Gillian Adams Salon & Spa — Local services in Sydney

EDIT 21/09/2024 16:30pm Phone call from Amber: Firstly Amber kindly attempted to rectify my name and the pronunciation. There was a one letter difference (I.e. Yune vs Yuen) therefore pronunciation was different. Amber commented that this is a small mistake and questioned why I didn’t rectify this mistake. I defended that I attempted to correct the pronunciation to staff at front counter but I didn’t know that my name was spelt wrong in the system at first. Amber clarified that I must tell the front counter (must be front counter) if my name is spelt incorrectly otherwise it will not be rectified. :/ Nonetheless, Amber kindly rectified this. We move onto the tiny showers, lack of clothing hook and thin flowy curtains. Amber asserted that this will not be changed and I recognise this is a difficult one. Lastly, Amber requested that I explain the voucher situation. She suggested that I must’ve not read the gift card properly and it felt initially like I was again being blamed for not having my voucher and her staff scanning another customers voucher. However after further discussion, it was clarified that I got an online gift voucher which doesn’t need to be brought in physically. Amber gracefully acknowledged the mistake and said she will pass this information to her staff. I suggested a new idea for voucher redemption however Amber said they already have this system in place and will not be changing it. Amber then asked if she can offer anything in return for removing my review and questioned the reason why I posted a review on google. I patiently explained that the purpose is to ensure other customers are aware of the good AND the bad of a company and to set customer expectation when people do visit. Not all negative reviews are bad, they’re informative and can be utilised constructively (which I hope Amber will be able to facilitate).

Overall, this discussion started heated as I felt like I was being blamed for my name being spelt wrong + pronounced incorrectly and for the voucher mistake. However it was all resolved kindly by Amber at the end. I don’t think Amber was able to consider many changes to their current system but she said she will pass to the owners.

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The experience was less than luxurious.I got this couples voucher as birthday gift. I booked in my time slot and my name is spelt wrong and all the staff pronounced my name wrong subsequently :(. You’re taken into a small public bathroom with 5-10 other women all changing together like you’re in a high school locker room. The tiny showers don’t have anything to hang clothes on and your privacy during shower is separated by a thin flowy black curtain. When I tried to use the shampoo and conditioner, the handle broke off so I had to open the container from the top lid and scoop out my shampoo and condition :(. To further this we got a rude call from the front desk after we left saying they accidentally used someone else’s voucher. I didn’t know we had to bring our physically printed out e-vouchers in since we already gave our voucher code during the booking process. This staff was super rude and instead of apologising for her mistake and creating an inconvenience for us, she made it seem like it was my fault for not bringing in the voucher and therefore causing her to use someone else’s voucher. 🤷🏻‍♀️ That was probably the most negative experience :(

On the bright side, the services they offered were great. I enjoyed a relaxing massage by a professional masseuse followed by a fun swim in the bathhouse. The sauna was great tho a little small. You’re provided with a soft plush robe and towel. Minor details like a plastic bag for your wet swim suit was very thoughtful.

Overall enjoyed my experience but I dont think Gillan and Adam’s was able to offer me a luxurious enough experience to justice the cost. My experience cost $525 for 2 people but I think this experience is worth more like 200-300$...

I've never left a google review before this but this place definitely warrants one. It is overpriced and overbooked.

I booked lunch and a classic facial for myself and a girlfriend weeks ago. I was told I would receive a phone call the day before to confirm what we would want to eat. They didn't call me, so I had to reach out to them to make sure we got what we wanted.

When we got there, we didn't have masks. I would have been respectful of their self imposed covid rules however I would have liked to have been told in advance that I would need to bring one. I didn't even consider that I would have to bring one to have lunch and a facial? I had to run across to the pharmacy to buy some since they didn't have any we could use.

We were then taken straight to the outside area for lunch. It was an average meal, nothing special but also nothing to complain about. However during dessert we were asked to finish cause it was time to get our facials. I did notice that there were alot of people around and understand they're on a schedule. But spas of this price range are meant to offer a relaxing-take-your-time environment. We should have been told what the situation is in regards to timing.

We were taken to a room by two beauty consultants and asked what our skin problems were, even though we had already filled out a form detailing this at reception. I said my skin has abit of congestion and I wouldn't mind having extractions done. She said that was not what I booked and they don't have time. During the facial they ran through the types of cleansers and products we should be using. I don't mind being recommended products but not during what is meant to be a relaxing facial. The facial was meant to go for 50 minutes, it lasted barely forty minutes. I'm guessing the extra 10 minutes where we got undressed and dressed was supposed to be part of the paid treatment? We both felt uncomfortable and while they were trying their best not to be obvious, it was evident they were rushed. The facial itself was subpar- there were points where both us felt our skin stinging from the excessive amount of scrubbing and were thinking "this isn't relaxing at all".

Afterwards we were able to go to the "lounge" where there was no where to sit and it was quite frankly overcrowded with staff and other people in groups. We decided to just leave, went to reception to pay and I was spoken to about the products again. It was then just put in front of me as if I was expected to buy them.

Also, my friend was given the advice to use a sugar scrub on her face every 48 hours. That is absurdly outdated advice. It was clear from start to finish that this is a place targetting an older market. I understand this place might be seen as a treat for some, but there really are much better places in Sydney! I felt like us being there was just an...

Amazing experience and definitely something special! You need to make a booking beforehand but the process is extremely seamless and efficient. Once you’ve got a booking secured, the day before, they’ll send you a text with the lunch menu so you can choose your order before you even arrive (that is if you have lunch as part of your experience).

Upon walking into the unsuspecting building, you’re greeted by the soft scent of the incense, antique style statues and wooden cabinets containing various spa products. The ladies at the front ask you a few questions and take down your details to make sure the treatments are right and safe for you. Then, you’re lead on a tour of the area and shown to the bathrooms. You get your own locker to store your belongings, and you’re provided a robe, towel and slippers to use around the spa.

The famous spa / thermal baths have a variety of features all aimed at relaxing the body. You get one hour in the baths before you’re called for the next part of your treatment. We opted for the massage treatment, so we were led to the waiting area/lobby. Here, there were cups of fruit and water available as refreshments, while you waited for the massage therapists.

The massage itself was decently relaxing. Personally, I’m not a big fan of massages so I could have gone without it. However, they were quite professional and friendly for the most part - would have been a bit nicer if they talked a bit more or explained what they were doing.

Finally, we had the lunch. The eating area was like a garden from a movie, and was very nice (also because the weather). The lady who served us was extremely friendly and had amazing service skills (best of the whole spa). We were able to choose a drink of our choice (from wines and champagnes, to coffees, to juices). The chai lattes were amazing and came with a cute little cookie too. The lunch dishes we ordered were the pan roasted ocean trout with tomato couscous and king prawns, and the pasta caprese buffalo milk ravioli. Both dishes were presented beautifully and cooked well - we thoroughly enjoyed them and had no qualms except that we wish there was more! For dessert, we got the mon Cheri and buttermilk panna cotta. Again, both dishes were great. The mon Cheri was definitely more rich and may have been a bit too much for a person who isn’t a huge fan of chocolate. But both were still very nice.

Overall, it was a great experience. It is pretty costly to come here, but if you can, would definitely recommend a day here just to relax and enjoy yourself! Only thing is- I don’t really know whether they have parking for the spa. The street parking was relatively limited when we came and there is a shopping complex nearby but that’s limited...