La Vie Massage

This lady is no joke. I came in expecting a quick massage to help with shoulder tension, by the time I left I felt like a new person. She is insanely strong for her size. I have worked with dozens of masseuses, and I would highly recommend.

Maria is by far the best masseuse let only one of the nicest people in Chicago! She gets every spot and I feel AMAZING the next day. Whether it’s a kink in your neck or a strained muscle, Maria is your go to. Prices are great and services is phenomenal.

If I could give this place no stars, I would. Let me start off with saying this was the WORST massage of my life and I’ve had hundreds of massages. I have a neurostimulator over my spine from my head and I warned her about it and told her not to touch it and she seemed to make it her mission to break up the scar tissue that holds it in place and I repeatedly told her it hurt and she continued. I am still in pain at the wire sights two days later and have to go to the doctor to make sure things haven’t moved as they hurt. I was literally counting down the minutes until my «massage» was over. Another thing to note is the room and waiting room were not clean and smelled from the tanning salon it was in. The sheets were scratchy and the entire place was not well kept and dingy. I will not be going back here

I’ve gotten massages from Maria a few times and the massages are always beyond exceptional. I would’ve never thought I could get such an amazing massage in an LA Tan, that’s for sure. I’ve been to a lot of different massage places throughout the years, but Maria is definitely the one I refer all my friends to, shes amazing at her job and extremely pleasant. Unlike other massages I’ve had at other places, Maria actually targets areas with tension (for me, its my shoulders) and works them out, you may be sore a couple days later, but I always end up feeling 100 times better in the long run.

Maria is a miracle worker! She was so sweet and attentive to my specific needs! As soon as I arrived she made sure to find out what exactly I was looking for help with (as a dancer I have SI joint pain and IT band tightness). Through the session Maria made sure to give extra attention to my hips and legs and also explained to me some of her techniques for releasing the spine. Her passion and extensive knowledge were evident in her massage. I will definitely go back for maintenance sessions and would highly recommend her to anyone suffering with alignment issues!

Maria is the best thing that has ever happened to me. I have lots of back issues and every time I leave I feel great. My posture even improves. I would recommend anyone to go get a massage from the magical Maria.

Maria is by far Chicago’s greatest hidden gem. She is hands down the best masseuse I have ever been to. I’ve been a client of hers for around 4 years and she never ceases to amaze me. I suffer from frequent headaches/​migraines and Maria’s massages are the only cure that I’ve found so far.
Don’t let the basement tanning salon atmosphere turn you off, her services are very professional and worth every single penny. She really takes the time to focus on problem areas and customize the massage to your needs. After your massage you get a complimentary steam shower, which feels incredible and is also very convenient if you need to get the massage oil off and head back to work.
I would recommend Maria to anyone in need of a great massage.

I was in desperate need of a prenatal massage today. I mean… I was really struggling. I called at 11:30, and was told I could come in at 12:15 for a massage.
Now, I was there on time, but wasn’t seen until almost 12:40 – that’s really inexcusable. However, once I got the massage, it was amazing. I ended up doing about 75 minutes, and wished I had done more. Amazing. I’ll be back.

Today has been the best day of my life thus far lol.
A few days ago I slipped on ice and hurt my back so of course I needed a massage to pretty much ease the pain.
I Booked a 1 p.m. appointment online at
today at 10:50 a.m. and my appointment was confirmed immediately once they opened (11 a.m.)
When I arrived I was greeted professionally and after filling out a sheet for my information which only took a minute, I was escorted to my room.
Maria gave me one of the best 30 min massages and it was so relaxing!
I’m not certain about the other staff and I would suggest everyone is given a shot but Maria is def my go to person from this day forth!

Maria has been doing massages for my boyfriend for years. She is definitely the best. She’s very nice and as he says has magic hands! thanks maria for making him feel so much better :)

I went here based off of previous reviews. Maria is as good as they say she is and better. She’s very sweet and great at what she does! I’ve been to 3 different massage therapists in the 4 months of moving here and none of them came close to Maria. Simply put «She’s amazing!»

Just received a 30-​minute deep tissue massage by Deborah. My entire body was in pain because of a long-​haul flight last night, getting-​back-​to-​work Monday after a week off, and else. Her hands were strong yet gentle, and I felt she knew how to read my body pain, stressing and focusing on areas where I felt the sorest. No other masseuse I’ve encountered so far had that skill! Pity I only had 30 minutes during the lunch break, but I am fully satisified with the staff (including receptionists), professionalism and pricing and would recommend this place to anybody who needs a quick fix during the work hours in the loop!

