I've never experienced anything like it. To preface, the manager and woman at the front handled the situation perfectly and I'm grateful for the steps they took to remedy the issue. That being said, I would stay clear of Paula. I booked a 90min massage, we started the massage, and about 15-20 min in I noticed that she had only been using her elbows the whole time. I asked if she could use her hands also, and she said that's later. Then when she finally started using her hands it was a light rubbing, so I asked for a bit more pressure. She replied if I wanted only hands I could finish at 30 min instead. I said I want the whole 90 minutes, and she said she can do mixed elbows and hands for 90 or only hands for 30. I said that's fine I don't mind mixed elbows and hands but I don't like only elbows. She then stopped the massage and told me I should find another therapist and walked out the door. If you don't want to use your hands why on earth would you become a masseuse?!?!?! I was stunned. The manager and woman at the front were great in handling the situation. But do NOT go to Paula!! read more

I had an absolutely phenomenal massage here, given by Cha-Cha. I found the entire experience to be pleasant, from parking to check in to the actual massage. They were happy to accomodate a preference for a room in the back, so I had no problems with noise. I'm a longtime fan of the Massage Place...so the simple, clean atmosphere is just right for me. I would certainly return to this location... its so nice for a stroll before or after! read more

I second what's been posted above, and would further add I had a session w/Demauriea and he is really amazing. The only downside is he only works on Sunday, but he's seriously worth the wait...book him early!! read more

Putting a good word in for this place (not just the Main Street location). Ask for Michael; he knows what's what with each muscle group and digs into it. read more

Some outstanding therapists, find 1 or 2 that you like and stick to them. ...if you don't need to make a day out of it, why would you?

Exactly what you need without all the bs. Great massage with Marcia. I had terrible shoulder knots and she found all of them.. I'll be back for more. read more

I think its time to try a new location. They now run your card through the massuese smartphone cube. I prefer a more secure transaction thru the credit card machine and they always seem to argue. There goes my relaxed feeling from the massage. I'd rather go somewhere that has their priorities straight...ON THE CUSTOMER. read more

When you need a last minute massage and don't want to pay big bucks but still want quality this is the place to go. Deep tissue always.

I've been here a lot of times and almost always wing it in terms of who i'm going to get. Everyone has their own style and has been really great. I highly recommend trying this place out for a relaxing massage or to alleviate any soar athletic muscle injuries. read more

I've been blessed to have a number of massages in my life but I can honestly say Matthew G gave me the best massage of my life!

I don't usually do reviews but Grace has been amazing. I have been to many therapists over the years, some much better than others. I have a knot in my back that I have never had total relief from. She worked on it for awhile. I was in pain for about a day and a half but then I was free! She also worked on my TMJ with much relief. I will be going back Thank you so much. read more

Dida gave me the best massage of my life! I'm going back asap.

Decent massages...not the best I've had but pretty good especially for the great price. Rooms could use an update on decor, don't look super clean. They definitely need to have two sheets or offer a blanket because you can see through the one sheet they lay on top of you! read more

I work right down the street from this place, and I regret not coming here sooner. A coworker had referred me to Jose, who is incredible and very skilled. He has focused on fixing my shoulder problem that I have had for many years. He really takes the time and effort during my massage, and will give the extra care when getting through tough knots in my back. I have been searching for a masseuse for years that can pay attention to my needs. Jose has met my expectations and beyond. read more

Evelyn is one of my regular massage therapists at the Massage Place on Main Street in Venice and I highly recommend her. I have a deep tissue massage to break up the tension and muscle pain from a very active lifestyle and stress. Evelyn has the strength and finesse to dig deep and release my aches and pains and bring my body back to a relaxed and balanced state. She is very pleasant, professional, healing and one of my favorite massage therapists! read more

I've had several massages here over the years and 9 out of 10 of them have been quite good. Lately I've booked Reggie for deep tissue: he is excellent and responsive to your feedback. The pricing is very reasonable so you can book at least once a month. Small, tidy and clean place where locals go for weekly bodywork. read more

