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

[cakeinthecakehole]

Recently booked a spa day at a local hotel and spa. Paid £250 which included spa access 9-5, three treatments, lunch and afternoon tea.

Arrived, had my first treatment immediately and was then shown to the “spa”. Which was a few lie flat beds and chairs next to a swimming pool, and a tiny sauna. The swimming pool was open to hotel guests and gym members. It was noisy, packed, there weren’t enough beds and people everywhere, many on their phones.

I have been to many spas before and was expecting a quiet, restful environment. At the very least a separate quiet room or space to escape to. It felt like being at a holiday park! Within 15 minutes I realised this wasnt going to be the relaxing day I desperately needed so I went and spoke to the front desk, politely explained it wasnt what I was expecting and said I’d like to leave and receive a partial refund. They apologised, gave me their email address to put my request in writing so they could resolve for me.

Now they’ve replied to me by email to say no refund possible but would like to invite me back to finish my day in January! There’s no way I would ever want to go back there.

AIBU to push for a partial refund on this one? I’m cross that my relaxing self care day has now turned into another battle on my endless to-do list!

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

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.

Yes, I will absolutely be more careful in future. Have only been to “proper” spas before so had no idea this setup could be classed as a spa!

Some wording from their website:-

“a place to relax and unwind” (it’s not)
“To ensure that our guests are able to relax and enjoy the tranquil and peaceful surroundings, please refrain from using your mobile phone.” (Not tranquil or peaceful, and most people were using phones)
”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!!)

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

leave them a review on trip advisor.

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

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?

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!)

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).

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

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

£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.

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

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.

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.

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.

”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.

£250 was a lot of money for that kind of experience!
Equally, if you turn the tables, we were hotel guests and could barely be accommodated round the pool earlier this year. After 4pm, members of the public just piled in 😣

£250 really isn't a lot of money for three spa treatments, full use of the pool, sauna and gym for the day, plus lunch and afternoon tea!

Unfortunately I think this comes down to what was advertised. A lot of spas are like this and I'd say it's up to you to check before you book. Probably best to finish the day in January and chalk it up to experience.

ugh this happened to me at a ‘spa’ hotel which was nothing more than a public swimming pool with a grubby steam room. The sauna was shut for cleaning. Shame as the rooms were actually nice.
I didn’t get a refund but I did leave a review on trip advisor to make others aware

YANBU, OP. It doesn't sound like they are living up to what they are offering.

”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!!)

I think you’ve misread that, and it acknowledges that some people booking a massage or a facial just want exactly that, arrive on time for their treatment, leave straight after and won’t go anywhere near the pool or gym or sauna. The information that follows that sentence is aimed at those (like you) who do intend to stick around and use the pool etc.

I have recently paid £200 for a spa day - 5 hours, including a single 60 minute treatment and lunch. The spa is lovely with a large pool, hotubs both inside and outside, sauna, steamroom and I was happy with the experience. I think that £250 for 3 treatments plus lunch and tea is too inexpensive for you to expect luxury facilities.

The thing is "place to relax and unwind" and "tranquil and peaceful" is subjective.

I think the only thing you could complain about is use of mobile phones but you should have given staff the chance to rectify that on the day rather than just cancelling and leaving

Sounds like the Elfordleigh in Plymouth. I’d never go there again, Boringdon Hall all the way. They actually started a kids swimming lesson during the time we were swimming. I’m not familiar with the area, Scottish born and bred here so hadn’t realised. Once I found out that Boringdon Hall was so close by, we booked in there, that’s an actual spa.