Policies and FAQs

We ask that guests refrain from visiting the sanctuary if you or a household member have a fever of 100 or greater or a communicable illness. Massage services may not be appropriate if you have: bleeding disorders or are taking blood-thinning medication, have burns or healing wounds, deep vein thrombosis, fractures, severe osteoporosis, or severe thrombocytopenia. Foot soak services are known to lower blood pressure and increase your heart rate and body temperature. Guests with Buerger’s disease (or thromboangiitis obliterans), insulin-dependent diabetes, arteriosclerosis, severe vascular disease of the feet or legs, peripheral vascular disease, or any condition where circulation in the feet and legs is poor are not recommended to engage in services at Wake Foot Sanctuary. Discuss the pros and cons of foot soak and massage services with your health care professional, especially if you are pregnant, have cancer, or are experiencing unexplained pain.

If you are currently undergoing radiation, lymphedema, chemotherapy, or have recently undergone those treatments or surgeries related to a cancer diagnosis, please contact us ahead of your appointment booking . Our staff will require a note from your doctor that outlines any modifications or restrictions necessary for you to safely receive massage services. As always, any information you share with us will be kept confidential.

Wake Foot Sanctuary is not a medical facility, and we will not diagnose or treat any foot- or skin-related conditions. Our staff will never, under any circumstances, apply a product to a guest’s skin that was brought by a guest from outside of our facility. For the safety of our guests, if you have a potentially contagious skin condition, you will be required to postpone your services until such condition has been fully treated. This includes but is not limited to: athletes foot, nail fungus, warts, poison ivy, and others.

For non-contagious skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema, we understand the complex and often trying nature of these conditions; we will work with our guests to try and provide a pleasurable experience. If you feel that your non-contagious skin condition will be exacerbated by our services or that our services will cause irritation or stress, we ask that you postpone your services until the condition has improved. To ensure your safety, please immediately inform us of any skin- or foot-related conditions you have prior to the beginning of your services. If our staff discovers a potentially contagious skin or foot condition during your treatment, we reserve the right to immediately stop such services and postpone them for a later date.

Because our services directly interact with a guest’s skin, it is critically important that each guest understand and make known to our staff what ingredients could potentially cause reactions. We ask that all guests prior to the beginning of their services fully discuss with our staff any potential intolerances or allergies so that we may determine if alternative services or ingredients may be used. However, although we clean each of our bowls after each use, we cannot guarantee that cross-contamination of ingredients and other potential allergens will not occur due to the communal nature of our services. If you are currently undergoing radiation or chemotherapy, or have recently undergone those treatments, please contact us ahead of your appointment booking to discuss any modifications or restrictions necessary for you to safely receive massage services.

As always, any information you share with us will be kept confidential. If our staff has a concern regarding a guest’s health, we reserve the right to call 9-1-1 or otherwise seek emergency medical services on behalf of the guest. Wake Foot Sanctuary will not be responsible for any costs or expenses associated with such medical services.

Guest’s massage therapist will review their completed form prior to beginning their service and if the massage therapist believes that they will not be able to perform a safe service based on the provided information the massage therapist may recommend cancelling the service, booking an alternative, or modifying the service to ensure your safe experience.

Reservations are highly recommended. All reservations require a credit card or cash guarantee at the time of booking. We recommend that guests reserve their appointment times 2-3 weeks in advance for the best time and service selections. Some services may be limited or unavailable during high volume times. Please contact your local Wake Foot Sanctuary for booking availability.

Tipping is discretionary for individual visits at Wake and is not included in service prices. The exception to this is for groups of 5 people or more, then a 20% gratuity is added. As a guide, resources like REAL SIMPLE and Day Spa Association  advise 15-20% as a customary tip amount for spa services. In this case, services include both the foot soak and any added massage. Wake has employee tip envelopes at the front desk for cash tipping, or front desk staff are able to add a tip onto the tab before processing credit cards for your convenience.

A minimum of 24 hours notice is required to cancel or change appointments.

Cancellations without this notice will incur up to 100% of the service charge of the reservation. Late arrivals will be charged the full price of the service, but the service end time will not be extended.

Considerations will be made by Wake staff for cancellations due to any illness, Covid exposure, or potential Covid exposure for our guests at no charge.

If changes to appointments result in a downgrade of massage time, or a package downgrade, 50% percent of the difference will be added to the newly chosen service. A downgrade is considered to be the decrease in massage time for any given service. If a guest books in for a service with a specific amount of massage and then downgrades upon arrival for their appointment to a service with less massage they will be charged for the difference between the two services.

Guests can avoid this charge by giving Wake at least 24-hour notice for any changes, downgrades, or cancellations.

