Coral Gables day spa gives up massage license, but remains in business
DEC. 11 UPDATE: This story was updated after Spa Bar Miami’s owner returned Miami Herald messages the day after the article was published.
Spa Bar Miami in Coral Gables gave up its state massage establishment license after a state inspector found “several violations,” but the owner says it’s still open for all of its usual day spa services.
Spa Bar got licensed for massage on Oct. 10, 2023, but owner Natalia Moreno said she got the license only as a possible adjunct to Spa Bar’s basic business of facials and other skin care.
Moreno said the massage therapist working out of Spa Bar’s location, Suite 309 at 475 Biltmore Way, was just renting space and not operating through Spa Bar. After that space failed a May 13 inspection, Moreno said, she relinquished the license rather than deal with the whole discipline process because massage isn’t Spa Bar’s business.
“I specialize in facials,” Moreno said. “I’ve been doing this for 18 years.”
Moreno signed a voluntary relinquishment of Spa Bar’s massage establishment license in July. The final order from the state Board of Massage Therapy accepting the relinquishment came down last week.
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A Florida Department of Health investigative report says an inspector showed up on May 13 for a routine inspection and “found several violations, including....”
- “No massage license posted”
- “No employee records available for review”
- “No client records available for review”
- “No license number on advertisements”
- “Massage tables with incorrect topper material”
- “An outdated human trafficking sign”
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This story was originally published December 10, 2025 at 11:26 AM.
