Reina Spa

I’ve been happily going to Reina Spa for over a year but had been out of town for the last couple months. I was excited for my $ 35 brazilian wax to bring on summer. My first disappointment came when I was appointed to a new wax lady that obviously was not very experienced in waxing and took over 30 minutes on me. When I go to pay, I was informed my brazilian wax was $ 95!!! I couldn’t believe it and was shocked, I literally had to have the receptionist repeat the price to me. Apparently they are under «new» ownership and think they could charge downtown prices for mediocre service in Wicker Park. I’d rather go schlep to Lakeview to The Waxing Room for reasonable prices and better service.
Sorry Reina, we had a good stretch but we are done.

We went in with a travelzoo for a couple’s Swedish massage with 2 glasses of wine. As previous reviewers stated, no glasses of wine were offered to us. Outside of the massage room, the spa is overall unattractive and a bit of a dump. My husband actually felt really uncomfortable. But once they brought us into the secluded massage room after a 15 – 20 minute wait from our appointment time, he felt a bit better.
I actually really enjoyed my massage, she didn’t massage me too hard and I had no problem relaxing most of the time. My husband, on the other hand, was in pain. The masseuse told him he should probably get a massage every month because there were so many knots in his back (which is probably true). Instead of feeling relaxed afterwards, he was in pain and feeling sore. But the masseuse was just doing her job and was partially not at fault.
Would I come back? Probably not, especially for full price. Aesthetics play a big part in the «massage» experience, and this place is too cheap looking for me.

What miserable customer service. After realizing that today was the last day before the groupon expired, I called hoping that they would honor the groupon deal if the appointment was made before the groupon’s expiration. They did not.
I find it hard to believe that if you tried to book several weeks in advance and they were booked through the deal’s expiration date that they would not recognize it. Either way — it’s a flaw of both groupon and spa services. I understand that.
All that being said, there’s just no reason to be rude on the phone. This girl was patronizing and unhelpful.
Even though I could still retain the value of the groupon — I will eat the money, as I refuse to give a place with that kind of service any business. I’ll also be spreading the word to my friends.

I bought a groupon for my Reina a little over a year ago, so I expected average business. I was right and I was wrong. The reception upon entry and exit was luke warm, but the service was great.
Nona was great, very personable and she did a great job on my Mani/​Pedi. The salon offers sparkling wine to the customers which is a nice touch. They also have a variety of services, none of which I tried. However, while i was there a couple came in for a Couple’s Massage and looked very relaxed when they left. there was also a bridal shower party coming in when I left.
I plan going back.

I bought a groupon for my Reina a little over a year ago. I was going to use it in January or February 2010 after I earned it with my year-​end craziness at work. And then I put it off. And then I forgot. And then I remembered & told myself I’d call later. Rinse. Repeat. Finally I managed to book my appointment in December with the very accommodating staff who was kind to put up with me trying to cram in a last-​minute appointment.
The place seems nice. Massage rooms are in the basement. My massage therapist was very nice, and he did a pretty good job. I asked for medium to hard pressure on my paperwork & didn’t feel I quite got it. Maybe I should have asked for it but, in my experience, they usually inquire personally as well and, during the massage, verify that the amount of pressure is waiting for you. When he finaly got to my giant balls of stress in my shoulder blade region, the pressure was finally just right. If only it had been longer!
Overall, a pretty nice experience.

