Nirvana Wellness Spa

VERY DISAPPOINTING… I usually don’t write bad reviews but this place deserves one. Nirvana is usually my go to when I make spontaneous decisions to get a massage. I remembered there was a new location in germantown so I stopped by. When I pulled up to the location there was a woman outside smoking which I was hoping didn’t work at nirvana hence it is a «wellness spa» not somewhere to get choked up with second-​hand smoke. She greeted me and was very nice and asked if I had an appointment and I told her I didn’t so I filled out the paperwork and she told me that someone would be with me within 10 – 15 minutes. There was nobody there I figured they had to prep. after waiting 15 plus minutes a woman walks in and says that she has an appointment at 3 and after the receptionist finished with her she asked me if I had an appointment and told me that I had to wait another 15 minutes. And asked if I wanted to come back. UMM. no I will not be coming back.
My recommendation would be to drive down to the location off shady grove location or find another spa.

This new location is pretty awesome. I usually go to the one off of Shady Grove but the Germantown location was having a special so I decided why not? I read that they had private rooms and was curious to see the new place.
The place wasn’t the easiest to find but it may be because I’ve never been to the shopping center. I don’t live in Germantown but I am familiar with the area. The shopping area is relatively new so I just popped it in my GPS. There were ample parking spaces (I snagged the one right in front) so I didn’t have to waste anytime circling around.
The entrance area was pretty nice. It’s different since it’s a little closed off. The waiting area was nice as well as the receptionist. My therapist was quite friendly and brought me to the room. Now, when they said private. this place does have 4 walls and a door but the walls are not floor to ceiling…
My therapist was a amazing at getting out the kinks from the week. The room was nice but I could still smell the paint or drywall a little. Perhaps if a candle was lit or an air freshener may have helped. To be honest, I wouldn’t have noticed much or anything at all if it wasn’t for the person snoring in the room somewhere around me. It sucks that walls don’t touch the ceiling so you can still hear the other clients.
I only gave 4 stars perhaps because my loyalty lies in the shady grove location. I love Nirvana but I thought the experience was going to be so much better. I suppose in the other location, since there aren’t any private rooms, I expect the minor disturbances but didn’t when I came here. OBVIOUSLY they are doing something right if someone is sleeping ;) If I lived in Germantown, I would still continue to go to this location but since I don’t, I’m going to stick with the Shady Grove location.

Booked this with 3 friends for one of their weddings. Had mixed feelings based on the reviews but the price was right so i decided to give it a try. It was absolutely worth it. It was so quiet and peaceful when i walked in. They brought into a room and said penny would be right with me. I day down in a big comfy couch and a few seconds later an Asian woman came in carrying a tub of warm water for my feet. While you are fully dressed, it’s still just as relaxing. Penny worked my face, neck, arms, fingers, legs, and then my back. First she does your neck and arms and then your legs and feet. One thing that was annoying, she left in the middle of my massage to get a warm washcloth and left the door open, the. hallway light was harsh and distracting. Finally you turn over for your back, which isn’t as slow, soft or relaxing. They use their elbows and it can be a little painful at times, but in a good way. I came out of there very relaxed. I would definitely go there again!

WOW! Whole body reflexology!
This is not like your traditional Swedish massage… it’s more rigorous and divine. You’re completely clothed (wear soft clothing), and begin with a tea infused foot soak designed to draw out toxins. After that the massage begins, with the therapist always manipulating the blood flow in your legs and arms toward your heart, where additional toxins are drawn out.
Ask for Selena! She has the strongest hands I’ve ever felt. I went for a two hour massage and she kept up the same pressure throughout. Heaven!
The spa is very clean and the reception area well designed. I’ve given four stars instead of five because the pricing is not always clear, and the receptionists (aside from the owner), not always knowledgeable. Aside from that – GO! Treat yourself to a wonderful invigorating massage!

Nice experience. I’ll definitely be back.

I really wanted to like this place…
I had a coworker who said she had gone there and she liked it and when I saw a Groupon for a signature massage for $ 20 off their normal price I booked 2, one for me and one for my husband. When we got there they had us fill out a «massage is only for relaxation, not a medical treatment blah blah blah» form and asked us what kind of pressure we would like. I indicated medium, as did my husband. We were immediately taken back to a small dark room. The massage therapist didn’t speak much English, but I expected that, having read the other reviews. The warm foot bath was nice and she worked on my head, scalp, neck while my feet soaked. One small annoyance was that the relaxing music kept cutting out, which made it the opposite of relaxing. At one point it just went out all together and didn’t come back on. She worked on each arm and hand, which felt pretty nice. After my foot soak, she started massaging the feet. She focused primarily on the feet and only did my lower legs a few times. I did appreciate the fact that when I told her not to massage near my knees (I have an old knee injury that makes me freak out if anyone touches my knees) she did comply. The pressure on the feet was pretty firm, but felt good. She then had me flip over and started on my back. This is where everything went wrong. First she was basically just shoving her pointy little elbows into my rhomboids and scapular muscles. Every once in a while she would drag her forearm along my spine also. Aside from the excruciating pain of being jabbed by the elbow, the massage was very haphazard. Like it didn’t have any rhythm or flow to it. She jumped from massaging one part to a totally different part and using different «techniques» (if that’s what you call it) so it was quite jarring. I would have preferred a more predictable approach, like staring at the top of my back and moving down, so that I could relax with it. Of course that would assume the while thing wasn’t painful. She also seemed to jab her elbows into my left side more so than my right. Not a very even massage. At the end she did my scalp briefly again, and that was it. It was a full hour, and she brought me a cup of water at the end. I had been running late and didn’t get a chance to stop by an ATM for a tip, but I was able to charge it. I did tip normally even though I didn’t enjoy the massage, mainly because I have family that live off of tips so I know how important they are, but I don’t think I will be coming back. My husband’s experience was identical to mine.
So 2 stars for not touching my knees, massaging everything but my back well, and letting me charge my tip. Maybe my husband and I just got bad therapists, and the others are better. But this was my experience and what I have as a basis of my review.

