The Village Spa

This might as well be a first review since no one has been here recently.
The Village Spa is now being run by New You. I think they kept the original name because it’s been in the Bayview Village for years and years. The original clientele would probably like the familiarity of the name as well as the faces of staff. However, this place needed a serious overhaul to keep up with the times and to meet the needs of a wider demographic.
New You actually has several locations in and around the GTA. They do a wide range of treatments because they are a medical spa such as (but not limited to): body contouring, facial injections, teeth whitening, etc.
I came in for spa services. I purchased a Buytopia voucher which was an unbelievable deal. My services included a massage, a facial, a mani, and pedi. Even though I purchased at a huge discount, I think it’s only fair to review a place as if you paid full price. The services should not be less because you paid less. If you go back, you would expect the same level of service, right?
Overall, the services provided were very good. Perhaps some things could be tweaked based on personal preference and relationship with each staff member. I was quite pleased with my experience despite the less than stellar reviews.
The facilities could use a few more updates, but I believe they are in the works. All the staff I interacted with were very pleasant and professional.

This place is terrible and deserving of its low rating.
I never loved it since I’ve had some bad experiences with getting a facial and my hair done there. But being close to my house, I did occasionally go there for low-​level services (to get my eyebrows threaded). I have hesitated from writing a review before, because given the close proximity to where I live, I thought I may need to go in for an emergency service. However, I’ll now suffer with ungroomed eyebrows before I go back.
I’ll start by saying that if you’re facing an eyebrow emergency, Rose and Sukhaila (I’m not sure how you spell her name) are good at doing eyebrows. You usually end up with a nice shape. The other woman who does threading is bad, so I’d stay away from her. She was the last one I saw.
However, my last service isn’t the only thing that turned me off. It’s more like the straw that broke the camel’s back…
They’ve recently started this push toward laser hair removal service. And when I say push, they push! The last time I was in to see Rose, she spent the majority of the time she was doing my threading trying to sell me on the service. I continued to politely decline, and then when it came time to pay, the manager/​owner discovered I wasn’t biting and tried to convince me. He took me to the room to show me the laser, promised it doesn’t hurt, and told me it was best laser on the market. He offered to try it on part of my arm, but I told him I was busy and would come back another day for the trial. What really got to me though, was how rude Rose was after she realized I wouldn’t buy. I was a client of hers, so I was caught off guard by the attitude.
While I was polite, here is what I actually thought (and this is for the owner if you’re reading this): Are you kidding me?! I don’t care if you have the ultimate hair removal machine. I wouldn’t even go for it if it costed nothing (which is definitely doesn’t). I don’t trust you! Your place is in desperate need of a facelift, the service is mediocre at best, and the staff are generally rude and unhappy. I was willing to trust the salon with my eyebrows (those grow back), but to perform laser hair removal on my skin? No way! Fix the fundamental issues first, and then get into promoting services like that.
And now the little things:
— You can’t tip unless you tip with cash. Half the time this meant I wouldn’t tip.
— They keep track of their customers/​services in log books (pencil and paper) and on pink slips of paper, which leads to screw ups with appointments. Computers have been around for a while now… do yourself a favour and evolve.
— They are hit or miss with appointments starting on time and don’t apologize when they run late.
— They are hit or miss with whether you’ll get a good service or not.
— The ladies at the front staff aren’t rude, per say, but not nice either. They’ll be nice to you if they know you, otherwise they’re cold.
— You just get the general vibe that the staff is mistreated because they seem so sad.
— They’re constantly showing these videos in the waiting room of the newest med-​spa type services they offer. Fat reduction, wrinkle removal, etc. No issues with those services, but what makes them think they can be a med-​spa? Customers will only come for those if they trust you won’t burn their skin off, and how can you trust a place that looks so grungy and old school? The Unilocaler who described it as something you would see in a tacky strip mall is bang-​on with that description. Go in and see for yourself.
— They’re definitely pricey, but don’t provide value. I get you’re going to pay more if you are going to a place in Bayview Village. But that also means that customers expect a higher level of service.
Anyway, I think I’ve said enough now. My advice is to stay away from this place if you can.

