The Ruby Spa

I have been to Ruby Spa three times now over the past year. I originally purchased a group for a one hour massage and thereafter purchased a second deal from them directly and again later purchased a third deal directly. Here are my pros and cons:
Pros:
— I do have to say that I love the ease of booking online and not having to call in.
— Love that she gives you a full hour of massage and does not deduct actually massage time from your minutes of undressing and dressing.
— The rates are fairly decent for New York City
— The space is private, quaint and warm. Also, enjoy the relaxing music.
Con:
— Fortunately I only have one and that would be my personal preference of preferring a firm kneading (palm) type of pressure vs finger tips being used.
None the less, I would still return in addition to my regular place.

jin is an amazing masseuse and an incredibly sweet/​kind person. i honestly don’t go anywhere else for my massages. she always starts on time (if not early) and takes good care of you throughout the appointment (she always asks whether the pressure is OK, whether i am comfortable, etc). the manager, marty, is also incredibly friendly and kind.
re: the location/​scheduling:
(1) the facilities are right on 32^nd and 5^th in a very clean suite. everything is super accessible.
(2) they now have online booking, which makes scheduling really easy. since jin is the main masseuse, this isn’t one of those places where there’s a ton of last-​minute availability — i typically book my massages ~2 weeks in advance — but it’s definitely, definitely worth it.
i’ve been going to jin for the past six months and just purchased another six-​pack. i am so glad i found this place and i highly recommend jin to anyone!

I purchased a Groupon for this spa. You have to schedule your appointment through email and so there’s a bit of going back and forth although Jin does answer fairly quickly. The other issue is that they have somewhat odd hours and morning appointments (which I prefer) are a bit hard to come by.
The first appointment I had to reschedule since I was terribly ill. I was able to email her within the 48 hour time frame required; she didn’t answer immediately but when she did, she was very polite about it.
When I came for my rescheduled appointment, I first went to the wrong room; apparently they had changed rooms from what was on my Groupon although luckily it was in the same building. When I got to the proper room, no one was around. I had to wait nearly half an hour to start while Jin finished up with another client and then changed the room. The woman ahead of me seemed to be a regular client but I’m not exactly sure why she was running so behind. I’m glad that I hadn’t scheduled something right after my appointment or I would have been in real trouble.
The massage itself was excellent. In fact it was one of the best I’ve ever had. As I was leaving, Jin asked if I wanted to buy another massage at a discount good for that day only. I definitely would have if the customer service had been better. I think that once Jin is able to get her business off the ground, this will be an excellent place but for now it’s such a small operation that I prefer to go to more established places.

I wish I would give them zero or negative points instead of 1 start (but Unilocal only goes as low as one star).
Terrible, terrible, terrible customer service. I got a massage here once and was sold a «half price» coupon. valid for a year. It has been 6 months since I got the coupon and I have been trying to get an appointment for a massage again for 3 months now. I have called almost 50 times in the duration, and also texted and emailed the place several times. Marty finally called me one day and gave me appointments for June, but did not send me a confirmation email. Since then, I have been trying again to call, text, email almost everyday but again no response from the business or Marty. Last time I heard from Marty, he said they were on vacation and so he could not get back to me, but then, hey, let people know through your website /​voicemail that you will be unavailable. The voicemail still talks about them having «just returned from vacation» and that appointments being available from «tomorrow, June 3^rd» (it is June 20^th today)!!
They seriously need to get more professional. I mean, how hard is it to pick up your phone and talk for a minute. And, if you are so busy, either get some help for answering phone, scheduling appointment or CLOSE your business!!!
Jin is a great masseuse, but not worth the trouble. I think this business will close down soon looking at the negative reviews and poor customer service they have.
My advice: Don’t bother getting coupons for this place or planning for a massage here. The stress of just getting an appointment (or even a response) is not worth it. There are many places in the city that do a much better job or providing relaxing, stress-​free massages and customer service.

Here’s the deal — this is currently a VERY small operation. They put up a groupon deal and did themselves a great service, while also doing themselves a big disservice because they just don’t have the man power to handle the huge overflow of business.
Once we finally got our appointments scheduled, we had really great massages. She asked what kindof pressure I was looking for and was great at concentrating on the areas I had marked on the sheet ahead of time. Professional and strong. I enjoyed it.
We chatted with the guy in front and he said they are working on getting a better online calendar for easier appointment booking which should be up by next month and they are also adding one more massage therapist so more times will be available. I liked it.

