Tru Spa

If you remember your Therapists names and are looking for them, try googling them! You might find them. I used to work there too.

For several years now, I’ve been wanting to update my review of Tru Spa. Over the last few years, I’ve slowly watched nearly every aspect of this spa decline… from the poor quality of the robes and towels, to the dirty facilities, to the lack of amenities in the ladies’ area, to the weirdly empty fish tank up front (which used to house beautiful jelly fish), to the cheap/​scratchy paper towels, to «running out» of numbing spray before a bikini wax (a pre-​appointment heads up would’ve been nice), to their extremely poor nail polish selection, to the fact that they are ALWAYS out of the products I want to buy (which wreaks havoc on trying to have a consistent beauty routine). Management literally let the spa go to sh*t.
The one exception to this general decline was the loyal staff who worked there year after year, and continued to provide excellent service. This is the sole reason I didn’t update my review. I was thrilled when my favorite facialist told me ON DECEMBER 30 that the spa would be closed for 10 days for a huge remodel. Remodel! Great news! After years of letting this once wonderful spa fall into squalor, management is finally investing the resources to make it bright and shiny once again! Or so I (and, it sounds like, the staff) thought. I should also mentioned that several days earlier, I had purchased a sizable gift certificate for a friend, and was happy to know she’d be able to enjoy it at the new and improved Tru. The person who rang me up didn’t mention that the spa would be forever shuttered just a few days later.
Fast-​forward to today. In dire need of a massage, I went to Tru’s website to get an update on the re-​opening. Only to find that the spa had been closed «after not being able to get a lease extension.» What. The. F*ck. I’ve been a loyal patron of this spa for seven years, have been a «Tru Club» member that entire time, and they couldn’t even send an email notifying me of the closure? Or where my favorite facialist and massage therapist will now be working?
What upsets me the most is that it seems as though management didn’t notify its staff of the potential closure prior to the New Year. How f*cked up to let your staff assume the spa would reopen after a 10-​day hiatus, and then inform them that they are no longer employed. Right at the beginning of the new year. In a not great economy.
I realize there’s not much my review can do at this point. However, I do know who managed this spa, and I also know that I will never patronize any facility that those folks end up managing in the future (including Bare on Union… please see my Unilocal review on that gem).

Going to miss this neighborhood spa inside the Hilton. I’ve sent my clients there many times.
My massage therapist told me their staff is headed to QUA in the Soma Grand building.
I am forward to my first Facial at QUA.
(415) 598‑8686.
I wish you all the Best!

Kim Olson Rocks! She is the best at facials, eye brow wax, all sorts of female goodies.
It’s very reasonable and the service is great. If you can, please ask for Kim, she really gives great detail. She dyes my eyebrows to give it a dramatic look and she shapes them perfectly!

I’ve been to Tru several times. They have some pretty good groupons — the mojito mani/​pedi is nice. The treatment is great, the drinks are tasty and the TV system is pretty cool. Nice waiting room as well. I’ve also had a facial, massage, junglelove session, which was overall pretty nice. Looong! The reservationists have been good about recommending the *order* of treatments, so that your face is not sitting in the massage cushion right after a facial.
Here’s the disappointing news:
So, I was supposed to get facial/​massage/​junglelove treatment again. A couple hours before my treatment, I get a call. «We have a technical issue, and need to change the order.» I’m. Not. Down. With. That… so I suggest, breaking up the treatments. I’ll do two that day, and save the last for another day. The reservationist doesn’t promise anything but seems to think it’s a good solution.
The manager does not. The reservationist calls back to tell me this.
So, let me get this straight.
1. I’m a repeat customer and you will not make an accommodation to fix YOUR technical issues.
2. You are offering to reschedule the whole session for another day. So, that means, your therapists will be idle. You’d rather turn me away (and piss me off), then offer proper customer service. I was looking forward to the session. I planned my day around it. It’s over three hours — that’s a good chunk of time that you plan for.
3. If I tried to cancel a couple hours before the treatment, what would the spa say?
What a disappointment.

