Bliss Massage Studio

regarding the PEABODY location, let me start by saying that Ellen is AMAZING therapist! cant go wrong there! i have heard the same for Joseph. But the other therapist in the peabody location is very unreliable. your appointment will most likely either be up to 30 minutes late or cancelled! also, you have to book at leadt a month in advance. be prepared to wait awhile for an appointment, as the times are limited. Maybe its just me, but I also dont like having a massage from someone who smells like they just had a cigarette… not relaxing!

This review first appeared in 2009 because that’s when I first visited your joke of a business. I realized that I had accidentally opened 2 Unilocal accounts, so I took the few reviews I had on my lesser acct and copied them onto my main account.
So you think Unilocal has some vendetta against Bliss Massage studio? No, your business just sucks. That’s why people give you consistently bad reviews. It’s that simple. Don’t blame Unilocal,look in the mirror and blame yourself.

OK here we go, i go to Golds Gym so I thought I’d give this place a try. first 2 times were good experiences, good massage, therapist on time, overall good.
Last 3 times have been horrific! no shows, no explanations, they just dont care anymore or they are so unorganized that they have no idea what they are doing. Actually today I arrived at 845 for a 9am appointment and no one even showed until I gave up and went home about 935.
Its just sad because it could be a fine business with a good location.
Thank god Im a member of the gym so I could hop in and out to check to see if they even opened the doors to there studio. Cant say same for the poor young woman who was sitting in front of the studio for 45 minutes, until her therapist decided to show.
Just disappointing, oh and by the way its 8 hours later and no one has called to explain why no one showed, or why they were not opened on time.
sad

I approached Bliss Massage Studio with some trepidation as I had read previous comments and had low expectations. I had the groupon, however, so I gave it a try, and I was very pleasantly surprised.
Justina, my therapist, was very patient and gave a good massage. It might have been too light for some, but I really just wanted my shoulder blades to be worked and she did a great job of that. The environment was really nice, much better than I was expecting. The room was clean with soothing décor and as soon as I was under the blanket on the toasty massage bed, Justina turned out the overhead lights so only a dim lamp illuminated the room, which was super relaxing for me. I received a Swedish massage and she did my back, legs, arms, head and neck. I was very satisfied, everything considered.

So I must be very lucky or completely missing what everyone else is talking about (maybe a little bit of both). While I agree that this place is no ritz and that it is located in an offshoot room from Gold’s Gym, I’ve never had a problem with the noise or the smell entering the waiting or massage area. I’ve been going here for almost a year now off and on while trying other massage places.
I don’t want to say the name of the person that I use, as they are hard to book an appointment with already, but they do a very good job (a little selfish of me I know). They have always asked me what I needed work on during that visit and ensured that the bed was warm. I also enjoy that the lights are dim and that relaxing music is playing. It has gotten to the point where the masseuse knows me (typical pains), remembers where I hurt, and can tell if I am worse or better than last time. They apply a good amount of pressure and have helped me relax and work out some of my more tougher knots. And for the price of an hour massage, this close to me, it’s hard to argue with what they are doing.

I, like many others here, purchased the groupon deal. Though risky, I purchased the 3 pack. After the first one, I would have never gone back if I could have refunded my money somehow.
I could go into a long ramble, but I’ll just list the high level points:
–sketchy/​trashy location
–not a very relaxing environment
–massage table was comfortable but it was always cold, other places I have gone for cheaper (comparing full price not deals) warm the tables for you
–staff varies — My first girl was the best out of the three, of course I didn’t know this at the time and I wasn’t really impressed so I tried someone new the next time. The second girl was awful and I felt like I hadn’t even gotten a massage, the last massage was so painful I was sore the next day.
–You have to book your appointment really far in advance, which really blows when something comes up and you need to change it, you’ll never find an open appointment near the original date
–The last time I went I got a hot stone and she said she had only just started to warm the stones so half of my appointment she didn’t use them. Rip off!
Overall, you are much better going somewhere else and spending less. I really wanted this place to be awesome but it has tainted me on trying new places. I’ll probably just stick with Aveda now because they provide consistent, quality service for roughly the same cost.

Bought a Groupon for this place. Received a very mediocre massage. I don’t mind that this is a no-​frills place and is inside Gold’s Gym. But when I go to get a massage, I want it to be therapeutic and relaxing.
Try Aloha Boston Massage on Newbury. It’s way cheaper than a spa massage and Denise is amazing.

