Absolute Spa

Was at Absolute Spa at the Century Plaza hotel recently for an RMT massage. I go for RMT massages on average one a month in various hotels in Downtown Vancouver
For a 1 hr RMT massage at $ 155 + taxes, I was quite underwhelmed with the facilities and the quality of the massage.
Facilities:
* I knew going in it’s in a windowless basement. But this place is clearly in need of renovations. I agree with previous reviewer, furnitures here need to go — the benches are made in fake leather and the surface are all peeling off.
* Floor tiles and lockers in the change room are from the 1980s.
* Change room is very dark. Reminds me of an old community centre.
* Shower has no door, just dirty curtains. Of the two toilets, one has a broken lock.
* Change room in general is just… small, narrow, and cramped in an odd L-​shape that leads to the pool.
* The pool is small and outdated.
* The steam room is small and outdated (what else is new? It is indeed an older hotel) and the steam was not very hot. I turned the steam dial on, spent 10 mins in there and really felt meh.
The massage:
* My RMT is genuine and friendly. She works hard — from greeting me at the reception to giving me the complimentary salad to changing sheets.
* For a 60 min massage, she squeezed and pressed specific areas for 10 mins then elbowed me for 50 mins. Basically, very minimal massage action… it was all press, apply pressure and elbowing. I don’t mind some elbowing but 50 mins was A LOT. I don’t feel like I walk out of a massage afterwards.
* My RMT used very little massage oil. So she pressed and rubbed against my bare skin in the first 10 mins. It was not comfortable.
* Since my RMT used very little massage oil, for the last 30 mins she was rubbing me with her sweat. YUP — I HAD RMT SWEAT ALL OVER MY BODY. Ugh. It was very gross
* She was mostly elbowing me and she has very long arm hair — so when she uses her lower arm to rub against my back… I CAN FEEL ALL HER ARM HAIR. Double ugh.
After the massage, I really wanted to wash my RMT’s hand sweat off my body… but the showers are too dark and run down for a spa. I think even the UBC aquatic centre has a better shower than they do! And this is a spa. So I ran home to take a shower instead and got out of the dungeon.
For the above experience, I paid $ 162.75 including taxes + gratuities.
Look, I get it’s an older hotel. But these prices are not «older hotel» prices for a run-​down spa. When you charge $ 155+ taxes per hour, it’s fair for the guests to have expectations.
I walked out thinking I could’ve gone to Spa Utopia and get a better massage and experience. Or even to the Hotel Van location. Both Spa Utopia and Hotel Van are in basements of hotels (i.e. windowless, no natural light)…but at least it’s not dark and narrow and rundown. Of course, Willow Stream at Fairmont Pacific Rim is the best but it does come at a premium ($ 185+taxes for an hour).

Great RMT’s, but shoddy facilities, and even worse management. Today, I had the extreme misfortune to meet the manager. How this woman got a job dealing with the public is a mystery on par with dark matter.
She’s a virtual encyclopedia on «how not to treat a customer» After giving her a feedback form about the STILL broken toilet (the fifth time I’ve complained about it via forms and phone calls in the last 4 months) she literally flipped a gasket. Didn’t bother to read it, or even apologize for the fact I almost fell off their broken toilet and hurt myself. Rude, condescending, aggressive, confrontational, non emphatic. She should be working in a back room sharpening pencils with her fangs, not being in a public position.
When I said I was a long time customer, (ten years) she actually looked me up on the computer and said «No. You are not a long time customer.» In what universe is this customer service?
Blamed everything on her RMT’s, the desk staff, the hotel. Not an iota of responsibility. I said «You should be ashamed of yourself.» and she told me I should be ashamed of myself. Brilliant comeback. She then called security because she thought I was yelling at her, when I was merely voicing my quite understandable disgust at how the toilet was still not fixed after MONTHS of telling them. She then rudely demanded I pay ($ 162) while security waited to escort me out. Felt really refreshed after that session! I asked if the security escort was included for free in my spa package.
Maybe I should be thankful I wasn’t tasered.
Spoke to the hotel manager in the lobby and got an email to contact upper management. He told me the toilet could be fixed in a day, but he had not heard a thing about it from the spa. He then told me I was banned from entering the spa.
$ 2000 a year my wife and I spent there, putting up with tattered and ripped couches in the relaxation room, semi operational steam rooms, broken and scummy toilets. Various times I asked for a hairdryer in the men’s room. Nope. Won’t happen. That would blow their profit margin for the month. Now, add to decrepit facilities, I get abysmal customer service, and then kicked to the curb like a dirty vagrant that walked in off the street and stole a facial scrub. Made me wish I had a gopro on my head so I could put the whole interaction on youtube.
When you start hearing negatives from the staff, during, before, and after treatments, about their own place of employment, and they have to continuously apologize to you, you know serious rot has set in.
Will really miss my RMT but this place does not deserve another dime. They are obviously hurting for business, and getting angry with customers instead of fixing things. Not the smartest approach.
Will be taking our money to much better spas like spa utopia and chi spa. They are virtually the same price and offer far superior facilities.