Today at brunch, friends asked my husband and I which three things about our wedding we would change. We both remembered a thing here or there, and then my husband reminded me of the day before the wedding…
It gives me no pleasure to write about my experience at Reina Spa, but as a word of warning to you, gentle reader, I will. This «spa» needs a Gordon Ramsay-​esque kick in the pants if it is serious about staying in business. Judging from my three hours there, they are not, in fact, serious, so maybe it’s moot. The staff pretty much barfed on my morning and set off a domino effect of stressed-​out running around and cancelled plans on the day before my wedding. I left feeling more like a reina’s chamberpot than a reina.
Act I: The booking. I bought a Groupon with this day-​before-​the-​wedding massage and mani/​pedi in mind. I booked the appointment online for myself and one of my foxy bridesmaids who also bought the Groupon. After waiting a full week for a confirmation, I called and was told they have problems with email. Hokay, maybe it would be good to fix the problem or remove the online appointment feature.
Moving on. I made the appointment on the phone then, and was a little surprised that the first appointment of the day is 11:00. No ideal, but doable. I was told that because they only have one massage person, my friend and I would have our services at opposite times. Again, not ideal but okay. Since the massage was one hour, I figured we’d be in the spa for two hours total (thinking a mani/​pedi would take an hour too).
Act II: The massage. The massage was fine. Well, except for the initial feeling of dread upon climbing under the sheet on the table and seeing a hole. A hole the size of a nickel in the chest area of the fitted sheet. Couldn’t miss it. Later, I was too afraid to ask my friend whether she’d noticed a hole in her sheet, because I guess I didn’t want to know if they don’t change sheets between clients. I am still too scared to ask.
Act III: The pedi and mani. The pedicure was pretty good, though the tech set up the massage chair at a pretty aggressive level. She didn’t do any of those other little comfort checks (water temp, magazine offer, etc.). I realize being a nail technician is a job rife with unpleasantness and gnarly feet, but you don’t want your client feeling your resentment rippling through the air, do you?
Act III.5: The wait. So, in spite of what I was told on the phone, they somehow added a second massage person to the staff. That had various consequences: the massage schedule did not have to be one after the other for my friend and I, and also because the massage people were not booked solid, they could start a client at their leisure. Which they did. My friend’s nail tech took for-​eva and the massage person was fine with it, just hanging around. In fact, it appears that most of the staff hangs around, snacking and watching miserable daytime TV when they don’t have a client in front of them (which appears to be most of the time; there were two other clients while we were there). The dorm room chilling really lends a gracious touch to the atmosphere.
All told, their laissez-​faire attitude towards scheduling and timing added AN HOUR to our time. No one seemed to notice or acknowledge at any time that this was an inconvenience. I spent that hour drying, and drying, and drying, my nails, eventually helping myself to some coffee, and trying to ignore the disturbing guests on that day’s Maury Povich. Oh, and I eventually texted my husband-​to-​be to cancel our lunch plans. Marvelous.
Act IV: The checkout. I could not print my Groupon at home due to owning a sucky printer, so I forwarded my Groupon confirmation email to both email addresses on the Reina Spa web site. I explained I didn’t have my Groupon when we arrived and the receptionist kind of said we’d deal with it later. Later, because they somehow do not receive emails sent to them (though they do not bounce back to sender) she could not do anything about the Groupon. I ended up logging myself in to Groupon on their computer and printing the Groupon there. Sure, this was partly a fail on my end, but what the shiz kind of business has two — two! — email addresses that do not function?
Also, the receptionist could not make change for tips. I think she sent a carrier pigeon to a currency exchange or something because she eventually had twenty singles. That helped me but not my friend who ended up leaving larger tips than were warranted because it was all-​or-​nothing. Bush league.
Bottom line: I feel bad. I feel bad that I wasted time on a BIg, Busy Day, cancelled lunch plans, and carried my garbagey mood with me for the rest of the whirlwind of my day. But I also feel bad that this business, which people have obviously invested time and energy in, is operating at such a poor level. They don’t deserve my business again and, well, probably not yours either.

As a preface it seems as though a majority of these reviews have come from disgruntled people buying social shopping networks. It seems suspicious to me that they have to constantly put themselves in for Groupolivingsocialswoop isn’t keeping enough of a customer base to sustain itself without a foot in the door trick pony like group buying.
I booked a massage MONTHS in advance literally 4 months prior. I called and spoke with the manager, Vince and he said to book an appointment on the online system. The system didn’t work so I e-​mailed him directly with my voucher number, name and date of my appointment. He e-​mailed back with the wrong date but fortunately I caught it and wrote back with the correct date, quick reply back from him confirming my December date, no muss, no fuss.
Fast forward to December and I walk in 15 minutes early and just to find out that I have no appointment set. I was informed by the receptionist that the manager I spoke with was let go 2 months prior and the system he had me try to book an appointment with wasn’t connected to the system. I left and since my Groupon was set to expire the next day I had no other chance to use it. The receptionist was pretty helpful and even called one of their massage therapists to see if she was nearby but that wasn’t feasible so she put me in their system for a massage at a later date.
I wanted to speak with the current manager to speak with whoever that was to make sure that my info was in the books. Unfortunately, it went south again when the receptionist informed me that the manager wasn’t there and hardly is. I can completely understand that if someone in charge has been replaced if he’s a poor supervisor but it seems like it’s replacing one evil for another if the new manager is an absentee one at that.

This place is a SHITHOLE.
I’m amazed that there are people out there who gave this place 3+ stars. They must have very LOW standards.
I feel sorry for everyone who purchased a Groupon/​LivingSocial Deal.
Don’t.

This review is for Microdermabrasion ONLY with Slava– I had a living social deal. She did an awesome job, very patient and explained everything that she was doing.
I wont pay full-​price for it though. 1 star off for receptionist unfriendly attitude over the phone. Other than that, if you are looking for a top-​notch micro-​dermabrasion, go see Slava. This is not a fancy looking spa etc but gets the job done right. I took a cab, so I cant comment on the parking.

