Woodhouse Spa - Buffalo — Attraction in Town of Amherst

I had heard so many good things about Woodhouse but never went because it is priced higher than many other spas in the area. I finally decided to give it a try and I was so excited, but I left feeling disappointed.

The spa itself is very nice and clean. The robes and sandals are comfy, the locker room was beautiful, clean, and well stocked with toiletry items. I really enjoyed the quiet room, as this is something many other spas in the area do not have. It was beautiful and the couches and the chaise was super comfy. The cucumber pineapple water was delicious and something I have never seen before. I filled out the paperwork and waited for my name to be called. I have had many massages before at various places with various people, and I didn't know who to make an appointment with at Woodhouse. As soon as Jennifer called my name, I knew I made the wrong decision. The tone she used was unfriendly, she sounded annoyed. She looked at me with this weird look as I got up, and immediately felt self conscious about leaving my water glass in the quiet room - so I said "should I bring this with me?" She responded in a rude tone, "You can if you want to. You can always have more water." I was so taken aback I left the water there and followed her into the room. As soon as we get into the room, she reads through my paperwork and says in an unfriendly tone, "this massage is light-moderate pressure and you stated that you like moderate-deep pressure." I said oh that's fine. Again, I was a little taken aback, as pressure is subjective and different for everyone. I have had many Swedish massages and I have never had anyone infer that what I wanted was not part of the massage choice I had selected. I was not expecting a deep tissue massage or anything like that; the paperwork asked a generic question and I responded. Then she points out the list of add-ons sitting on the table in the room, talking about how nice they are etc. I politely declined. I have never had a massage therapist try to sell me something while I am in the massage room standing there naked in a robe. Those options were presented to me when I booked online, and I did not appreciate being presented with an opportunity to make an impulse decision to spend more money on top of an already expensive service. This may be a company thing and not specific to Jennifer; I don't know as I have never seen anyone else there. Regardless, I was surprised at this. Then, it's time for my massage. I usually don't request anything too specific, other than neck, back, shoulders, areas of tension etc. However, I really enjoy scalp massages and in my experience sometimes it's included in a Swedish massage and sometimes it isn't, and I rarely ask and I am usually disappointed when it isn't. So before she starts, I asked if she could include a scalp massage at the end. She responds, rudely, "The end? We do them at the beginning." I said oh that is fine. I have only experienced scalp massages at the end, and I don't care if it's in the beginning or end, but why did she have to be so rude, annoyed, and impatient with my simple question?

The massage itself was good, not amazing. The pressure was to my liking (as a typical swedish massage pressure usually is), and she did include a scalp massage at the beginning AND end, which I enjoyed. Overall though, the massage was sort of fast and rough, and she didn't speak to me after about any tight areas she noticed etc, which I expected for a high end spa. All of the comments and tone of voice used throughout the process just left a bad taste. Most massage therapists are friendly, attentive, speak in a calm relaxing tone, and want to make you feel pampered. I just did not get that feeling. I would go back and see someone else, but I'm not sure who that is and it's tough to continue to spend money on "experimenting." I wish the website had a list of all the employees with their names, photos, and bio. I know you cannot tell personality from that but at least it's something to help get a feel for the person so that you are not making a...

EDIT: So happy to update my review to 5 stars after my experience here this past Sunday. I came in for the calming retreat which is 110 minutes of different types of massage. As I didn't love my massage with my last therapist, I went with someone different this time as they were kind enough to offer me a 50% on my next massage here. Ariel was amazing. From the time we met, I felt so comfortable with her. She made sure to check several times that the heat and pressure were both good. I left feeling so relaxed and rejuvenated. This was one of the best massages I've ever had. It was pure luxury. Ariel was so accommodating and her techniques were incredible. She worked out all of my tension and left my skin feeling soft and and relaxed.

Previous review: I visited Woodhouse Day Spa for the first time yesterday with a gift certificate my fiancé bought me. The spa itself and the staff each deserve 5+ stars. Exceptionally friendly and courteous service. The spa itself was beautiful, elegant, and relaxing. I felt amazing my entire time here. I loved the robes, sandals, and clean locker room, as well as the very relaxing quiet room.

The only reason I leave 3 stars is because for $100, I expected my 50 min swedish massage to be above average and incredibly relaxing. I have gotten A LOT of massages from dozens of different LMTs, so I understand everyone has different techniques and styles, but I did not groove with Sarah's style. It wasn't a bad massage in itself - it just wasn't relaxing at all and her movements felt rushed/aggressive instead of smooth and slow strokes like I'm used to with a swedish massage. I was left pretty disappointed as she applied decent pressure in some spots but almost none in others. I also asked her to focus on my hands, feet, and neck and felt only my feet god a good massage. She barely massaged my palms or the base of my neck, which are my two favorite spots to be massaged and why I always ask for a focus on them. The massage simply didnt feel good and didnt give me that euphoric feeling I normally get. Sarah herself was very polite and accommodating but I guess her style is just not up my alley. She did have some unique techniques that I don't always see so I'm sure she's great for a lot of people, just not for me. I did still leave her a tip because she gave me a decent massage but certainly would have tipped more if it was an above average massage.

I was going to ask my fiance to buy me another massage this year for Christmas but was left pretty disappointed by this one so I may go somewhere else or try a facial here instead. Like I said, the spa itself is amazing and the staff were so kind, so dont let my experience deter you from going...

Edit: Pleased to update my review with a positive resolution. Michele took the time to call me and discuss all of my concerns. She went above and beyond to make things right and I'm happy to continue using Woodhouse as my go-to spa.

I booked massages for myself, my girlfriend and her daughter who was in town. I was really excited, as this was their first time to Woodhouse and I couldn't wait to show them how amazing the spa was. As usual, the spa was spotless, welcoming, and the staff were wonderful. I'm happy to report they both loved their massages. We all enjoyed the quiet room.

My massage started off quite well. The lmt was friendly, informative and made me feel very comfortable. We talked about pressure, I said whatever was normal for Swedish but nothing too hard. During the first half of the massage she had checked in to see if the pressure was okay, and it was. Aside from hearing the hot towels being tossed, and subsequently plopped on the floor, it was really nice. The second half, my back, was a different story. I should have spoken up. It was very, very uncomfortable. At one point she was using her forearm to massage, but her elbow kept hitting my shoulder blade, repeatedly and hard. She stretched my arm behind my back while pressing hard into my shoulder blade with one finger, then intensely masaging that same spot with my arm still bent behind my back, it was very painful. The rest was very intense pressure with sharp movements. I opened my eyes instinctively and could see she was leaning her entire body into these movements. By the end, my shoulders were in intense pain, throbbing and felt bruised. The three of us went to dinner later on and it hurt to lean back into the chair. Hours later and it still hurts to be hugged or even lift my arms.

I'm disappointed bc my previous visits were 10/10. I know every lmt has their own techniques and pressure can vary between people- but I've never left a massage in...