I am a spa junkie so I was initially thrilled when my husband gave me a substantial gift certificate to Essentiels Spa here in Boulder. At first glance, it looks lovely. Certainly the robes are luxurious. The women's lounge is nice, if small (there is a small waterfall), and there are products for use in the makeup/sink area. I was able to lie on a beach-like chair and relax and read before my services. Well, sort of relax. The first thing I noticed is that the place is LOUD. The lounge was very full and not only did it feel crowded, but I could hear many voices from beyond the lounge. I gave up relaxing and went to wait for my massage. For the first time, I noticed the employees were rude and snotty. I sat for fifteen minutes and then realized it was well beyond the time my massage was scheduled to begin. As I had a facial scheduled for afterward my massage, I asked an employee to check on my appointments, as I didn't want to miss my facial. I was told they were very busy and to be patient. That is not the kind of service I expect when my husband drops two hundred bucks. When I did finally get in for my massage, it was rough (note: I usually like an intense, therapeutic massage), but when I asked if she could lighten up a bit, she said this was her technique and that it would be good for me. She also spoke through the entire thing. The last thing I want during a massage is conversation. It bears noting that throughout the massage, I could hear everything going on everywhere else in the spa. The rooms walls do not reach the ceiling, and the entire place is open to sound bleeding. The facial was underwhelming as well, as the esthetician did not evaluate my skin before beginning and used products I didn't think were appropriate for my skin type. The shocker came, however, when she applied wax to one of my eyebrows. I was NOT there for a brow wax. I ended up with one, however, and it was not good.
Total waste of money and time!
Pros: Robes & frozen fruit in the water is nice (I am reaching)
Cons: loud, rude, inexperienced staff, over priced, not on time.
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