Willowbrook Spa — Attraction in City of Canandaigua

ONE star experience!!

My girlfriends and I wanted to set some time aside and get together for a weekend. We figured a spa retreat would be a great idea as one of our friends had a baby a little over a year ago and was finally able to take a breather.

Willowbrook Spa seemed to be a good idea as there has been a lot of publicity and rave about this Spa in the media. Well, we were in for complete disappointment…

From the beginning, one of our friends could not get through to make an appointment and was told to call back at specific times which still never seemed to work- this meant she had to hang back because she could not book anything!

Once we checked in, the receptionist brought us to the locker room and stated there was only one locker left that we all had to share... 3 women dressed for winter in one tiny locker… okay, it must be busy but how is there not a system in place or a measurable amount of storage space to ensure guests have a locker to store their belongings? I felt awful for the additional people who were coming in after us and told there were no lockers.

-When she went to grab sandals for us, she stated she only had one pair of large, one medium and two pair of smalls- we all had no choice, but to be “ok” with what was left. But AGAIN- what about all the other women who were pouring in after us forced to walk barefoot uncomfortably outside and inside where the floors are impacted from winter foot traffic?

The lounging area: Beautiful and I loved the large fiddle leaf figs, however, I really wish they had all working salt lamp foot rests. There weren’t a lot of them, and there were even ones plugged in, but didn’t work.

My massage- the only good part of the experience. My masseuse was great, checked in on pressure and was super sweet. I’ve had A LOT of massages in my past, and the price was truly steep for 50 minutes in my opinion.

The sauna was nice also…

After the sauna, we went into the locker room to wash up only to find there was only one soap dispenser for all of the sinks and it was EMPTY! One of us went to tell an attendant, she stated they were all out of soap in the hotel. This “5 star” hotel was out of soap? How is that legal, how is that even possible?

At this point, I questioned where the hell I was? This was a complete joke! They have a VERY STRICT bikini rule for the sauna, but you don’t have soap for your guests??

When you take time to spend your hard earned money for a retreat, relaxation and an experience… there are of course going to be some kind of expectation. I could completely pass off one or two small instances, but it was one thing after the other. I feel completely scammed.

I would never recommend this place to anyone! I’m beyond surprised this place has been in magazines and received the publicity it has. Next time, we’ll be going to Mirabeau or really ANYWHERE ELSE! There are so many other spas and I bet they don’t run out of amenities for their guests. I’m surprised to see they even have...

Leaving this review for three reasons: 1. poor scheduling/booking experience, 2. chilly massage bed/room, 3. rude receptionist.

The website is confusing in that I thought I was reserving a 75-minute Pain Drain but it was actually only 60-mins. I guess there is 15 mins built into the time reserved although I'm not sure for what? The timeframe that I signed up for was 10:30-11:45 AM. Somehow after I signed up either their system or someone who works there changed the time of my massage to begin at 10:15. Without knowing this, I showed up at 10:20 and was brought right into my room at ~10:25. The bed and room were chilly (set at 69 degrees whereas even the bathroom was set at 73). I let the massuer, Jeremy, know and he was wonderful. He continually put warm towels on my frozen feet and brought me an extra blanket. However, it's hard to relax your muscles when your body is cold. The massage finished at 11:17 which shorted me even out of the 60 mins. When I brought all of this to the attention of the receptionist (Candice, according to my receipt) she let me know that it was actually only a 60-min Pain Drain, and that 15 mins extra was built in there. Fine, okay, no problem. But I explained that my timing had been changed to 10:15 and she simply didn't believe me, even though I showed her the original confirmation I had. When I brought up the chilly bed and room she looked at me and said "Well, it's cold outside, isn't it?" So rude. And the look that she gave me was one that I know well, from my own days of working a front desk and in restaurants, which was that I must be horrid and entitled. I can deal with the first two reasons listed above, but the last one was the straw that led me to write...

The staff were warm and welcoming, and the services themselves were high quality. However, at this price point, I expected a more refined spa environment.

The waiting sunroom was bright and generally comfortable, though it felt less private than anticipated with fully clothed visitors coming and going. Snacks were available, but there was no clear menu or option for ordering additional refreshments.

Facilities were limited for a high-end spa. The restroom had a single stall and two showers. While thoughtful touches such as toothbrushes were provided, small details like cups for water were missing. During my massage, outside noise including a barking dog and voices in the hallway disrupted the otherwise relaxing service.

Overall, the staff and treatments were excellent, but the ambiance and amenities did not fully match the premium price point. With some attention to the physical environment, this spa could offer an experience equal to the quality...