2 stars for the truly terrible customer service. They’re nearly impossible to get in touch with — they «didn’t receive» my email or don’t answer the phone (and return the call days later). The fact that they’re not open every day makes communication extremely difficult — by the time you respond to their email the appointment you want is booked. Honestly not worth the hassle.
I do appreciate that they honored my expired groupon (though that wouldn’t have been an issue if it didn’t take me months to schedule…)
When I finally received my massage it was a very pleasant experience, everyone was friendly and the masseuse was great.
Unfortunately I still would not recommend because of the truly deplorable scheduling situation.

Masseuse (Jin) was actually amazing — but as all the other reviewers said — horrible customer service. I have called and emailed them 3 times over 2 months to use my package and no response. I’m a little worried they have run off with $ 120 — has anyone been able to reach them in the past month? I can’t even contact them to get a refund at this point.
I should’ve purchased it via Groupon, because at least I’d have protection from them acting on my behalf. Instead, I bought the 2 for $ 120 from Jin after my first massage, and the only record I have of it is the piece of paper she gave me.
TLDR: Massages are great, but actually getting an appointment is near impossible. There are other places with great masseuses AND let you book appointments/​at least acknowledge your requests.

Horrible customer service. No answering at the phone.
Almost impossible to get an appointment in a reasonable timeframe.
I finally got an appointment and I needed to cancel it for personal reasons. Sent an email 2 days in advance (no answer or confirmation for the cancellation), call them (no answer), sent text message (no answer)…I decided to go to the appointment anyway to no lose my money (bought a groupon) and no one was there, then I sent another text to inform them and they finally text me back saying they cancelled my appointment. Very unprofessional.
If you feel lucky try to book, maybe the massage is good. For me not worth trying again.

Bought a Groupon certificate for my sister and mom. They both loved the individualized attention, small place, no bells and whistles but the place was clean, calm and quiet. Would definitely buy another voucher for them again (or even or myself!)

Returned to the new location of Ruby Spa (same building, Suite 514) to redeem my 2^nd deal (50% off), and I left feeling completely relaxed and pleased.
Pros:
* Marty Rose, manager of Ruby Spa, immediately messaged me to apologize in response to my prior review regarding a lack of customer service. I noticed that my observation was not alone, so I do hope that this has been improved since Jin is a phenomenal masseuse. It’s unfortunate that all the negative reviews are pretty much about the shoddy customer service. In my experience, calling to secure an appointment has been way more successful than emails.
* The current studio, which has an additional private room, is as spotless and immaculate as the old one.
* My thoughts on Jin’s massage, has not wavered. My 2^nd time, was again, spectacular. She expertly massaged my shoulder and neck knots away. Jin also keeps the session dynamic by trying out various techniques (having you lay on your side or further down the table) and offering hot stone massage.
* My boyfriend was so happy that he also purchased a 50% off deal right away
Thank you Jin, will be returning!

Jin is a good masseuse. She should be given more than 1 star. The management is not great. I purchased a package of 5 massages and used 2 so far. I have been trying to make appointments with the Ruby Spa for about 2 months now. I call 3 times a week leaving messages, emailing them, trying to create appointments via their website, etc and NEVER get a call or email back. I will be pursuing to get refunded for my unused massages because this is unprofessional and a bad way to run a business. My recommendation is to get a massage from a different place. Jin is great, but it is not worth all the hassle (and money wasted) for trying to deal with booking appointments.

