By Kaitlyn Schallhorn (Courtesy photo)
Tatjana Misulic touts her spa as being “without frills” — and it’s an apt description.
From the moment Theo, the larger man working as the massage therapist that day, walked through the door, any pretense that an experience at Massage Heights would be all about being pampered with rose petals flew out the window.
The massage rooms match the walls, dark and sleepy. The only evidence that an outside world exists is the clock on the wall. Eye pillows, masked in a scent of choice, can be worn by customers, but still the clock is always there.
The massage sessions forgo any frills as well. While customers are required to fill out a brief form prior to the massage — selecting the level of toughness their massage therapist uses — it still is no walk in the park.
“We want to appeal to males as well,” Misulic said. “Over 60 percent of our customers come for pain. They’re not coming just to pamper themselves.”
But despite a lack of frills — luxuries that Misulic said her husband and co-owner Lucio Cisneros disliked — Massage Heights spares no expense in making patrons comfortable. Add-ons such as hot stones and foot scrubs are available, while the massage tables are adjustable by height.
Customers can choose between relax, breathe, energize and revive. Prior to sessions, clients peruse the choices and find their selection waiting in the room.
The Bradlee Shopping Center spa is a locally owned franchise, with one location already in Falls Church. This new outpost, which boasts seven fulltime massage therapists and one esthetician, aims to incorporate the local atmosphere right off the bat.
“There’s a lot of foot traffic here, especially in the summer,” said Ashley Sebastionelli, director of marketing and development for Massage Heights, about expanding to the Bradlee Shopping Center. “With The Fresh Market opening just a few doors down, it attracts more health-conscious customers.”
The King Street spa will celebrate its grand opening this weekend, just a little more than a month after opening its doors. The staff wants to get their neighbors into the act, inviting other businesses to join in the fun.
Different massage rooms will host various local businesses, with residents — and potential clients — invited to explore and meet representatives from other establishments, participate in wine tastings, and enter contests for gift cards to Whole Foods and Starbucks.
