Late Night Massage Gone Wrong: Our 12AM Spa Experience in Butuan City

Late Night Massage Gone Wrong: Our 12AM Spa Experience in Butuan City

Have you ever felt so drained, both physically and mentally, that all you could think of was a good massage to end the day?

Well, that was exactly how I felt noong gabi ng April 28. It was one of those days na sobrang nakakapagod—yung tipo ng pagod na kahit kumain ka na, you still feel heavy. My husband and I looked at each other, and we both knew—we needed a massage. As in now na!


It was already 12:00 AM of April 29. Late na, pero ganun talaga when you're too tired and still hoping for a bit of peace. So, when my pamangkin arrived from dropping off his teammates, we hopped in for a ride and went out to look for an open massage spa. Hoping against hope na open pa yung mga suki naming clinics kahit dis-oras na ng gabi.

The Search for the Perfect (Open) Spa

First stop: Thai Boran, in front of ACLC College. Unfortunately, closed.
Second stop: Nua Thai in Capitol Drive. Still, closed.
Last hope: Thai Boran in Montilla Boulevard. Nope, closed na rin!

Honestly, we were about to give up. My body was ready to crash and my husband was equally exhausted. We were headed back home na sana when—boom! I remembered to check online for 24/7 massage clinics. Naka-backride ako kay hubby that time, and while scrolling, I stumbled upon a post about a 24-hour open spaGolden Lining Massage, right in front of Flor-Al.

And guess what? We were literally passing by that area. Sabi ko kay husband, “Balik tayo! Nandyan lang sa harap ng Flor-Al!”

First Impressions Don’t Always Last—But Sometimes They Do

When we arrived, the spa didn’t exactly look impressive from the outside. Medyo madilim, tahimik, and unlike the usual cozy, welcoming vibe we’re used to sa ibang spa. But we didn’t want to judge based on appearance—baka naman maganda sa loob.

So umakyat kami ng hagdan… and ayun na nga, a cockroach greeted us on the stairs. My husband had to step on it. Medyo turn off, pero sige lang. Tuloy pa rin kami. We came for relaxation, after all.

Pagpasok namin, there was one guy sitting on the couch, and at the front desk was a transwoman. For a couple of minutes, they just stared at us. Weird silence. So I broke it and said, “Magpamassage mi,” and then translated in Tagalog, “Magpapamasahe kami.” The transwoman immediately went inside, possibly checking the room.

When she came back, she told us to get inside—urgently, like “Pasok na kayo!” No questions asked, no explanation, and most especially—walang foot wash. As in deretso pasok na agad?!

Inside the Massage Room

So pumasok kami. The room was decent, maliit pero okay na rin considering it’s late and we’re desperate to relax.

Nag-usap pa kami ng husband ko inside, both confused kung bakit ang bilis ng instructions and bakit hindi man lang kami tinanong kung anong massage type or pressure ang gusto namin. I also noticed the towel was damp and cold, like it had been used earlier. The bed felt oily, and there was a chill in the air—not the relaxing kind.

Around 2:00 AM, the front desk lady told us na the masseuse will be late for 10 minutes. True enough, dumating naman agad.

The Massage: Relaxation turned Agony

Walang tanong, walang warning—the massage started right away. No one asked if we preferred light, medium, or hard pressure. The girl massaging me was going too fast—sobrang bilis ng hagod, halos parang sinusugba yung likod ko. Hindi siya relaxing. Sa totoo lang, nakakairita.

Yes, may background music, pero malakas rin. Sing lakas ng hagod niya sa likod ko. I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t even zone out. It felt like my body was being shaken, not massaged.

I couldn’t wait for it to be over. I kept thinking, “Lord, sana matapos na ‘to…”

To make things worse, she was pressing on my bones, not muscles. Sinong mare-relax sa ganun?

My Background in Massage

I wasn’t just making arte, ha. I actually worked as a part-time, on-call massage therapist back in 2013, during college at Almont Inland Resort. Trained kami ng TESDA-certified trainer, so alam ko how a proper Swedish or Shiatsu massage should go.

That night’s massage? Way off.

Ending the Nightmare

Finally, sabi niya tapos na daw ang session. But based on the time, it wasn’t even an hour. Around 2:35 AM natapos, and we started at 2:06 AM. Kaya nga nagtaka kami when the transwoman told us the rate was ₱900.

Like, “Hala, seryoso ka?” I asked her straight up. Di kayo nag tanong anong massage na gusto namin, kahit pressure wala!

Tumahimik lang siya at tumango. So sabi niya, ₱600 na lang daw.

Medyo naiinis na ako, but I still paid. Ayoko na lang palakihin. We just wanted to go home.



The Aftermath: Not Just Disappointed, But Hurt—Literally

Bumaba kami and headed to 7-Eleven para bumili ng snacks. While waiting for my husband, I looked at my arms and—OMG! I had red marks and scratches from the massage!

Yes, my skin was literally scratched. Di naman sa subrang dami, makikita mo lang talaga'ng red lines. I forgot to take a picture na.

Final Thoughts

We left the spa more tired and frustrated than when we came. It wasn’t just a waste of time and money, but also of energy and trust. We weren’t even demanding customers. We just wanted to rest and relax, pero parang kami pa yung naging kawawa.

There’s definitely room for improvement. A lot of it. Cleanliness, customer service, transparency with pricing, and proper massage training.

Pero isa lang masasabi ko—never again.

Lesson learned:
Sometimes, it’s better to wait for your trusted spa to open than to gamble with something that might ruin your night even more.

Will we go back?
A big, fat NO.

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