So they adopted the winning formula popularized by LA spaces like Unplug, Drybar, and Olive & June: Take a beloved indulgence, scale it so the price is within reach (in this case, from $35). Make it easy for busy clients to stop by on the regular (massages start at 30 minutes). And serve it up in a well-appointed space that’s seemingly destined to land on someone’s decor Pinterest board. (The Now was designed by the founders themselves with the help of Studio Alvarez and Yaoska Interiors, and has hints of the desert-chic Coqui Coqui hotel in Tulum, Mexico.)
For a place offering such affordable services, The Now’s menu is impressively broad, with massages addressing everything from mental clarity to post-workout muscle recovery to jet lag. I went for the signature rub-down, dubbed “The Now”—a blend of Swedish and Thai techniques tailored to my chronic neck and shoulder tension—and in my private candlelit cabana, with the soundtrack of waves and the smell of Jiva Apoha’s organic sandalwood aromatherapy oil lulling me into a blissed-out state, I forgot, for a few minutes, that I was between meetings on a typically hectic LA Wednesday. (Actually, I forgot I was in LA).
Feeling extra-knotty? Check out our guide to the best LA spas. Looking for an affordable facial? See this hot new place…
The Now, 7611 Beverly Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90036, 323-746-5525, the-now.co
(Photos: The Now)