Parties of up to 8 guests are most welcome in the sanctuary. Reservations are highly recommended to secure your desired time and date. There is a 72-hour cancellation policy for groups of 5 or more—this policy includes: cancellations of any member of the group,  downgrades in services for any member of the group and rolling groups that are booked over multiple appointment times, as well. A downgrade is considered to be the decrease in massage time for any given service. If a guest books in for a service with a specific amount of massage and then downgrades upon arrival for their appointment to a service with less massage they will be charged for the difference of the two services. Guests can avoid this charge by giving Wake at least 72 hours notice for any changes, downgrades, or cancellations.

Groups of more than 8 guests will be required to pay a $200.00 deposit at the time of booking, which will be applied toward the group’s services upon check-in.  Groups of more than 8 guests are required to provide notice of cancellation at least 2 weeks prior to the scheduled appointment date.  Groups who provide less than 2 weeks’ notice will forfeit the $200.00 deposit.  Additionally downgrades of service less than 1 week before the scheduled appointment may result in forfeiture of the $200.00 deposit.

Cell phones must be turned off before entering the sanctuary. Limited use of cellphones in the shop is appreciated as we try to ensure a calm atmosphere for our Foot Sanctuary guests.

Animals are not allowed inside the spa except for service animals. If you require a service animal to accompany you during your appointment, please let us know at the time of your reservation so that we can provide sufficient space to accommodate you.

Children at least 6 years of age and older are welcome to participate in services at Wake Foot Sanctuary. Guests under the age of 18 must have a parent or guardian, who is also receiving services, present with them in the sanctuary. We advise parents and guardians to consider our communal space with a peaceful atmosphere, other relaxation-seeking guests, and the child’s ability to engage with a quiet space for the duration of a service when bringing in young foot-soakers.

We do not allow outside alcohol to be brought into the spa. Wake Foot Sanctuary reserves the right to reschedule or cancel services for those who appear intoxicated.

Because our services directly interact with a guest’s skin, it is critically important that each guest understand and make known to our staff what ingredients could potentially cause reactions.  We ask that all guests prior to the beginning of their services fully discuss with our staff any potential intolerances or allergies so that we may determine if alternative services or ingredients may be used.  However, although we clean each of our bowls after each use, we cannot guarantee that cross-contamination of ingredients and other potential allergens will not occur due to the communal nature of our services.

We typically ship 98% of our orders within 72 hours if order is placed Monday through Thursday. (Excluding holidays) However, because our products are all hand made, sometimes our production process takes a bit longer. Including time spent in shipping, most orders are received within 5-10 days from ordering. If it takes a bit longer, we will let you know!

Due to the handmade/fresh nature of our products, we cannot except returns or exchanges. But we want you to love your products as much as we do, so if you are unsatisfied in any way, please contact us promptly and we will work to make it right. 

At Wake Foot Sanctuary we want guests to be happy with their purchase. We will gladly accept returns or exchanges as long as the item is in saleable condition and is returned or exchanged within 14 days of receipt. Restrictions apply to body care products and final sale items. Opened body care products cannot be returned and final sale items are not eligible for returns. All sale items are final sale. If you have further concerns or questions about your return or exchange feel free to email us at info@wakespa.com.

From the moment you arrive at Wake until the moment you leave, we will be serving and pampering you to ensure that your experience here is the best that we can offer. We have a full menu of hand-formulated soaks from which to choose. You will also be offered a warm lavender neck wrap while you are in the sanctuary and we have a menu of teas from which you can order an individual or shared pot–as well as other available goodies. You are welcome to soak with your eyes closed and float on waves of relaxing music, bring a book to read or your iPad or laptop to get a little quiet work done. You may also bring a best buddy or two with which to enjoy the experience.

Massage services may not be appropriate if you have: bleeding disorders or are taking blood-thinning medication, have burns or healing wounds, deep vein thrombosis, fractures, severe osteoporosis, or severe thrombocytopenia. Foot soak services are known to lower blood pressure and increase your heart rate and body temperature. Guests with Buerger’s disease (or thromboangiitis obliterans), insulin-dependent diabetes, arteriosclerosis, severe vascular disease of the feet or legs, peripheral vascular disease, or any condition where circulation in the feet and legs is poor are not recommended to engage in services at Wake Foot Sanctuary. Discuss the pros and cons of foot soak and massage services with your health care professional, especially if you are pregnant, have cancer, or are experiencing unexplained pain. Soaking your feet helps to soothe muscles, hydrate and moisturize your skin, reduce swelling, relieve stress, and encourage relaxation. Combine a soak with one of our signature massages and the health benefits can increase to include improved posture, improved circulation, relaxed muscles, improved flexibility and range of motion, relief of headaches, strengthened immune system, and pain relief.

University of Minnesota and the University of Miami concluded that massage is one of  the most effective for assisting with reducing anxiety, increasing relaxation, and increasing immune boosting white blood cells. 

The Miami study of 58 women with stage I & II breast cancer discovered that massage study groups felt less anxiety afterwards and reduced feelings of depression. They also showed an increase in immune system-boosting white blood cells and in dopamine, which is related to a sense of well-being.