Lesson learned, I should have read the Unilocal reviews. October 2015, all the reviews still hold true.
I don’t typically like to write negative reviews or give out 1 star reviews. I’m fairly easy going and not hard to please but this visit was anything but relaxing.
Booked a 60 minute massage, that was short changed by at least 20 minutes. Followed by a session in the (un) relaxation room that had a loud and unruly group that was not contained by management.
Spoke with management to give feedback about the experience and unfortunately had to deal with a defensive unapologetic staff and honestly just rude and condescending.
Ending note, save your time and avoid this place at all costs. Plenty of great establishments in this beautiful city.

Good pedicure. But the spa needs MAJOR renovations. The pool smelled awful, the ceiling leaked and the steam room seemed gross. I’d avoid!!!

I wish i waited for an appointment at Spa Utopia. WORST experience EVER! I went with 5 other girls… thinking we would have a fun day at the spa. The massage itself was good but the entire experience SUCKED. They have the WORST customer service. The reception really needs to go through the McDonalds training… i dont know how they have been hired! I will never EVER go back and will definitely let others know of my experience. Burrard location was ABSOLUTELY horrible!

While I enjoyed the spa lunch, my 90 minute massage and the steam room areas, my experience here was pretty meh. The space is a bit tired looking and getting run down. I expected it to be nicer and newer for the price.
The thing that really ticked me off about this place is that the masseuse felt it was her duty to «prescribe» me expensive creams after pointing out my «problem areas» to me. She wasn’t even an RMT — it was a relaxation massage, so why are you prescribing me something, on a notepad no less. Your up selling me something by telling me I have cellulite and I should deal with it (I do a wee bit, and I don’t give a shit. Lots of people do — fat or skinny!) The last thing you want after a nice massage is to have your flaws pointed out and try to be up sold product to deal with it. Its not great for your relaxing vibe. I don’t go to the spa to feel shitty about myself, I go there to feel good. Bitch don’t kill my vibe!

I had the worse massage. The therapist didnt have any strenght whatsoever. She put pressure on my bones instead. I kept on asking her to add more pressure but ahe just couldnt do it. After the session i was so frustrated and didnt get relaxed at all. My boyfriend got a maasage too and his lady was not bad. We ended up paying 245 $ for nothing. What a rip off and at the end i found out she was an esthetician for the most part. Please dont go here for massage. I used to go to thai wellness spa and they are awesome but unfortunately couldnt get an appt with them, so webt to absolute spa.

Celebrating a Stagette for the bride to be.
PROS: Walking distance from the West End.
I had an awesome deep tissue massage from Armin the RMT.
Refreshing Eucalyptus steam room.
Energizing heated pool, felt like I was swimming in Hawaii beach temperature water.
CONS: Massage room are close to foot traffic, so it might get noisy during your massage.
Lounge area ran out of glasses and tea.
2 change rooms, one was fully stocked with toiletries and the other was not.
If you are doing a stagette or group let the attendant know that you want to eat together.
You will need to go downstairs to the change room and upstairs to the nail salon. I am not sure if there is an elevator. I did not see one? Might be good to ask if they have wheelchair access. They caught me on a good day, where I was able to climb the stairs =)
BONUS! We received nice bottle of parafin free lotion at the end of the day. All in all we spent almost 6 hours there, so it was definitely worth it!
Chicken salad with Champagne and chocolate covered strawberries seemed to melt my troubles away.
I will be back to see the RMT for sure!

