Escape Day Spa

I called today to make my appointment for a «Luxury Gift Package» that I had gotten from my (wonderful!!) husband for Christmas. Well it turns out that the gift certificate he bought less than 6 weeks ago is (more or less) useless. You get a voice-​mail message saying the spa has CLOSED, go online to see your options!
Online it says at the very bottom of the page «please know that if you have just recently purchased a gift certificate, we were unaware that we would be closing this soon. We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause.» I’m sorry, but you have to have SOME idea that you’re looking at closing!!! You need to be upfront with people about that!
By the way you can still submit an appointment request! «Your appointment request has been sent to Escape Day Spa. Should you have any further questions or would like to update your appointment request, please call (310) 937‑8883. We look forward to seeing you here soon! «
Honestly make it more obvious that you’re CLOSED, please. It’s not that strikingly obvious that they are no longer in business even on their homepage. Their little «we’re closed» message is easy to skim past and, like I said, you can still submit an appt. request.
The one somewhat positive thing I have to say is that they have tried to find solutions for those stuck with a worthless (yet PRICEY) gift certificate. I am unsure, though, if the 3 options they offered on their website will honor everything from the 50 minute facial to the 55 minute Swedish massage with a 25 minute reflexology foot massage thrown in the middle or if they’re just going to offer up one 50 minute massage, total. I’ll find out more if/​when the other therapists return my calls.
This is a cruel joke to play on a first-​time mom who could really use a break and a bit of pampering!

I won’t go back! I agree with Nita M’s assessment. I will start with the aesthetic and sensory experience — the spa was old and a little dingy, there were Pergo floors throughout, the fixtures in the locker room were worn. My massage therapist wore high-​heeled boots, which clicked on the floor whenever she walked (so, it was not a relaxing experience). In addition, there was nothing notable or extraordinary about my massage. My esthetician (Shannon) was excellent — the right touch, the right questions/​conversation, etc. Finally, I received a gift certificate for my birthday and when I tried to use the gift certificate in combination with a special offer the spa had advertised, they would not honor both. I understand the spa may have financial challenges (cash flow, projecting sales, etc.), but in absence of saying they wouldn’t honor gift certificates in combination with their special offer the spa should have honored both. My experience lacked professional and technical sophistication.

I was rather disappointed with my experience at Escape Day Spa. Their prices are comparable to other day spas I’ve gone to (chains like Burke Williams and independent spas) but Escape’s quality of service and ambiance didn’t compare.
The inside just isn’t nice. The ‘lounge’ is a small room with a couple of lounge chairs and a few magazines, not really some place you would want to lay around and relax. The locker room is small and there is only 1 shower and 1 toilet (all the same room so only 1 person could use it at a time) and neither was particularly nice. There was so steam room or tub or anything to soak in. The actual spa rooms are old, sparse, and don’t have much in the way of sound-​blocking (as in I could hear people walking outside of the room, talking outside of the room, and rap music from possibly the next store over). There are no Vichy showers and to remove the salt rub I got the lady used semi-​warm water and towels (warmer water would have been nice). The lady I got didn’t actually know how to do a salt rub (she told me she doesn’t normally do them) so it was comparable to what I can do in my own shower. The massage didn’t do much for me, I think the results would have been the same with the 15 minute massages you can get at the mall. The whole service didn’t even last as long as it should have.
Overall, I was more relaxed at the end of my spa visit to Escape but not nearly as relaxed as I would have been had I gone to any of the spas I’ve gone to before. If you are looking for a day spa where you can actually spend part of your day at relaxing & lounging, I would suggest going elsewhere. If you want to pop in for something quick and live around the area, maybe Escape is a good choice. All of the parking around the area is metered with a 2 hour time limit, so even though they will feed the meters for you, it’s still very possible to get a ticket if you’re car is parked for a long time because parking enforcement is done frequently in southbay (I see the little cars driving around and chalk-​marking tires a lot).

