Tao Spa

In my 3 day visit to NOLA, I noted this place for foot reflexology plus more at least 2x daily. On the last day, my right foot was dragging dangerously from «foot drop», symptom of multiple sclerosis. I walked in and had a wonderful treatment with both feet. The half hour appt lasted 45… ahh…I walked out without using my cane. Thank you. I will do this regularly back home.

This salon is one of the cleanest along the strip. I can’t confirm the licenses of anyone who works there sabotaging is posted besides payment options & proving. #whomp
Regardless of what you get, the prices are the same. I requested the foot/​body combo for 50 minutes. Their pricing really doesn’t make sense when you do the math from one length of time to the other. The lady explained it was 20 mins on feet & 30 on body. It was pulling teeth when we insisted on 10 mins on feet & 40 minutes on body.
When they do your foot massage, you are seated in black leather recliner (which should be BrookStone massaging chairs). The chairs are prepped with white towel that they do not change between clients. The foot massage is done by hand and it’s decent
You then move to the table for the body massage. There is an open partition but no real privacy as you are out in the open. Due to the body massage station being in the open, you are fully clothed during your massage. Fully clothed and then they cover you with towels so the process is not as deep & effective as you’d like. We got a couple massage & the massages would have been relaxing if the therapists would have kindly shut their traps. They talked in Chinese the entire time. No, not whisper, just chatting it up. We just did our best tuning them out. After the massage is over, they rush you off the table and out the door.
I’m used to a different level of service & skill set so this place only gets 3 stars from me.

I think this place is great for what it offers. I mean don’t expect a pampering experience but these folks know their reflexology. The first time I use their services I was eight months pregnant and had been walking around the city all day. The gentleman that worked on my feet and legs was amazing! I returned on the second visit with my sister and she enjoyed it too. The full body massage I had was really good and just what I needed.
Hi atmosphere isn’t the best but it’s what you pay for. You get in quick you get a good service and then you walk him out to continue on with your day. And the prices are good.

We asked for a full body, they gave us a foot massage. When we realized they were doing the wrong one, we asked them to switch, and they wanted us to pay for both services.
A professional place would realize they made a mistake and give us the body massage. We even wanted to compromise and said we’d pay a discounted rate for it, but they wanted close to full price.
There’s a lot spas around the area. I’d recommend a different one.

I truly made a huge mistake coming here. Worst service ever. I came to get a pedicure with my sister and walked in and sat down in the chair and waited 30 long minutes. She started to do my pedicure and then a guy came in wanting a manicure so she got up and did his WHOLE manicure leaving us sitting here. Meanwhile, the guy doing pedis next to us finished his customer and I thought he would start on my sister but instead he started on the girl who walked in and demanded hers be done immediately. Now. to the actual pedicure… SHIT! Lasted 5 minutes. Oh and one more thing… they use the same tools on everyone without sanitizing them.

I got a 30 minute head, neck, and shoulder chair massage tonight from Michael and it was great. He really focused on the knots I have by my shoulder blades. After finishing what I guess is their standard massage procedure, he went back to my problem areas and really worked them out. Towards the end, he did a stronger massage on my lower back that actually made me crack and it felt really good. He also asked a couple of times if I was doing ok. He was very nice. I went at about 8pm and it was very nice and relaxing. The place is very clean. I think I might start going once a month.

Service was very fast which is more than I can say about N. O service. Massage was good for price.

The 90 full body massage was strong and good however, the draping technique needed help. Towards the end of the massage, when I was told to flip over, the towel needed to be adjusted by me. You could tell the masseur was a smoker when he worked on my face. You could smell it on his fingers. Ruined the whole experience for me.
Tip for anyone going to this place, first ask if they are a smoker and you may want to brush up on your Chinese to communicate with them.