James is an incredibly skilled therapist who both ASKED where I needed the work and actually FOLLOWED THROUGH the entire session. He instinctively knew how and where to apply pressure and direction. He was friendly and seemed to be genuinely dedicated to making me feel better. This was my first visit to this location (most MP therapists are average at best; typically not well trained in people or massage skills); so James was a welcome surprise. read more

Go to Monique, Lisa b. Or Reggie. They are great! Monique & Lisa b. Are true healers. They can really feel and understand the body. Great value! read more

Ronnie is amazing! She made me feel so comfortable and was genuinely good at what she does, with a great knowledge of the body. Massages here are $47, but worth well worth more. read more

Worst experience ever. Asked specifically for deep tissue on legs and arms. I got Thai massage with with sharp elbows in my upper back. New instructions didn't help and I never received the treatment I needed. read more

This is one of the best places where to get a massage in Venice! Affordable, clean and easy to book. Jack is my favorite masseuse!

This review is in regards to Dede. I had her once before and she was okay.Unfortunately the second time was awful. I simply asked her to apply less pressure on my legs and foot and rather than say okay, she literally stepped out of the room. She did not say excuse me or I'll be back, just left.Who does that? She didn't return until 5 mins later and acted like nothing happened. I should have left right there.She did not even offer me water in the end like every massage therapists does there. I tipped this woman and I totally regret doing so. Her behavior is unacceptable. read more

Just received a massage from Joey - it was amazing. He is truly talented at his craft.

I'm only giving it 2 starts because of this reason (the massage was fantastic, a 4 plus): The reception desk people talked loudly the ENTIRE time I was being massaged. It was like being in a hair salon. An older woman, I was told by someone she is related to the owner, was SUPER loud. It's just rude, thoughtless and ignorant to talk so loudly in a massage establishment (especially employees). Too bad. read more

I went to this place after reading the reviews on Yelp and got THE WORST massage of my life. I am 42 years old and I have had girlfriends give me better back rubs than this awful massage. I will give 2 stars because the actual location on Montana(?) was fine...a good massage here would have been fine...very basic but fine. However the woman whose name is Pat has no place touching people's body's. Pat's massage showed absolutely NO knowledge of human musculature and had no sense of positive energy movement. The best part was when it was over. Sorry Massage Place...I will never trust you again. read more

BUYER BEWARE!!! If you purchase a gift certificate they do not tell you, up front, that you can only use one gift certificate per session. my friend bought me 3 - one hour massage gift certificates. she told me i could get 2 one-and-a-half hour massages instead, WRONG. they wanted to charge me an additional $20 + i wanted to leave a tip. so, what was a nice gift, they ripped us off. they took my entire 2nd hour away for 30 extra mins and gave me $10 cash back. Cha Cha at main street is a fantastic masseus read more

Ken is the best! I've been going to him for over a year and he has super healing hands. I'm an aerialist and push my body hard and he always gets out all my kinks and I leave feeling relaxed and renewed. Thank you Ken! read more

The Massage Place on Main Street is a great and affordable place for a massage. I discovered it a couple years ago and get massages there regularly. There's a wide range of therapist who have special techniques to suit your needs. I highly recommend Brittany Goodman because she is able to quickly determine your problem areas and provide relief. She can modify the massage sessions to adjust to your needs and treats her clients very well. Book ahead because she's very popular. Keep an eye out for special deals that the Massage Place offers around the holidays, like Black Friday. read more

I'm willing to give this place another try and ask for David. I went twice a few years ago. First a gal and then since I felt I needed stronger hands (I was working out a lot) and wanted a good massage, I asked for a guy. He seemed kind of shy and wouldn't really put his hands on me or rub out the kinks. I wanted the I Love Lucy massage on John Wayne episode! Since I didn't get satisfaction, I never went back. read more