My beautiful friend gave me a Groupon deal for a Christmas present for a 1 hour massage, mani and pedi. Apparently they had sold too many which made it very difficult to get an appointment locked down. Every time I called they said they would call me back the next day with a time, but it never happened. Finally I asked my boyfriend to call to try and sweeten them up for an appointment, and he was successful. Entering the Spa, its clear they have tried to update the waiting area with trendy couches and TV’s but its kind of a mix of stylish and the 1990s. The staff was accommodating and I didn’t wait long to start my massage. She was EXCELLENT, the massage was so relaxing. She only asked me a few times if I was ok, which was perfect for me because I didn’t really want to talk! If you want a massage go see Milena! As for the Mani/​Pedi, I was told straight away by the manicurist that the pedicure was NOT a full pedicure, ok whatever. She was decent, seemed like she was rushing, kind of «just doing her job.» She offered me a coffee and was nice enough but I just felt rushed and I was just another pair of feet and hands to hurry up and get out.
Keep in mind, I was the youngest person in there at 27, the other ladies were all 50+. I think this place is still in business because of all the old ladies that have kept loyal to the business for years and years. I wouldn’t go back, the Groupon was definitely a good deal though!

I used to go here a lot for haircuts and eyebrow tinting. Recently I got my brows waxed here and the lady could not stop complaining about how my eyebrows are uneven! well duh! If they were perfect I wouldn’t be coming to you to fix them for me!
I am embarrassed to say that while she was threading my face and talking nonstop she accidentally spat on my face.
They need to learn that it’s not necessary to talk to the customer the entire time. Just do your job!

I think The Village Spa has a special place in my heart since I came here with my matron of honour just before my wedding for manicures and pedicures. I quite enjoyed that time, despite being slightly shocked by the price (I go for a pedicure maybe once a year), but when you think about it, pedicures are usually upwards of $ 50 when you go downtown, so a $ 45 pedicure uptown isn’t that bad.
On this most recent trip, I had a really great time with Tracey. We chatted through the whole appointment, and she was so personable and a lot of fun. Most importantly, she did a fabulous job with my nail polish.
Gift certificates to The Village Spa make an excellent gift, which is why I went there in the first place. Don’t forget to take flip-​flops and allow for drying time, though $ 4 for flip-​flops isn’t bad. Also, nail polishes are titled by sassy phrases like «I’m not a waitress», not number codes, so if you ask for the colour, that’s what you’ll get in response!

My first impression of the Village Spa was A-​Ok. It looked pretty average and nice to me. I went for a waxing and the receptionist boasted that their waxing lady could do a full-​leg and bikini in 30 minutes. I was dubious (I’ve never gotten out of a place in under 45 minutes when getting a full wax done), but willing to try.
The waxing lady was, indeed, speedy. She was, in fact, one of the most expert, efficient waxers I’ve ever come across. We chatted the whole time and she even did some areas that I didn’t ask for (without asking). I figured she was just very thorough and appreciated it. I thought she was fabulous.
But when I went to pay, it turns out that even though I had no say in the matter, she had added on the extra areas to my cost. I ended up paying about $ 30 more for the wax than advertised. That’s just bad practice and made me feel taken advantage of. After all, it’s hard to have much of a say when you’re on the waxing table and all of a sudden you feel wax going places you didn’t expect.
So…5 stars for the skill but 1 star for the bad business. I guess that leaves The Village Spa with 3.

