Zen and the City — Massage therapist in Baltimore, MD

My husband and I received a couples massage as a wedding gift from our friends and it did not disappoint! We had Kwamé and Gary and from start to finish, we left feeling like 2 entirely different and relaxed people! I cannot speak enough about this hidden gem! 🩷

Did the 90 minute new customer special and walked in with a lot of tension in my shoulders. Anthony melted that away. Reasonable price, great customer service.

TL;DR: Don’t buy a gift certificate/card from this place. Zen and the City really appears to be set up for members and isn’t equipped to interact with outsider customers. Unsurprisingly, most of the negative reviews are from people trying to deal with their gift certificates or gift cards since they are not able to provide reasonable service to people unfamiliar with their procedures. Throughout the process, I had to chase the owner, Gary, repeatedly over text and phone in order to get any information. A list of things I wish I knew before attempting to use a gift certificate here: I was alone in the building, not just the room, with an unknown man. Zen and the City is a therapist-owned establishment that has appointment-only booking for services. In light of this description, I probably should have known that I would be alone with my massage therapist. Except the website contains none of that information, which I only learned about after the appointment, so I was blindsided. My massage therapist was a very nice man who did his best to make me feel welcome and taken care of (Thank you, Anthony. You were the only good part of this whole experience!), but it was hard to set aside how uncomfortable it was to be alone with a strange man without knowing before that no one else would be there. The gift certificates (physical) and gift cards (e-cards) are redeemed in different ways. The website doesn’t make it clear (either in the description or during the purchase) that physical gift certificates are only redeemable for a specific service, and that the gift certificates and gift cards are considered two different products. When I got the certificate for Zen and the City, neither my father (who bought this as a gift) nor I knew there was a difference between the two until after I had my appointment and was told otherwise. If you redeem the service-specific gift certificate for the wrong service by mistake, Zen and the City will not inform you of the mistake when you book your appointment and will instead pocket the remaining money without further services or refund, even after their error is pointed out to them. I suspect they would have prevented me from redeeming the gift certificate for something that was MORE money than the one I used, but when I accidentally used it from something that cost LESS, I was only told afterwards when I couldn’t fix my mistake, or receive a refund for the balance. The initial confirmation text message is meaningless. It doesn’t accurately reflect that an appointment’s successfully been made (because you get a text regardless), and it does not result in you being correctly signed up to receive text messages. Instead, they will contact you by email, no matter your indicated preference (which they don’t know anyway because they never ask for your preference). If there is a problem with your email address, they will not use your phone number to follow up. There will be no further attempt to contact you. I’ll be honest and admit that I made quite a few mistakes in attempting to deal with Zen and the City, and I accept the responsibility of those mistakes. However, I think it’s important for future potential customers to know beforehand that this is the kind of business that is happy to take advantage of your confusion, your mistakes, or your unexpected illness (check out their sick policy). It’s up to you whether you want to risk giving this place your money and time.

Maya was a phenomenal yoga instructor! I recently took her Kemetic Yoga beginner class—she was so helpful and sweet. I loved the energy she created; it was the perfect way to start a Sunday morning. I will definitely be back

I had a really beautiful massage with Kwame, she was was kind and fantastic. The space is beautiful as well. Highly recommend.

Booked a couples massage for my husbands birthday and it was the best massage both me and my husband have ever had. Latiarra and Anthony were amazing 👏 We have traveled all over and always stop at the spa on our trips but the best was in our own back yard! The space, from the moment you enter , is calming and welcoming. The staff is very friendly. Place is very clean and relaxing energy. Great little hidden gem in Baltimore. 💎

Let be preface this review by saying, I prioritize giving honest reviews on business that receive my hard earned money. Critiques included, I also give credit when credit is due. Based on my experiences, Zen and the City’s prices are slightly higher than you would pay compared to other chain-organizations that also offer spa services. I will share I’m confident the services you receive at this establishment are worth every dollar, including the tip. I purchased a 60 minute massage with Anthony and I can tell you right now, I wish I got the 90 minutes. Not only was his massage other-worldly, I’d beg to say it was a top competitor, if not winner of the best I’ve had in my life. Incredible is the word. Anthony provided every therapeutic technique I needed given my shared needs (I.e. part of my Swedish massage included some stretching to my shared and specified stiff and tight body areas etc.) The aesthetic of their business, the professionalism and courtesy Anthony and his colleagues exhibited, and the feelings and energy I felt as soon as I crossed the threshold of Zen and the City were unmatched. Without a doubt, I will revisit. The bar has been set. Well done!

WOW is all I can say. What a hidden gem. You walk in to a beautiful, clean, intentional space. Anthony offered amazing customer service as soon as I arrived. Asked all the right questions. I was in need of some major therapeutic massage and he delivered. I’m feeling replenished and refreshed, body and soul. Do not hesitate to go here - especially musicians from Peabody! Anthony knows what’s up and can help alleviate any repetitive motion pain and strain. Thank you for making me feel well!

We had a great experience at Zen. The owner, Gary, greeted us and got us set up well. We did a couples massage. Our therapists, Charity & Anthony, were wonderful. Highly recommend. Prompt service, clean space, and friendly hosting.

I have always had a great experience here! Not only is this place GORGEOUS, but the customer service is always above and beyond. I brought someone here for there birthday, and Zen and the City provided a card, wine, rose petals… and even played birthday songs on the loud speaker! (And they even offered to take some pics of us). I was so happy! And don’t even get me started on how relaxing and amazing the massages are! I come here for the massages… but every part of the experience is amazing!