I’ve been trying to find a good nail salon since I moved to the city last year. After trying out another place, which I will never, ever return to, I decided to try Reina Spa. My mom was visiting for the weekend so we made appts. for last Saturday. First off, when walking in, we were greeted with a warm welcome from the girl at the front desk. I just had a manicure and it was quick & simple but nice & relaxing. My mom had an acyrlic fill. We were both quite satisfied with how our nails turned out. The two nail techs were friendly too. The salon is tidy and clean, along with being fairly quiet.
My one complaint, ok maybe two, is that first of all, my manicure was only about 20 minutes. It’s been years since I’ve had a regular manicure because I’ve had acrylics for a long time and recently tried gels. I was really looking forward to it. I think my nail tech was finished in about 20 minutes. This seemed pretty quick. Second of all, my polish only lasted a few hours, unfortunately. I sat under the nail dryer for quite some time waiting for my mom. So I know I dried them long enough but I should have been more careful after I got home, I guess. I pulled on a pair of socks a couple hours after I got home and chipped a few of my nails. So, I removed all of the polish and re-​painted them myself.
Needless to say, I will go back and give them another try for a manicure. I may just need something more long-​lasting, like no-​chip. I am going back in a couple weeks for another mani/​pedi. It’s a good deal for $ 30.
Finally, my mom was definitely satisfied with how her acrylic nails turned out and they are lasting well after a few days!
***Side note, be careful where you park. North Ave. is always busy so we parked on a side street. It was permit-​only which I didn’t realize so I ended up with a $ 60 ticket :(

My first experience with Reina was just to meet a friend who was finishing up her massage from a Groupon deal.
Even though I wasn’t a client, Eric was very friendly, offering me water and just pleasant all around.
Fast forward to today. I had a Unilocal deal at another «spa» that I won’t mention. Long story short, I called Reina at 11:00 AM while I was getting a pedicure at the other «spa» and asked if I could get a massage at 12:00.
Eric didn’t hesitate. He told me the therapist was coming in at 2:00 but he was sure she’d come in at 12:00.
Rebecca (sp?) was waiting for me when I got there. The room was cozy, the bed was very comfortable and the massage was phenomenal. I’m very picky and like a lot of pressure. For such a sweet, soft-​spoken person, she really kicked ass. I almost cried walking home because so much stress and pain was released.
Thank you so much, Eric and Rebecca! I’m so glad you’re a 5 minute walk away. I won’t stray from this place.
By the way, my friend’s experience was great as well. I believe her therapist was Shannon.

I purchased a TravelZoo voucher for a 60 minute couples massage with complimentary champagne. My overall impression is neither good nor bad; just pretty indifferent. I would not return or recommend to a friend.
Review of massage: the massage therapist that worked on me did not have firm pressure at all, although that is what I asked for. Also, I had to remind her that it was my right shoulder that needed work twice. My bf said his massage was good, although painful at times. I’d rather have a massage that was slightly painful but effective. My bf commented that my knot was still there after the massage was over in my right shoulder. We never got our complimentary champagne. We didnt’ ask, but I don’t think we should have to ask for something that is part of the TravelZoo deal.
They offered me a package at the end but I did not purchase it. I purchased another massage this morning somewhere else.

I was having a crazy 2 weeks at work and my back was killing me.
It was 5PM and I was desperate for a good back rub, I searched for massages at reasonable prices.
I found Reina Spa’s $ 49 for a 1 hour massage Unilocal deal. I called and luckily they had a 6PM cancellation. I was able to get in that day within the hour!
Brian was my masseuse. He’s eccentric and really listens to your needs. He asks you questions along the way to try and customize the massage to you. For me, I had INSANE knots and tightness in my back. He found lots of hidden knots and I feel so relieved and relaxed after the experience.
Also, I told him I like firm pressure and he certainly delivered.
When I was finished, I was also offered a deal of 2 massages for $ 49 each. While I couldn’t drop $ 150 dollars that day, I am certainly keeping in mind this place for the future.

Oh my goodness. Luxury at a great price! Needed a quick fix at the last minute and was delighted to see Reina was open on a Sunday with 2 female technicians that had availability. I decided to get a 30 min back massage and 20 min foot massage. This is such a nice spa with great friendly service. Julie, my therapist, led me downstairs to a lovely, quiet room that whisked me away from the real world. The massage was the perfect pressure, firm but gentle. I got some much needed tension worked right out of my back! The foot massage also, lovely. Best of all, they give free mimosas on Sunday and they let me sit in the massage chairs for pedicures and watch tv while I sipped mine and relaxed. This is a place well worth your money!