I visited Nirvana spa a couple of weeks ago, and I still can’t get over my disappointment with the front desk service.
I was very pleased with the location and the place is very clean and nicely decorated. I enjoy the quiet relaxing music playing while getting my massage. I got the 75 minute service, it was very relaxing and I walked away feeling relaxed. My problem with this place was the unprofessional receptionist. When she called for my massage therapist, she opened the rooms hallway door and screamed her name. When I came out of my massage, I found the front desk person laying/​sleeping on one of the lobby couches! When I offered to give her the money for my therapist tip, she said go ahead, go back and give it to her yourself. Another minor problem is that I could hear thru the walls music playing from next door businesses. Overall, I would return because I really enjoyed my reflexology massage, but I do hope the front desk service improves.

I was looking for an affordable place to get a massage. I saw a Groupon come across my email that mentioned a massage in the Germantown area so I had to purchase it since it was close to home and affordable.
When I called to make my appointment that is when I was told you keep your clothes on for the massage and that it is not your typical Swedish massage but an acupressure reflexology massage. I was surprised but continued with booking the appointment; I figured it couldn’t be that bad. If you do go here for a massage, I recommend wearing shorts and tank top/​sleeveless shirt.
I arrived for my appointment and really liked how the waiting area was decorated with the purple couch and chandelier. I was asked would pressure I would like and I told the receptionist medium pressure. I was taken right away to the massage room. I wasn’t told the name of the therapist and I forgot to ask. She didn’t speak much English. They had soft music playing in the background. I was instructed to put my feet in the bucket of water. I wish the water was a bit warmer. As for the massage a lot of time was spent on my feet, hardly anytime on my legs. I did like her massaging my face, neck and scalp as some places don’t do that at all. As for my back, the massage consisted of her pushing her elbow up and down my back and that was it. I was very disappointment as I really wanted my back to be worked on. I wished I would have known about this place before purchasing the Groupon. Lastly, they have a sign posted on the room door stating the minimum tip is $ 10. If I ever need a good foot massage, I would definitely go back but for an overall massage not what I’m looking for.

I was at Minerva last week and got their Signature Massage. My reflexologist was James, who is extremely skilled and experienced at what he does. The spa is nice and clean, and the receptionist is friendly.
At Minerva you’d expect to receive TCM (traditional chinese medicine) style massage for the upper body, and reflexology for the feet and calves — not the typical western style deep tissue or Swedish massage. But I can honestly say that after the massage I felt very, very good! James was a traditional Chinese doctor back in China, and because of lack of English fluency, he started practicing Chinese massage only in the States. But don’t let his English deter you from using his as your reflexologist; he is so skilled at what he does, that he is able to find where you need to be worked on, or even places you are not aware that need work.
Tip:
For a 60-​minute massage, expect to have the feet, calves, lower/​upper back, and neck/​head to be worked on. For more work in other areas one should book a 75 or 90-​minute massage. But they will not work on your pectoral muscles or abdomen. Also, Minerva has a policy of clients keep their clothes on during the massage. So if you like reflexologist to get a better contact on your skin, wear shorts and tank-​top or T-​shirt to the spa. Of course I can see that being a problem during the winter months.
I am giving Minerva at Germantown a 4 stars instead of 5 because there was no ambient music playing when I was there. A spa should have nice and relaxing music in the background at all times. Also, during the beginning of the session I had my feet in the bucket of hot water while lying on my back on the massage table. I find that strains my back. But next time I will tell James about this and I am sure he will be able to accommodate me a different way.
Overall I am very happy with the place and consider purchasing a 10-​hour package there.

Will not be back!
I bought a groupon for my mom for Mother’s day and I decided to take her last Sunday. It was our first time there so upon arrival she asked for medium pressure… She came out complaining of the pain because apparently the lady who took care of her applied hard pressure. Also, my mom told me the lady did not speak English and whenever my mom tried to tell her something she would say «NO ENGLISH NO ENGLISH» and kept doing the massage. When my mom asked her to massage her neck she said «later later» and never got to it.
Then the part that pissed me off the most is when she was finally done with my mom, all the cash she had was 5 bucks. (after such a horrible job she did not deserve a tip) but my mom tried to tip her and she refused to take it and pointed at a sign that said $ 10 dollars.
and she kept saying 10 10 10 so since she didn’t want to take the tip my mom took it back and left. When we were about to leave the receptionist asked if we were going to leave a tip and since she asked my mom decided to leave a $ 5 tip with the receptionist.
Overall, worst experience we have ever had, especially my mom, who has been to different spas around the area.