Two stars instead of one because there was nothing wrong with the facilities.
My massage here was just… weird. I’ve had many Swedish massages, and this was by far my worst experience. My masseuse, David, seemed to just be doing a mish-​mosh of things, instead of addressing the issues that I came in with.
First of all, he started the massage by using some kind of hand-​held massage tool. When I’m paying for a massage, I don’t expect to have some Brookstone machine used on my back. After using this device on my back, he proceeded to turn off the music. An odd touch.
Throughout the massage, David got up on the table several times. Had it been one time, for some specific technique, I wouldn’t have thought twice about it. But he was hopping on and off the table throughout my session (even for my legs, which seemed really unnecessary), straddling me. I also felt like his draping techniques were poor, and I felt exposed a few times. I have also never had a massage focus so much on my glutes… an area I did not discuss when going over where I felt sore.
As for my upper back/​shoulder area– the area I wanted addressed– it now feels sore to the touch after this massage. I did not feel any of the typical clicking and un-​knotting that comes with a quality massage. Just a lot of heavy-​handed mashing. I also thought that the warm towel on my breasts was an odd touch, as was the massaging of my chin and eyelids.
I realize a lot of this sounds ridiculous. I thought it was a ridiculous massage. I won’t be coming back.

I simply love Tru Spa, highly recommend!
I have been here several times for the «mojitoe» mani-​pedi and it has been consistently a lovely experience.
This place is perfect to come with friends, you can catch up and relax sipping on champagne mojitos while getting your nails done, but don’t hesitate to come alone, they have comfortable chairs with individual TVs that you can control with an iPod.
They have a very nice waiting room with infused water and snacks which is the perfect place to finish your drink and wait until nails get dry.

I was in San Francisco for business for a week. I purchased a Groupon for a massage, facial and JungleLove session. Great spa, service and beauty treatments at half price! Rock on. (I NEVER pay full price… especially for spas.)
The establishment is located in a Hilton in the Financial District. The design is very reminiscent of a Bliss Spa. Snacks and treats, and modern décor.
The massage was good. The facial was what I expected and the JungleLove session was awesome! They have a steam shower and bathtub you can lay around in after the scrub down.
I wholeheartedly recommend this establishment, and I have been to some of the world’s best spas. I liked the personal attention, intimate atmosphere and fact they did not try to push products on you the way Bliss does.
Bottom line, TruSpa is very nice and the staff are top notch and helpful. The design is very reminiscent of a Bliss. Buy the Groupon and go, you will NOT be disappointed.

I recently went back to Truspa using a Groupon and was excited because the first time I went the facial and massage were fabulous. This time around things were not nearly as good, though I’m only judging on a facial rather than a full package.
First, the receptionist couldn’t find my appointment because they confused me with another person’s appointment for the next day! I was getting real unhappy before the person figured out what she told me while staring at her screen (about a minute or so) that they could «fit me in.» I was mollified then and walking in, I noticed the décor has become rather run down (holes and patches in the wall, a surprise) but it still seems very clean. Robes and slippers nice touch (though robes and towels rather rough on the skin) and shower water pressure controls not that great. Snacks were nice (champagne, small selection cheeses, water crackers, grapes, brownies, almonds, and dried cranberries). Waiting area seating not that comfortable though (you can’t really lean back).
The facial was okay, the massages with it was good, but I didn’t get the same wonderful results for my skin that I got from my first trip and absolutely no personalized analysis or recommendations on the products (also a surprise) since I’d mentioned my interest in that at the beginning of my appointment. I did have some redness on my face and neck the next day but it quickly went away and I don’t feel my skin has improved at all.
Not sure if its worthwhile to go again even with a Groupon since I’m looking for quality and value/​results and there are so many other places out there ‚…

I was back in Tru a few weeks ago to use a coupon I had for a massage, facial and Jungle Love session. The waiting room is as small as everyone says, with very uncomfortable couches, but the treats that were laid out were fresh and replenished frequently. Anyway, who goes to a spa to eat? I just wanted to be pampered and that is what I received in spades.
The Jungle love treatment was first, and honestly, it was my least favorite. I was escorted to a chilly stone chamber and was instructed to lay on a stone ledge covered with a yoga pad while you were scrubbed with a sweet swelling mix of fruit and sugar. Once we started the shower and steam it got much better — and warmer. I only spent a few minutes in the huge tub, mostly because it was overflowing and I couldn’t figure out how to turn the water off or how to drain the tub!
My massage was a highlight. The masseuse was an expert and really took care of my problem areas (neck shoulders, back) and it was really relaxing and refreshing. The absolute best part of the package was the facial. I can’t remember my techs name, but she was fantastic. Very charming, very thorough and just overall amazing. My skin was glowing when she was done, and I will definitely return and pay the full price for the Oxygen facial.
All in all, a great way to spend an afternoon. Recommended.

