Laurelhurst Massage Therapy

After driving my car for 25+ hrs over 3 days, I decided that I owed my body a massage. I made an appointment with Greg and he got me in within a week. He was nice and professional and I feel sooooo much better. The facilities are great too. There’s a dry sauna and a big shower with three different heads. I will definitely be back!

If you like a deep massage you will like this place. It is not fancy but is clean and comfortable. I like to get massages mostly when travel internationally because Americans tend to not put their muscle into it (in my opinion). This place is the exception to the rule and the best massage I have had by an American despite having had many so called 5 star spa massages.

I booked a couples massage for myself and my partner. We loved our massages from Rick and Gary, and particularly enjoyed the sauna and shower that’ve been discussed. Gary did my massage, and was wonderfully communicative. If you’ve never had a massage before, this is the best introduction you could want. If you are a massage regular, you’ll appreciate the level of communication and customization that Rick and Gary provide.

Rick and Gary are very professional and offer more than just a massage in some tiny room. Like the previous reviewer said Rick is lighter and Gary a bit more heavy, perfect for me and my partner. The facilities are great and the environment relaxing and comfortable, and both Rick and Gary are very personable. I would highly recommend them for either one or a couples massage.

This place is a real hidden gem. My partner and I got a recommendation to try them, and we went ahead, despite the mediocre Unilocal review already here. Glad we did. My partner likes light massage (he went with Rick) and I like deeper (Gary does deeper). The facilities include a dry sauna and a huge shower with many nozzles. It was kind of amazing, and the prices were fair. This place is special.

Laurelhurst Massage Therapy was massage #2 for me in my quest to burn up my medical flex spending account for the year. Since I’m new to the whole world of professional massages, I wanted to try a variety of places so I could get a feel for what constitutes a great massage — at least from my perspective.
Feel free to read my previous review of Abundant Healing Massage for the full scoop on what my personal requirements were for finding a massage therapist. I found Laurelhurst Massage Therapy in the classified ads from Just Out as well, and set an appointment with Rick Sullivan, LMT for this past Sunday.
My 90-​minute massage (for $ 90, cash or checks only) at Laurelhurst Massage was a very different type from the first one I had a week ago at Abundant Healing. Rick’s focus is primarily in relaxation, and the massage was a much milder, softer experience without the emphasis on deep tissue that I’d previously experienced. I found the massage really enjoyable… I even almost drifted off to sleep at one point. However, I didn’t really feel like my body had been «worked» when I left the session. I was mellow and happy, and I can imagine that I might want to have this lighter type of massage at certain times… but it wasn’t the mind-​blowing experience I’d had last week. That’s probably a good thing, because I can see how too many mind-​blowing, deep massages could actually kind of mess your body up if they were too close together.
Some interesting choices available from this studio that I did not pursue this time included the option of a 4-​hand tandem massage, where two masseurs work on your body simultaneously, or a couples massage, where you and your partner/​spouse/​friend can have a massage together.
I think what I liked the most about Laurelhurst Massage was the studio itself. It’s in a small building behind the house on Stark Street… it looks like it might have once been a detached garage but was renovated into the current studio. There is a dry sauna and an exotic shower facility available for use both before and after your appointment. The shower is one of those multi-​spray types and was really quite enjoyable… it makes my own shower back at home seem pitiful by comparison. The option of a shower after the massage is one of those seemingly-​obvious bonuses that makes you wonder why that isn’t always available. It feels good to wash off the massage oils afterward, and the warm water of the shower helps to extend the feeling of relaxation from the massage itself.
Overall, a decent place to try. I would consider them again for a possible couples massage in the future, or when I just want a mellow massage. But I think I’m more sold on the approach at Abundant Healing.