Massage Palace

★★★★★

I had a 2 hour full body massage with Nina. Very very pleased. She was utterly professional, friendly, and the establishment is very clean and tidy.

I will be honest: I seriously hesitated when it became apparent that this is an oriental establishment, because many Chinese places do not hire licensed therapists and let’s just say I find most disreputable. Not Massage Palace. Strictly reputable!

I found the interior environment a bit schmaltzy, lots of twinkle lights and lanterns, but the therapy rooms are private and quiet and tasteful.

I will come back. Very happy.

Addendum 7/7/2025
My sister is a retired massage therapist, so I know how she struggled financially. She did it right: she attended the Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Westport, now closed, and graduated a true professional. But because I know how difficult this profession can be financially for the therapist, I always generously tip, because I remember seeing my sister struggle. So, the tipping issue hasn’t come up with me. Yet. It had better not.

I can’t say that I had much of an issue with my first two massages. I usually book a 90 minute full body. They were professional and I didn’t pick up that the therapist was anything less than knowledgeable.

However, with the third, some issues sprang up. I never have gotten the same therapist even though I requested the first therapist again. First, what ever massage oil they use, it is very irritating to my skin. I usually notice it the next day. At least we should have a choice for something hypoallergenic. I wrote it off the first two times, but now I notice a pattern. Can’t get any further massages there until they change their oil or at least give me a choice.

The other thing about this third massage was that I noticed the therapist was very casual about draping, and I felt overly exposed. The therapist also got a little too close to my privates, which I found very uncomfortable, like a violation. I tried to tell her to be more careful, but I am not sure she understood.

So, I have to change my star count, reducing it by two until these issues are resolved. I am not sure I will go back. They are friendly and generally professional but a rash and a feeling of being violated now puts me off.

Edit 07/20/2025

I decided to give them one more try with a different type of massage, since my skin is sensitive to the massage oil they use for a full body massage. Also, I suffer from eczema, so a soothing skin treatment sounded good. So, I signed up for the Arctic Ocean 1 hour mud scrub. My main purpose was to see if they could offer a good massage without the issues of their regular oil.

I am very happy! The therapist was super professional and super courteous, and very friendly, putting me at ease. The mud scrub is part massage, part cleansing rub in a wonderful balance. No skin irritation, no other issues whatsoever. I made a good choice!

Also, I spoke at some length with the woman at the reception desk, as I was early, about my concerns. She listened, seemed very concerned about my concerns, and all I can say is that this latest experience was wonderful.

So, back to five stars. This is a great place to have a massage, and I will plan on making full use of my Diamond Membership, which affords me a significant per-visit discount....more

NJ

Norman J. Guilbert Jr.

May 30, 2025