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About River Wellbeing Spa at The Rafayel Hotel
A friend of mine booked me in to the spa as a birthday treat, and not really being into massages I was almost unbothered to go. Anyway, I am glad I did. From past massages and experiences, the massage I experienced at River Wellbeing was beyond my expectations. The therapist made me feel extremely comfortable and I was in a back room which was quiet and luxurious. In the past when I have gone to a spa, the treatment rooms are often off a corridor wihch means you can hear people coming and going. This experience was the total opposite. At the beginning of the treatment the therapist told me which oils she was going to use, and then at the end of the 60 minute massage she left me to adjust my mind back to reality. In my opinion this was something I really noticed, as often after a massage I have been hurried off the bed in time for the next person. The massage was incredibly relaxing, the staff were warm, polite and proffessional, the decor reminded me of a far away retreat and the hotel itself was very nice.
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River Wellbeing Spa at The Rafayel Hotel 's review by Cass Clark
Dreadful! All I heard from the minute I got there was people moaning about the lack of customer service - for me alarm bells should have started ringing when I read the notice on the coffee table in reception - can't remember the exact wording now, but equated to 'if you don't ask for your afternoon tea and you booked it, you won't get it!' It also mentioned about a security issue! About the Spa itself, well it was advertised as a Spa Day. There was no swimming pool!? A queue for the small sauna and room for 4 in the jacuzzi, which always had 4 people in it as there was nowhere else to go! there was a 'dip' pool type pool - smaller than my bathroom - think you might have been able to do 3 strokes if you were lucky - I don't think it was a hydro pool but that's what it looked like. So if you were hoping to spend the day relaxing as we were, there just wasn't anywhere to go really. There was a small seating area / lounge (which was cold dispite the free standng heater), which you accessed by walking through the very small gym. It just had a few low backed sofas and a couple of coffee tables. Afternoon tea that was promised as part of the package was a cup of stewed tea and a slice of cake - ok it was a large slice but not what my friend and I were thinking of having been sold a spa day with an afternoon tea. The changing room was strange too. An open square with some lockers, which we had to request an extra key - the receptionist wanted us to share a locker (ok they are quite large but when you have a winter coat, towels etc). The changing room was open planned - had 2 cubicle toilets which was the only privacy to change in. Usually I wouldn't be that bothered, but the main door to the changing room was open and the receptionist that showed you in and around was male, so he was just wondering in and out of the changing room and there wasn't enough room to get dressed / undressed anywhere else! the lights in there weren't all working (ok only a few bulbs, but this is a 5 star hotel!). the flush mechanisim on one of the toliets came off in a girls hand! It was just dreadful from the minute we got there. On our visit (Sat 16th Feb 2013) there were 2 separate birthday groups, both of whom complained and I know for sure one of the parties of 5 got refunded and left. Not sure about the other party, but they were not happy. there was also a hen party - I just felt sorry for all of them as it was just a dreadful mis-sell. If it had been sold as a pamper day then maybe, but it was very expensive. We paid £40 each which was a discounted deal through last minute and I know the deal is still running as I tried to post this review on there - I really don't want anyone to experience what we did. Furthermore, everyone's massage times seemed to be disorganised. We'd been there minutes and they changed ours and it came across as them telling us they'd moved our slots opposed to asking us if it was ok and would we mind. As it was it was better for us as we had our massages and left as there was just nowhere to go and relax! no pool side sitting with a book! A lot of people were saying that their massages hadn't been booked, or bookings were lost or some of their party had bookings, while others didn't. This was the case with the birthday group that left. Only 3 of the 5 girls had been booked in for massages and they couldn't rectify the situation. They could only massage them at about 6pm, which meant they'd have to sit in the lounge room for 5 hours! You also weren't allowed your afternoon tea until after your massage!!!! Which people were complaining about. You also couldn't order food from anywhere else, so if you are there all day, you starve and have nowhere to sit unless you are lucky enough to have bagged a seat in the tiny lounge. There was no room for the birthday party of 5 ladies, who were there by lunchtime. My massage was also the worse massage I've ever had. it was 25 minutes back shoulders, neck massage. My friend and I had sat and completed forms in reception about any allergies, pains etc and we were put in a couples room for our massage which was a little odd in itself. And then we weren't asked who was who and as I have issues with my back, the woman hurt me almost immediately! She also just rubbed my back in a circular motion very quickly which was just not relaxing at all. In fairness my friend said, while her massage wasn't the best she'd ever had, she said it was relaxing and I did hear other people who had had massages say they were good. All in all I think this is a complete rip off and not what the majority of people were expecting, going on all the people we spoke to - hard not to speak to or hear people as there were few places to go and everyone was constantly complaining! So not exactly the relaxing day I had in mind! Very disappointing.
Reviewed by Cass Clark
2013-02-19 01:36:25