AIBU to say this is not a spa and I want a partial refund?

”If you are using the gym or pool as part of your time in the spa” (implies there is something to use other than just the pool!!)

It really doesn't. If you wanted to know what facilities there are, you should have checked. If something is not listed or shown, they don't have it.

This sounds very much like a hotel/spa I had the misfortune to get a gift voucher for in about 2019.
Any chance yours is on the Northamptonshire/Buckinghamshire border?
Granted, I went in January, but the place was too cold, noisy, and too crowded. There was nowhere to get a replacement towel, so once yours was cold and wet, you were stuffed.

I remember rushing round the pool to get a just-vacated bed, only to be beaten to it by another woman.
I ended up stood aimlessly, feeling on the verge of tears, looking round for somewhere to sit. Fortunately, after a couple of minutes, another woman kindly came over to me, said they'd seen me not get the bed, and that her and her husband were about to leave, so come and take one of theirs.
I had a late sitting for lunch, and by the time I got there, the food was cold and sparse.

The only good thing about the place was the treatments, which were excellent. But I still ended up leaving a couple of hours early, as I was cold and over-stimulated. Exactly what you DON'T want on a spa day!

I didn't complain, because it had been a gift voucher anyway, but I certainly wouldn't go back. There's plenty of much nicer places out there. My favourite is Ragdale Hall in Leicestershire.

It sounds to me like the place had all the facilities of a spa. Unless it specifically said it was "small, quiet and private" then the fact that "spa" means that in your head is your problem. I imagine the treatments would have been in a room with either just your therapist or 2 or 3 therapist/client pairs, but given you decided to leave before that, you don't know. Also did the word "spa" actually apply to ALL the facilities? We used to belong to a private gym with a spa, and the "Spa" was one specific area, with a sauna and a cold plunge pool, and a treatment room.. Alongside the spa was a general indoor pool, kids' pool, jacuzzi, outdoor pool, outdoor jacuzzi and outdoor kids pool. None of these were part of the spa and they were open to a much wider clientele. If you had bought spa treatments you would be able to use both areas, but only the treatment area and the "Spa" area would be for the exclusive use of spa customers.

I would take the offer to go back in January unless they advertised facilities they didn't have.

I've been to a lot of these 'spas' attached to hotels ( with work) and the only one that actually felt like a spa was The Montreux Palace Hotel. All the rest were full of kids or business people like me who were staying at the hotel, even the ones attached to 5 star hotels.

What they say in their blurb in no way constitutes false advertising. They say 'as part of your spa experience'- they mean as well as having the treatments, it doesn't imply they have facilities they don't have.

January will be even busier due to more gym members signing up and people red among vouchers. Refund!

£250 isn't a huge amount of money when it includes three spa treatments (often £60 each), lunch and unlimited use of the pool, sauna and gym.

Spa hotels are weird aren't they? I've been to a couple and they didn't get either the hotel part or the spa part quite right. Restaurants and service were a bit rubbish

It’s not really a lot of money for three treatments, lunch, afternoon tea, pool and gym access.

Yanbu, this is a lot of money and you'd expect a top notch experience, something above and beyond a normal spa experience, let alone less than. Find their complaints procedure, keep it factual, keep repeating this was poor value for money and that the advertising implied xyz, and restate a very reasonable request for a partial refund (give an amount).

Op the wording of what you quoted as opposed to the person who gave the passage on page one about separate facilities etc etc implies they’ll easily be able to say you weren’t missold. (Sorry though!)

They won’t be out of pocket. It’s the hotel that’s offering a complimentary visit in the New Year, the visit OP had has been paid for. What do you mean?

leave them a review on trip advisor.

tabby as you bought a spa day, not a hotel day pass. Massive difference.

I think the onus was on you to check the facilities in advance of buying

Yes, this is where your money has gone here. If you want a proper spa, you need to research what is on offer very carefully, because unless the hotel has a dedicated spa rather than 'a few loungers by the pool' and perhaps a sauna and small jacuzzi, it won't feel like a relaxing spa day. You've been to 'many spas before' so it's not like this should be news to you.

I want plenty of hot bubbly water and I never have treatments so I'd have spotted that this place doesn't offer that so wouldn't book. I've been to and won't return to the Center Parcs spas or the Titanic near Huddersfield because both only have very small jacuzzis that tend to hogged by groups who talk loudly and broadcast their experience on social media. The layout of the Titanic is weird too, with the restaurant, that is open to non spa guests, being right in the middle of the spa.

I'd write this one off to experience and do better research for next time. As you left the therapists hanging, I'd be very surprised if they would give you a refund because you had different expectations to what was on offer.

No one expects a spa to NOT be childfree, surely?

This Is why I don’t get spa hotels! Unless you go to a really fancy one you’re paying a shit tonne of money to stay in a random hotel and go swimming 🤣

Agree with others, it's rubbish but you need to check these things first!

Stayed at a 5* hotel with spa a couple of months ago, even they accepted day spa guests on top of all the hotel guests. It seemed people had probably complained to them as they had a whole piece recommending that if you were staying there that you went to the spa early in the morning or late in the day. In the reviews some people that had stayed said they had even been turned away at times because it was too busy.

Mind you dedicated spas that are really popular can be rammed too, we went to Bath spa first thing as there were so many reviews complaining about it and saying they weren't able to enjoy it at all.

I agree with going back after Christmas and trying to make the best of it, if you went on a Saturday before then maybe go on a different day - find out if Sundays are quieter perhaps if you can't go in the week.

I’ve been to enough spas to know you need to research the spa before you go, as they all vary in what they offer.

They didn’t say they had something they didn’t, you just assumed what they would have. Can’t see how you’re entitled to a refund.

I would do this too as it is very unlikely you will receive a refund. I’d make the best of it as fighting it is likely to be very stressful.

I would also leave a candid review if possible so other people are fully aware of what they’re letting themselves in for. To be fair to you it does sound pretty awful and not restful at all.

Hotel + only £250 for 3 treatments and two meals should have set alarm bells ringing really.

I’ve just bought a spa day at a purpose built spa near me - 1 treatment, 1 day access and lunch for £350 and that was a Black Friday deal (either 20 or 30% off). It has the kind of set-up you were expecting though, which is v costly to run.

“250 for all day access, 3 treatments and 2 meals is very cheap IME. Any decent spa around me would only include access + 1 treatment for this price, and maybe 1 meal in some cases or unlimited soft/hot drinks.”

This.

you would have been better to have had your treatments, as you would have at least got your money’s worth. You can’t really expect your money back on the treatments and meals when you chose to walk out.

As others have said, unless the website listed facilities that didn't exist, then you can't really expect a refund based on it being busy and noisy.

Lots of "spa days" are like this, unfortunately.

Look carefully at their website and see if any of the pictures or text are misleading. If they're not, you only have the definition of the word spa to work with. As you can see from this thread, plenty of people understand that it can mean the kind of set up that this hotel provided.
If you can't find evidence of misrepresentation, chalk it up to experience and let it go. £250 is a chunk of money but is it worth the stress of following it up in this case?