I hardly ever leave reviews, but this one deserves one…read more
I was really happy to find a spa in the city because I genuinely needed some time to de-stress, relax, and take care of myself. I was surprised they had a last-minute, same-day appointment available and was really grateful for that.
I originally booked my appointment for 7:30, and within a few minutes they called asking if I could change my appointment time. I had no problem with this because it actually gave me extra time to enjoy the spa beforehand. However, the girl who booked my appointment told me the change would be better because I would have complete private access to the spa, which ended up not being accurate.
I also specifically requested someone who was very experienced with deep tissue massage. When I arrived, I realized I had been booked with a different therapist and a different appointment time than what I thought was confirmed.
The staff did acknowledge the mix-up and gave me a complimentary juice, which I appreciated, it was a kind gesture.
Unfortunately, the massage itself is where my experience shifted. I have been receiving massages regularly for the past 15 years, and while my therapist had some good techniques and did redeem herself toward the end of the session, overall I felt the level of professionalism and presence was lacking.
The first thing she shared with me was that the front desk overbooks her and doesn't give her enough time between clients. While I understand that can be frustrating, hearing internal workplace issues as a client right before trying to relax felt off-putting.
During the massage, there were several moments where I felt she wasn't fully present. For the first 10 minutes, it was very obvious she was on her phone texting while massaging me with one hand. I eventually asked if she could please use both hands. Her response was that it was difficult to massage the neck with both hands, but as someone who gets massages often, I could tell the issue was that her attention was divided. Her phone was vibrating throughout the entire massage.
Throughout the session, she repeatedly stepped away from the table, whether to grab oil or other things that could have been set up nearby. This kept interrupting the flow of the massage. There were many moments where she completely broke contact with my body rather than maintaining connection with her hands, which is something that is generally considered an important part of creating a grounded, professional massage experience.
Toward the end, I do feel she became more present and incorporated some nice techniques, which I appreciated. However, around that same time, the front desk became extremely loud. It honestly sounded like there was a party happening outside of the treatment room, which was distracting and took away from the peaceful environment I was hoping for.
Overall, the massage portion unfortunately dampened my visit. Her name is something along the lines of "May". If you want a text-free massage, I recommend going to someone else.
I was also a little concerned about the cleanliness of some of the areas by the heated pool and cold plunge. I noticed hair on the steps and dirty towels left in the saunas/steam rooms.
That being said, there were definitely things I did enjoy. The space itself has a cute vibe and I really appreciated the thoughtful details.. the cold towels, ice balls, tinctures, aromatherapy, and little touches throughout the bathhouse. I really enjoyed the variety of each room.
Overall, I think this bathhouse has potential and there were parts of my experience that were enjoyable. I just think with more attention to communication, cleanliness, and consistency in the service, it could be a spa if recommend and return to on my next visit. Unfortunately, I won't be returning.