This Spa reminds me of a place you would find in some tacky strip mall. But it’s not. It actually is in the Bayview Village mall which has the appearance of being high-​class. The spa is split into two levels. The main level is all about cosmetics and I am going to agree with another Unilocaler — the sales staff manning the cosmetic counter look unapproachable; think women with neon-​pink rollers, filing their nails and blowing big bubbles from their chewing gum. Okay, a slight exaggeration but I am trying to paint a picture here.
The lower level is the actual spa and the reception area looks like my dentist’s waiting room. Old chairs, magazines dating back to the 1900’s, and various brochures telling you the benefits of laser hair removal. I used to go to this spa out of close proximity to my home — 10 minutes walking distance and only for waxing (if I am too lazy to do it myself). I would never get a facial here and I might be willing to bend by getting a pedicure, but I just don’t trust this spa. (And with the creation of those waxing strips that you buy at Shoppers, I have no reason to go this spa anymore…)
Ambiance. The rooms are small and out-​dated. This spa is the antithesis of modern. The rooms I have been too for my waxing are medical beds with the signature thin paper that you roll and cut for the next customer. As I lie for my procedure, I mean treatment, I look at tacky cosmetic posters taped to the wall. For one of my waxing treatments, I am ordered to strip and lie down. Yes Ma’am!
I think this spa needs a complete overhaul, from its décor to attitude. I mean I get the spa’s where it looks old, but the treatments are amazing and patrons go back time and time again. I can’t even say the treatments are great here. Every time I have been to this spa, I get a different miserable looking staff member so for me there is no continuity or benchmark of service and quality.

I’ve only come for the massage services and I have been satisfied most of the time. Reception is really accomodating and if you’re coming in with a girlfriend, they will try to ensure that you’re in the spa at the same time.
In terms of the RMT’s, it’s definitely a hit or miss. I had one experience when the RMT would not stop talking !! It totally defeated the purpose of having a relaxing massage. The gentleman found out that I was a teacher and he was basically asking me how to go about applying to teacher’s college… buddy, I’m not your Guidance Counselor. His name was Jason, Justin, Jake, John… one of those names.
On the other hand, I’ve had two amazing RMT’s … Theresa and Taka. They’re both very good at what they do. They don’t chatter away and allow you to actually enjoy the little time that you have to relax in this busy world.
Whenever I go for a massage, I ask for Theresa or Taka. A lot of people with insurance coverage come here so they know the drill — you get a receipt with the RMT’s number and you’re good to go. All you have to do is file the claim to your insurance company and wait for your reimbursement.
FYI
Therapeutic Massage
½ hour = 45
45 mins = 60
1 hour = 75
1.5 hours = 100

I tried being a loyal customer. I really did. But after living in Toronto for a few years, this place is only looking worse and worse. My biggest complaint here is the lack of hygiene. The wax used for multiple procedures (and customers) is totally contaminated because they only use ONE utensil per customer and they dip this in the same pot over and over again. When I asked about this, I was told that «the temperature of the wax kills all the bacteria». This seems like a dubious claim since the wax is obviously not too hot to put on my skin, and unless they are boiling the wax for a prescribed duration between customers, that pot is cooking up a potent brew of bacteria. GROSS… and seriously, how hard or expensive would it be to use 4 or 5 of those wooden wax-​spreading sticks instead of just one?
The staff seem like they are treated terribly here as well. One esthetician actually started crying when she was working with me. I didn’t say anything to the management because I didn’t want to get her in trouble. Many of the staff seem sweet and well-​meaning, but I get the sense they are treated terribly and taken advantage of. The manager I spoke with used a very different tone of voice when she spoke to her staff. This place charges quite a premium but the premises look old and poorly maintained. The cleanliness of the pedicure instruments is doubtful; I suspect the quality and cleanliness standards may have declined over the years because the website doesn’t honesty represent the actual interior. This place is definitely all about quantity (the price you pay) vs quality. Would not go back.
One final note: I’ve browsed the cosmetics for sale on the first floor of the spa and the saleswoman NEVER acknowledges me. They generally seem more interested in speaking to their friends or glowering at customers with a poorly-​concealed measure of wrath. Yikes!

I took my mother to the Village Spa for mother’s day a few years ago. We had our pedicures together in a large, impersonal room and sat in uncomfortable low-​back chairs and were handed a few magazines to read. While our feet soaked we listened to the two employees complain about the management and how they were over-​booked that day. The experience was definitely not worth the $ 40 (now its $ 45) You’re far better off at Bayview Nails!