I’ve been here before and have always been unimpressed but I was desperate today — most everything was closed and I had the worst tension headache. I called and was able to get in within an hour, so I went. Big mistake. I arrived, changed and immediately went to the steam room — which I found had been turned off and was cold. I turned it on in hopes that it would be warm upon my return, after my massage. When my RMT greeted me in the lounge, she was very nice but her handshake was like a dead fish. I should have know then and there. She brought me into the room and had the lights on full. We chatted a bit and she left the room to let me get ready. When she began the massage, I thought she’d dim the lights but they were kept on full the entire time which I found awkward. She asked what kind of pressure I wanted and I told her medium to deep. She then proceeded to basically apply oil for the next hour. I asked her repeatedly (at least 6 times) to use more pressure and I know she was trying because I could feel her shaking but she was a tiny girl with very weak hands and her hardest massage felt like a moisturizer application. There was absolutely no pressure at all. How disappointing. When she asked me to turn over, I had to ask for an eye drape and told her the lights were really bright but she didn’t turn them down at all. After my really pathetic massage, I went back to the steam room but it was still cold so I gave up. I was brought to the lunch room where my salad was to be ready but it wasn’t there so I was told it would be upstairs for me to take home. It was never offered to me upon checkout. There was a bucket in the middle of the floor in the change room to catch the drops from the leaking ceiling. The bathroom door doesn’t have a lock on it and the toilet is stained brown. I mean, seriously?
When I went to pay, I told the receptionists how disappointed I was in my massage and how weak it was. Their response was a dismissive ‘well, we’ll make a note on your file not to book you with her again. That’ll be $ 150.” They didn’t even pretend to care.
Honestly, go ANYWHERE else.

Report on Absolute Spa
Location: Burrard + Davie
Interior: Spa setting
Ideally For: A place you can take your mom for a spa day. Not a place for just a mani-​pedi.
Service: Moor Mud Hand Therapy
Price: $ 84
Duration: 1 hour
Details: File, cuticle care, buff, exfoliation, moor mud hand soak, paraffin, massage, and polish application.
Massage: Lovely
Comments: Obnoxiously expensive, even for moor mud and paraffin
Products: OPI
Longevity: Good
Final Grade: C

I went to the Absolute Spa at Park Royal in West Van but have to write my review here as it doesn’t even seem to be on the list. I went early so I could enjoy the steam bath prior to my facial appt. I was told when I was done I could wait in the resting room but my estetician knocked on the steam room door! and told me SHE was ready for ME. Um… ok… then she takes me to a room & starts the process. Asks me to breathe deep 3X to inhale the peppermint aromatherapy but only gives me a chance to breathe twice… um… are we in a rush? Then as she exfoliating me I feel like I’m in a Turkish bath with a sumo wrestler and she is extremely rushed & vigorous. So I asked her if she had an appt. right after me that she was rushing to… Things slowed down after that and music even came on… yay! some tranquility!
And then I did get a really great hand massage after… At the end of my appt I was asked if I wanted a fruit salad or green salad. I asked for green but got the fruit to go. When I mentioned the error the front staff asked me if I wanted it fixed? Um… yes thank you… All in all I wouldn’t go back, staff are mediocre and don’t really «get» that a facial service is supposed to be a pampering thing. It was $ 140 and not really relaxing or a quality experience. Save yourself the money.

Went for a massage with my wife while we were in town. Although the massage was good, honestly that is not the only reason you pay the extra cash when you go to a spa. You also expect to use the amenities and facilities like the steam room, sauna, etc… This is where this spa fails — the facilities are in serious need of renovation.
The free salad was a nice touch as I have never received a free meal at a spa.