The Minnesota study of 230 people with cancer found that those who who received massage not only reported feeling less anxiety, they also needed less pain medication.

If you are currently undergoing radiation, lymphedema, chemotherapy, or have recently undergone those treatments or surgeries related to a cancer diagnosis, please contact us ahead of your appointment booking . Our staff will require  a note from your doctor that outlines any modifications or restrictions necessary for you to safely receive massage services.  As always, any information you share with us will be kept confidential.

We do not provide pedicures or do any exfoliating or nail care at Wake. We are a Foot Sanctuary with the emphasis on Sanctuary. The experience that you will have with us is one of relaxation and general pampering. However, you can add on a relaxing and restorative massage.

The soak is our basic medium. At Wake Spa, you can experience a soak with the option of a foot massage in Asheville, NC or Knoxville, TN. We do not offer any stand-alone massages.

We recommend that you book at least 2-3 weeks in advance, and 4 weeks for groups of 5 or more. As we are dedicated to returning voicemails in the order that they are received, the most efficient way to receive a call back is to leave a voice message rather than repeat calling. We appreciate your patience and look forward to serving you for some relaxation time in the Sanctuary.

We want to thank you in advance for your patience and determination. We are a high-volume spa and do our very best to answer phone calls in a prompt manner. Please note that calling multiple times in a row without leaving a voicemail, or leaving multiple messages will often delay our staff in returning those phone calls. If you reach our voicemail it is either because we are on the other line or we are helping guests. Your call is extremely important to us so please leave us a detailed voicemail and we will get back to you within 24 hours. Thank you so much for your understanding.

We ask that you arrive 10-15 minutes ahead of your scheduled appointment to fill out paperwork, pick out soaks, use the restroom, and change clothing if needed. The á la carte services are 45 minutes long (packages are longer).  Plan to be here for about an hour.

Our Sanctuary is a communal room just beyond the velvet curtains with chairs for guests to sit in and luxuriate. Your copper bowl is brought to you with the soak of your choosing. You sit back, dip your feet in, and enjoy your soak and massage experience.  If you would like a bit more privacy we have privacy screens to help give you a bit more solace within the room.

Guests frequently enjoy services with friends and loved ones. It is common that they want to chat while they enjoy the experience together. We do ask that guests speak quietly so as not to disturb other guests but we do not require silence in the sanctuary.

We thank you for understanding that part of the Wake Foot Sanctuary experience is the atmosphere and the wonderful smells of our soak ingredients as well as the retail products available in the shop. When guests bring in leftovers from restaurants or other food items it can disrupt that smell and often linger around long after the food is gone. We do not allow outside food into the sanctuary. We do offer rotating selections of truffles from Marble & Steel and shortbread cookies from Good Gravy Bakes for purchase to enjoy during services.

Yes, all of our massage therapists have current North Carolina massage licenses and follow the State-mandated continuing education requirements. These continuing education requirements keep them up-to-date with the latest information and techniques.

All of our licensed massage therapists have learned some reflexology in their massage training and these techniques are often incorporated into the massages that we offer at Wake–but our services center around relaxation. We do not provide reflexology or reflexology-focused services.

The seated posture of our guests in the sanctuary, as well as the positioning of our massage therapists, does not lend well to an overall deep pressure experience. However, our staff aims to please and can offer a deeper pressure for specific trouble areas – such as feet and shoulders. We also regularly train with massage tools that can be utilized for deeper pressure.

Tipping is discretionary for individual visits at Wake and is not included in service prices. The exception to this is for groups of 5 people or more, then a 20% gratuity is added. As a guide, resources like REAL SIMPLE and Day Spa Association  advise 15-20% as a customary tip amount for spa services. In this case, services include both the foot soak and any added massage. Wake has employee tip envelopes at the front desk for cash tipping, or front desk staff are able to add a tip onto the tab before processing credit cards for your convenience.

Massage therapy can be beneficial during pregnancy and can help reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, & relieve muscle aches and joint pains (American Pregnancy Association). As with any approach to pregnancy wellness, women should discuss massage with their prenatal care provider.

Wake Foot Sanctuary does not provide full body massage services. We offer complimenting massage services to our foot soaks across three main body areas: head, neck, and shoulders; hand and lower arms; and feet and lower legs. Guests remain fully clothed during their services in a communal atmosphere and only need to remove socks and shoes to enjoy the relaxation benefits of our soak and massage. Wake Foot Sanctuary provides foot massages in Knoxville, TN and Asheville, NC. As a foot relaxation center, we do not provide full body massage services.

Our ABC Board permitting does not allow off site beverages to be brought by guests to Wake Foot Sanctuary.

All of Wake Foot Sanctuary experiences are centered around our foot soak service as our base signature service. Guests are welcome to soak without massage , but all massages are an accompaniment of our soak service.

Certain packages have a limited availability for massage to be added. Please contact your local Wake Foot Sanctuary to inquire about the availability of add-on massage for some of our 30-40 minute massage package options.