*rounded up stars, would actually give it 3.5 stars*…read more
Spent the day at Thermea Spa and, despite a number of annoyances, found the facility itself quite lovely.
Day passes are $128 from Mon-Thurs and $138 from Fri-Sun. The spa has 8 sauna/steam rooms, 2 hot baths, one temperate bath, and several cold plunges. There are also various relaxation areas with loungers, Muskoka chairs surrounding gas or wood fires, and both seated and lying-down hammocks. In addition to the biergarden and two restaurants, they offer various treatments and two experiences: Kalla, a saltwater flotation bath, and Rhassoul, a clay treatment in a steam room.
Upon arrival, we used the self check-in kiosks to obtain our wristbands. These are linked to your assigned locker and credit card, with an automatic $150 preauthorization. Any purchases made throughout your visit are charged to your card upon checkout. The $150 is simply a preauthorization, not a spending limit. The lockers are located downstairs in a mixed gender locker/changing area, with a small section reserved for women. However, you need to request a women's locker before your locker is assigned, either when making your reservation or by speaking to the sole attendant at check in. The biergarden closes at 7 p.m., while the restaurants remain open until 9 p.m.
We visited on a weekday hoping to avoid the crowds, but unfortunately, it was still quite busy from mid morning into the evening. Even though it wasn't at peak capacity, it felt overcrowded with people and having to navigate around one another and wait for space to become available in the various baths and relaxation areas.
We also purchased the Kalla experience for an additional $64, as I love floating in saltwater. Limit of 34 people at a time. Kalla baths had two sections (thankfully) because during our session, a woman came in and continuously kicked and splashed her feet, creating waves across our side of the pool. It became impossible to float peacefully, so we eventually moved to the other side. I'm not sure whether we were simply unlucky that day, but this wasn't an isolated incident when it came to other patrons' poor behaviour. We encountered several instances of people talking loudly in designated quiet areas, jumping into the baths, and vaping. These behaviours really detracted from the atmosphere, especially when you're paying for a spa experience where relaxation is the whole point. At other spas I've visited, the rules have been enforced much more consistently.
Another concerning incident involved a woman going through the hanging robes and patting them down. When I asked what she was doing, she said she was looking for her lost phone. Later, as we were leaving, two gentlemen were reporting a stolen phone at the towel exchange desk. I can't say whether these incidents were connected, but I strongly recommend keeping things of value or any important belongings secured in your locker.
There also seemed to be a noticeable lack of staff throughout the grounds. Even before our visit, we had called to ask a question and received a recorded message advising that it could take at least half an hour to reach someone. Given the size of the facility and the number of guests, I felt more staff presence would have made a difference, particularly when it comes to enforcing the rules and maintaining a peaceful environment.
Thankfully, things improved later in the day. As the sun set and the evening progressed, the crowds began to thin out. We could finally walk through the village without constantly squeezing past people and enjoy the baths without having to wait as long for space to open up.
We also stopped at the Biergarden for some drinks and snacks. They offer a selection of beers on tap, cocktails, mocktails, wine, and pop, with unlimited pop available. We ordered the warm pretzel and tortilla chips with a trio of dips. The pretzel was good, grilled warm and brushed with butter, and served with garlic aioli and sweet and spicy mustard. The aioli was fairly unremarkable and tasted much like plain mayonnaise. Unfortunately, the salsa verde and salsa roja in the dip trio were both quite bland, although the guacamole was fresh.
One other observation about the grounds: the large body of water shown on the village map is purely decorative, with seating and lounging areas nearby but no actual spa feature. Given how crowded the usable baths were, it felt like a missed opportunity. I would have much preferred to see that space used for another bathing area or other feature that guests could actually enjoy.
On a more positive note, every staff member we interacted with was friendly and kind. The facility was also relatively clean throughout our visit. There is a definite gap in the availability of this type of spa experience in the area near/around Toronto, and Thermea has a lot of potential and is quite lovely. I'd be willing to try another time to see if it's a more relaxing experience.