Disappointing… to say the least.
I had a bunch of gift cards to use because I forgot to tell my brother I’ve switched to Spa Utopia now. I figured I would use it for a facial because I had never gotten one before. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in.
When I booked the reso, they asked me if I had any food allergies because they offer a complimentary salad after the appointment. I also read the reviews here and was expecting a decent chicken salad. I was so disappointed. The esthetician didn’t give me an option and just offered me a muffin and a couple fruits. I got one slice of so-​so canteloupe, honeydew, watermelon and pineapple. I thought maybe they ran out of salads or they switch dishes all the time, so I didn’t say anything. When I finished getting changed and was having a cup of tea, I noticed another lady in the café having a salad. Needless to say I was so jealous!
Anyway, back to the facial. The esthetician was pleasant but the entire experience was just below par. For $ 140 (incl. tax), I got the absolute facial which was for 75 min. The esthetician spent at most 5 minutes getting rid of my blackheads, and the other 90% of the time rubbing my face. She stepped out for 10 minutes at the end too. Am I paying for that time? It wasn’t very relaxing and $ 140 was awfully overpriced.
My review is kind of backwards but I’ll mention the reception here too. She wasn’t that welcoming when I arrived and I had to remind her twice about my car (Parking is free in the building if you give them your license plate.) She started talking to another colleague as she was taking payment from me and cared little about the customers at the desk.
The facility is OK. I’ve been to the Fairmont location and I thought this time it was their flagship location so it would be nicer. It wasn’t. It felt so cramped.
I haven’t had a facial at Spa Utopia but I think after several visits to the Absolute Spa locations, I will finish my gift cards and never come back. The ambiance and general experience is just so much better at Utopia and actually justifies the extra bucks.

On a rainy day like today in Vancouver, the spa is the perfect option. I booked myself in for a one hour RMT massage. I typically am a fan of Spa Utopia at Pan Pacific but I thought I’d give these guys a try (since Spa Utopia raised their rates very recently). RMT was heavenly albeit the creaking table I was on. Seriously made me feel heavy and ungraceful. Lol. Not to mention distracting my ‘state of zen’ :p Shower didn’t feel very clean unfortunately and the water pressure was low and water temperature, temperamental. Found the maze of rooms confusing. Got lost a few times trying to find the ladies room (they have two). Chicken salad was yummy — guess with on two meagre pieces of chicken on my salad, I had to savour each bite and they tasted all the better. Service was mediocre. Not bad, but nothing outstanding either. I liked the cucumber slices they provide for your eyes and the eucalyptus spa. I didn’t use the ozonated pool as it didn’t seem very appealing. Would I go back? Place looks a little run-​down and for the rates, I think I might try somewhere else.

I’ve been to this location a few times and realize their service can be pretty incontinence every time i go.
It really depends on the time of week and day you go. The last time I was in i had to share lockers with my friends and their wasn’t enough access cards for use to be able to use the sauna.
The experience there the other few times were great. I usually get a relaxation massage there for an hour. but the last time left me an experience where I may think twice in choose this place and spending over 100.00 at for a massage.

BUYER BEWARE
While the quality of their spa services are good, Absolute Spa’s customer service leaves much to be desired. I recently booked my wife in for a surprise 3 hour spa package along with her best friend and my mom. I had made arrangements to secure the reservation with a credit card, and even phone back to confirm that the charges would be taken care of so that the ladies did not have to worry about it afterwards. While they all had a relaxing time during the treatments, there was obviously a lack of communication in executing the instructions, and at the end, my wife was asked to pay, which made for an awkward situation. What’s more, the young lady, perhaps not happy having to be closing on a Sunday, was rude and combative, ruining what should have been a relaxing visit. You would think paying for over a $ 1000 worth of services would lead to better courtesy!
What’s more, this is actually the 2^nd time time that the spa has failed in a similar arrangement: 2 Christmases ago we had also arranged to pay for our friends’ couples package, while also asking the spa to ensure that they got a gift bag that we had purchased for them from Absolute Spa themselves. They ended up charging our friends again, and completely misplaced the gift bag, after which I had to go back to the spa to get a refund back on to our credit card. Again, no apologies for the mishap, and no response after I wrote a formal email to the manager.
I have to say that I should have known from my previous experience on what to expect regarding customer service. To be fair, their treatment specialists are very courteous, and my wife, mom and best friend all did say they delivered a very special facial. However, their administrative staff and customer service leaves a lot to be desired, and is not at all worthy of being advertised as a world class facility.