I decided to book a spa day with the other half, so I did my research on Unilocal and booked our appointment. The Full Monte (scalp treatment, loofah, foot rub, facial scrub, shea butter treatment, and massage) was the treatment we went with and well worth every cent. We checked in with the friendliest receptionist and quickly wisked us to the waiting areas. You will be given a locker, robe, slippers and a glass of champagne as you get ready to start your day. There will also be plenty of magazines and yummy bites to keep you nourished before your big relaxing day.
My therapist who did my treatment for the day was really nice, explained what she would be doing and made me feel really comfortable. During the treatment I fell asleep so I don’t remember much. But the one thing I do remember was the scalp treatment in which she put warm, thick conditioning lotion on my hair which was good, but keep in mind you will not be able to shampoo it out until later. So make sure you don’t plan on doing fancy activities right after since, you will have to walk around with left over deep conditioner in your hair.
Once you are done, you can get ready in the locker room they have pretty much all the items you need to get ready, all you need is your own makeup if you wish. The receptionist will validate your parking all day for just $ 5!
If you are a Hilton Honors member they will also give you 20% off on all services, but they will also add 18% for gratuity for services rendered.
Overall a great, great much needed relaxing experience and highly recommend this spa to all!

Horrible, horrible experience, ended in up in the ER because of the damage that was done to my face.
I went ahead and went with the «The Face» facial… a $ 300 dollar facial might I ad, and my esthetician was nice but did not educate me at all on what to expect after a chemical peel. She also seemed to have a cold and during the entire facial all I heard was her sucking up the snot in her nose as she’s inches from my face, gross! I had a small pimple by my mouth that she had extracted prior to the chemical peel which ended disastrously I have the biggest scar by my mouth (about the size of a dime) I feel like my face looked better prior to coming in. Nevertheless, I went to the ER because the area around the pimple was getting worse and worse, the doctor prescribed me an antibiotic to help fight and helped speed up the process of healing.
The salon itself needs a little TLC, everything seemed outdated in the waiting lounge and bathroom, the blow dryers were nasty and old looking, for the price I was paying I was expecting a little more in terms of competence, educating guests, and overall appearance.

I work out regularly and have a decently stressful desk job, so I felt I was a little overdue for some stress relief and muscle relaxation.
I called Tru Spa on a Sunday afternoon because it was the only spa close by. Fortunately, they had an availability just a half hour later, and so I came in and relaxed in the lounge, took a shower, and sipped on some water while I waited. The lounge/​locker room area is great, by the way. There are two large shower rooms with a giant rainfall shower head, hair dryers/​curler/​straightener, lotion, Q-​Tips, etc. They even have snacks (cheese, fruit, nuts) in the waiting area for you to eat.
I had a Backstroke massage with Michell (I carry all my stress in my upper back/​shoulders, so this was perfect for me). She was extremely nice and got all the kinks out. I felt great after my treatment and commend Michell for making me feel that great in just 50 minutes (though it actually felt a lot longer than just 50 minutes)! She really got into all the grooves and targeted muscles I didn’t even know were tight/​existed, but I felt were actually pulling on my other muscles that I could feel tightness in. I felt relaxed and rejuvenated.
Tru Spa is a little pricier than most spas, as my 50 minute massage cost $ 110 (yikes). I personally wouldn’t come here every time I wanted a massage just because it’s kind of expensive for me, but I would come here on a few occasions when I feel like I need a deep shoulder/​back treatment and want to treat myself. Glad I discovered this place and they were able to accommodate me on such short notice.

Tru Spa recently had a Living Social deal and so my friends and I bought it to have a girls’ day. Well, there were 5 of us and only 3 chairs, so we had to split up. The color choices were very minimal, but because their clientele is mostly patrons at the Hilton where this place is located, I presume that they had no use for wild, neon colors.
The deal included a champagne mojito along with a mani-​pedi. The drink tasted fantastic and the foot soak with oranges and mint smelled great. It was very citrus-​y in the small room. The room had 3 televisions connected to iPods. During the pedicure, it was easy to lean back on the chair and watch. But once the manicure started, I couldn’t change the channel so the show I was watching was on repeat. But I didn’t mind that since I was talking to my friends. I couldn’t lean back on the chair anyway during the manicure and it got hard to look up to watch since the tvs were near the ceiling.
After we were finished, we were told to wait an hour to let the nails dry. I thought that was strange because most salons have those UV lights to dry your nails. What was worse was that they took us outside to the lobby, and not the inside waiting room that had snacks. But these snacks were not worth it anyway. It was dried out cheese and crackers, and mysterious brownies. These snacks were not healthy at all, and definitely should not be consumed after a massage! They should’ve provided snacks full of anti-​oxidants or essential omega-3’s. For this type of spa that’s in a hotel, I would expect more.
I don’t think I would come back here just for a mani-​pedi when there’s better places in the city at less than half the cost. I don’t think I’d come here for a massage as well since the snacks they provided are unhealthy. I’d only come back here if I was staying in the hotel and received a discount for my stay.