Where do I begin… well! Reina Spa, you have the absolute ruddest, unprofessional owner on the planet. SMH.
I called in to book a couples massage, owner was extremely friendly, gave us the $ 49/​hour per person rate since we were new. I specifically asked for Javier, I received a few massages from him at another establishment in the past. That spa is way too far though, this one being closer, I figure hey, let me go see my favorite massage therapist at another spa.
So I book the massage, the owner asks if I would like to put half of the money down to hold the appointment. I said you know what, let me pay it in full so when I get there I have nothing to worry about. He charged me and that was that.
The day before our massage I got a confirmation phone call to make sure I didn’t forget. Sat morning (day of massage), I get a call from my baby sitter who can’t make it. So I call and speak to Eric, the receptionist around 11am (appt at 6pm) to let him know my baby sitter canceled and I would have to reschedule. He told me to call in anytime. Cool.
I call in 3 days later, ask to re book my massage. I asked to be put with Javy, I didn’t get a response to that but the receptionist Eric, continues booking me. I repeated at the end, I want to make sure Javier will be my therapist. He says, oh I’m so sorry, Javier is no longer with us. Me: Awwww :(I really wanted to see him, I’m not sure I want a massage anymore. He said oh, well we had issues with him being on time and showing up to work. Blah blah blah blah… T M I !!! I said well sorry to hear that, but I don’t want to go in if he’s not there. Especially if they are bad mouthing a person that way. Current employee or not, who does that???
May I have a refund please?! Eric says sure, not a problem. Puts me on hold.
He comes back on the phone, and says sorry but the boss said he wont refund you because you just didn’t show up. Ummm I called, I can hear the owner in the background «Well she didn’t bother showing up or calling, so she cant have a refund.» I told Eric that I expected my money back since Javier wasn’t there. He put me on hold, and then comes back saying that the boss would like to call me back. I said I’d wait, but he didn’t want me to hold his lines up. OK.
I get a call from Vince, saying that he would NOT refund me my $, the best he could do was half. I asked why, he says because I was a no call, no show. Really??? Because I CALLED! I said ummm do you guys note when people call, because I did. He said if I did call, it would have been noted. I said ok, will you ask Eric if he remembers speaking to a woman who’s baby sitter canceled, I’m sure he’ll remember. VINCE SAYS: WELL, THAT DOESN’T MATTER, IF YOU DID SPEAK TO HIM OR NOT, YOU DIDN’T CANCEL WITHIN 24 HOURS. Mind you, his voice is ALTERED pretty much YELLING at me.
So, first I couldn’t get my $ because I «didn’t call or show,» now even if I prove that I did call, there is a 24 hour cancellation fee, which mind you, HE NEVER MENTIONED WHEN I BOOKED! He was making things up as he went along.
Guess what, I tell him I’m not settling for any less than my $ 98, he yells, «WELL HONEY, I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO TELL YOU, TAKE IT OR LEAVE IT.» *Dial tone* He hangs up on me.
Yep, hangs up on me. I call back to ask to speak to Eric, he hangs up on me again. I call another time, Eric finally picks up. I asked Eric if he remembers me calling, he says… Ohhh yeaaahhh, I said ok see, tell your boss I did call. He tells him, and then Eric says I’m going to try to talk to him, I’m sorry. I was supposed to get a call back, nothing for two hours.
Took it up with my bank. Got my $ back. Instead of Vince maybe offering me extra time for my massage since Javy wasn’t there, or something else, he yells and treats me like a piece of shit. Not to mention Vince tells me, «Javy isn’t here because he can’t make it here, he is not a good employee, etc.» I’m sorry, LAST TIME I CHECKED ITS EVEN ILLEGAL TO TELL ANYONE CALLING FOR REFERENCE FOR JAVY AT ANOTHER JOB, THE REASON WHY HE WAS «FIRED.»
Horrible experience. They called back a couple times the next day, and left me messages about I don’t know what. DELETE, deal with my bank. I was DONE.
Vince, you need to learn how to treat people, state your policies, and maybe learn how to run a business. This certainly is not the way its done. I WILL NEVER EVER WALK INTO THIS PLACE AND I WILL TELL EVERYONE HOW I WAS YELLED AT AND INSULTED.

