Kananaskis Nordic Spa — Local services in Alberta

We've been here several times now, and this was by far the worst time. We've enjoyed coming here over the years, even before it was finished or the odd pool or sauna was closed for repairs, and we were always able to justify the cost. Now it's only gotten busier and pricier, and given the amount of money this place brings in, the quality of service and overall experience should match the cost, but our latest visit was subpar to say the least.

We were in the main pool when a two-foot geyser erupted and the pool began to overflow. The inattentive staff were oblivious as they briskly walked by and we had a hard time finding someone to notify on the ground level, so we eventually just moved to another pool. Occasionally we'd check back to see what was going on, but the maintenance staff just looked bewildered and out of their element. We heard whispers from other guests that they added a bunch of chemicals and it would be safe after an hour or so, but we still saw people using it until they finally roped it off. Supposedly they were notifying newly arriving guests of this issue and providing a $20 discount upfront, which may have been acceptable if there weren't countless other issues.

None of the massage jets worked in any of the pools. Most of the water features were turned off leaving an unsightly mineral residue or rusted metal. The main hot tub was closed at opening, but eventually opened in the afternoon giving us false hope that the main pool might re-open. The other "warm" pool felt like a lukewarm bath. The wait time for lunch was over an hour and people on the wait list were given vibrating pagers. The men's change room reeked like smelly feet and just felt dirty overall. I had to walk around barefoot because somebody took my sandals and there wasn't staff around to give me a new pair.

I realize this may sound like nitpicking, but when you pay good money for pleasant, relaxing spa experience, you should get what you pay for. Especially when you took time off to go there and drove all the way out there from Calgary. The main pool is not only my favourite pool for lounging, but it's also crucial for dispersing people. It was a surprisingly busy weekday, and without this pool, everybody crowded the remaining pools that are actually still open and actually comfortable to sit in for an extended period of time.

When I complained before leaving, I was offered the $20 refund, but this wasn't enough in my opinion given the poor experience we had. I was told the manager was busy and the woman I was stuck dealing with was tactless and confrontational. She even had the audacity to ask me why I didn't leave earlier. Eventually the manager, Georgia Sloan, came out and she was polite and apologetic, the complete opposite of the first woman, who could learn a lot from her about proper etiquette and customer service. Georgia unexpectedly gave me a full refund without any hassle, and I'm giving an extra star in my rating solely because of this.

I really do hope that things will improve instead of degrading into another poorly maintained tourist trap like the old Kananaskis resort before new owners took over and revitalized it. It's unfortunate to see this establishment deteriorate over the years and I wish this will be a wake-up call for the staff and management, especially with other spas opening up soon that should make this type of spa experience more competitive...

This was the worst spa experience I’ve had. It was filthy and one sauna was luke warm, the button didn’t work to increase the heat. Hydration: There’s little to no water stations, and the water coming out to drink was luke warm. Cleanliness: the bathroom- bugs/flies everywhere. The water to wash your hands smelt like eggs- which then made YOU smell like eggs. But wait let’s back up… When my husband and I first showed up we thought huh ok let’s warm up in the hot tub right as you walk in to your right. We go in, I forgot to put our rings in our locker (also it seemed everyone was squished in the same corner of the locker room while the rest were vacant - it was not a busy day), so I go put the rings in the locker and I smell this horrible smell- well. It’s me. - the water from the hot tub made us smell worse than the whole football team after practice. I immediately went to go wash myself off. We were there from 0930-1230 (we just could not waste anymore of our time here) and I didn’t once see anyone check the water concentrations for bacteria. Yuk. We have been to several Nordic spas before and they’re checking the water levels hourly or bi-hourly at the LEAST. Needless to say. We did three quick rounds of hot cold, (tried to) relax, and got out of there. I am super disappointed. A refund would be the only reasonable thing as we won’t be returning or recommending. Hopefully they can use the high price of these day passes (155$+tax, oh and the alberta parks parking pass they don’t mention) to increase the quality of the spa for what they’re charging. The spas we have been to and enjoyed charge half the price and they offer infused water, rituals hourly(aufguss), high quality and a variety of chef made/locally sourced food that is not basic, and offer clean changing stalls with ample room to change and privacy, and make you feel clean and not dirty even after you shower. At Kananaskis, it just seems like they’re cheating out on their guests. If you want to relax, I’d say just go to the river side off the hwy, in the spa it was loud people howling the whole time, it was like you were at a party, not a spa. It was 10am? Is there no reinforcement for a spa like environment? The five stars goes to the nature. One star for the spa. Couldn’t fool me again. If you read this far,...

Spent the day here yesterday and was very underwhelmed. First off, the change room is small and very crowded with only 3 showers. The water temperature of the shower was fluctuating a lot and not always very warm. The facility looks dated, the pools are made of concrete where the paint is very faded making it uncomfortable to sit on. Only one of the pools looked new and didn't have the concrete. There was only one relaxation space (not counting the one in the lobby) and it was chilly in there. We asked for blankets and they didn't have any to provide (temperature inside was 24C, being in a wet bathing suit).

The restaurant food was okay but very overpriced. Expect to pay about $80 for two without any alcoholic drinks. We were also sat upstairs close to the bathroom where we could smell it from time to time (not very relaxing in my opinion).

There were multiple people that didn't seem like they were there to relax and were having conversations inside facilities like they were in a bar. Also didn't really like the fact that even though there is a no phone policy, people were walking around with their phones. There were people walking around with cans of beer, doesn't make it feel like an exclusive spa experience.

I was missing any information on the temperatures of the saunas and the two newest saunas weren't even hot (guessing round 50-60C max). Only one of the saunas had a timer inside the sauna to keep track of the minutes you have spent inside.

All in all, very underwhelming for the price. In comparison to other, more cheaply priced higher end saunas I don't think the entrance fee reflects the experience/quality offered. On a more positive note, there were a lot of extra's that were appreciated such as robes, towels, slippers, toiletries, hair ties, ear plugs. The facility was kept very clean all day.

Suggestions would be to facilitate payment through tapping the access band and paying the bill at the end. This prevents people having to take their phones into the restaurant. Providing blankets/pillows in the relaxation space. Being honest on the website if there is going to be construction since there was nothing on the website but once we arrived we were notified there would be construction...