Ai Rose Spa

wow… that was by far one of the most terrible experiences I had with spas.
Terrible massage and poor customer service.
We purchased Living Social Deal for couples massage and ended up paying double because they demanded $ 40 more on top of the $ 85 we already payed. I would even be ok with that, but during the massage both massage therapists were going in and out of the room, with us lying on the massage tables. They were leaving the room for several minutes at the time, and the remaining of the time that they were in the room performing massages, they spoke the whole time in Mandarin to each other.
Needless to say I’ll never go back there again!

Is a 0 star possible? If it was, they’d receive one…
Fellow Unilocalers, I am warning you about this place.
My mom and I had a deep tissue body massage. I bought one of those groupon deals, and NO WHERE did it say it was only 30 minutes. But whatever, I’ll let it slide.
When we get there, I decide to make it an hour and she says sure, $ 20 more … no problem; that’s still a decent deal.
The massage was not what I wanted. It was too hard and they never asked if I was okay or I wanted it softer. Here’s the worse part, my mom had the same treatment and her back is (literally) black and blue. She is straight-​up bruised. So NOT cool.
Anyways … when we were done, we paid and tipped them $ 10 each. All of the sudden the woman who did my mom’s massage starts talking in Chinese. We couldn’t really understand her, and the woman who massaged me translated saying, «She says she thinks you need to tip her more».. Uh, WHAT THE HECK? Who asks for more tip?! Luckily we didn’t have any more money. We told her sorry, I don’t have any more cash and she says, «Don’t worry, when you come back, you tip me more.» We smile and leave. My mom and I turn to each other and say, YEAH RIGHT.

True… This place isn’t even close to the atmosphere or environment that Burke Williams Spa offers but the massage was up there in my books. Based on the reviews, I was expecting the worst time of my life but boy, you should never judge a book by its cover. Lily (my massage therapist) was awesome and the massage I received marks as one of the best I’ve received in a while. I just wanted to sleep like a baby after!
It’s not fancy but if you want a nice relaxing and strong massage, try this place!

I echo the other bad reviews. It is misleading that it is called «Bliss Spa» on the voucher sites, like Tippr. And then when you realize that it’s not the spa in the W — and that it’s in the Outer Richmond — you then have to drive all the way out to realize that it’s actually Ai Rose. I didn’t even get my treatment because after trekking all the way out here, the lady unapologetically told me it’d be at least 20 minutes. I didn’t have the time and was very grumpy with her attitude so I’m trying to get my money back from Tippr. I don’t know why anyone would go here.

A townhog alert
I saw a coupon that townhog was selling a week ago under the name of Bliss Spa for Balboa Street even though this business already changed its name sometime ago. Not cool.

This was hands down the weirdest most unrelaxing massage I have ever had.
I knew when I bought the deal from Living Social that it was not the Bliss spa at the W, but $ 85 for a couples massage was too good a deal to pass up so I figured I would give it a try. Luckily I had read the reviews on here first so warned my bf that we might be in for an adventure. Good thing!
We finally found the place. No where in the Living Social voucher did it mention that the name of the spa was not actually Bliss Spa, but in fact the Ali Rose Spa, so we were looking for the wrong thing, luckily we had the address so process of elimination worked in our favor.
Check in was quick and we were led to a room and told to undress. There was no conversation about trouble spots, health, etc. My masseuse did ask what kind of pressure I wanted, but my bf’s did not. His masseuse may not have spoken English as she did not talk at all.
The massage itself was… invasive. Which I don’t actually mind as my sciatic nerve bothers me quite a bit. My bf mentioned after that his massuese «checked his oil» a number of times during the massage.
It was very distracting when his massuese started grunting and panting heavily about halfway through the massage. The music was also very distracting as it was really loud, not relaxing and on an incredibly short (I’d guess about 15 minute) loop. The nail in the coffin was towards the end when my massuese left not once, but TWICE in the middle of my massage to talk to someone in the hall. That should never, ever, ever happen. There was also no foot massage and she spent about 45 minutes on my back, neck and shoulders and 15 min on the rest of my body.
Unsatisfying, to say the least. I will never go back, no matter how good the deal.