*Microdermabrasion Review*
Wowzers! This was my first time at Reina, and «thorough» was the word of the day. This was the most thorough microdermabrasion I’ve ever had.
The microderm took 55 minutes total. Yes, I brought a stop watch and took time just to share with Unilocal folks:
10 min — cleanse, exfoliation
20 min — microderm
5 min — cleanse, soothing mask
15 min — waiting period (w/​the mask on)
5 min — moisturizer, mini facial massage
The bonus is that she microdermed (is that a word?) my neck, too! She didn’t rush the procedure and took the time to go over every part of my face. She also used a smaller wand to go around my eyes and nose thoroughly. The best part is the pressure-​point massage you get at the end — it’s sooooo heavenly!
Cost: $ 120. It is worth every penny at Reina.

FYI: This rating is PURELY for waxing, and also may be TMI for some…
I will start off by saying that I was greeted warmly and that the place itself is nice, cozy, and I would TOTALLY go back for a mani-​pedi now knowing that I could bring some beers and watch TV in the back area. Hopefully then I could give this place more stars!
Alright… so, I got a LivingSocial for a Brazilian and since I’m going to FL soon, I thought it would be a perfect time to use it. I’ve gotten waxes before and I know they’re never fun, but wow, I’ve never had such a painful experience! The warned me that I should’ve waited longer so the hair was longer, and I was now expecting not to get it all, but I’ve come in with it that long to other places and it worked fine. Regardless, the main problem was that she basically did everything in four big pieces (painful!) and in the end, I was left with big pieces of wax still on me and I still had plans afterwards! It was pretty uncomfortable.
All of it really made me miss my Aveda lady back in Sarasota to be honest. I could go there in any condition and leave feeling clean and kindly treated!

Let me start with this, I picked up a massage deal here from Groupon, one for myself and one as a gift for my girlfriend. 90-​minutes of back-​rubbing pleasure after a week skiing, it sounded perfect.
Upon showing up, we were greeted promptly, but informed one of the people who would be doing the massage had not yet arrived. it was a Friday at like 10am, I mean, c’mon. But, we held out.
The inside of the spa was eclectic and a neat hodge-​podge, very fitting for the neighborhood.
When our second person finally arrived, we were escorted downstairs into a tiny hallway with a few massage rooms. This space felt like a complete afterthought. We were both placed in the same room for a couples massage (even though we did not ask for it, and didn’t want it) and began the ritual of preparing.
Overall the massage was good, no major complaints, but, I have had a few, and this one is towards the bottom of my list.
They both finished up and we looked at the clock, 60-​minutes on the nose. I didn’t think much about this at the time, tipped out masseurs and left. After getting home, I was a bit pissed, I looked at the groupon’s and they were each for 90-​minute massages! We were robbed of an hour of back bending pleasure. frustrating at best.
I can’t say I would tell my friends to go here, I have a few others I would recommend though.
If you want more detail on the massage rooms, read on:
Well, they were basically a room with «other» equipment. When we awoke, we noticed that it was also a sterile room used for micro-​dermbrasion, light therapy and other treatments. The setting was not very tranquil as you could hear every creak in the floor from upstairs as well (not ideal for a quite massage) Just my 2 cents

Awful! From reading the other reviews, I can see this place gives great mani/​pedis but I will NEVER ever go back here for a bikini wax. I got the living social deal for the wax, and what a mistake. My appointment was 30 behind not to mention my wax took place in a closet of a room. The person who did my wax couldn’t speak english and wasn’t understanding what I was telling and asking her. The worst part was how excruciating the wax was. I have been getting waxed regularly for 4 years and it has never hurt that bad. She was not gentle by any means. By the time she applied the wax, it had already hardened a bit causing an extremely uncomfortable application. I was still sore from the wax and application three days later! I can honestly say this was the worst bikini wax I have ever ever had!
If Unilocal would let me give this zero stars I would.

Impressed would be an understatement.
I had a last minute run to Akira to get something for a party out of town tomorrow night. I’d planned to get my brows done somewhere in the loop during my lunch break tomorrow because I’m catching the Amtrak right after work. I saw the open sign lit at Reina and thought I’d try. I got closer and saw they stayed open until 9pm. Score! The door was locked and I was getting ready to leave & Eric came to the door. He informed me that all the techs had left but he’d see what he could do. The excellent owner, Vince, was on the phone with a tech and asked could she come back. She did! Lillie came back to do my brows and I decided to get a manicure to make it worth it for her. To be honest, I was silently scared that she’d half ass it or be in a rush. Not the case at all! She took her time, gave me a great hand massage and made sure my brows were immaculate.
I’ve paid way more and didn’t get as great service as I did there, at the last minute mind you! I really like that you get your own file and buffer that’s assigned to your own number, that’s more reason to go back. I love that personal touch. I’ll definitely be coming back next time with some girlfriends on a Sunday (I want to try the mimosas). I can’t wait to visit again!