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!

What would you say to trading standards? What specific claim or claims would you challenge? Especially as OP had one treatment, left before the other two (and presumably before any of the food) and the hotel has offered that she comes back to complete those

They’re taking the piss!! I’d absolutely want a decent refund, at least 3/4 of what you paid if it was three treatments plus a day in a spa … spas I go to have multiple sauna and steam type rooms, jacuzzis pool, tranquil areas to rest or sleep … and I wouldn’t be paying £250 for that anyway!

Let’s say treatments are at £60 each and lunch is £20 and afternoon tea £15 (all fairly low estimates). That’s £215 before you allow anything for all day pool and gym access. How do you get to a 75% refund???

Before spending that kind of money I'd of been checking out Instagram to see tagged posts to get a feeling for what it's actually like.

I never book a spa day without looking at their trip advisor to see real customer photos and comments.

I also call the hotel/spa to ask if they allow children in the pool and if so what times.

It doesn’t sound like they falsely advertised anything it just wasn’t what you had in mind but it was on you to do your research before spending that amount of money.

How has she been ripped off, exactly?

How long were the three treatments? I’m guessing 3 x 20 mins - express facial, express manicure, back massage style, so really just the one treatment slot?

Not necessarily- I had a spa day last year for my birthday and it included 3 50 min treatments plus lunch (no afternoon tea, gym access or pool, but there was a big jacuzzi) for about the same price as OP paid.

£250 for 3 treatments and food sounds to good to be true!

Are you actually surprised the ‘spa’ was so rubbish?

Our nearest spa is £255 for a full day with one 85min treatment and food. But the spa is 2 pools and adult only with a steam room and sauna.

Posters are being deliberately obtuse.

Yes - it still sounds like a total rip off. Justify it all you want pointlessly

Yeah. £250 for that.

It isn't even a spa - is it your crappy hotel?

But the website would have stated where exactly the spa day was taking place, they didn’t lie or deceive.

it was up to the OP to do her research as to reviews on the sis day, looking up photos of the facilities etc.

No, not being obtuse. Deliberately or otherwise. Disagreeing with you about what constitutes a rip off, and explaining why.

HTH.

"Residents of the hotel have full use of the Spa and as such their children can use the Spa in conjunction with specific child access times."

Did you not read the rest of the terms and conditions?

I think none, even if you have a Trading Standards team that is staffed enough to bother.

A review can be a bad one and factual- crowding and also allowing phones.

Not that unusual ime if a bit expensive. Pool area is open to members and those staying as well as spa day bookings. Children are often limited to timed sessions but there may be lessons during the week. Was there no quiet area by the treatment rooms?

What are you on about? 😂

£250 for three spa treatments, a full days' use of the pool, gym and sauna, plus lunch and afternoon tea sounds very reasonable to me.

If OP wanted a spa with a full range of facilities and no children, that's what she should have booked.

I'm astonished at what calls itself a spa these days. A room with some three sun loungers, a potted plant and a couple of massage therapists behind a curtain was my latest experience. No swimming pool or hot tub even.

If the facilities were correctly described on the website you probably don't have any right to a refund, but you could go back and have your missing treatments if it's worth the journey.

I think £250 was very expensive for a day at a hotel spa. Mostly if there is a pool, gym and spa facilities at a hotel, I would expect that the pool would be being used by any hotel guests, plus people who have a monthly pass for the facilities, plus people who have booked a one off day. I would expect specific times to be put aside for pool use with/without children, and would expect these to be published on the website. Generally I would expect facilities to be quieter on a weekday outside of school holidays.

The OP's 'spa day' sounds very much like the ones offered at the gym I'm a member of (well-known chain of gyms and hotels).

I feel quite sorry for the spa guests there, as it is very much NOT what I would want from a spa experience. But on the other hand, I do think (as others have said) that the term 'spa' means very little in itself, and is perfectly compatible with there just being a pool and a basic sauna.

So I think the OP is right to feel really disappointed, but also that she has no right to a refund unless her provider promised specific facilities that weren't actually there.

I really wish my gym DIDN'T also provide spa days. It just means that the pool and sauna are overcrowded with people who don't really know their way around and aren't really happy. They do things like hopping briefly into the sauna without closing the door properly, realising they don't like it after two minutes, then hopping out again without closing the door properly. There have also been occasions of spa guests being drunk. All very different from what you would want/expect in what is essentially a basic, utilitarian sports facility.

Places like this are trying to be too many things at once, and as a result they please no one.

Yeah that's disappointing but exactly what you would get at the hotel near me. I'm a member, use the gym, pool, hot tub and sauna regularly and have monthly treatments but I wouldn't class it as a spa for a spa day. Many do though, it's packed full of dressing gowns at weekend.

If it’s part of a hotel, I would expect the pool to be open to hotel guests including children. Children are normally allowed in at set times.

It depends on exactly what was advertised. If they say it’s adults only and promise all kinds of rooms and services that weren’t there then yes she was ripped off. But without seeing the actual advert then it’s hard to say.

Exactly this - most hotels with pools will have just one pool, rather than a “private” pool for the spa clients.

£250 for 3 treatments and food sounds to good to be true!

It's really not, I think if you've paid £250 for a day at a spa, you expect it to be relaxing at the very least. Which this was not.

I live near a hotel with spa, they charge £190 for all day access, 3 treatments, robe hire, afternoon tea and a glass of prosecco. It is attached to a hotel, but only certain rooms have access, no children under 16. Locals can come in if they are members, but they limit the number of these.

There's a heated pool, large hot tub, plenty of loungers, a separate area with experience showers, sauna, steam room, salt room, heated stone loungers, ice bowl. There's also a restaurant/bar area, and an outdoor patio garden with tables and loungers. It's really lovely, and definitely a relaxing spa experience.

If I'd paid £250 to visit the equivalent of local leisure centre, I'd feel really ripped off. No matter how much food or treatments were included. If the hotel don't provide an atmosphere that allows you to come away feeling rested, then they shouldn't be advertising it as a quiet, tranquil place to relax and unwind. I think you've been mis sold.