Last minute massage deals

MassageNow allows you to book same-day massage appointments for $100 or less. (Photo: Stocksy)

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve scoured Groupon for a good deal on a massage, only to find out the spa I selected is booked every weekend for the next three months, unless I can come in at 10am on Wednesday. It’s so frustrating. However, now there is a new option that might change all that. Last week, I got an email about a new service called MassageNow, which is basically the Hotel Tonight for massages. It was a Monday, I had spent the weekend under my covers dealing with a sinus infection, and nothing sounded better to me than a massage after work.

Here’s the deal: the service is currently available in New York and San Francisco and you can use the app or website to find a last minute massage appointment (you can only book same day appointments) at a salon/spa near your location. The technology uses your current location, or you can search for service near another address (your office, apartment, hotel), to find open appointments within a few block radius. MassageNow offers all of its services at a discount, with an hour massage running $70-$85 — if you are someone who gets a massage on a regular basis you know that’s a good deal. Tax and gratuity are calculated when you book, so really all you have to do is show up (and make sure that you do, there are no cancellations).

The only catch is that you don’t know where you’ll get your massage until after you book. About five minutes after I made my appointment, I received an email telling me where I would be headed for my appointment. In New York, MassageNow works with everyone from Bliss to Marilyn Monroe Spa at the Park Hyatt, so you’re guaranteed to end up in good hands. I ended up with an appointment for an hour-long relaxation massage at Townhouse Spa, just one subway stop away from the office, and left feeling totally zen. I’ve got plans to end more of my Mondays like that.