Edit: Aw, man. I have to reduce my rating from 5 to 3 because I got a little bit of a bait-​and-​switch pulled on me today — my beloved Megan is gone, so they changed my appointment to a new therapist, Kim. She was really nice and professional. I hate to change my review because I really want to like this place — I like that they offer so many discounts, I like that they email me back right away, I like that the therapists I’ve seen are majority people of color, and I like their business model where they save on costs of advertising and rental space and extras, and pass on that cost savings so most anyone can afford a massage.
But, sadly, this massage was not good. I have no expertise to criticize the method, but it did not feel good at the time, and it doesn’t feel good now. Kim gave me a lot of chances to speak up and ask for higher heat, less pressure, lower heat, etc, which I did, but it still was not a good massage for me. Hate to say it because she seemed like a really nice person.
Megan, if you ever read this — where are you???
–
I was very happy with my no-​frills massage from Megan, but let me be clear that my 5 stars are in proportion to what I paid ($ 49 for a Groupon for one massage plus three $ 25-​off coupons for future massages). «Bliss» as a name for the place seems like an inside joke for the staff and clients.
The location was shabby but certainly functional — the table was really comfortable and the room was nice and warm. I had to ask for water but got it immediately. The therapist, Megan, was not exceptionally friendly or talkative, but she was very, very good. To be totally honest she seemed too good for this place, so I ended up tipping her about 30% on the full price. The pressure was perfect, not too soft but not painful, and at certain points on my neck I could literally feel the tension draining away. My shoulders feel much less tight and all the kinks in my arms and legs from dancing, using the computer too much, etc feel better. As an added bonus she used a lot of lotion or oil so I came out well-​moisturized, a big deal in winter. I would definitely come back.
GPS takes you on a crazy route so to save you some trouble: this is located in Twin City Plaza in Somerville (the one with Shaws, Rite Aid, Marshalls, Dollar Store, Sally Beauty Supply, McDonalds, Dots, etc) To get there, go through the Gold’s Gym entrance, then immediately turn right and go through the door that says «Gym Entrance [left arrow]» on it.
Make your appointment with plenty of time to spare. It seems like they generally book up about a month in advance.

I can definitely understand the poor reviews of others. The location is a bit awkward and not relaxing. And when I arrived, I would not say the welcome was warm. I also was concerned by the reviews on here that certain therapists were not the best. The only one that I saw good reviews for was Jennifer, but she was full for months. And the only other therapist not mentioned in reviews was Megan, so I thought I’d take a chance on her. And she was GREAT!
She was very thorough, well done massage. She even managed to work my feet, which I find very few therapists who are skilled enough to do that without making me ticklish. And then I think the kicker for me was her knowledge of sports medicine/​PT, and she identified a problem area (without me pointing it out) that overpaid specialists/​neurologists and sports medicine doctors have not been able to. And she helped me break down the original source of and reasons for the issue, which also has not been done by the 5+ doctors I have gone to in the past 2 years. Having identified the source of the issue, Megan helped me think about how to work on it at home, and after a month and a half, I have been seeing improvement based on my 1 hour session with an unexpected gem in a less-​than-​stellar studio that I got through a Living Social deal.

This place thrives on doing Groupons, Living Social Deals, etc. I also fell prey to this. as I thought, how can I lose? You get gift cards too for next time! I requested for a hot stone massage. wanted to go with my friend, but they have too few masseuses that you have to schedule online about a month in advance.
So. this place isn’t that nice. It’s not that bad. but it’s inside the building with the Gold’s Gym… not too relaxing but whatever. Like most people said, when you close your eyes. you don’t notice perhaps.
I thought the massage was just okay. she wasn’t that good. The worst part really was the scalp massage. she used her oily hands dipped in massage oil. My hair was gross afterwards. the massage oil she used smelled bad.
I tipped her on the full amount. I wouldn’t go again. I think I still have the coupons lying around somewhere.

Booked through Living Social. Plenty of reviews have already explained the location, and they’re right that it kind of sucks to be in a Gold’s Gym, but on the other hand it’s no different from a nice spa once you’re in the room with your eyes closed getting a massage.
Went for my massage with Jennifer and have no complaints. It was my first deep tissue massage and I don’t think I’ll go back to normal ones… Overall, I definitely will go back for my two coupons ($ 40 for an hour after discount!)
The low price totally makes up for the shortcomings, especially if you live within walking distance like I do!