They keep booking me under the wrong name (same name but wrong person). They have done this two out of two times now and I find it extremely annoying and incompetent. This is BASIC customer service — booking the right person for the right appointment. I’m not sure if they are careless or stupid.
Valet parking validation went up from $ 5 to $ 10. You can park at the Portsmouth Garage (Chinatown garage where all the old Chinese people play mah jong) for $ 6 up to two hours, which is a better deal. Of course, reception doesn’t give you any tips on parking and just offer the excuse that their «validation» doubled in price due to re-​negotiations with the parking company. Lame.

What a weird disorienting experience. There are a number of totally feasible things this place could do to make the experience better.
1) Use towels that are soft and smell good. Every towel and robe I touched for my Thick in the Mud service last night was frayed, coarse, and smelled like sour laundry.
2) Enforce a service based approach for chrissake! Educate your staff and make sure they explain everything. My «esthetician» (I can barely call her that) made me feel disoriented and uncomfortable simply because she didn’t explain any of the products she applied to me, didn’t talk me through the process, didn’t ask me if I was pregnant or had allergies (thank goodness I don’t!) or — god forbid — if I’m claustrophobic (which I’m not, but definitely felt that way once the steam and rain came on in the tiny rainforest room). A cherry on top — apparently there was some sort of release waiver that I never read signed because no one gave it to me! Normally I wouldn’t trip about this, but in this case it could have prevented some confusion.
3) Give options. Whatever sudsy pomade nonsense that was put in my hair was definitely not a good idea for me! I spent quite a while combing it out after the procedure and, after giving up and pinning my hair back, bought a bottle of detangler on the way home (no joke).
4) Include a loofah or washcloth or something with the wet treatments. The mineral masque mystery substance that was put on my skin probably does have beneficial properties (though I couldn’t tell you, since no one explained it to me!) — but the immediate result felt super sticky and pasty. I showered extensively after my procedure yesterday and still now am finding bits of flaky masque behind my ears, on my feet, under my arms. Yuck.
5) Freshen up the snacks! How delightful to see a little plate of snacks in the waiting room, right? Not quite — my appointment was in the evening and after tasting a cucumber and cracker it became clear that these items had been sitting out all day.
6) Provide better locker room accoutrements. In trying to comb myself out after the hair emmollient disaster, not only were the provided brushes janky, they could have saved me the trip to buy detangler.
Other little things — what kind of waiting room is that? It’s so small! C’mon.
The grout is peeling in the waterfall tub. Yup.
I could hear some music (Nancy Sinatra, actually) in the other room at the same time as the relax-​chill-​mix that was intended to be playing during my waterfall bath. Kind of a goofy detail but further evidence of this place’s lack of precision.
All in all, with the groupon and tip (yes, I tipped! — always), I still ended up spending about $ 140. Totally ridiculous considering the lack of service and common sense at Tru. Constructive criticism aside, I surely won’t be back, will alert my friends about how disappointed I am, and learned my lesson as far as asking questions and seeking out professional estheticians goes.

For years and years now I have been debating when I should make an appointment… Never a question if I would but WHEN I would!!!
I finally decided to come on down to san Francisco and try them out and I assure you it was quite exhilarating to say the least.
I arrived early to shower and get into my robe before my facial. you are able to lock away your personals with a key code of your choice! Blow dry, flat iron and groom yourself to your liking after a shower or before. I decided to relax in the lounge the remainder of my wait and indulge in a bit of fruit and a few glasses of their complimentary champagne (Relaxation 101) other delicious delectables were available (crackers, cheese, cucumbers, grapes, nuts and chocolates)
I had the opportunity of being spoiled by Erin’ Muegge (Supreme waxologist, esthetician) and she is rather amazing if I must say.
The service I had was a *clean sweep $ 190* and that it was
As well as a
peel $ 30
WORTH EVERY PENNY
EVEN HAD A GLASS OF CHAMPAGNE ON THE WAY OUT!!!
I can assure you you will enjoy every second
Enjoy.
Brandy

My co-​worker and I had blast getting our nails done here! Picture it– it’s the week before Christmas at 2:30 in the afternoon and we walk on over for
Manis/​pedis, 2 mimosas and a hilarious nail technician made for a lovely afternoon. Also, the silver beads leading from the waiting room to the bathroom is a photo-​shoot just waiting to happen! In addition to a great staff there are some great colors to choose from, everything looks clean and fresh, and you’ll feel amazing after indulging so do it!

