The Massage Rooms

Like most services, one’s personal experience is very much dependent on the therapist… I totally get that. However, I felt the massage was probably one of the worst that I have ever had (and I have had a lot of massages!). I initially booked the massage for 1 ½ hrs and was looking forward to an afternoon of bliss and for someone to sort out the kinks and knots on my back, but it was so excruciatingly bad I couldn’t possibly lay there for the full duration (I just wanted it to end!) so I said to the therapist to finish on the hour.
The therapist was… ok. A bit glum in mood, but hey, that’s ok with me — not a deal-​breaker in my books, I just wanted a massage. And plus, unlike other therapies you simply lay there and drift off, making minimal conversation with the therapist.
She got to work, performing soft flowing strokes (I had asked for deep tissue massage). I understand some therapists do not carry out deep tissue work straightaway as they like to warm up the muscles, however, after about 20 mins of the same soft flowing strokes, I asked her if she could apply more pressure. She said she would and she is warming up my muscles. OK… so I waited some more. After ANOTHER 20 mins of soft flowing strokes, there was still no deep tissue work (I was very conscious of the time by that stage — if I wanted someone to stroke my back I would simply ask my boyfriend). I asked again for the second time if she could apply more pressure. She tried, and sadly there was absolutely zero pressure! Then the atmosphere got a little awkward as she kept trying and failing to apply pressure on my back…
Here’s why she couldn’t apply pressure on my back — because she was not using her body weight and instead using her fingers. This implies she has not been trained properly. With deep tissue massage, the muscles are manipulated using the therapist’s body weight — with the therapist «reading» the muscles and thus working the muscles accordingly.
Pressure aside, I thought the massage was very mediocre — even if I had gone for a swedish /​holistic massage. The therapist had a bad case of BO too and I very nearly balked when at one point she literally put her arm-​pits over my face!
Sorry, not good.

Good service, reliable, not too expensive, decent, professional and not stroppy or clock-​watching like many I tried before!