Woodhouse Spa - Montclair — Attraction in Montclair

Tried Woodhouse Spa this evening for the first time. Ashleigh gave me a 5 star manicure and hand massage. I'll be back with friends!!!

7/31/25 Post Script, as I couldn't find an email address on your website to send this message:

Hi, Lauren,

Great meeting you on Tuesday. Please tell Ashleigh that my nails are still looking buffed and on point!

Reaching out to let you know that I won't be scheduling another service at this time. When I'm ready for another treat, Ashleigh will be my first call. Trust!

Thanks for taking the time to speak with me, too. The pre-55 year-old-me would have simply noted the disparaging comment you made about men and not said a word, and never returned to your business. And likely would have incredulously shared with others your comment when the subject of Woodhouse Spa came up in conversation, lamenting how disappointing it was and what a shame because the service Ashleigh provided was top notch.

Thankfully, the 55-year-old-me was willing to assume good intentions, give you the benefit of the doubt and have a conversation from a place of curiosity and compassion before I blocked Ashleigh's blessings and my own by bailing without a word and taking my assumptions with me, possibly poisoning the Woodhouse Spa well for others both unnecessarily and erroneously.

I'm sorry that your experiences with folks who identify as men have left you with such negative impressions and possibly hurts, too. I'm sorry that those experiences have compelled you to make disparaging comments like the one on Tuesday to perfect strangers who are also first time clients.

Because your 1-star Google reviews are quite dated, for the most part, and are significantly outweighed by the 4- and 5-stars, I'm committed to keeping my word and coming back with friends in the future. I was rating the experience with Ashleigh which truly warranted 6 stars! She's a keeper, as you undoubtedly already know. 😁

Curiously in the last two months, yours is the third woman-owned business in Montclair that I've patronized for the first time and encountered similarly free and disparaging speech about men.

Given where I come from as a USA citizen and the history/current reality of the men in my community, I can't afford to join your chorus or co-sign your commentary on men. The vast majority of the men in mine aren't faring too well vis à vis women in this country who look/live like you and me, to make the millennium's understatement! 😁My commitment is to fight for their health, respect, dignity, freedom along with - and not at the expense of - mine. Both fights can be and have always been simultaneously possible, even though I wasn't always mindful of that truth.

So, thanks again for taking the time to have a clarifying conversation with me before I left the spa. Being able to connect on a human level from that place of curiosity and compassion made all the difference for me as a person, a USA citizen and a wife/mother/sister/daughter/friend of extraordinary human beings who identify as men from all walks of life.

Looking forward to helping to prosper your wonderful business!! See you and Ashleigh very...

TERRIBLE EXPERIENCE - The Woodhouse Spa is not worth the time or the money.The facility is OK, but nothing to boast about (the locker room is so small the changing room is also the toilet, and there is a DVD advertisement playing on an 8" travel screen in the relaxation room). My experience. however, was appalling, and needs to be shared.

My mom and I decided to try out The Woodhouse Spa in Montclair, because we wanted a day of pampering, and even though we love Depasquale in Morris Plains, we are from Montclair, and try to support local businesses. I scheduled a deep tissue massage for myself, and when the masseur asked if there was anywhere specific she should concentrate on, I said upper back and shoulders, because that is the area I needed a massage most. She was very rough on my entire body, but I kept my mouth shut, because I wanted that same pressure applied to my back and shoulders. Big mistake. I guess she was tired when she finally got around to my back and shoulders, because she barely applied any pressure, and seemed to love lifting her hands up before working out any knots. She also spent the least amount of time on by back and shoulders, which is the exact opposite of what I told her.

A treatment at Woodhouse does not come cheap, so I when the girl at the desk asked how my experience was, I told her exactly what happened. She seemed very understanding and apologetic, and wanted me to give the spa another chance. She invited me back for another massage with a different person, and also a paraffin treatment. Because she was offering this complimentary service, I agreed to give the spa another chance.

My appointment was supposed to be tonight, and I got 2 calls from the spa, the first to confirm I was still coming, and the second from the girl who was so apologetic, to tell me the price of my treatment, and remind me about the complimentary paraffin. Excuse me??? The whole thing was supposed to be complimentary. I never would have agreed to give them a second chance at my own expense. The girl said there must have been a misunderstanding, but my mom was standing right next to me when I was asked to give the spa another chance, and she too had the same understanding, that I was being offered a free massage.

Now, I have been to a number of spas in my life, and never have they called to confirm the price of a treatment, so I maybe this girl got in trouble with her boss for offering the free experience, and was calling to try and save her own behind, but that does not make up for this disservice, and that is why I have decided to share my terrible experience on social media.

If you are looking for a day of quality pampering, I recommend...

I really wanted to like this place because the location is convenient. I’ve tried it 3 times now and my conclusion is that I need to try out other spas in the area. The ambiance is nice and people at the desk are pleasant. They are responsive if you say something. The main issue is that the quality of service is so inconsistent that it’s frustrating. It’s not cheap either so if you get a bad experience, it’s literally just throwing money away. I want a spa experience so that I can relieve stress. Not play the lottery on what kind of service I’m getting.

The first time I went for a prenatal massage, I was literally oiled for 50 minutes. I asked for more pressure and…nothing. Just more oiling for $150 of service. I could have done that myself and I would have saved money. I mentioned this at the front desk and they gave me 20% off the next visit with someone they said had a firmer touch. I booked an 80 minute service for $190 and it was much better than the first. It was actually relaxing. Is 20% off this service really enough to compensate my first bad experience? Still mulling over that one.

The next problem is then I also got a pedicure with their 50% off promotion. The nail polish application was subpar. There is polish on my skin and some sides of my nails are missing polish. The “massage” was also just heavy oiling. Is that worth the discounted $45 (from the original $90)? They don’t give you a receipt when you check out either. They asked me how much I should tip and I said 25% (thinking it’s 25% from the discounted $45)…nope. They ran it for 25% off $90. I didn’t even realize this until I got the receipt by email some time after I left the place. They did provide a refund for the difference when I emailed back and I should have confirmed when I was checking out.

Net net, I don’t mind paying the price they are charging if the quality of service is consistent. But paying for the bad service (and wasting time) and averaging the cost with the good service is just not...