I took my best friend from NY to this spa for the day. We had a great time at the spa. The Shea Butter Treatment was absolutely delightful. We brought our own bottle of champagne and sipped it outside watching the ocean. We were very pleased.
The major downfall for our visit was the parking situation. We called on our way to find out where to park. We were directed to park behind the building; however, there was no room. We called again asking for the next best situation. We were directed to a parking lot a few blocks away. After a long parking hunt, we parked in a 2 hour spot – apparently that was wrong. When we arrived at the spa, the receptionist said she would fill our meter. Our facials ran a little late, we didn’t mind, because we had some champagne. We left the spa after each spending $ 270 to find a parking ticket on our car. It was only a $ 30 ticket, but nonetheless, it was very disappointing.
My friend and I left feeling like we weren’t taken care of. The spa was lovely, but the parking issue ruined our experience.

The facial was fine, nothing extraordinary. My face felt dry after the hydrating facial. The person who gave me the facial put some extra moisturizer on. She recommended a product for me. She did not know that the product was drying on the skin and the manager at the counter who checked me out didn’t say anything either. I used the product for 2 days and my skin flaked beyond belief. The manager was gracious to take the product back and refund my money. She also gave me some product to help my face gain back some of the moisture it lost. However, my face was in worse shape than when I received the facial 2 days earlier. The manager said «It didn’t look that bad», it wasn’t her face flaking with an important event 2 days away! The manager asked what she could do, I said I wanted a refund. She said she couldn’t do that. I could either take the product she was offering me to fix the problem or a discount on another facial or nothing because it wasn’t the facial that caused the problem. No — it was the lack of knowledge on her and the employees part on the products they are selling. If a spa is supposed to be a place to feel relaxed especially after services received, Escape missed the mark with their customer service and product knowledge.

i can’t wait to go there. i got a gift certificate for $ 100 for many years ago. i hope it doesn’t expire. hopefully, i’ll make out there soon. i heard a lot of great things about this place. see you soon.

I love this spa! I had a facial with the microderm cream and my skin looked amazing. They gave a great neck and shoulder massage as well. You must visit this spa, it is not to be missed!!!

This spa may be small, but my therapist was amazing. I try to get massages as often as I can. Most spas are too costly, however, my therapist was worth every penny of my $ 85.
I believe her name was Kristin, she gave me the best deep tissue massage I have ever had. She knew when to go deep and when to lighten up a bit. Which in my experience has been hard to find. They are always too deep or too light.
I will definitely recommend this spa to all my friends. Just plan ahead to have to look for parking for about 10 minutes. So go early… they also have a little cozy lounge for hot tea.

This tiny spa is located in the heart of downtown Manhattan Beach. So, while it’s convenient if you’re going to the beach, grabbing a bite or going shopping, the parking is terrible! I suggest parking at the Shade Hotel complex and walking down.
The spa itself is nice. It’s bright and airy — not dim and stuffy like some spas. There is a great relaxation room. However, since the spa is small, it can be taken over quickly.
I had the Egyptian Foot Awakening out on the terrace, overlooking Manhattan Avenue and the beach. We were able to enjoy our self-​brought champagne and take in the day. That was heaven — even with the passers-​by. The treatment was thoroughly enjoyable. Stone bowls were filled with warm, scented water and floating flowers. I’ve had a lot of foot pampering, but this one was by far the best and most luxurious I’ve experienced. Now my feet are spoiled. ;)

Escape Day Spa is located in a quiet alley a short walk from the Manhattan Beach Pier. It might have been a converted house but it was obviously remodeled and smells so wonderful the minute you walk into the building. Massages range from $ 75 – 150 dollars and they also offer sugar scrubs, reflexology, facials and aromatherapy. I received the relaxation spa, my therapist was very nice and worked out the tension in my shoulders and back.
The spa itself was quiet and immaculate, the staff was friendly and professional. The changing room was a little too small, but thankfully Escape doesn’t book a lot of appointments at once so there weren’t many people in the way. Robes and sandals are provided as well as fresh fruit and lemon and cucumber infused ice water. I felt that were weren’t rushed, there was a calmness to the spa that I really enjoyed. I will definitely return whenever I am in the area.