I received a massage gifit certificate for 60 minutes of massage for my birthday. I’m sure my friend thought it was the Bliss Spa at the W.
It took a long time to make my appointment. I called 3 or 4xs and was directed to a voicemail, which was full, and then it would hang up. (Red Flag) at this point I would’ve given up but since my friend gave me the certificate for my birthday, I felt I should at least go and check it out. I finally got a call back at the end of the day (thanks to my caller ID on their end) and was able to book.
I drove the hour and half from Antioch to Balboa, in SF. Not off the freeway either. This spa is located in a residential neighborhood so there was zero parking. I kept having to circle for about 15 minutes and finally snagged one!
Upon entering, it was very basic. It was not a «spa» like atmosphere, i.e. beautiful music playing in the background, a robe, locker, drinks, etc. This is very no frills, and basic. It reminded me of a massage I got in China.
I was 20 late (due to no parking) and apologized. I was prepared to get only a pro-​rated massage but since they weren’t busy, they moved my appointment to 11:30 am.
She led me to a room which was very cold, and told me to undress and hop on the massage table. I had to ask for water. The massage table was freezing and there was a paper towel on the face cushion. I laid there in silence. Face down. Wondering what I got myself in to. All I could hear was talking in the hallway, and the washing machine running, someone walking around upstairs. Not very relaxing.
I had to ask for her to put on the music. I needed to drown out the washing machine. The music was asian melodies. It had the same tune as «It’s a Small World» so I felt like I was in Disneyland. The oil was nice and warm. This I appreciated because I thought for sure she was going to slap on some cold cream and I was going to jump in shock. The massage was very good. I wasn’t used to getting my butt stroked (except by my husband) so that was weird. Not what I was expecting! She also left the room 4xs to retrieve towels to wipe off the oil. I appreciate that — thank you, but why can’t the towel warmer thing be inside the massage room? Just a thought…
Here is where I take a star away — someone (sounded like an employee) walked into the room while massage was in process, realized there was a massage going on (closed doors in a spa mean nothing?) and then said «ooops, sorry» and slammed the door! Anywhere else this would have been a discount on the massage.
She did not massage my feet. I was so dissapointed but that’s not included in the full body massage. Boo!
I actually couldn’t wait to leave. I just wanted to get back home. The lady at the desk said that I had to leave a 20% tip — minimum $ 10. Whatever. I just wanted to leave.
I will not go there again. Glad they changed the name though so no confusion on the real Bliss Spa.

For lack of 0 Star option, I will leave 1. My husband and I got a living social deal for a couples massage that we were VERY excited about. I am going to keep this short and sweet (or not so sweet actually)
First off, I am pretty sure that neither of the woman who gave our massages were license massage therapists. My husband said he felt beaten at the end, where I felt like a 5 year old was rubbing gallons of olive oil over me.
It was the WORST massage experience I have EVER had. Do not give them your business! I have paid for massages ranging from $ 30 — $ 300 and this was not even on the same scale as even the least expensive!
Seriously terrible, save your money and time

The reason they have a 1 at this point, is because I was gifted a Groupon to this place, and they have never answered their phone the five times I’ve tried them. Each time it goes to a voicemail, and then the voicemail is full, so I can’t even leave a message if I want to. This stinks of bad service before I’ve even stepped foot in the place. I am worried: have they gone out of business, have they taken my hard earned Groupon cash? I am skeptical. However, if I ever get ahold of these apparent swindling rubber-​downers, I’ll update my rating accordingly.

