Ummm, did I come to the correct place that Yelpers were raving about???
Ever since my first euphoric foot massage experience in January 2010, I've become a total addict and try to get a foot massage every 2 weeks.
I'm no stranger to pain and enjoy deep pressure massages, so Chinese foot massages/reflexology are right up my alley b/c done right, a "good" pain releases all the pent up tension. So with most of the reviews boasting how awesome Good Foot Spa was, I decided to pay them a visit during my Vegas trip.
My friend and I came to GFS on Friday, 7.30.10 at 4 PM. We had made an appt one day prior.
There's a standard process for a Chinese foot massage/reflexology. First, you're brought warm tea and crackers. You feet is then soaked in plastic lined bucket of warm water while you're given a head, neck, shoulder and arm massage. Your masseuse then massages your calves and feet and finishes by flipping you over on the recliner and giving a back and butt massage. So, it's actually a full body massage (clothed) and the foot massage portion is about 1/3 of the massage time.
Although the process at GFS was similar to other massage places, the overall feeling and results were NOT.
I wasn't able to get my masseuse's name b/c she didn't speak English. When I asked her in Cantonese if she understood, she replied back, "I speak 'Chinese' ". Uhhh, ok...
1. Instead of getting a head massage, my masseuse placed lotion onto the palm of her hands and rubbed it into my scalp. She then repeatedly SCRAPED MY SCALP WITH HER NAILS for 20 minutes. Needless to say, I was cringing in pain the entire time.
2. The neck and shoulder massage was probably the highlight of the entire massage. It lasted for about 10 minutes and strong kneading was used to release the pent up tension.
3. My masseuse then massaged my arms for 10 minutes, which I can't even call it a "massage". She didn't bother to put lotion on my arms which resulted in my skin stretching and pulling (aka Indian Burn) as she forcefully ran her thumbs up/down my forearm.
4. Afterwards, she gave me a foot massage, but mainly concentrated on my calves. What little she did to my feet did nothing to relieve my sore feet. She used her thumbs to rub up/down my arch several times and cracked my toes. When she massaged my ankle, she dug her thumbs into it, which made my flinch in pain.
5. Finally, she flipped me over and gave me a back massage. She ran her forearm along my spine back and forth. I like strong pressure and although she used a lot of force, something about it just didn't feel right.
PRICE:
$38 for 60 minutes.
CC's accepted, but they appreciate tip in cash. Oh yah, btw, I mentioned Yelp for the 10% off and they had no clue what I was talking about. I tried to explain that I saw a promo on their Yelp page and they thought I was looking for a person named "Yelp". :X
AMBIANCE/DÉCOR:
GFS is clean however, it's very dark inside. There are about 4-5 small cheesy pink painted rooms w/ about 3 recliners in each. For the novice, it may look a bit shady. However, as with most Chinese foot massages you're paying for their services and not the ambiance, so a bare boned décor w/ mix matched walls, linens, and furnishings is typical.
I think we were the only ones there at the time, so it was pretty quiet except for the occasional exchange btw my masseuse and my friend's masseuse. However, as an fyi, when these foot massages places do get busy, the environment is not serene.
WHY I WILL NEVER RETURN:
I've been to about 7-8 different foot massage places in SF, LA, and LV and this one is definitely on the bottom of my list. Why? 80% of the time, my massage was uncomfortable and painful. I know the difference btw "good" and "bad" pain and my pain was the latter. I left with an itchy scalp and oily hair. And, 2-3 days later my inner right ankle became sore and bruised and my arms were tender to the touch.
Oh, Yelp...what happened??? *Sigh*
We should have went to Pure Foot and Spa down the road instead...
http://www.yelp.com/biz/pure-foot-and-spa-las-vegas#hrid:oku3HsB2aq967SMqkPWD2A