Horrible customer service. No working phone number to schedule appointments so customers must submit an online inquiry. I waited 7 days to get an email response to my inquiry. Then through 8 email exchanges, went back and forth on dates and appointment times. After 3 times being given a selection of dates and appointment times that were no longer available by the time I was able to respond, I was finally able to secure a ‘tentative’ appointment that would not be confirmed until I provided a Groupon voucher code, which I had already provided in my orginial inquiry. Completely frustrating and a waste of time which could all be avoided by being able to use the phone to make an appointment. Thanks to Groupon and Lifebooker there are many options for a good inexpensive massage. Pick a different one and avoid the headache.
Update — After this message was originally posted, I was ‘tracked down’ by the manager to discuss. He even mentioned that he would be ‘reaching out to Unilocal’ to find out who posted this review. By design, because I share an account with my husband, and in protection of my privacy, my Unilocal profile does not exactly match my actual name. As such, I was alarmed to receive an accusatory call, which was, in the Manager’s explanation, a ‘courtesy call’ to ensure my satisfaction. Little courtesy was actually extended and instead we debated the language of this review.
Perhaps the service providers at Ruby are good, but to me, dealing with this is more trouble than it is worth, so I have cancelled my appointment. I also take great discomfort in any business that seeks to penetrate privacy in our identity.
A business is welcome to contact a user through Unilocal,or respond publicly. I think it is inappopriate and risky to contact clients directly.

Anyone know if this place is been shut down? Trying to make an appointment and have called for like a week but no one answered. I still have seven massages left in my package!

Ok.
The lady who did my massage here was phenomenal.
She was courteous, accommodating, professional, friendly, etc. I really liked her a lot.
Room was sufficient. Massage table very comfortable. She does massage while you’re laying on your side too. That’s different & memorable. It went well.
Her technique was perfect. She did well with my feet within the massage. I hate my feet touched unless it’s with firm pressure, which she succeeded at doing. Knots were taken out of my back & I was extremely relaxed & comfortable.
She was amazing.
That is all.

I’ve had a great experience at Ruby Spa. You can schedule appointments via email and whoever manages the emails are very responsive — I’ve had responses at 10pm on a Saturday before.
Jin is extremely professional, and the location itself is very nice. It isn’t really a lavender and waterfall spa — the interior is very simple but Jin is very professional and generally awesome.
There’s not much to say — if you’re in the market for a new masseuse, this is definitely the place!

After being disappointed by most of the massage places I’ve tried in Manhattan and reading the reviews for this place, I got a $ 40 groupon deal for 60 minute massage of your choice. This is the best massage place ever!
The décor and the concept of one massage at a time by only one masseuse gives a personal feel as against others spas that make it look more like a business. Jin did a wonderful job and was very professional.
I gave her a generous $ 20 tip because she deserved it. It easily went over 60 minutes, and was totally worth it!
Tip: Definitely try the hot stone massage.

Jin… AMAZING!!!
The place is very petite and small but you know what, it’s very comforting and peaceful and most of all, clean; it’s not commercial and large like The Spa Castle. If you are looking for a place that has a peaceful aura, music playing, smells good, minimal interruptions, no TALKING and an amazing, quality massage, this is the place. This is for someone who really just wants to have his/​her «me-​time».
Jin has amazing hands and she is very sweet. I left her a great tip and would’ve left more because she was that good.
I will be back. :) They have a deal where you purchase 5 massages for $ 200 bucks. I think I will definitely purchase since they are taking 100 dollars off; 1 massage is $ 60 times 5= $ 300. Not a bad deal at all.

I came here for a 60 minute swedish massage and hot stone therapy session. Jin was very intuitive and applied the right amount of pressure and concentrated on the necessary tensed up areas.
I’m thinking it would be well worth it to purchase the 5 pack (60 minute massages) for $ 200.

One of the best massages I got in New York City. This is a no frill place but the best massage. Jin used the right amount of pressure needed for my deep knots which was soothing at the same time.
I bought 3 massages groupon coupon and it is worth each penny.
I wish I had bought one for my husband also, alas.

This is for the $ 30 60-​minute massage package from Groupon–
I’m literally walking out the door of the best massage I’ve ever had. First off, I bought my groupon Friday and got my appointment Sunday. That never happens.
Next, the location is great. Flatiron is so easily accessible.
The office is in a commercial and residential building and it’s very basic. I came 15 minutes early and filled out a quick form. After that and changing sheets from another massage, Jin started the massage at 1:10pm. We weren’t done until 2:20pm. Wonderful.
The pressure was amazing. She used hot stones on me (asked first) and it was honestly just amazing. Her phone went off at one point and she apologized immensely. Didn’t bother me at all but she was so sweet.
I would really really recommend this to anyone. Jin was amazing and worth way more than $ 30. I tipped her $ 20 because she deserved it. Please go and enjoy this amazing massage. It definitely made a full-​time customer out of me.