Let me preface this unfavorable review, by saying that if you can swing an appointment with Pinky, then by all means go to Bliss. On my first visit, I had an absolutely BLISSFUL massage with Pinky and that was why I returned today. She would get five stars — but because of the horrific experience I had today, I can only average it out to two stars.
I won’t name names, but I’d say if it’s not Pinky — DON’T GO! My gal today was not only the worse massage I’ve ever had, but also the most excruciatingly painful and abusive. No doesn’t mean no here, and ouch means harder, harder! Maybe a safety word is in order when you check in here.
My gal «knows» what’s best for you and boasts of her work in «clinics».
I am in severe pain 4 hours later, and know it’s only going to be worse tomorrow. There was not a single moment of «ahhhh» or relaxation in 90 minutes. Whereas you usually pray for time to slow down with a good massage, I was praying for it to speed up. My jaw was clenched, I was shouting «OUCH» and yet we never understood each other. I felt downright angry when I left.
Another big fat minus? When checking in I was asked for a member number, which I didn’t have. She asked me to pay up front — I didn’t like it, but handed her my card. She handed it back and said I could pay on my way out so that I could add the tip to the card. When I asked to confirm that she didn’t charge it eariier, she said «NO, I told you later for you to put tip». The machine didn’t work and they asked me to leave my credit card number and information so they could process later — ha!
A terrible waste of time and money — and I feel 100% worse than when I went in.

I read some of the bitchy reviews about this place, and decided they deserved a decent one. I also heard about this place through Living Social. I didn’t care that it wasn’t the Bliss at the W. I’m not a hipster, don’t need to get a massage at a cool hotel spa. I just wanted a nice relaxing massage. So I was glad it was out in the Richmond, in a quiet neighborhood.
I bought a couples massage package for my sweetie and I for $ 85. It was totally worth it. The place itself is not super fancy, but very clean and neat. The woman at the desk greeted us with a smile and after a few minutes showed us to a room with a little glass of champagne each.
They gave us about 10 – 15 minutes of privacy to undress and get comfortable. The music was interesting and soothing and we enjoyed our wait.
I just want to make a little comment regarding time. I read a couple reviews that said they had to wait… one actually recorded the minutes a few times. When I go to get a massage, I’m there to relax. I never once looked at the time. My advice: If you are in a hurry, don’t get a massage. It’s sort of defeating the purpose.
Anyway, back to the massage. The two women came in and said hello, and after that not a word (except for «move down» or «turn over», quietly).
They were both very professional and had a firm but relaxing touch. I really enjoyed my massage. After they finished with the massage they left the room quietly and came back with hot towels to rub us with – which felt really nice and got the oil off us so we didn’t feel all slimey :)
I don’t think I’ve ever had that with a body massage, just the hand/​foot massage at a nail salon with my mani/​pedis. That was a nice touch.
When we left, we gave the ladies a nice tip (always tip on the regular price, not the discount – in case you didn’t know) and the receptionist/​hostess asked us how everything was. Of course we said it was great and thanked her.
It was a great experience and I will most likely go back. My boyfriend’s only complaint was that they didn’t work on his feet. I explained it was a full body massage and usually they focus more on the back, neck and shoulders. I guess we’ll have to go back and try the foot massage!

This place is really far out there. I realize that statement will not be applicable to everyone but, for me, it was pretty far. That said, I had a Groupon or something similar to use, which I’d purchased because I mistakenly thought this was the Bliss Spa in SOMA. My husband kept complaining about his feet hurting so I thought this would be a nice idea for him and, of course, I needed to test it out as well.
I had never had a foot massage before so I wasn’t sure what to expect. Honestly, I was quite worried because my feet are pretty ticklish and normally that’s the most difficult part of any massage. I’m either really optimistic or a glutton for punishment at this point. Of the 60 minutes, I believe, they spent roughly 20 or so on my feet and the rest as a full-​body, clothes-​on massage in some easy chair. Sounds weird, I know, but it was actually quite nice. Very comfortable and relaxing but just a slightly strange experience if you’re not expecting it.
I also noticed that their normal rates for this service is exactly what I paid for my Groupon-​type deal.

Think it’s really shady to have the same name as Bliss. Got FOUR CBSLocal deals from here and tried to redeem at Bliss. Felt dooped. Got credit from CBSLocals because from the reviews looks like I really shouldn’t try them out.
Change your name please. Not nice to feel tricked.

