The Ritz-Carlton Spa, Tysons Corner — Attraction in Tysons

I’m going to echo a few of the other reviews - the facility has some issues. I will preface by saying the itself service (80 min Gentlemen’s Executive Massage) was great. My provider, Ariana, was excellent and I have zero complaints about the actual massage session and it was excellent.

I’m approaching this review comparing the Spa at the Tyson’s to some similar places I’ve been:

-Spa at Park Hyatt, Beaver Creek, Colorado -Spa at the Bretton Woods Hotel, Bretton Woods NH -Spa at Andaz Resort, Scottsdale AZ -Spa at El Monte Sagrado, Taos NM -Spa at Sanderling Resort, Outer Banks, NC -Spa at Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain, Arizona

While not.. bad.. this place doesn’t even compare for the price and level of service and facility I’d expect at a Ritz-Carlton. For a $300 massage, I would absolutely expect the Ritz-Carlton in Tyson’s to meet the standards of the above comparable locations - especially another Ritz-Carlton (Dove Mountain). It did not - and I understand COVID issues fully.

First, the facility is so small and cramped. Outrageously so. The men’s locker room was minuscule - there were maybe three robes available hung up (no indication as to size, so I had to try a couple on).. And three sets of rather.. questionable.. slippers in the corner. Otherwise, only a couple of showers and limited amenities.

The “relaxation room” where you wait for your service was an utter joke, I’m sorry. I walked by it thinking it wasn’t actually the correct place, but it was. A tiny room, co-Ed, with four close-together chairs. In there were two unmasked ladies talking loudly that seemed offended that I came in. Keep in mind, all this time, no staff to be seen. No walkthrough of the facility like I’ve had at EVERY other spa I’ve ever been to.

The entire intake and intro seemed so rushed and an afterthought.. “Go into the locker room and then find the relaxation room.” That was the entirety of it. Really? Look, I get this is everyday stuff in Tyson’s, but I’m not paying $250+ standard gratuity for an 80 minute massage to be treated like I’m at the YMCA - I don’t think many Tyson’s regulars would be good with that either.

The service was excellent, but the treatment room was SMALL. I felt like I was crowding my provider when she was talking to me, and it was a little awkward. She also seemed a bit rushed. The whole thing seemed a bit rushed, to be honest.

The massage itself was 10/10 and my provider was skilled and professional. Zero complaints there.

Checkout was a non-event, but also just seemed a little rushed and confused. Not sure what to make of that otherwise. Just to note, the price for service here was above all of the others I listed. Maybe things have gotten tough during COVID, but the places I’m comparing this to aren’t exactly the Super 8.

Overall, again, good actual service - but the claustrophobic facility and rushed impersonal peripheral service (NOT the provider, NOTHING here should be taken as anything negative on her) sort of ruined it for me.

I know you have to work with what you have, but the Ritz should seriously invest in maybe expanding the spa facilities to be more modern and roomy, even if they have to take out a treatment room or two. It’s just not comparable to other places. At the very least, if you have to work with a lackluster facility, make the surrounding service impeccable. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

In summation, entirely average. Don’t go out of your way. I will likely go...

We live close, so we spent the weekend at this Ritz in Tysons for a spa weekend staycation… This review will be on the spa and facilities only tho…

The spa for being at a Ritz and for being in a very hi-end, busy, popular area is way too small! I checked in, which was nice as they offered me a glass of champagne. They told me where to go next, which was to the gentleman’s locker room and then go to the quiet room. I quickly found the locker room, but upon entering was taken aback by how small the locker room was. There’s a single bench in the middle and all the lockers I saw right there were all there were. So, if more than 2 guys were checking in or using the locker room at once, they would be bumping into each other. I didn’t know where the fresh robes and slippers were, since no one previously informed me, but I quickly figured where they both were. But there were also plenty of used slipper, robes, and towels laying around that no one had tended to yet.

I disrobed, put on the robe and then sought out the quiet room… I had a hard time finding it because the room that “appeared” to be it was so tiny and had 2 women in it taking up the whole room with their loud conversation, I didn’t think that was it, so I walked back out to the receptionist to ask and she told me that room was, in fact the quiet room. I went in and fortunately the “chatty Cathy’s” quieted down and moved closer to each other, but when two more ladies came up, there was nowhere for them to sit, so they sat on ottomans. Ridiculous accommodations here!!

Fortunately I didn’t have to wait long and my therapist came to get me. He was helpful, friendly, and definitely very professionally skilled in massage therapy! I had an 80 minute session, which was painful at times, but I also appreciate a therapeutic massage. After the massage, I went back to the locker room to take a shower and then hit the hot tub and pool.

The hot tub and pool area was pretty big, especially compared to the locker room and other areas of the spa. The temperature in the hot tub was spot-on, perfect for relaxing in there. The only issue was the horrible amount of chlorine they used… It literally took an entire day to get that smell out of my nose! The pool was clean and very nice and the temperature was great! Not cold at all!

Overall, I enjoyed the massage and the pool area but didn’t feel as relaxed as I should have (people need to know to SHUT UP when in a spa) and comfortable as I should have, due to the small spaces. But it was...

6/20/25 Ritz-Carlton Pedicure Review: The Luxury That Wasn't

I walked into the Ritz-Carlton with elevated expectations as any discerning guest would. This is the Ritz, after all: a brand synonymous with refinement, precision, and uncompromising service. What I received, however, was an experience more befitting of a strip mall nail shop on a slow Tuesday afternoon.

Let’s start at the top.

From the moment I sat in the chair, the atmosphere was fractured — technicians squabbling over shared tools in front of guests like it was an understaffed budget salon. Imagine booking a high-end spa experience only to be dropped into behind-the-scenes drama. Not exactly the serene welcome one expects from a five-star institution.

Once that moment of awkward chaos passed, I hoped the service would redeem itself. Spoiler alert: it didn’t.

I made a specific request — the kind you expect to be not only accommodated but anticipated in a luxury setting: a gradual grit-down with varying sandpapers for proper exfoliation and finish. Instead, I got a dismissive workaround with a file that looked like it belonged in a novice kit from a drugstore shelf. Rough spots remained, and when I pointed them out, the response was the standard “that’s just how it is.” That’s just how it is? At the Ritz?

Let’s talk massage — or lack thereof. If you're a man booking a pedicure at a luxury spa, it's likely because you expect more than just clean toes. You want relief, rejuvenation, recovery. What I received was clinical, mechanical, and forgettable. There was zero engagement with my calves, Achilles, or heel. Zero pressure. Zero presence.

And when the service concluded, I discovered they skipped buffing, offered no polish, no clear coat, no finishing touch — the very details that elevate a pedicure from basic to brilliant. I had to tell the front desk what was missing, and by that point, I was fully clothed and ready to leave. Offering to go back after a lackluster experience isn’t service recovery — it’s salt in the wound.

Final Thoughts:

This should have been an effortless win for the Ritz-Carlton a small moment of luxury, elevated by thoughtful service. Instead, it was a masterclass in missed expectations. Overhyped. Overcharged. Under-delivered.

To the Ritz-Carlton corporate team: your name carries weight. Your spa should too. I expected polish — I received problems. And no matter how upscale your walls, if what happens inside doesn’t match the name on the door, the whole illusion...