A few weeks prior me and my hubby travelled to Ottawa for a mini getaway and we decided to check…read moreout Koena Scandinavian Spa in Gatineau They are located in Gatineau at the Chateau Cartier hotel We did not book any services and just decided to go with daytime getaway which gives you access to the saunas and pools Inside you already get a very warm and relaxing atmosphere just from the entrance You can rent a robe but I brought mine from home to use Change rooms are clean and up-kept You get a wrist bracelet that accesses your assigned locker number to store your personal belongings inside Immediately entering the indoor area and it looked so nice They have a warm pool and a cold plunge pool inside We tried the steam room inside called Mahalo The steam is infused with essential oils The steam is pretty thick and it can be hard to see when you enter The lounge in the outdoor area is nicely set up Tons of chairs and loungers to relax on Plenty of outdoor pools to chose from They have a little sauna that we tried and had a nice little chat with a couple around our age that were from Gatineau My hubby tried the cold plunge pools His expression was priceless but he said once you do the hot/cold/relax circuit a couple of times, your body gets used to it We tried a sauna ritual that they had We only lasted two songs of the 12 minute ritual The heat inside is pretty taxing We didn't get a chance to try the Himalayan salt room that they had that was indoors Overall the experience was amazing and I really surprised of the price point as it was cheaper for two people compared to a local spa in the GTA that has a similar setup I would definitely come back here again when we visit Ottawa-Gatineau again

We went this past Friday to Koena Spa located in Gatineau as part of our weekend getaway there…read more It's not far from Ottawa Roughly a 20 minute drive from the hotel we stayed at The spa is part of the Chateau Cartier Hotel Resort We went for the early morning that day as Fridays usually are busy during that time The spa offers services like massages, facials, and pedicures You can just opt to do the pool experiences for the day without needing a reservation for one of the above-mentioned services We went with the day experience The price was relatively cheaper than a place like Thermea per person which I found was really good I opted to rent a robe while my wife brought her own robe from home which saved us a few dollars The common areas are all kept clean along with the change rooms There are places to where you can get food and drinks from three different restaurants and bars Food and drink are on the pricier side so expect to pay a bit for that The pools experience are the same like Thermea's with where you go with hot/cold/rest cycles They have several warm pools at different temperatures There is a steam room called Mahalo where it blasts essential oils through the steam There is a Himalayan salt room inside There is a small outdoor sauna you can go into We tried one of the sauna rituals where it blasts extreme heat and the person who runs it waves the hot air into you We only were able to last two songs ....lol Overall the quality is top notch Staff are super friendly here and they communicate in both languages We will definitely come back again for another spa experience here

I came on a Saturday in April. It was very busy, but we had a great time!…read more The whole spa seemed clean, especially considering the number of people. We tried all of the hot/cold options except the sea experience, which was unfortunately out of order when we went. We also stopped to get lunch. I had the beet and goat cheese salad, which was delicious! My boyfriend had the burger, which was also good. The tuna tataki was a little fishy, but everything else was great. I wish they had a few more stalls in the bathroom and showers, but overall, it was a good experience!

This spa is awesome! Pooh and I visited it, yesterday and at first I thought the price was high…read more(98$) for just the thermal spa but the spa is huge. There are at least 10 different pools all with unique temperatures and whirlpool bubbles. Plus there a lot of rest areas with some kind of natural heat and there is a place you can lay on hot stones So for the price I loved it. If you want specific treatments like massages or facials or visit the underground pool those cost extra All the staff were super friendly and helpful

I had a facial (5/5) and a foot massage (2/5) This overall rating is really mainly about their…read morecommunications with me after the fact and the disappointing foot massage. The facial: 5/5 Relaxing, private, quiet and professional. Olivia was informative, gentle and not over chatty (all good in my book). Oh and there was a bed warmer... lovely! Foot massage (2/5) I'm basing this on deep foot massages I have had in the past. The deeper the better. I'd give their approach to a foot massage a 5 if you're just expecting light application of massive amounts of fragrant creams and ever so gentle, light rubbing in a pleasant setting. I sat beside a good friend and we chatted while she had a pedi and the staff allowed me to stay longer because her procedure was longer and the room wasn't needed. I felt that was kind. Where things went off the rails and why my review plummets was due to the communication I received from this place after my review. I had expressed 2 levels of disappointment with their foot massage . First is wasn't 'deep' despite the description of 'deep rhythmic massage' on their website and second because the esthetician maintained a very light pressure after I twice told her should could go much deeper. The 'deep, rhythmic massage' never happened. They sent me an email asking me to change the review, blaming my disappointment on my misinterpretation of 'deep rhythmic foot massage' and explaining that of course it meant was 'deeply relaxing'. They said a lot of other stuff, but the result is that I feel gaslit and feel they were trying to shame me for giving an honest review. They have now updated the website to eliminate the wording of 'deep rhythmic' from their foot massage description. I have a screenshot of that earlier version. So, I have in fact changed my review from a 3 to a one and would give them a zero for customer service if I could. No customer should be made to feel this way.

The service I had was electrolysis which was quick and easy…read more Quality of the service was great. Everybody was nice and the vibe was upbeat. Thanks Nancy Burke

Always a treat day when I have time for the spa. Clean rooms - quiet when doing the facials,…read moreetc. and so relaxing. Enjoying Karen on Mondays which are the best day for a treat day. Glad to have it so close by. Thanks Karen and I will see you again soon.

