Garden Spa

As chinese foot massage goes, great! Its tucked away in the old downtown of white center, the massage chairs are comfy and its small and cozy. David does an excellent job with my achy runners feet.

I had been eyeing this nondescript massage parlor squeezed between White Center’s various tattoo, pot and porn shops. After all, I am a sucker for reasonably priced massages. The shop’s sign in the windows boast it’s $ 30 Foot Massage. Today on a 85-​degree Seattle summer day, I walked in per their «Walk-​ins Welcome» sign. I requested a 60 minute foot massage and was given a look of confusion, so I pointed at the desired option on the sign. I was then asked to return 45 minutes later when a therapist was available. Guess walk-​in appointments are best.
When I arrived the second time around, I was welcomed pleasantly. They had me settle down in one of two sofa chairs adorned with pink polka-​dot blankets. The smiley, frumpy Chinese therapist who spoke limited English kindly closed the store’s front curtains, turned off the lights and turned up the Asian instrumental music playing overhead. I could still hear muffled traffic along 16^th Avenue, rock music from the neighboring tattoo parlor and family members chit-​chatting in the back of the business with a little girl who ran around in circles. Somehow, I was still able to find a sense of relaxation when the masseuse soaked my feet in a bamboo basket of hot water with green tea and started with a neck massage. Her monotonous hand movements using what smelled like Bath & Body Work’s Cucumber Melon lotion included rubbing, slapping and hitting — all which were welcomed. The massage order she went in was neck, face, scalp, arms, legs, then feet. All in all, I was pleased with the services I received, not to mention happy there was no «happy ending» was involved since it may come off as one of these places.
$ 30 = 60 minute foot massage
$ 20 = 30 minute foot massage
$ 60 = 60 minute body massage
$ 85 = 90 minute body massage
$ 60 = 60 minute combination massage

Excellent service. Kind workers. Clean venue. Located in the heart of White Center, Garden Spa likely receives a series of colorful characters, but this business is a jewel.
My 90 minute massage was spot on and well the worth the value. My masseuse was exceptionally communicative about the intensity of the massage. The rooms are open air with clean tables and bedding. The woman at reception was kind and spot good english. I was surprised and pleased when my masseuse brought me water 60 minutes in to the 90 minute session.
Massage was great. Definitely high on the list of local Chinese massage businesses. Would go again and recommend it to others.

My hairdresser recommended this nearby business as it’s easy to reach, affordable & the ladies are proficient. In a salon many references are overheard, shared & spread, so I expect this facility to be explored more fully. It’s a bit different from the style I’m used to, although I find no reason to not embrace the difference & language barriers can be overcome. What seemed so different were the 2 large massage chairs placed in the large entrance room, totally exposed to all. I understand there are private treatment rooms for a full massage. It’s not the cushy Western environment, but clean & honestly presented. I had a foot soak & massage, then the chair was reclined for a body treatment (fully clothed) at a very fair price. My stiff neck & headache were relieved, I left happy and can afford to visit here on a regular basis for relief of pain.

I was looking for a cheap Chinese foot massage place in my neighborhood and found this place. I called in the day of and easily got an appointment. On a Monday night, I was the only one in there. I originally just wanted a foot massage but then I got talked into a half hour massage and a foot massage for $ 60 which really wasn’t such a bad idea. They had private rooms for the massages and do the foot massages out in the lobby. Foot massage places are firm and lack luxury but it does the trick.
I was able to pay by credit card. All in all, it did the trick for my spontaneous massage. I’ll probably go back out of convenience.

Garden Spa in West Seattle’s White Center shopping district is my favorite destination for very affordable full body massage. I am 61 years old and have had many massages from ‘awesome’ to ‘whatever’ in my life, but I have had only very good experiences at Garden Spa in the dozen or more times I’ve been there.
I have had mostly one hour full body massage with the occasional 90 minute. They also offer foot massage which I mean to do also but I love the body massage so much I always end up doing that. The therapists are Chinese and have varying degrees of English skills but that’s never been an issue.
The physical setting is unassuming and basic, and in the evening you sometimes can hear sound systems from nearby commercial neighbors. The rooms are not sound isolated as the walls are open at the ceiling so you hear conversation and hustle bustle from other sessions and the entry room. Although clean and attractive, this is not a fancy upscale place by any means. But the price is very good, and the massage is very professional, well worth the trade-​off in the ambiance.
I have been to a variety of Chinese massage places and many offer sub-​par massage and often are a bit shady as well. Garden Spa is a completely different situation, very professional approach and a very good massage. Mostly in the past I have gone to Western therapists with training and many years of experience. Those practitioners definitely have specialized skills that might be required for sports or physical therapy applications, but for a basic massage to loosen up and feel good, Garden Spa offers a great experience at a very competitive price.