Next time, I'm going to Tao Healing Arts. After months and months of fantasizing about treating myself to a massage, I finally took the plunge, thinking that I deserved it, after all, I just started a new job and finally my back could be masterfully soothed by a professional. How wrong I was. To begin with, the receptionist at the front was rude and brusque, and her attitude soured my initial impression of the place. Just listening to her speak on the phone grated on my nerves, with her blatant lack of courtesy and manners. She was the worst receptionist I'd ever seen in my life. But the best was yet to come. The massage therapist, C., began the massage and with her strong hands, I thought, Great, this is perfect. I didn't mind the voice of Sade in the background either - set the mood. The therapist kneaded my back, saying, 'Crunchy! Crunchy!' and made a few comments about the 405 and driving from the Valley. I figured she'd soon be quiet but I was wrong - she began to tell me things about herself, including her woes about her family. As someone who is a magnet for strangers' problems, it wasn't terribly surprising, but still - I want to get a massage in silence. I didn't want to make it worse by discussing it, so I resigned my self to a few minutes of her chatter. Wrong. When she found out I'd lived in Russia, she proceeded to narrate the whole tragic story of her family suffering under the Stalinist regime in the Soviet Union, including the worst violence anyone could imagine. Once she started, she couldn't restrain herself. It was as if she'd bottled it all up for 40 years and now was spewing it upon a stranger on her table. As they say in Russian, Koshmar! Nightmare! Though I felt for her, I knew I would never, ever go there again. To top it off, my back is terribly sore! After the whole experience I feel like I need a different kind of therapy... read more

I like the massages I get here, but I don't understand the obnoxious "tipping guide" on the door of each room. If you guys want to charge a given price for your service, then I will tip you accordingly based on that price. You can't arbitrarily determine that a "fair" tip is 40-50% and then guilt me into paying that. And the receptionist should knock off the annoyed face when the tip doesn't meet her standards. If you don't think the establishment charges enough for your services, find somewhere else to work. read more

Ok, so I gave this place 3 stars only because it is inconsistent. I had a really bad experience just now but have had some very good ones in the past. For the good: The therapist James is amazing and probably the best I have had at this location. He always gives a good massage and gives the full hour. For the bad: EMILY (do NOT go to her)--she and the staff today were shocking. I was assigned her for a last minute 90 minute massage. First, her massage wasn't great--I asked for deep tissue and she doesn't have a sense of what that means. I am a doctor and realized she didn't have a good sense of where the muscles were and trigger points. So, that in itself was disappointing. Also, when I arrived she was standing in the lobby, barefoot, right next to me. I was a few minutes early, but she was just standing there. She did not say hello, she had a scowl on her face. And then it seems her client came out of the room late. Then she walked away and only 5 minutes later came and told me that she was ready. i was totally confused--thought she meant someone else because why would someone ignore their next client for 10 minutes and give them a scowl? Not a very nice one I suppose. I said ok and went in the room. She started the massge about 10-15 min late and then finished the massage 5 minutes early. This is against their policy as you know. So, essentially I got a 70 minute massage. I explained this to Emily at the front desk and she said "I give you time to exit the room". I said, but you started late. And she walked away, ignoring my comment. I told the front desk lady who said she didn't care, charged me for the 90 minute massage and then stared at me and said "what do you want to tip?" That took a lot of nerve. I decided not to tip very much. As an aside, Emily has a threatening note in the room that said "you must tip me $30 for 60 min massage and $50 for 90 min massage--the math of which made no sense--if you expect to reschedule with me". Wow. She has a high opinion of her mediocre massage. If I wanted a spa price, I would go to Burke Williams, trust me. The whole experience soured my opinion of the place. if I go back I am definitely signing up with James. read more

Massage was good, but I'm not sure how they think it's acceptable to demand a $30 tip for a $47 massage!! Tipping is about the service provided and I don't believe running late by 10mins and cutting my massage 10mins short to make up for it deserves a $10 tip.... Let alone a $30 one. Not sure I will come back seeing that I can spend the same amount (including tip) and go somewhere with nicer facilities. read more