Ok so not the best decor on the planet and not sure how I feel about sitting in my robe in a second…read morewaiting lounge with other robed ladies (never experienced that before and it's kind of weird). Once you get past all that, the spa is great simply because of the variety of services they offer. Any place that uses Dermalogica is on the right track. I only had a little bit of time to devote to a spa so I just went in for a facial. My therapist was seriously amazing. On top of being a great aesthetician, she was really professional yet fun to talk to. Usually I hate being quiet in spas (I know, I'm weird) and she was great about it. She let me start the conversations so that if I wanted to just be quiet and relax, I could have been. Very tactful! So despite the lacklustre decor and ambience, I will give it 5 stars just for the range of services and excellent therapists (from my visit anyway). With 12 options for a facial, a plastic surgeon on call and hydrotherapy on the menu, it's hard to find a comparable spa in Ottawa.

Good massage. What I did not like was the lady giving me the massage was on the phone, making…read moreappointments, and also talking loud on the phone. Not very relaxing. I wanted to speak to her about this after my massage, but, guess what? She was on the phone, again. I was not overly impressed by this.

Chinese owned small massage parlor which also offered facial. My husband i each got a 90min…read moreChinese acupressure massage. The treatment have showers so you can take a quick rinse after your massage which is great so we don't feel "oily" afterwards. If you've never had a Chinese style deep tissue acupressure massage, this is a good place. I'd ask for the male message therapist.

Best massage ever! My husband and I had a 90- minute couples hot stone massage on a cold blustery…read moreday. Faroza and Naquia were masterful. Treat yourself. You'll be happy you did!

Recently visited from out of town and did one of their packages. The staff is excellent, very…read morefriendly. Services provided were ok. The esthetics of the rooms feel like a medical office from the 70's and not very relaxing, especially the room where they do pedicures. Walls had marks on them, there was dust everywhere. The location needs a full refresh. The equipment, towels, robes and slippers need all looks old and run down. But if this review was purely based on the staff, it would have been a 5 out of 5.

I came here with high expectations due to the great reviews. The service was very attentive and the…read moreplace clean. It is very professional. They serve herbal tea as you get your nails done. However, my shellac was just slightly better than the one I had at another more low end place, two weeks ago, but cost twice as much for the same service: removal, manicure and shellac. The shellac on a couple of nails wasn't nicely shaped despite paying for a manicure too. The shellac was painted over the cuticle in a couple of spots. The shellac started peeling on three nails after 1.5 weeks. I had a shellac done in downtown Vancouver for 2/3 of the price that neatly lasted 3 weeks. Giving it a 3 because the service and atmosphere was great but not the nail job.

Loved this experience. The shellac French manicure looked perfect and still does 10 days later.read more

My kids gave me a one spa certificate for my birthday. I loved it. I had the entire package. I…read morespent the entire day. Princess treatment.

Had the vitamin C facial with glycolic peel. It's now 2 days later and my skin feels amazing! Love…read moreit.

Gave my wife a full day at the Spa, and she still sings praises of it. She loved the experience,…read moreand continued to recommend it to her friends. Thank you for a great experience!

I recently went to the SPA on Castlefrank Kanata for a facial. I go regularly to the Spa but it is…read morethe first time I have an esthetician who wears rubber gloves to massage my face. Although I told the esthetician that I found that very unpleasant and not relaxing, my comments and feelings were completely disregarded. One doesn't expect to pay $200 for a facial with rubber gloves I also complained to the reception who responded by saying" we are sorry that you didn't like it" When booking an appointment for facials, clients should be informed that the esthetician will be wearing rubber gloves for the facials. In such case, I wouldn't have book the facial

STAFF PRIORITIZES UPSELLING OVER ACTUAL SKINCARE NEEDS…read more I had a very disappointing experience. The staff pressured me into buying a product I did not want, ignoring my request for retinoids. Even after I expressed discomfort with the brand, they kept pushing for that one single new product that had nothing to do with treating melasma. They steered me away from the one product I trusted and knew worked for me, insisting instead on something expensive that, in reality, does not treat melasma or dark spots. It became clear their goal was not to help but to push sales and meet their targets. I even overheard when I turned last minute, Amber one of the staff members bragging to her colleague about convincing me as if it were some sort of competition. I paid around $100 for a product that does absolutely nothing for my skin. When I tried to take time to check reviews and make an informed decision, they repeatedly interrupted and pressured me to buy immediately. To make matters worse, a senior staff member approached when they noticed me checking and promised gifts and samples with the purchase but when I paid, I never received them. This was manipulative and left me feeling taken advantage of, especially as someone who came in with limited product knowledge. Be warned: do your own research, and if you know what you want, go directly for it without relying on their "advice." The staff here care more about upselling than about customer needs, and they'll push whatever is most expensive not what actually works for your skin.

10/10 A young lady named "Patty" completely helped, going WAY above and beyond, to find the correct…read moreskin tone and undertones for concealer and then took skin pictures and uploaded it to my profile so I can look at my profile anytime I want and buy the right product!!!! We were buying 1 item. This was a small sale and she treated us like we bought the entire store! We felt like royalty!!! She should be employee of the month!!! 5 stars Patty!