Footssage Sawtelle

I agree with the other reviews that the professionalism has tanked here in recent months. I used to come here a lot and though I have never liked how open the set up is, and the uncomfortable chairs, the professionalism really has tanked. The last time I went, I was told on the phone they no longer take debit card or credit card (not even sure this is true?), which means I had to drive 20 minutes out of my way in traffic for an ATM. When I got there the girl seemed to have long nails and was scratching me as she massaged. However, what really upset me is that I had horrible allergic reaction when I had my face into the massage couch (eyes red and watering, and my face became swollen) and the girl massaging me didn’t seem to care at all; I just gave her the tip and left.

I texted, called and came in person for a massage on Monday 11:15am where it says it’s open on Unilocal,and I am disturbed that no one was here. I have been hanging around the sawtelle area for an hour in hopes that I can get in in case they are just running a little late, because my friend said this place was great.
Door closed at 11:15 and still closed an hour later at 12:15. Fix the Unilocal listing if you are not sticking to these hours. Not happy.

I almost never leave a negative review, but I’m really disappointed in this place. They are not open when they say they are. I went to the physical location during they’re hours of operation and they were closed– no sign, no notice why. I even tried calling twice and texting their appointment line and it’s been radio silent. Not sure if this place went out of business or is just poorly run. The sad part is a friend bought a gift certificate to this place and I doesn’t look like I’ll ever get to redeem it.

I have given this place five stars before, and I’ve come at least a dozen times. They have great massages, but over the last couple of months, the professionalism here has tanked.
They never answer the phone, respond to voicemails, or reply to text messages. The last time I was actually able to schedule an appointment was in November, and they cancelled via text message 30 minutes beforehand. Every text message since then has been ignored. It’s fine if the place is busy and there are no appointments available, but it is common courtesy to let the customer know so they can go on with their day.
I actually got through on Saturday and a very bored-​sounding guy answered. He said there were no appointments available that day, which is fine, but when I asked if I could make an appointment for the next day, he said «I don’t know, I’m not working tomorrow; you’ll have to call back in the morning.» Seriously? There’s no appointment book? I’m not asking to book weeks in advance. Come on.
I’m actually embarrassed because I raved to my friends about Footssage, and even bought one friend a gift certificate for his birthday. He can’t use the gift certificate because no one ever responds to his calls or text messages. As far as I’m concerned, this place stole $ 25 from me. I’m sure it won’t be long til the Sawtelle location closes just like the one on Kelton.

Just went to the Footssage on Sawtelle (the Kelton Ave location is closed) and saw Esmerelda again. I say again, because she’s probably massaged me 30 – 40 times. I keep going back because she’s that good.
She’s strong and highly skilled and takes direction if you are looking for her to concentrate in a specific area.
The place is quiet (she’s always the only one working there when I’ve been there) and comfy. Parking on Sawtelle is meters so bring some change.
I can’t recommend Esmerelda more highly. Right now, she is working there on Sundays and Mondays only.
Great deal for $ 25 per hour. I usually tip $ 10-​$ 15.

Andy was amazing. Place was clean. For $ 25 plus a healthy $ 20 tip it’s still an amazing bargain.

I’m not sure if this place is still open. I had a great massage here about 2 or 3 weeks ago. Since then I’ve called and texted at least 6 – 8 times, and nobody has answered or even responded. Too bad. I really liked the place.

I’ve been here quite a few times and it is great for a quick massage to get the kinks out. Verena has amazing hands and does wonders to my back every time I come in. I would highly recommend footssage to anyone looking for a good and affordable massage.

I have been coming here for years! Esmerelda is excellent! It’s best to come here earlier in the day when there’s not a lot of bodies in the room. And it can get a little cold in the winter. But hey, it’s cheap. An amazing deal for $ 25.00.

It’s not a bad spot for what you pay for, but even by weird single-​room reflexology place standards it’s just okay. The entire place holds maybe 6 customers, and is pretty tiny.
Everyone here seems to be fluent in English, so it’s a plus that you can communicate what you want and areas to pay special attention to pretty quickly. My therapist was sensitive and responsive, and helped work me through some pretty tight spots on my upper and lower back. The biggest downside to the experience, if we can consider the privacy level as a completely different topic, is how cold the room was kept. I asked for a towel to provide additional warmth, but never felt comfortable and never really relaxed.
There is absolutely nothing separating a single client from the unobstructed view from the front door. You’ll be removing some articles of clothing for your massage, so be prepared for that.

My friend raves about this place so we tried coming here a few times but w/​o luck because our calls kept going straight to voicemail and the one time we dropped by they were closed even though it was during their regular business hours. We recently tried to make a reservation and it finally worked, 3^rd try is the charm!
1. MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AT THE KELTON LOCATION:
They’re understaffed so it’s best to call ahead and schedule an appointment since therapists alternate working at both Footssage locations (the one on Sawtelle Blvd & the other on Kelton Ave). From my experience, if you call the Sawtelle location it goes directly to voicemail. A staff member confirmed it’s because they don’t want to disturb the customer during the massage session. It’s best to call the Kelton location since you can leave a voicemail or even text in your appointment request and specify which of the two locations you prefer. They’re usually pretty good about calling you back.
2. MASSAGE EXPERIENCE:
I love that they ask you beforehand if you want them to focus on certain areas or if you prefer that they just do a regular routine. My lower back was hurting from the Insanity workout so I was glad the therapist worked on that problem area for quite some time. I specified shoulders, back, & feet, requesting a «hard» pressure level.
Overall, I was satisfied with the experience. She worked out the knots on my shoulder area and worked her magic on my whole back. At times it was painful but it was a good sort of pain. She had told me to tell her at any time if I prefer less or more pressure but I felt that the amount of pressure she used was just right. The massage on my feet was decent but not as great as when she worked on my shoulders and back. My friend commented on a similar experience. On my next visit, I’d probably just ask that the therapist to focus on solely my shoulders and back. It was a great value, $ 25 for 1-​hr massage.
Meter parking all along Sawtelle or if you don’t mind walking a block or so there’s usually free parallel parking found along Beloit Avenue.