Great foot massage after lots of walking. Relieved my foot pain. Nice, clean facility. Staff speaks limited English but the signs are pretty clear and Google Translate can always help. :)

They use plastic gloves when giving a massage, even after dousing you with rubbing alcohol. Apparently they thought I was a leper but they kept pestering me to buy a half hour full body massage. The foot massage itself would have been adequate if they hadn’t used lunch lady gloves, but they did and it was literally irritating.

This four-​star rating is graded on a curve. The bar is so unbelievably low for this area. (See my other reviews for a comedy show.)
Anyway this massage parlor is serviceable. Much cleaner than other locations. Some of the masseuses have a sense of what they are doing, although that is random.

Two thumbs up. I’ve been here three times now. I had Grelin (sp?) and he’s awesome. He used the right amount of pressure (I like deep tissue) and he really zeroed in on my knotted shoulder/​neck muscles just as I requested. He took his time… some (as compared to other massages I’ve had in my lifetime) tend to be brusque and efficient… and Grelin used his thumbs a lot which I like… some tend to use more heavy pressure and elbows/​arms but he had super strong fingers! I’ve planned to go back until I leave here… bliss!
Minus 1 star just for the acoustic surrounding… everything echoes because of the tile (?) flooring.

Great experience. We had 60 minute hot stone massage and 30 minute foot massage. The value for the money was unbelievable. Too bad we’re leaving tomorrow or we’d be going back.
The staff did seem to have somewhat of a language barrier but they were so friendly that it didn’t creep us out.
I liked the fact that it was focused on my back like I asked her too. The hot stones added.

I was having severe bilateral spasms radiating into my elbow when I decided to skip the doctor & try a 30 minute chair massage on my lunch hour. Mike was incredible and picked up on all my sore spots. I felt so much more energetic going back to work! When the spasms creep back up, there I’ll be until they’re resolved. I highly recommend them whether for an injury or for those days when work is getting to you & you need to relax. I came back to work with flyers!

My obervations: Clean. Efficient. They don’t scrimp on the pressure. Have nice Asian music. English is not very well spoke or understood. Good variety of services: foot, full body, chair, pedicure… Walk in welcome. Yes, they talk to each other. There is a basket you can put your belongings in, and it’s always in full site– even if you are getting a table massage. Also, have opened doors half way through my visit. (I think trying to drum up business. So the parade noise and smell seeps in. That’s fine, I’m here for the price and pressure!
In sum: here on vaca and hubby and I will probably return everyday.

Don’t come here to be pampered– come here to be repaired. I spent 10 years as a competitive figure skating (ISI FS 7/​8, USFSA Novice) so my back is all kinds of messed up. I grew up with intense soviet massages that while at times uncomfortable actually resolved the problems I was having– this type of massage doesn’t exist in NOLA but Jack’s massages are the next best thing. If you want someone to really dig it and help deal with problems like mild dysplasia (in my case hips), JACK is your man!
Jack is amazing at truly deep tissues massages. And when he’s done massaging you he will also offer to crack your back, neck and hips if he feels you need it. I imagine he doesn’t crack a lot of hips but with my dysplasia he was able to massage deeply enough to push them back into place– I can feel the benefits for weeks afterwards. This isn’t like getting cracked at the chiro, its more akin to the soviet style where they massage so deeply that you will often hear some cracks. If you are game for it he will also truly crack your back like you never thought it could!
This is *not a spa* as the name suggests! Don’t expect quiet and serenity. The chair & reflexology massages are done in one big open room. Table massages are in small rooms with curtains for doors. If you want a table massage do what I did– wear a sports bra and some base layer shorts (ie Nike Pros) since the rooms aren’t as private as one would hope. When I get a chair massage there I wear a tank top & gym shorts to allow Jack as much skin as possible while maintaining my modesty.
You will hear street noise, you will hear other customers. But like I said, you are coming here to get FIXED not to be coddled.

Came in with 5 other people. We all had a different massage person and got foot reflexology and full body massages. It was amazing. After walking around all day my feet feel 100xs better. Excellent spa!