Woodhouse Spa - Streets at SouthGlenn — Attraction in Centennial

My first time here was back in March - I was given a gift card by my husband for my birthday and end-of-pregnancy relaxation. I was 9 months pregnant at the time. I arrived so excited, was taken to the relaxation room... and then waited... and waited... For 30 min I sat there thinking I don't want to rush anyone, being the people pleaser that I am. After gathering the courage to go and speak to reception and ask where my therapist is, no one knew what was going on. The massage therapist didn't show up for work and was not answering her phone. They asked me to wait in the relaxation room until they figured something out. I went back to waiting, hormones galore, started quietly crying of frustration. The manager came inside to talk to me and told me they couldn't organise anything and that they can offer me a free hydrafacial or reschedule the massage. I declined and sat there, trying to gather myself before leaving. She walked in 5 min later to tell me the massage therapist finally picked up and will be there in 30-40 min if I preferred to wait - so I waited. The maternity massage was good, however I was stressed from the whole ordeal. They do have a pregnancy bolster which helps greatly.

I was told I would be credited a free service because of the hassle. I appreciated that and waited to review the place after I cashed that in.

Fast forward to September - I give them a call asking if I have a free service credited to my profile and they are completely unaware of anything. They reach out to me the next day saying they couldn't find any info regarding my previous experience, but that they will honour the free service. So I book another 50 min massage.

I just came back from it and whilst it was an amazing massage with lovely Susanna (I recommend the hot stone one), the receptionist really took away from the relaxation. They post signs throughout the venue that industry standard for gratuity is 20% which guilt trips you in case you were wanting to leave less or none at all. As my service was free and a "redemption" for a previous bad experience, I was not inclined to leave a tip. The receptionist asked me and I declined - she then proceeded to tell me the total price including the massage which was $180! I asked if she saw the credit and she then had to correct it. I was told my total was $30 and I questioned her as to why my service wasn't fully covered. She said gratuity is 20%, meaning she didn't listen to my answer at all when she asked if I would like to tip. When I declined again, already feeling awkward for having to do so a second time, she looked surprised and judgemental.

My husband and I are both a bit shocked with the unprofessional approach in getting gratuity as we believe gratuity should not be expected, but always accepted. Forcing or guilt tripping customers into leaving gratuity, whilst knowing NOTHING about the customer's previous/current experience, is highly unprofessional. I left feeling judged and no longer relaxed. Not a good look.

If you want customers to be more open to leaving gratuity, have a screen that gives options for tip amounts. Not a blanket 20%! Even in restaurants and other places you are allowed to select/write down amounts in peace, not be asked out loud as if to ensure you feel shame if the answer is no. Pay your amazing staff a proper wage and allow customers to tip whatever they want!! Otherwise - include the gratuity in the service pricing list...

All in all, as much as I enjoyed my massages here, I will not be returning due to front desk staff and gratuity guilt tripping. I do appreciate the free credit though and the hard working massage therapists which is why I am rating 3 stars...

A bit of a surprising experience given the well known name of Woodhouse. I will start with what WAS a 5 star experience.

The massage was out of this world. I have had a really bad rash of bad massages at bad locations, or just massage therapists that purely do not listen when they ask you about what areas you are looking to focus on, pressure, what you'd like them not to do and so on. But this massage? INCREDIBLE. My massage therapist, Susanna, was out of this world. Perfectly listened to me, deeply relaxed me while also working on some issue areas, all while leaving me not in pain. I would come back here literally just for her.

Also loved the neck warmers in the waiting room.

Now for what I was surprised on.... The location was not very updated or clean. Lots of wear and tear on the walls, and bathrooms. Especially in the nail room. Pillows have orange stains all over them, walls are super nicked up, all of the areas are low lights and nice music and then inside the nail room its bright white lights and clutter everywhere.

I was also so shocked by the attitude of most of the staff here. When I arrived, the front desk gals were downright rude. Dismissive and generally seeming that I was bothering them. The nail techs were the same. The gal that did my nails eventually warmed up after she discovered she was doing my nails for my wedding day. But it took about an hour for her to become remotely friendly. The gal that did my Mom's pedicure never warmed up and seemed annoyed she had to be there. Thought it was just her personality until my Mom's services were complete, and she brought in another person - seemingly a regular - and her whole approach changed. Chatty, laughing, and in general kind to the woman sitting next to me. So, hard to feel like it wasn't a personal issue.

At such a supposed luxury spa and with close to $700 spent over 5 services, you'd think there would be a higher caliber approach. If you are looking for a luxury experience, I would not recommend...

Last week I visited the Woodhouse Spa in SouthGlenn to use a gift card from my husband. I'm very accustomed to spa treatments, but this was my first time visiting Woodhouse as we are new to the area.

I booked a Calming Retreat and a Hydrafacial classic.

I was warmly welcomed at the entrance and given a quick tour of the changing area and relaxation room. I was given a plush robe, slippers, and a locker. The facilities were very nice with low lights and a relaxing atmosphere.

I had my calming retreat service first. This was a full-body massage with hot rocks and a body brushing. It was not calming or a retreat. The entire massage was an aggressive experience. My therapist did ask if the pressure was okay and at the time, early in the treatment, I said yes, as it wasn't too much for me to handle. However, the treatment was increasingly rough. I take responsibility for not telling her to stop during the more painful moments, but I did ask if everything was okay, as it was painful. I expressed that it hurt. The response was that my body was tight and the impression I had was she thought I should bear with it. It was very, very painful though, so much so, that I am still sore six days later and even went to urgent care to be checked. In particular, one foot/ankle area was swollen and hurt to walk. It could be a coincidence or unrelated, but nothing else occurred out of the ordinary except for the massage. I wish I had been more vocal during the treatment. I've had many massages and I've never had a similar experience.

The hydrafacial was something that I had not previously experienced. The esthetician was friendly and bubbly, kindly explaining every step of the process. I was very happy with the results of the facial and my skin is still glowing.

The negative experience from the massage cast a shadow over my entire experience. I think I would return here to give it a second chance, but I would not want the same massage therapist or even that...