Best massage I’ve ever had! :)
When I walked in, I was greeted by several of the employees there. The customer service was great, and the whole set up in the spa was really nice. I loved the vibe.
Demetrius is the therapist who did my massage and he is freaking AMAZING!
He massaged my feet, hands, and my back, (the best part) I fell asleep! Lol
He’s super gentle but applies the right amount of pressure… I was in heaven.
This man is GREAT at what he does and I will definitely be one of his regular clients.
5 stars for this place! And only for $ 25 an hour? You can’t beat that. Thanks for such an amazing experience. I look forward to coming back! :)
*Ask for Demetrius

My sister brought me here a few weeks ago and I had a great massage here. It was so awesome that I fell asleep.

Let me tell you something. I can not say that I am a GURU in locating good massage spots. However, this place does it right. I fall asleep every single time. This is when I know I am completely put in a relaxed state of mind. I get my knots eased out of my shoulders and arms and the tension definitely lessens.
The person I go to is Demetrius and he is very gentle yet applies the right amount of pressure where I don’t wake up the next day with major sensitive shoulders. He is very good at what he does and I definitely appreciate that.
Speaking of which I probably need to set up an appoint about now as my shoulders have been killing me.

I was looking for an inexpensive massage to work out knots in my back and neck. After reading the reviews I thought I’d give this place a shot but didn’t have high expectations. Turns out I loved it!
I got an appointment same day with no problem. I was the only person there so I didn’t experience any of the distractions others mentioned. It was clean and the music was relaxing.
Danielle was my masseuse and she did a great job. She explained everything she was going to do and checked in throughout to make sure I was comfortable. The only reason I gave 4 stars instead of 5 is that I would have liked a little more focus on certain areas but you can only do so much in an hour. For $ 25 I highly recommend Footssage and will definitely go back!

Pros:
Massage therapist Verena is great!
Price is good.
Convenient location (usually enough of metered parking).
Cons:
Very small place and no privacy (hence, the price); therefore, I just get an upper back massage. It is basically like getting a massage at a nail salon, but you can lay down on an expanded chair-​like couch.

I started getting my massages at the Kelton location. I was so excited to hear that they were opening a second location!!! It is so beautiful inside. The staff here are all amazing! Always asking first where I would like them to focus on. I’ve been to many reflexology locations but hands down Footsage is my favorite! I always make an appointment but of course there are times where I’m out n about n all of a sudden want a massage. So I just walk in. Sure there are times when they are busy n I can’t get a massage right away, so then I’ll call the other location and ask. That’s the convenience that I love’
If you are in the west side area most definitely go check this place out! Staff are all super friendly and know what they are doing! :-)

The lights were pretty bright in the small massage room and the phone was constantly ringing. Besides the subpar ambiance, this bad review is primarily for Dani. It was probably one of the worst massages I’ve ever gotten, and I’ve been frequenting many reflexology-​type places recently.
She started massaging me with cold hands and never asked me once how the pressure was (it was too light). I told her in the beginning that my back was sore and to focus on just that. For some reason, she did everything but that and spent most of the time on my legs. She didn’t touch my feet, hands, or arms at all… like normal reflexologists do. She spent a long time on my head, but it felt more like she was scratching it and just messing up my hair.
She wasted a lot of time getting the bucket of hot water for me to soak my feet in. She only gave me about 5 minutes with it, but I’m fine with it because it was super uncomfortable anyways how she set it up without propping my chair up.
All in all, I must say I was incredibly disappointed. I’ve never left a massage feeling more anxious & stressed out than before. I don’t believe she has the qualifications/​credentials to work there, so AVOID HER.
Side note: my friend got a massage at the same time with another therapist and thought it was amazing. Seems like this place is really hit or miss depending on who you get.

I am a trainer so I am constantly lifting weights, stretching out and massaging my clients, so it’s nice when you can actually get your knots massaged.
I went it one night after a whole day of getting a headache from having neck and shoulder tension. Made a last min. Appointment with no problem. Brandon was my therapist and he was very polite and catering. I requested deep tissue and he did just that, not like other places where they mix in thai and Swedish that you didn’t request for.
I was the only customer that night, but I felt like I was treated with special care. I felt relaxed and slept really well that night.
I will definitely be coming back again.

$ 25 for a «foot massage» but it’s really a full body massage. Best price ever for a no-​frills kind of massage just to get some kinks out.
Esmerelda is the best, but the other folks there are just as good. They are all very young, legitimately licensed, and very articulate.
Parking is kind of annoying because you have to meter park and the AC is kind of loud but it’s still a nice, simple set up.
At these prices, along with the therapists’ skills, I can easily come here once a week.
Just call in advance because they are not always fully staffed (they have a second location near Veteran and Santa Monica).