John Matthews Salon

It was another Saturday. I wanted to get a massage especially since I have been so stressed at work and all. And I was not in any mood for a so-so massage. I have tried other spas, both legitimate and those that have masseurs that offer extra. One that I have been coming back to is the John Matthews Salon located near the corner of New York Street and E. Rodriguez in Cubao.



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It is accessible from Cubao and lies within what I term as the Cubao gay men's triangle of sin (which I will discuss on a later post). John Matthews Salon, as the name implies, is basically a salon. Get your hair done, get a manicure or pedicure, puff up your face with make up kind of salon. A few such salons have integrated spa services to allow consumers a sort of one-stop shop for beauty services but they usually have it as a secondary service. Most spas focus on their services and rarely diversify to other offerings. It is rare that one could find a place that would focus on both services (salon and spa) and be good at both.


I am not one to put much airs in fixing myself up. I don't have lotions or creams. I rarely put anything on my hair to sculpt it. I usually trim my own nails. Mind you. I do get facials once in a while, but that's it. Getting a massage, now that's something else all together. I have tried out a lot of different places and have rarely found satisfaction with their services. Most legitimate massage places have small women stretching you, kneading your skin, trying to provide the right pressure but to no avail. Massage parlors, whether it is one where you select a masseur or masseuse from behind a (supposedly) one-way mirror, seldom are venues to experience a relaxing massage as these are venues that facilitate "extra services." In other words, it is not often to find one that satisfy your needs. Sorry, I am looking for one that offers hard massage, bordering on deep tissue massages so a light hand is not what I would look for in a therapist.


That is where the John Matthews Salon comes in. They do have female therapists but their male therapists are worth coming back for. There have been times where I have been lulled to sleep by their massages.


When I do have the time, which was last Saturday for me, I go out of my way and visit them. There have been times that they could not accommodate me because their masseurs are already booked for the night so calling in for a reservation or coming on afternoons would be better. They also have a combination of spa services that may provide for a more relaxing, satisfying time. These offerings include detoxifying, foot spas, hair and scalp treatments, facial masks and body scrubs.

The offering I availed was one that had a body scrub, a hair and scalp treatment and, of course, a body massage. It was worth it. Time-wise, it was two and a half hours well spent on pampering yourself. In terms of cost, I felt it wasn't a waste. For others who would like to try it, there are other treatment combinations that you could avail, depending on what you need.

I got there around 9:30pm. Their spa services are available until 1pm. There was only one available cubicle left when got in. And luckily enough as well, my usual masseur was the only one available. If he was not available, I was comfortable with trying out the others. I then proceeded to the locker area where I was to get my towel, slippers and shorts/robe, leaving my valuables, clothes and shoes inside the locker. I had a shower. The therapist led me towards a chair where he applied some concoction on my hair and scalp. He fastened some sort of towelette to make sure it does not drip and covered it up by a shower cap. We walked to our assigned cubicle to begin the body scrub. Similar to the massage, he start from the back of my legs then up to my back before scrubbing the back of my arms. Turning me over, he kept scrubbing up my legs to the groin area before the chest and arms. Covering me up and resting for around 10 minutes, I was then asked to return to the shower and make sure that I had removed all of the coarse material that helped rid of my body's dead skin cells. After I am all dried up, the masseur led me back to the massage table and with his magical hands explored my entire body. Using a firm hand and a strong pressure, he made an effort to sooth my swollen muscles. After doing some stretching, I was allowed to rest awhile. It was time for me to go.

I felt both relaxed and invigorated as I left their premises. It also seemed i was so clean and smooth because of the body scrub. That was time well spent. Quality time for myself. Quality pampering from John Matthews Salon.