Hands On Massage and Holistic Therapy

My boyfriend and I have been going here for months now for our 90min couples massage. The massage ladies really get in there. I’m on my feet 9 hours a day, 5 days a week, Karen always seems to find every soar, bruised, and/​or aching spot on my body. Cheryl really lets my boyfriend have it! He’s a big guy with big back pains, you can literally feel the difference in our backs after every massage. No more tightness or stiff shoulders. After our massage we enjoy their sauna and shower room. Very relaxing. I don’t know what’s up with the other people that’s been here but I have never had an issue with this place. Gotta support our small businesses guys!

Went for a 9 am appointment last Saturday and no one was there. No one! I drove 20 minutes to get there and had to turn right back around. Please feel free to show up when you say you will and not call me 3 hours later asking to reschedule. Save yourself the headache: don’t waste your time or money.

I’ve received a lot of massages over the last few years, and wanted to review the places in Cincinnati comparatively. If I could give the place 3.5 stars I would.
BOOKING:
First off, I ended up here based on a Groupon. You have to call to make an appointment, and I played phone tag with them for a while before actually connecting. I was able to make an appointment, though their availability is somewhat limited due to only having two massage therapists.
(Apparently a lot of Groupon-​users waited until the last minute to book their appointments and then were super angry when nothing was available. Their own fault.)
LOCATION/​AMBIANCE:
I missed this place and drove by once or twice before getting the right parking lot, but there were plenty of spaces available. When I entered, there was nobody at the desk so I sat awkwardly wondering if something was wrong. The waiting room was cute but all the Asian theme décor was a little much for me (neither of the therapists are Asian). When someone finally came out, I was able to check in and fill out my form.
MASSAGE:
The massage started a few minutes late, but she made up for the time at the end (I generally expect changing time to be included in the hour). Though the rest of the experience was blah, the actual massage was the total redeeming factor. Karen was amazing, listening to my feedback and giving me one of the best massages I’ve ever had. We talked through the massage, which was fun for me but if you’re looking for the super-​quiet peaceful experience you might have to speak up. Since I had a 3-​session Groupon, I got to see her twice more and she recalled exactly what I wanted. Though the Groupon was for a Swedish massage (light flowy relaxing strokes), she gave me the deep tissue massage that I really needed.
Other: (Reading the previous review,) My therapist did mention that there would be a promotion available for massage discounts, but did not bother me about it at all. Though I was leaving town for a while so maybe it would have been pushed more otherwise.
What this place is: Small, fully run by the two therapists, where you develop a relationship with your massage therapist.
What it is not: The full spa experience. Or a group large enough to offer several services.
Overall I would give this 2 stars if it wasn’t for the exceptional massage. They could definitely make a few improvements, like not booking clients back-​to-​back. Because the massage therapists also act as receptionists, there ends up being little delays here and there which add up.

Wow! No, not the good kind.
Well, I picked up a 1 hour massage here from Groupon. It was $ 35 which is typically a really great price for a good massage. Unfortunately, I’m not sure it was such a great price for what I got.
After picking up the Groupon, I attempted to schedule an appointment. I had a difficult time getting through on the phone. I left messages and received a return call, however, it was awkward and for some reason it seemed as though we struggled to understand each other. I was finally able to make an appointment that worked for me.
The location itself is not particularly confidence inspiring from the outside. When I arrived, the door was locked. I did receive a phone call from the owner saying she was running late. She arrived 15 minutes after the start time of the appointment and let me in. The inside is certainly a bit better looking and there is a waiting area. I wasn’t super excited to fill out all the personal info requested on the forms. The owner was talking on the phone with someone else, loudly for a while.
I was lead to a room for the massage eventually. Most of the questions I was asked seemed aimed at getting me to sign up for a regular massage package. I disrobed and got on the table. During the massage, there was a lot of talking and asking of questions that I found distracting and in some cases, awkward. I was asked about my dating status and for details. There were times when I felt that perhaps not enough of the top sheet was covering me. At one such time, someone who was presumably another worker there, opened the door and entered into a conversation with the owner during my massage. At another time, the masseuse took a phone call with one hand and continued the massage with the other. Her fingers were a bit scratchy as well. At times, I felt they came a bit too close to certain areas for my complete comfort due to being on edge given the other circumstances.
We had started very late, and yet we ended up close to on time, which meant that I did not get my full massage time. When I dressed and walked out, the owner and worker were having a conversation in the other room, so I started to see myself out. She saw me and approached, asking for a tip (I had already left one). Then she told me that we could negotiate a price I was comfortable with that would allow me to come once or twice a month on an ongoing basis.