Spa by JW Charlotte — Hotel in Charlotte

My husband and I had a lovely mini spa day here as part of our staycation for our anniversary.

Pros: Top on the list is definitely the incredible hospitality from Ms. Ife! She obviously takes pride in the experience she offers her guests. She was so warm and thoughtful and made us feel right at home. She offered us welcome drinks like champagne, rose or mimosas as well as tea and snacks. She made sure our spa shoes were comfortable, she remembered our names, as well as what drink we’d asked for upon arrival and offered us another one after the service as well. She chatted with us about our plans and recommended a delicious little local ice cream shop around the corner. She is what made the experience truly memorable. My facial was lovely and the aesthetician was clearly knowledgeable. My husband enjoyed his massage as well. The relaxing room lived up to its name and we enjoyed cocooning there in the comfortable, dimly lit space with quiet music with our mimosas while we basked in the relaxation after our service.

Cons: The spa is small and services were somewhat limited. The website was basic and I had to call to make appointments. They evidently offer only a subset of their already limited menu on the weekends, including Friday morning. They would only let us book one, one hour service each. We were not allowed to book a 80 minute massage or facial, nor were we allowed to add additional services such as the hot oil hair and scalp massage or foot massage that would have extended our time past 1 hour. We’d hoped to have several services apiece and found this restriction frankly baffling and disappointing. I asked several clarifying questions on the phone bc I was so surprised that I was sure I had to have misunderstood, but no. I could not book an 80 minute facial and a 25 minute foot massage. Not allowed. I know there was availability bc she offered us multiple time slots to choose from.

We’d definitely return here again if staying at the hotel, or for a spa day during the week when you’ll have access to the full menu, but for a true ‘spa day’ on a Friday or weekend, you’ll simply have to go...

This is an update review - The spa director reached out to me and helped solve all the issues. There is no complain when you noticed the teething issue but they paid attention right away. I’m very glad everything works out.

First of all- I love the new spa! They priced well and have a lot of promotions! Respect to the SPA director. However my experience on Friday is a mix. My nail service - Taylor is amazing! I would give her a full 5 star review for everything! Front desk - 2 star- I didn’t get her name but she could be more welcoming and friendly (no smile on her face the whole time, I don’t know if I did anything wrong ??) Plus when someone mistaken my appointment- my friend called in changed once to make sure we are going to have spa day together but somehow the time got messed up, I didn’t get a chance to meet my friend. Also more than 50% of service question- for example, package pricing, fine print, she doesn’t know any of them. Weird. In the end, I’m trying to fit all my service into one day, she couldn’t figure out the massage therapist’s schedule and told me she will call me back but she never did. The massage I received - 4 star. Because the time got messed up, they cut off my 90min service to 75min, in the end I did get a 10% discount. First of all the 15min worth more than 10% discount, secondly I wasn’t informed that I will be cut short, the massage therapist just left when the time is up. But the massage is good. I signed up for two monthly service and willing to be a loyal customer. But the service could be better especially the receptionist. One more thing worth only one star- the hair dryer in the shower room is...

Lori. You need to go see Lori. She's the reason I can't knock any stars off my review even though I have feedback about things outside that room to share but I want all of Marriott to see her name at the top of this review and know she is THAT GIRL. So it started off with me arriving at what I hoped was my appointment time -- I didn't get any calls or confirmation past my initial booking about 3 weeks prior. I accidentally parked in the ally lot which was $30 -- so use the valet when you come. This is NOT a full service spa meaning there are no amenities, which was a huge surprise for the price of the service HOWEVER I would pay Lori that amount 10x over because she was so great. We're not there yet. So I arrive, check in and the staff was lovely, so amazing and kind and I got my glass of champagne and all set up but there wasn't any real "spa space" just big, not super comfy chairs and ottomans. So I started reading my book and that's when I looked up to see a young woman stumbling out of her service room. I didn't think much of it until I exited that same room almost 2 hours later and my god. Lori, in the most appropriate context of this phrase, changed my life. I was so tense and stressed and I felt drunk for the entire rest of the day after getting off her table. I honestly felt the impacts for two or three days after. I traveled from out of town and I would for sure come back again just for her! Great, great...