I want to like it here, I really do, but every time I visit, something goes wrong in the way of service.
I should have been forewarned when I tried calling, and was placed on hold for 12 minutes. (I timed it). On a rainy Monday morning? Really?
So it turned out that I visited on what happened to be a pretty quiet weekday for a massage. That part was a good thing. After my massage, I had a shower only to discover that there were no towels. No towels! I managed to find one old striped towel that was reminiscent of a 1980’s swimming pool. I had to use this same towel to dry off after the shower, dry my hair and use in the sauna. (Ok, I offer better service for myself at home; this is not saying a whole lot).
I relaxed in the lounge to magazines that I’d already read. Probably because there was nothing in the lounge past January! And I’m paying 145 dollars for my massage here? (including tip).
I will say that the towel girl was nice, but maybe because I told her about the lack of towels, and so was my therapist. But when I told the front desk, the girl just shrugged as if she couldn’t hear what I was saying!
I am pretty loyal to a place; I’d like to try it again, but next time, I guess I’ll bring my own towels. I’m sorry, but that’s not acceptable for a full service spa.

warning: i suspect that the ⁴⁄₅ star ratings are false reviews. BE AWARE!
they say this place is the favorite among the A-​list celebrities and that they come here when in Vancouver. If you think again, this doesn’t make ANY SENSE. They could easily walk a block or two down to the Island Shangrila Hotel or to the Four Seasons, seriously. It is ADVERTISED HEAVILY as a swanky place, but it tries too hard.
1) Had a tour of the facilities
2) Got changed in to a robe +slippers
3) Relaxed at the steam room (the changing room is in serious need of renovation), which is tiny and not really well decorated
4) Went in to the relaxation room. had lemon tea + while waiting for my treatment, had cucumber on my eyes (this was good)
5) I had the Oxygen Facial. (which was soo heavenly)
6) HAD a COMPLIMENTARY delicious Chicken Salad.
The esthetician was Very nice and sweet, and very skilled, the treatment was awesome. but not worth 150! nooo way. :(
the makeup artist put on some makeup on me after my facial… i’m not really a fan of putting liquid and powder on my face but it turned out really natural looking which made me happy. Even though I am Asian, she didn’t put on yellow foundation (Not all Asians have yellow undertones) so she did a great job. I’d come back for the cosmetics.
I’ve been to better places– the spa at the Four Seasons Hotel is TOP
NOTCH, and you get better facilities for about $ 20 more.
Honestly I’d rather spend $ 200 or more at the Chi spa at The Shangrila because you get the most bang out of your buck.

a

I am going to try to write this based on the experience of the spa… not had a massage in about 7 months. and needed some stress release. Having seen this sign outside the century hotel about how they have won so many awards. i thought I’d take the opportunity to try it out.
I went in for my appointment, was escorted and given a mini tour of the place and where everything was. some dining tables, lounge for relaxing, changerooms, extra changerooms to pool and sauna. and then the room for the massage.
The room was very simple and clean — dim lights, with the table in the middle and soothing music. My RMT and I had a nice conversation while she gave me my massage and I definitely felt pain in places I thought I would feel it… I honestly don’t know if it was a good or bad pain… I was indifferent.
After my 45 minutes, I was brought to the dining room where I was provided with a nicely presented salad and two pieces of chicken. It was really nice… grabbed a cup of coffee and slowly enjoyed my meal. Afterwards, I went to the lounge where I sipped on more juices and put cucmbers on my eyes.
… and over 2 hours later, I left feeling relaxed and thinking that everything was all good.
The experience is great… I would go back in a heartbeat and if I had the money… unfortunately. it was been a week since I’ve gone and my body has gotten more and more sore and my muscles have gotten tighter. If you are not use to this, it may take a day for your body to recover… I’m still trying to figure my situation out… maybe it’s just calling for another massage.