Tru spa– I recently was given the opportunity to take advantage of a spa day with my best friend courtesy of her boyfriend. He is a great boyfriend. Not only is he taking care of his girlfriend and pampering her but he is also pampering her best friend too! He got us a «Tru Day 2 spa package» which included the following: 1.5 hour Tru Therapy massage, TruO2 facial, Moji-​Toe pedicure, Vanilla Sky manicure $ 365 per person. Crazy huh?
My best friend had never been to a spa before prior to this and I loved reaping the rewards of being her best friend as well a spa connoisseur. The spa is on the lobby floor of the Hilton Hotel in Chinatown/​Fidi. They offer validated parking for spa patrons in their hotel garage. We arrived for our appointment and were promptly shown where the women’s lounge area/​changing area were. Fully stocked with blow dryers, curling irons, straighteners and all sorts of toiletries. 2 showers with waterfall shower heads in both and 1 bathroom. We were also offered champagne! Yay. The lounge area is small. On a Sunday, the spa was busy and most of the seats were taken by other patrons waiting for their treatments. The lounge area offered nuts/​dried fruit, infused water, brownie bites, cheese/​crackers and grapes. Tons of girly magazines to pass the time as you wait.
Here is the breakdown of our treatments:
1. Massage– I had THE BEST massage therapist. She was great. I told her my problem areas and for 1.5 hours she went to work. I felt so much better afterwards and I enjoyed her technique. In the treatment rooms there is light therapy (color changing lights) to set the tone and mood of your massage. They offer shea butter in different scents that infuse your body with essential oils as well as smooth over your body as they work out the kinks.
2. Facial– Wow. The facial was amazing. It was my first time receiving an oxygen facial so I had no idea what was going on as she literally sprayed oxygen into my face. She cleansed my face, exfoliated, applied multiple masks and applied moisturizer an eye cream and organic lip mask at the end. During the facial she massaged my neck/​back area while the mask set it. My best friend told me that her esthetician also waxed her eyebrows. My esthetician asked me if I had gotten mine done recently and I told her I had just gotten them threaded. So we skipped that part. Great service!
3. Mani/​Pedi– Small nail area. Very small. 3 chairs and small selection of colors. I asked for French tips, my usual, for my toes and they informed me that it would be an extra $ 10 charge. Fine. While you are getting your nails done, you can also watch TV in the screens in front. There are 3 different TVs for each chair and you can control what you want to watch via ipod. They have shows downloaded like Sex in the City, The Office, etc. for you to enjoy as they are working on you. The moji-​toe pedicure came with a glass of mojito! While the Vanilla Sky manicure came with a vanilla milk soak for your hands. Yummy!
Our spa package was 4.5 hours long. Surprisingly the spa day ended right on time. They timed it right on the dot. Check out was easy and quick. They told us we were already taken care of so we were on our way to meet our boys who were waiting for us in the hotel bar.
I’ve been to many spas and hotel spas and have to say that this one was by far one of the best ones I’ve been to in the city. We were curious about the pool/​sauna area because it was not attached to the spa. But otherwise, we enjoyed our time here. Great staff, friendly, attentive, great location, fully stocked women’s changing/​lounge area and the treatments were out of this world. I highly recommend a spa day or treatment at Tru.
**P.S. Check out my review on Bare by Tru. Also a part of the spa. Also a great place for waxing, threading, facials, etc.

Started off with a lovely massage, then a hair treatment and scrub in the Jungle/​Rainforest room; followed by a lovely soak in the tub.
I did find a few things off about this place. The ladies room — well, changing area is INSANELY SMALL! It is so small I almost bumped into a naked woman when trying to just set down a bag. It was awkward and I felt uncomfortable for the 1^st time in a long time…
Also the seats that they put my towels down on when they apply the scrub started sliding around (with me on top of them lol) when they turned on «the rain» like I was on a raft in the ocean — and not in a good way.
I’d go back, but maybe figure out what’s the deal with those cushions lol. Can’t go higher than 4 stars until I go back a few more times…
They do have Epicurean products which I adore so I am sure I will be back at some point soon!