I received a massage from Bliss as a gift from my now ex-​girlfriend last year. I had tried to schedule it a month or so ago, but found they only had one masseur doing deep-​tissue massages, which wasn’t all that convenient. When I went to re-​schedule a week ago, I was pleased to see that they had added a few new therapists.
I walk in yesterday and the «studio» is, well, let’s be honest — a shithole. It is in complete disrepair. They tried to pretty it up with ‘zen’-type things, but it didn’t really cover up the holes in the drywall, missing ceiling tiles, etc. (As another reviewer pointed out, once your eyes are closed it doesn’t really matter.) I only have to wait a minute or so until my masseuse, Jennifer, walks in. She leads me into another room which is equally in ruin. She’s very professional, we talk about the massage for a few minutes, and then she leaves so I can get undressed. The massage itself was great — she hits very muscle in my body (well — almost; I was hoping for a scalp massage to finish it off). How she managed that much force from her little frame is beyond me, but it was clear that she was well-​trained. I enjoyed the massage thoroughly.
When I left, I was given the standard 2 $ 25 gift certificates. I may use them, depending on what kind of Groupon-​type deals appear in the future.

I was thinking about getting a massage this week and saw Bliss’s Living Social deal come up. I purchased the deal on Tuesday and scheduled a massage on Thursday. It’s a little weird that they really seem to want the voucher number in order to book the massage… and it makes me wonder if they do much non-​coupon business.
The location is in the Golds Gym on McGrath Hwy. You don’t really have to walk through the gym though, Bliss is off the lobby. It is kind of incongruous though… not a very blissful locale. The massage room was also a little too dark for my taste, but that’s not a problem once you’re on the table with your eyes closed.
I liked my therapist Sharon. She gave me a deep tissue massage and some assisted stretches at the end to loosen up some tight muscles. She worked just the right amount of pressure… deep enough to really feel it but not so deep that it made me wince.
The deal came with two $ 25 coupons and that makes their normal $ 65 only $ 40. I’ll probably be going back as the massage was totally worth it.

Like just about all the reviewers, my first experience with Bliss Massage Studio was by way of a livingsocial deal that I purchased last year. I can’t remember how much it cost, but the voucher entitled me to one 60-​minute swedish, deep tissue, or hot stone massage and two $ 25 gift certificates to come back.
Now, the other reviewers seem to harp on the fact that the studio is located in Gold’s Gym. Get over it. It said so on the website so when I walked in, I was not surprised. So no stars added or subtracted for that reason.
Why I gave 4 stars instead of 5…
* When I arrived, there was no-​one at the front desk. I was about 15 minutes early so I didn’t worry. But it would’ve been nice to have someone greet me.
* The $ 25 gift certificates are actually $ 25 off a 60-​minute massage gift certificates that you can’t combine. I wish Bliss /​Living Social were more upfront about the contingency for using the gift certificates when I first purchased the deal.
* The spa (hmm… not really a «spa» per se) wasn’t very «spa-​like. It was clean, the room smelled good, but the waiting area wasn’t all that glamorous.
So, how good was the massage you asked?
SOO GOOD. Like, I was still feeling good 3 days later, good. I asked for a deep tissue massage and I got a deep tissue massage. Usually I am sore after my martial arts class, but not this week… I think the massage was THAT good.
The massage therapist I had is Jena. I can’t wait to book my next appointment with her.
P. S. I didn’t have to «pay» this visit but the prices for massages are really moderate/​fair considering the location and un-​spalike style of the venue.

Cons: It’s in a huge shopping center so although there’s parking it’s not a very tranquil setting. It’s also inside of a gym so again, not a calming setting. I think I was the only client there so I didn’t experience having to hear people talking but I could see how it could happen given the walls seemed thin. No mirrors in the rooms.
Pros: Even though there are a few cons, the massage itself was probably the best one I’ve ever had so I’m giving 4 stars. Joe was amazing! He worked on my back for awhile and asked how I felt about the pressure and adjusted based on my comments. I also really liked that they use blankets over the sheets. Every place I’ve ever been, you just get under a sheet. The blankets made me feel less exposed and therefore I was able to relax more. I also like that you can book online.

Like everyone else, I bought a LivingSocial deal for Bliss. Both my boyfriend and I love massages, and this was a great deal!
We bought our coupons last summer, so we decided a month or so ago to finally use them before they expired. It’s a good thing we planned ahead, because due to studio schedules, etc. I had to wait a month before my massage. Oh well. I’ve read a couple of reviews where people complain about this, but if you plan ahead, there’s really no reason to complain. A massage is a massage, especially when it’s cheap.
My hot stone massage with Sonya today was fantastic. Like, whoa. I was a bit taken aback by the gym basement location, and the entry area wasn’t anything special, but the massage room was nicely decorated (bring your own mirror) and the atmosphere during my massage was calming.
There were some personal trainers talking outside the studio, and because I could hear them (muffled, but still) I asked Sonya to turn the music up, she sympathized with me, and turned it up loud enough so that the voices down the hall were almost completely drowned out.
She dealt with the areas I asked her to focus on, and did a deeper massage on those areas, making sure, occasionally, that the pressure wasn’t too much for me.
Now, I’ve been to lovely massage studios, and I have received mediocre massages at those fancy places. This is not a lovely place, nor is the overall environment very conducive to relaxation, but I had a wonderful and fulfilling massage there, and will go back to use my gift cards on additional hot stone massages with Sonya.

