111SKIN SPA/CLINIC at The Plaza — Hotel in New York

Lapin and I came here to celebrate a milestone. We thought, what better way than to do a couples massage ($425) at the Guerlain Spa. The couples experience was a side by side massage in a private suite with a bottle of champagne and Godiva truffles (4pcs).

Our masseuses were Marina and Ivete who were nice. Our massage was for 12:30pm and they were running a bit late but we were enjoying a complimentary mimosa while we waited. They took the time to let us pick which of the 4 scented oils we wanted and told us to make ourselves feel at home ( although it would have been nice to know what we could have done in the room to make ourselves comfortable as we had no idea what we could or couldn't touch ). They also asked us what we would like them to focus on and any information we would like to disclose. They told us we would get 5 minutes to change but it felt like a bit longer since we were under the towels waiting for a bit. But I am not sure if the masseuse knocked when she bought the champagne but she saw me naked...then again I am sure she already saw what I had to offer. Lapin thought it was rude of her -- I agreed with him but I didn't care very much as I was about to get a massage!

We mentioned it was Lapin's first massage and he would like it to with little pressure to start. He had Ivete and according to him that little old lady really did a number on him. He also ended up with a couple of scratches on him. He couldn't stop talking about how much in pain he was in. Marina did a nice job for me. She stayed away from my sensitive areas and paid close attention the back and neck like I asked.

Marina was nice enough to set up the steam shower for us to enjoy after the massage. And boy, was that awesome. The only downside was, they only gave us 15 minutes to use the showers, try the products, and get dressed? We felt a bit rushed which isn't a really good. I believe, 30 minutes for a couple to enjoy the room -- take a shower and get ready is ample time instead of the 15 minutes which made us scramble to find towels and getting ready.

Our experience also included a makeup refresher, steaming our clothing, access to the spa facilities, and a shoe polish. For the makeup refresher ( Ivete was kind enough to schedule me in ), my makeup artist was funny and bubbly. He was awesome to work with but I felt like he was rushing a bit as he took like 10 minutes to do my makeup before hurrying to the next guest. I get it, he is just one person and it's a complimentary service but he did spend 5 minutes trying to sell me on products while Lapin and I were getting ready to leave. For the steamed clothing, gym, and the shoe polish, no one mentioned that we could do it or where we could do it. Only after we paid and then mentioned about it, they told us we were supposed to ask before...would have been nice to know that.... Would have been nice if they knew what package we had and let us know ahead of time....cause we are here to relax and not manage the logistics of our package.

On an off note, since we were celebrating an anniversary, we asked if we could keep the cork or the empty champagne bottle. We were told only if we were guests at the hotel. We live in NYC, like 20 minutes away, there is no reason for us to stay at hotel but we did choose to spend our anniversary at your Spa instead of the many many other spas available. And again, we mentioned that it was our anniversary, it's not like the spa is going to re-use the bottle or the cork. What is the harm in letting your guest have a memento ( that they technically paid for ).

Was it worth it? Probably not, but Lapin loved the way the Guerlain products smell and I can see a cache of luxury products coming my way. And that,...

I received a gift card for Signature massage for my bday and was very excited to try this place out. However, my experience was extremely disappointing for the price you pay and I will never come back or recommend this place to anyone.

Guerlain Spa is located inside The Plaza but besides that, there is nothing special about it. I came 15 min before my appointment and was greeted by the front desk who gave me some form to fill out and asked me to wait. I was waiting for about 10-15 min and no one offered me water or any beverage. It was August in NYC with super hot and humid weather. You would think at a place who positions itself as luxury someone would offer you at least water.

The dressing room is extremely small and no privacy between where you undress and main entry where people come in from the main hallway. There was a curtain but the lady who let me in made a point to open it fully and tyed it to the wall. That was a bit weird. Was not it the point to have the curtain down for privacy?

The waiting room was pretty small with people waiting there for their turn to be called for a massage. Again, no one offered me a beverage when I waited for my massage for another 10 min or so. I thought there was a steam room that you could use after your massage but noone actually showed it to me. I did see it was there after I explored the area but I was not sure if it was open to use.

When I was taken to my room for massage, I was told about all the extra services that I could add to the massage. No prices, no other information was shared so I had no idea what all of these services meant and price points. I asked about Deep Tissue and I was told deep tissue was extra (later I looked and saw that signature and deep tissue were the same price). I decided to stick to Signature Massage. The massage was very underwhelming. Like that was barely any effort put. Just some oils and light touches. Worst massage I ever got.

After the massage I was asked if I wanted some beverage (finally) and I was directed to the lounge room (same place where we waited before massage). The room was so crowded. Like all seats were taken, not relaxing at all. Men, women, couples - we were all in this small lounge room trying to “relax”. Needless to say it was not very relaxing to sit next to people in robes I don’t know. I quickly finished my drink and left.

At the front desk during check out I mentioned I had a gift card. A young man who was checking me out said that 20% is what I should minimum pay as a tip. Interesting approach to tipping when you can provide mediocre experience and still collect at least 20% tip on $300+ 90 min massage service. I didn’t want to argue and said ok. He already had my card on file (you cant make an appointment without one). The lady standing next to him quickly looked at his computer screen and pointed out to him that tip was already covered by the person who purchased a gift card for me. I didn’t know that because the email only shows you type of service you are gifted and nothing else. If she was not there, he would gladly collect additional $70+ in tip on top of what already been collected.

Overall, this is not the luxury experience you would expect from a place located inside The Plaza and charging high prices for the service. Take your...

Anticipation was high as my husband had booked a spa day for my mother and me at the renowned Guerlain Spa. We were eagerly looking forward to our well-deserved massage. I celebrated Mother’s Day with my mother-in-law a few years ago; every part of the experience was delightful. It is such a shame how much the quality of the experience has changed. The massage itself by Maria was wonderful, and at least not everything was disappointing. However, the customer service from the front desk was poor. The person who greeted us was loud and rushed. She brought us to the lockers, quickly said some instructions, and left. After we changed, we were waiting by the lockers, and another woman came to say if we were not ready, they would take time from our massage. We didn't even understand that we needed to go outside and find our massage therapist because we were told all the instructions in a rush. The cleanliness of the bathroom and locker areas was not what you would expect from the spa at this hotel. There was visible dust and dirt on the floors. Also, the decor was dated. The relaxation room was packed afterward. We did have one nice glass of champagne and a little sweet treat. To end our experience, the same front desk person who greeted us at the beginning asked if we wanted to pay gratuity, and despite all the flaws, I decided to pay 20% because the massage itself was lovely. I gave her my credit card to pay for it, but when she gave me the receipt, I saw the full balance. This was a gift, and she told us she didn't use the credit card on file, didn't ask if we wanted to use it, and just didn’t ask for a preference. She just went ahead and charged it all to my credit card. I ask her to cancel the transaction and charge it to the correct credit card. She was about to do that until I said if the one you are about to charge has X last for digits, then it's in my credit card again. Her colleague, realizing how poorly the situation had been handled, checked herself and told me the other card had been deleted. Such poor attention to detail. Then, the same other woman asked me to go outside to call my husband because there was no reception at the spa, so he could provide all the information she deleted, in not the best attitude. I just signed the bill and left.

Considering the amount we paid for the massages and the quality I expected from the reputable Guerlain spa, the experience was nothing short of a letdown. The front desk, which should start to set the tone for the entire visit, was a disappointment. The negatives far outweighed the positives. If the intention is to lower the quality of everything else, then the price of the services should reflect that. I have no intention of returning or recommending this...