Here’s my recommendation for a massage place in Arlington, Virginia. It’s called the Advanced Massage Center (AMC, like the movie theater). When I’m in the DC-area, this is where you can find me. An hour is literally 60 minutes and costs $105, no tipping allowed. The first visit is costs 75 minutes because you have 15 minutes of consultation beforehand. From then on it doesn’t matter which therapist you see because they all have access to the notes from the first visit. I recommend 90 minute massages after you know which therapist you like.
The center is located in the red Inova building next to the corner building on Fairfax drive and North Glebe Road. The address is 1005 N. Glebe Road, Suite 450
Arlington · VA 22201. Phone number is (703) 812-4810. Email is info@AdvancedMassage.Center. And you can schedule an appointment online on the contact page. They are very responsive and will email you a receipt. No exchange of dirty money to soil your zen mood when you leave. I even had one of the therapists call me when he was delayed in traffic! This place is by appointment only as they aren’t sitting around waiting for you to walk in. They just started offering services on Sundays too and I believe that they just hired a new therapist (who might be superman? Clark or Kent?).
One thing that this place is trying to do is make relaxation therapy and massage an essential part of daily life (just like you get your car tuned), so your body may need to be tuned every month. As Jaime said, when I asked him how he got into this field, he said that he had some relaxation sessions when he was at a youth leadership camp, and this made him realize that he wanted to pursue this.
I’ve had massages from Charlly (co-owner), Jaime (he is also a co-owner), and Suba (she also treats the DC United team). I recommend them all. Each is different. Here’s how.
Charlly: He talks through the massage and explains what he is doing and the technical terms for each part of the muscle. He makes sure that the table and pillows are adjusted just right.
Jaime: Doesn’t talk as much and he puts a hurtin’ on. That expression about “no pain, no gain” is truly what I gained from this massage.
Suba: She doesn’t talk much but her technique is different than the other two, but still on point.
An added bonus at AMC is that the offices are very clean and modern, plus the reception staff is super friendly.
This place is a world away from massage in other parts of the world. If you are in Bogota, you still have to contact Alvaro.
I’ll blog more about some of the relaxation therapy I’ve had later, including the best. The photo is a clue.