Manzur Rehabilitation & Spa Services

Have you ever heard of a $ 29 1-​hour massage? (Actually, yes, but not in the United States.) Well this is what I got when a Groupon Now deal lured me to Manzur. Here’s the skinny:
I was disappointed when Groupon sold out of the $ 29/​hour deal, but I called anyway and the secretary agreed to give me the same rate even without the voucher (don’t tell Groupon!)
I get to the place… so on the map it looked awfully close to Alhambra Circle, which meant Gables, which in my mind meant posh. WELL. I guess I haven’t seen all of Gables. The spa is located in a kind of sketchy business complex with a pretty absurd parking lot.
I get inside: so the word «spa» usually conjures up images of a spacious, serene space with new age music and the sound of waterfalls playing in the background and the smell of Aveda products. Not this spa, but nevertheless I was going to pay less than $ 30 for this experience and was not expecting Lapis or the Setai. The place was small and no-​frills, reminiscent of a doctor’s office. And it smelled of burned – and I mean BURNED incense. My nose was stinging. Surprisingly, both the secretary and the masseuse did speak English– I honestly wouldn’t have expected it in this part of town and was ever so ready to practice my best Spanglish.
The Massage. While certainly not the best I’ve had, I think that my masseuse had potential. She had small, very soft and smooth, comforting hands. She definitely could have used more pressure, which she did when I asked her to press harder on my back, and I fell right asleep. She missed some details which I think are an important part of a massage experience: before beginning she could have asked which areas I would especially like work on, five minutes in she could have asked if she was using enough or too much pressure, and in the end she definitely could have wiped all the oil off my body (preferably with a hot towel).
Bottom line: I think I’d go back if I needed a picker-​upper and wasn’t wanting to splurge. Ask if they’d offer the $ 29/​hour deal. I’d also advise to tell your masseuse which areas you want worked on and how much pressure they should use. Otherwise, sweet and kind staff and not a bad deal.