Okay, seriously, this place should NOT call itself a massage place. The massage therapist had no idea what a massage actually is– I was pretty annoyed. She knew TWO movements the ENTIRE TIME and she did not massage you, she RUBBED YOU. Massage is when they knead your muscles and put pressure on it — but Ellen, my massage therapist, just RUBBED ME. It felt nice but it was NOT A MASSAGE. She used ZERO to no pressure on my muscles. She just basically moved her hands back and forth on my back. I was SO MAD because she kept pointing out how my shoulder and neck was tight, but then proceeded to just rub me… and NOT knead the muscles that are tight. Umm, hello?
Not only that, I SPECIFICALLY told her I WANT DEEP TISSUE MASSAGE. There was no resemblance she even knew was deep was– it was the most shallow rubbing thing ever. I thought it was horrendous that she only knew two movements– 1) rubbing with her hands back and forth and 2) used her elbows and moved that back and forth. THAT IS ALL THE TECHNIQUE SHE HAS. I have been to SOOO many massage places, and even the worst ones knew TECHNIQUES. Did Ellen go to massage school? I seriously doubt her credibility as a massage therapist. She seriously didn’t know what she was doing– hell, I could have done it! Give me some lotion and I’ll move my hands back and forth on your body and charge you money for it. What the hell.
The massage place is located INSIDE Gold’s Gym, which is hard to find. It’s just two small rooms. It seems kinda sketchy at first. It’s about a 12 minute walk from Lechmere T stop. None of things bother me if the MASSAGE WAS ANY GOOD. I’m annoyed just thinking about.
I bought a Living Social coupon so it was $ 40 and then tip. And Ellen gives you two coupons for $ 25 each for another time. HAAA as if I would go back.
If you want anything that resembles somebody actually working out your muscles, DON’T go here.

I got a coupon deal from
where I received a hot stone massage and two $ 25 gift certificates for $ 55. As I was interested in trying hot stone, it seemed like a good starter package.
I don’t know whether what I received was «authentic» hot stone, as I have nothing to compare it to, but it was a very nice, relaxing massage from Ellen. The stones were hot and relaxing, and she used good pressure. She was very intent on making sure I was comfortable, asking me multiple times if the pressure/​temperature was right. At the end, she actually gave me a card for $ 25 off the next FIVE services.
I will say that the beginning is a little sketchy, in that there isn’t a sign for the studio, and you have to wander into the gym area and ask. That’s the only area I’d dock points for, and why it was four star experience.
The

I had a
certificate so I decided to try a hot stone massage. It was pretty much a disaster.
I’m fairly certain my therapist didn’t have a clue what she was doing.
First, I never filled out any type of form about my history or what I wanted. Aren’t those like required by law in case I die on your table?
Second, it was super noisy… and not only noisy, but the door was knocked on while I was there and the girl OPENED IT and had a conversation while I was lying there naked. Awesome.
Finally, the stone part, they were more like cold stones which she just threw in a pile on top of my back and they kept falling off!!!
Definitely not relaxing or healing. Additionally, when I left, two gym employees were standing outside and were either flirting or mocking me, I’m not really sure, but it did continue to add to the gross creepy factor that place emits. Oh and it smells awful too.

Jesse and I came here today because of great deal on
, and it was a really good experience. The massage that Ellen gave was fantastic, and the only reason it doesn’t get five stars is because of the noise of the gym. It’s settled inside the Gold’s Gym to the right of the entrance, so we can hear noise from the weights and machines, even through the wall.
The massage was fantastic, and she did a great job of working knots out of my muscles, of which there were many. She focused on my neck, upper back, and also my legs. I had no clue that I still had residual tightness in my right leg from over compensating from my broken ankle fiasco, but I definitely did. The difference was pretty amazing after one session. I had some tension i my neck as well, and Ellen did a great job on working that out as well.
We’ll definitely be back-​I love really deep massages, and at $ 65 for an hour, the price is fantastic!