Maria Budocan is an amazing massage therapist. She is so strong and tireless and intuits just where you need work and how much pressure to apply to release impossibly tight knots. She understands physiology. A true professional

I’d been looking for a good and affordable massage place in Chicago since I moved here over a year ago. I was looking high and low, ya’ll! And had no success – that is until I met Maria. She is the kindest, smallest, fiercest, strongest and best masseuse ever! She pays the right amount of time and attention to each part of your body. I leave out feeling like I can take over the world! No, in all honesty – she’s consistently amazing and I’m thrilled that I have found her.
I almost didn’t want to leave this review as I wanted to keep it my little secret. But I had to chime in with others and let the cat out of the bag.
Don’t question – just go!

Wow, I can’t believe how strong Maria’s hands are. I went in with a kink in my neck and came out a new women. Will definitely go back.

Didn’t expect such a grear massage from a tanning salon. Definitely ask for Maria! She’s so sweet with these heavy fingers that will guarantee to take away any pain you have walking in.

Read about Maria! She is THE BEST! Always so sweet and smiling :) Her fingers are the strongest and most amazing– her touch is firm and relieving!!! She knows exactly what she’s doing. I don’t have to say anything; she concentrates on the exact troubled spots.
Going to her is going to be legen-​waitforit-​dary!!! Legendary!

La Vie is truly a hidden gem in the Loop. I already have a favorite spa where I like to get my massages, but my back has really been bothering me lately and I absolutely needed to see a masseuse today. I searched on Unilocal and was excited to find out that La Vie is only a 5-​minute walk from work, and they offer 30-​minute massages (which is all I really needed) along with a 20% new client discount.
I didn’t know what to expect when I realized La Vie is affiliated with LA Tan and is essentially one room in the back of the salon, but I was very pleasantly surprised with my visit. The massage room is on point with some of the better spas I’ve been to, and the massage table is even heated (which was absolutely wonderful). Deborah was my masseuse and she was so kind, knowledgeable, and very accommodating. We talked about my back issues for a few minutes prior to the massage and she wanted to make sure she understood why I had come in and what I needed in terms of pain relief. During the massage, she was very receptive to any comments I made in terms of pressure or other preferences.
Overall, that massage was one of the best I’ve had in terms of the masseuse’s knowledge of the body and overall relaxation and pain relief. Deborah has skilled hands that are both gentle and strong, and I would happily come back to see her again. I’m thrilled to have found a secret place to retreat to when those work days get extra stressful.

Everything Katie R. said was right on the money. Maria is amazing. I didn’t realize I
was sore from my work out until she started to massage my back. Maria really knows what she’s doing. Up there with my top 3 massages. She really seems to care about
taking care of you.

Omigoodness.
You would never expect one of the best massages you could ever get would be from the back of a tanning salon, especially the back of a tanning salon that has more oompa loompas sashaying up to the counter every minute than the Wonka Employment line. But seriously. These massages are insane.
I work in the loop and one day at lunch just started calling any place in the vicinity that had «massage» in their title and asked if they could fit me in after a pretty intense workout gone wrong the day before. Maria (I REALLY hope I’ve got her name right but I’m not 100%) told me she could get me in and so I went but didn’t have high expectations. Holy moly. She was incredible. I’m a massage whore of sorts, so trust me, I know what I like and I know what’s good and this was great. A little reflexology in the feet, some work on the glutes, a lot of shoulder attention, a little scalp, and then she turns you over and massages the area under your clavicle– where you may not realize it, but you carry a lot of tension! (At least, I do)
THEN comes the STEAM! They don’t kick you out right away. Oh no. They give you slippers and a robe and invite you to enjoy the steam room for another 30 – 60 minutes. All included in the cost of the massage. There’s shampoo, conditioner and soap to wash off the oils, and even spray deodorant for those of us who don’t think that far ahead.
I’ve been here twice now and plan to come back for every massage I need in the future. It’s so great it makes me want to cry.
You can call LA Tan to book the appointment. (The staff of LA Tan is always really friendly, too! Esp Kira who recovered lost earrings for me!)