I finally redeemed my groupon and I was pleased. The décor is nice. Very posh and upscale. I love the velvet purple sofas! All the furniture looked very modern and very chic. This is how a spa should look like. The employees are very nice. There are many private rooms, and the whole place smells good. Time is never an issue. My appt is for x… and thats the time that it is. My service was for a full one hour massage. My massager, was Julie, very sweet and nice though it was tough understanding her. She asked what pressure did I like, and I told her. My foot soak was waiting for me. It was lukewarm. I wish that it was a bit warmer. And more light so I can see what my little piggies are swimming in. The music is nice and very tranquil. I love the lotion she used on me and silly me for not asking what was the lotion she used. It wasnt too scented, nor was it greasy. The whole experience was relaxing. No one barging in or interrupting like some places. No cellys or tellys ringing. I hate that. I am giving this place 3 stars because I felt that my tech was very all over the place when it came to accupressure and not consistant. Her strokes were very hard at times to the point of where I almost screamed. The whole process left me feeling good. Im not feeling like I was twisted like a pretzel. My chiropractor likes to do that and Im left in pain for days. Another thing I like is that I wasnt pressure like Massage Envy tends to do, to buy packages or anything. Overall, I will try this place again, maybe give my tech another chance or try Jin, since I hear a lot of great reviews about him.

I’ve had many massages from many different places in the past and decided to try nirvana out as there was a groupon for it online and it was New and close to home. I was extremely disappointed in the entire service, my «therapist» didn’t speak any English, like AT ALL, and I just felt like she was going through the motions. I couldn’t communicate with her at all because of this language barrier, kept all of my clothes on the entire service unlike other places, and one minute the pressure was too little then too much. I did love the tea foot bath feature as I’ve never had this before but again a problem as I felt like I was putting my feet into a boiling kettle of water and it took multiple tries before getting an even bearable temperature.
I expect my therapist to talk to me about my problem areas, as this is stated on their release form, but she didn’t speak any English and simple questions and requests during the service went unanswered. Also if its their policy to not remove clothes during the service I expect someone to mention this when im on the phone making my appointment instead of coming in full yoga pants and a sweatshirt. I will not be coming back here.

Had a great massage! Good pressure, very thorough. Nice people. Would have liked the water to be a nit warmer. It was a really good experience. I just walked in and got an appointment right away.

love love love. stopped by this past week to check out the place and the place is modern, and chic. the staff are sweet and services are great. i would definitely come back. I’ve been going to the one in Rockville so when i heard this opened i was excited! i recommend you call and make an appointment.

I’ve been to the Shady Grove and Rockville Pike locations but this NEW place is the bomb! Close to Wegmans with plenty of parking and the site is definitely very new and modern with private rooms.
I selected Susy for my first visit and she certainly got the kinks out!
$ 45 is a steal here… I certainly hope that rate stands for all of us regular patrons.
Feeling refreshed afterwards and parked close by. Yeah… why shouldn’t I go to Wegmans and get a bite to eat at the Café.
I definitely recommend giving this place a try!

Fantastic spa, fantastic location. As soon as you walk in the door, the beautiful décor and tranquil music put you in the perfect mental state. I had a 1-​hour treatment with Suzy and found her to be very skilled and focused, especially regarding pressure and trouble spots. From the time I walked in to the time I left I felt very comfortable and relaxed, exactly what I was looking for. This place is worth every penny and considering it is in a location near so many places where I frequently shop (next to the new Wegmans!) I’m sure I’ll be a frequent customer.

I had a 1 hour full body treatment massage at Nirvana. And I have to say, this was probably the best massage I’ve ever had. The gentleman who worked on me was extremely professional and knew how much pressure to apply. In addition their place was very pleasant, the lighting, décor and sound was very relaxing ! I highly recommend this place. Also it’s very cost effective !! Two thumbs up !!! Must go and check it them out

Six Stars!!! I’ve been a loyal fan of Nirvana since the very beginning and I must say this was one of the nicer places out of all the spas I’ve been to. The facility is beautiful and I truly love the crystal chandeliers and velvet purple sofas in the waiting area. There are many private rooms in which I found very relaxing and serene compared to their other locations. Jin IS my therapist and he gives me some pretty amazing kick ass massages. Firm pressure was what I asked for and firm pressure was exactly what I needed! I’m a brand new woman every time I step out of there.
On a separate note, not just for nirvana, but other day spas as well: it’s customary to tip masseurs 18% or more. It is a service. I’ve seen reviews for all sorts of spas where people didn’t tip because it was a groupon deal or whatever. That’s pretty rude. This person spent a certain amount of time straining over your body and you can’t even show a little appreciation? Would you not tip your server at a restaurant either?