel very comfortable! Will come back soon.

Went for a couples massage, they accommodated our appt and moved it later since we couldn’t find parking. Overall it was a nice experience, great massage and friendly staff, we will definitely come back when we visit Boston again.

Wonderful massage, I would recommend to anyone, great price! If you are looking for a day spa ambience you need to go elsewhere and pay four times as much. If you are looking for a great massage at a great price, this is your place!

Awful service. Bought a groupon for this place and booked an appointment online two days in advance. I recieved two emails from the spa confirming my appointment which was the very first of the day. Showed up early and their doors were still locked. Called multiple times and got no response. Finally someone showed up 45 minutes after my appointment and told me that they didnt have an appointment scheduled for that slot and told me I had to come back so their next appointment would not be delayed. Staff was rude and unprofessional.

I went today for a 60 minutes deep tissue massage with a Groupon voucher I had as a gift and I really enjoyed it.Lisa is a great and professional masseuse, thank you very much for the great service, I’ll definitely go back.

Chose this place as a birthday gift to myself and they almost completely ruined the gift. Massages OK, the parlor isn’t much for appearances and would’ve been a solid 4 star if the following did not occur: the staff who massaged us for our couples massage didn’t quote us a price higher than what was posted outside their parlor over the phone; the man massaging my friend was rough around the edges, he frequently left the room leaving the door open during our massage so that other sounds, and even the phone ringing drowned out our light music that was supposed to be setting the tone. At the end they lift your legs up and drop them and loudly say that the massage is over... other places I’ve been gently deliver this message. At CHECKOUT is where all of this went bad. THIS is where I asked for clarification on price and it seemed like they wanted to have a sidebar conversation on what the price should be- I paid (and paid in cash because they ask you to use their little atm conveniently in the lobby as opposed to credit). Then *THREE STAFF MEMBERS* CROWDED AROUND US to ask HOW WE WERE GOING TO TIP. They said it like it was mandatory- when I confronted the large and unnecessary amount of pressure they were putting on us, as I was already spending $120+ they awkwardly laughed it off. I then tipped $10 AND THEY ACTUALLY TOOK THE TEN DOLLARS AND MADE THE PHYSICAL HAND MOTION BETWEEN ALL OF THEM AS IF TO SAY $10 WAS NOT ENOUGH FOR THEM TO SPLIT. At this point I’m over $130 out of pocket and vocally upset. I came to this business and paid for services without issue- I did not have to choose your establishment. Then I was furthered pressured to spend more of my hard earned money for less than mediocre service. I wanted to try this parlor for the duo-massage option but I will certainly NEVER return even if this means opting for solo massages at another business in Chinatown that is peaceful and serene. They’re really something else. What was the point in the “relaxation” massage if you’re gonna run my blood pressure back up at the end. SAVE YOUR MONEY AND PEACE OF MIND.

Professional massage therapist, good atmosphere and nice staffs which they care about their customers! highly recommend to everyone to try out once. I will definitely come back again.

They are great, feels amazing after our massage. Fyi the groupon stuff on the weekends only works before noon.

Good massage. Came here with significant other to get a couples massage. They were very nice and the massage was fine. They were a little pushy about the tip though!

Not professional, I made an appointment for a specific massage wasn’t given that, the lady literally almost broke my arm and back, was just terrible. And also tried to scam me out of money at the end.

Got a nice deep tissue massage. Even though there was a slight language barrier between the masseuse and I, she still gave a really good massage. Bring cash for a slight discount!

Hit and miss. Went for a couples massage where my guy was great and really worked my knots, but my boyfriends guy was a bit weaker. Service was good though

Went for a couples massage with my fiancé and it was amazing!!!! Lisa and Jason had us feeling brand new! Highly recommend.

Good clean professional place. Ada was stretched me out well. I felt very relaxed after. Would love to go again .

Best place in Newbury area. Great deep tissue massage. Very professional. It is newly renovated. Ask for Judy. She is great.

I love this , spa its really good considering how an somewhat small place this is. Definitely going to book another appointment !

Awful massage- the person who massaged me demanded a 20% tip- the massage was 40.00 she grabbed 60.00 from my hand- Awful

They are really nice. Lisa did a great job! I’ll definitely go back soon!

A nice place, but the website description is not good enough. Make sure to call and ask them about the services since some of them aren’t available on weekends.

Called to make an appointment, they were extremely rude and difficult to work with. I ended up not making an appointment because I was so offended.

I have been to this place twice, the service is amazing, the communication over calls could be improved. Overall, I loved my time here.

They are very good at massaging i would love to go again.

Great massage and friendly staff! Awesome price as well.

Decent massage. Could have focused more on my trouble spots rather than full body.

Had a great experience! Excellent service and the staffs were very nice and professional. Try it out!

Great deep tissue massage, probably one of the best Ive gotten.

Nice and they do a great job. Will def go back

Attractive place to relax when visiting Backbay... Attentive and knowledgeable staff with reasonable prices.

After walking all over Boston, you can stop and get a thorough foot rub to put you in nirvana.

May was able to target problem areas in my neck and back.

Awesome and detailed experience to client!

Very good job and decent prices...

Cheapest and best massage in Boston

Our favorite place for a long time!

The Price is very fair for Newbury!

What happened to this Spa- they are gone?

Scam.

Very relaxing and enjoyable

Linda is strong!!!

Very relaxing

Nice massage