Purchased a voucher from TOWNHOG for a 60min massage for $ 45. –you get what you pay for and this was NOT a deal acording to my experience!
I don’t even know where to start. My massage started 10 min late. In the first 5 min there was a knock at the door and they switched my masseuse. The first lady had nice warm hands the one they switched for had ice cold hands to begin with. The massage was okay, she didn’t focus on knots just rubbed. Towards the 35 min mark there was another knock on the door… words were exchanged and door closed. 10 minutes later there was another knock, words exchanged and the first lady must have forgotten her jacket in the room, grabbed it and left. ANOTHER 10 min later another knock on the door and more words exchanged and my masseuse seemed mad and took it out on me. she massaged my neck really hard and pushed my head side to side aggressively. Pretty upsetting because I was looking forward to a RELAXING massage and got more stress and pain :(the place looked okay but wasn’t good ambiance.

I have to say my experience at Bliss Spa was one of the strangest massages I have ever received in my life. During the whole hour I just wanted it to end for these reasons…
1. My therapist was coaxing me through the massage whenever I would take deep breathes.
2. There was no music for the first 15 min, so I laid there thinking it was too quiet. When the Chinese music came on, I wished there was no music though because the lady was massaging to the tones of the shrill music.
3. Instead of circular motions on the pressure points she just pushed over and over rocking the whole table.
4. She had me in awkward positions to the point where my arms were hanging off the table so long, I lost feeling in my fingers.
5. She laughed at me when I would writhe in pain not because it was too hard, but because pushing on anyone’s bones is never comfortable.
Now you may be wondering, why am I giving Lisa (my therapist) a 4 star review, which technically means «Yay! I’m a Fan.» Well here’s why…
1. It was $ 40 for an hour.
2. I felt more relaxed that evening and the following day than I have after many of the massages I have been to.
So…would I go back? Probably not, unless maybe this Pinky girl that Jeni F. recommends is really that good, but overall I guess it was a good experience for that TYPE of massage? Just not really my style.
Oh yea, the place was really clean.

This is a review on the effects of the massage only, not the staff (3 stars) or the ambiance (3 stars), or the price (4 stars).
By girlfriend took me here for foot reflexology. A 70 minute combination foot and back massage. The foot massage was very painful, just as much as I could take and took up the bulk of the time. Since it was my first professional foot massage I figured this was just how they go and endured it. It definitely wasn’t relaxing with a lot of pressure on the bones in my toes.
My feet hurt that night and over the next 2 days I literally hobbled around. Now, 2 weeks later my feet still ache from the massage. It feels as though all my tendons were stretched, muscles pulled from the bone and bones bruised. They’re also slightly numb feeling. I’m hoping they improve over time. This hurts more than my feet did after an 80 mile backpacking trip. I’ve never had chronic foot pain and sincerely wish that I’d not done this massage or at least told the woman not to grind so hard.
Be careful here, trust your intuitions and don’t be afraid to speak up.
Update: Very soon after placing this review we received a phone call offering a free massage to make it better. I never called back but appreciate the offer (thank you bliss spa). Feet felt fine after 3 weeks.

A quick shout out for Pinky — amazing. She really works through the kinks and knows how to find key pressure points. I’m feeling relaxed and happy days after the appointment. She is new to the area which is prob why I could get an appointment with her but I’m guessing her schedule will start to fill up soon.
I’ll be back there soon!

I would probably give this place 3.5 stars. I’m no stranger to getting foot massages and though this was definitely not one of the best that I’ve experienced, it wasn’t terrible.
The place looks like a little house — and the rooms are small, with 2 reclining chairs. The rooms were clean, no complaints there, but the décor didn’t wow me. There was also no TV (which I know at some other places they have) so be prepared to either sit there in silence unless you want to make small talk with the masseuse.
The massage itself was fine, but the ambiance and the entire experience wasn’t as relaxing as the other places I have tried.
I should note that although the Unilocal website for this place even indicates the $ 5 off for the 60 foot massage, that’s not a discount per person. I came in here with my mom who received an ad in the mail with the same promotion and the lady only gave us $ 5 off total for the two of us… I didn’t want to argue over $ 5…but shouldn’t that be per person since we each got the 60 minute massage?!

