Treatments We Love: Massage at home from soothe.com
We love a good massage. In a perfect world, what we really, really want– apart from an impeccable and inspired standard of treatment – is that we shouldn't have to get dressed and battle home afterwards. That’s where the truly wonderful new at home massage organising service Soothe is quite simply your best friend. Log in to soothe.com, choose your date and time, type of massage, length (from 60 minutes, via 90 minutes to two hours), and therapist gender, then Abracadabra! stay at home, lie back and revel. Sarah loved her complimentary introduction massage so much – so very, very much - she is signing up and planning to check in for a session every month to six weeks (at least…). Because a massage can make a galvanic difference to how you feel and look and sleep – for starters. (Sarah’s therapist was the wonderful Rose Santos who is a genius masseuse, which she combines with being so many types of complementary therapist Sarah lost count. Suffice it to say, she is ace – and charming - and we have had a fair few massages in our time to compare it with.)
Soothe was started by serial entrepreneur Merlin Kauffman (early 30s and definitely our new crush, though we’re not sure about his idea of lacing Lapsong Souchong tea with cream…) in the States in 2013, and is now expanding worldwide. Soothe recently launched in greater London and is advancing on other cities, first off Manchester.
Merlin is passionate about getting the best therapists so they are all interviewed for two hours in house (including 30 minutes hands on massage) and credentials checked. If they pass that stringent process, Soothe therapists are paid rapidly and well (about 80 per cent of the fee charged, which is apparently more than most competitors).
Working in this way means that therapists have few overheads and can operate flexible hours to suit them. The result is that many good therapists who might have gone off radar for regular employment (due to children or other family commitments) come back into the field, to everyone’s benefit.
Last but not least, the cost of a Soothe massage is reasonable at £65 for an hour, £80 for 90 minutes and £95 for two hours. We’re big fans.