Bliss-​LESS Spa
I got a Unilocal message about Bliss Spa’s Grand Opening Special: $ 20 for a 60 min foot massage! It sounded TOO good to be true, so I decided to check BS’s reviews. There was just one, which looked sketchy based on the content and the Unilocaler’s profile. But, I forwarded the info to my gfs and we thought for the price it wouldn’t hurt to try it out.
I called on Sat ⁴⁄₃ and was easily able to make an appt for three for Sun ⁴⁄₄ at 3 PM.
After our Xiao Long Bao fix nearby, my gfs and I headed to BS. BS has no signage but a yellow banner that says, «Grand Opening» with a lit-​up Foot Massage sign. We had no expectations, but were pleasantly surprised when we walked in. BS is very clean and had leather coaches and a set-​up of facial cream items which put us at ease that it was legit place.
We opted for the $ 25 massage, which consisted of a 40 min foot massage, 15 min head massage, and 15 min shoulder/​neck/​back massage. Our appt time was 3 PM, but the actual massage didn’t start until 3:20 PM. Here’s a breakdown of the process.
1. We were escorted to a room with two leather recliners and were brought tea which was lukewarm, borderline cold.
2. Wendy, my masseuse brought a wooden bucket of water for my feet to soak in and walked off for 10 – 12 minutes. My gf and I found this odd as normally, they work on other parts of your body while your feet soak.
3. When Wendy returned, she dried off my feet and preceded with the foot massage which was painful, but felt good at some times. She kept on pressing on my big toe, which was painful and made me squirm. She told me to relax which is difficult when you are in pain. She spent most of the time massaging my toes and the arch of my foot. She used very fast strokes which made me more tense at times than relaxed. Also, she wore plastic gloves and didn’t use enough lotion, so it felt like plastic rubbing against my skin the entire time.
4. After about 20 min or so, Wendy proceeded massaging my calves which was again painful because she was using the force from her thumb and pressing against my shins the entire time.
5. Wendy then reclined the coach and had me turn over for the head and back massage. She started with the head massage which felt like she was scratching my head as opposed to massaging it. This lasted for about 5 min or so.
6. She then transitioned to the neck/​shoulder/​back massage which was NOT relaxing. I felt like my back was being «waxed on» and «waxed off» and the pressure was very light (like a light pat). I found it weird b/​s she had used a lot of force and pressure when she was working on my feet and calves. Also, the back massage wasn’t consistent; i.e. she would pound the left side of my back and not the right side.
AMBIANCE:
BS is very clean and the rooms (6) are split in half by a partition. The rooms were freshly painted white and had grey carpet. The entire time, I could hear footsteps from above which we thought were the residents living above. However, when we left, we noticed there were no windows on the second level; ummm, so where exactly was that noise coming from?
PRICES:
*Introductory prices of $ 20 for 60 min foot massage, $ 25 for a 70 min foot/​back massage, $ 35 for 60 min back massage and $ 30 for a facial which are good until ⁴⁄₁₅. Prices are $ 10 – 15 higher after ⁴⁄₁₅.
OTHER SERVICES:
BS also offers 4 – 5 different type of facials like for anti-​aging, acne, and deep pore cleansing, and body waxing.
PARKING:
Since BS is located in the Outer Richmond, it’s relatively easy street and metered parking.
If it weren’t for the price, I would have given BS 2 STARS b/​c the massage was inconsistent in pressure and motions which left me more tensed than relaxed. But, I can’t really complain much because sometimes you get exactly what you pay for.

The technician, David got talent on providing foot massage with pressure points. Because of his knowledge and techniques, my allergy is getting much, much better than before.
I had tried many of foot massage spas before; however, those never work. I believed most of the technicians providing massage only for your comfort. Definitely, you don’t want to get someone just touching your feet.
Now, I don’t have to find another technician in Hong Kong or look for another spa.