Cedar + Sage Spa — Local services in Banff

Dear Manager of Cedar & Sage,

I called on Thursday to book a spa appointment at your facility. The lady I spoke to informed me Cedar & Sage did in fact have an infrared sauna and therma spa that guests were encouraged to relax in. I asked if the service was complimentary when booking a massage appointment, and she told me, "yes it is included". I proceeded with the booking for both myself and my friend. I should note, I had called numerous facilities around Banff and I selected your location, because there was a sauna and area to rest in after the massage. Other facilities had offered this as a complimentary service as well, but the lady I spoke with had assured me that I would "absolutely love the sauna, and have the best time here". Both myself and the friend I was bringing to Banff, were really looking forward to a girls day at the spa.

On Saturday, January 21st, we drove from Calgary to enjoy our day at the spa. We arrived at your business and were greeted hastily by the receptionist. She did not check if we had signed our waivers, or spa forms, but informed us that we could take off our boots, and take our belongings into the Spa room. I thought this was strange, since we would be enjoying the spa facilities after and I would maybe want a locker to put my belongings in. But I didn't question her, and we went into the rooms anyway, as I was looking forward to our first girls day away in nearly two years.

After the massages finished, I asked the front receptionist when we could go into the spa area. She told me that it was an additional charge and that it was all booked up. I explained to her that the lady on the phone sold me on this location and service with the spa included, and that it was the entire reason I had booked in the first place. The receptionist, in a very rude and abrupt way, told me "no, it was all booked up. She followed with "did you fill out your intake form?" I explained that we had not, and asked if on the form, it would have said anything about NOT being able to use the sauna and spa facilities. She did not answer me, but instead, and I quote her word for word here... "it was kind of their fault but also my fault". She told me it was my fault several times after.

It is not my job to check if your guests have filled out their intake forms.

That is a receptionist's job.

I called and booked a service that was sold as massage AND spa, and when that service was not fulfilled was told that it was "my fault".

The lady at the front desk was extremely rude, and not helpful at all. I honestly considered leaving without paying, because I was paying for a service that I did not receive. She offered no support in dealing with the matter and continuously informed me that it was "my fault". It was a very poor reflection on your business and left an awful impression. When I asked if there was a manager I could be in contact with, she gave me a trip advisor card, and only after I took it and looked at it, did she offer this direct email. Which meant her first response to my dissatisfaction was for me to write a trip advisor review....

As a small business owner, I would not have that woman work in customer service, ever. She was intimidating, accusatory, belittling and a bully.

I would recommend your business based on the massages we had, however, I can not in good faith trust that your administration team is aware of the services your business provides... or doesn't, nor do they have any kind of experience in guest satisfaction.

I paid for a service I was not provided and I would kindly like to request a full refund or at the very least, a thorough follow up that your staff receives adequate training; covering a basic knowledge of Cedar & Sage's services and basic customer service expectations.

I ask, what is it that you can do to make this right for two very disappointed customers of...

\After nothing but hiking, camping, and road-tripping for the last three months, our bodies and muscles have certainly been taking a bit of a toll! We made contact with Cedar & Sage Spa while in the city of Banff, and organised for ourselves the ultimate relaxation package.

Located on Bear Street in the heart of Banff, we walked into Cedar & Sage and instantly found ourselves feeling calm and at peace. Decorated beautifully with timber furnishings, low lighting, the gentle sound of music, and the scent of essential oils - it is clear that a lot of thought and small touches have been made to ensure that this space is one in which people come to feel nothing but calm.

We were greeted by the lovely owner Amie who welcomed us and explained that Cedar & Sage has been in operation now for just over two years, and she is proud of the team that she has working with her - therapists specialising in massage, nutrition, reiki, reflexology, and yoga - a fit for every customer’s need.

We were kindly encouraged to sit and relax for a few minutes, and offered some water and hot tea before being introduced to our massage therapists for the afternoon, Rae & Lucy. We all made our way into the grand treatment room, a spacious and private room which consisted of two massage beds, a sauna area, and a large double shower. The ladies explained to us exactly what our treatment would consist of today - a hydrotherapy shower, a 45 minute infrared sauna experience to help with warming and relaxing our muscles while opening our pores, followed by a 60 minute massage experience.

Rae & Lucy were fantastic at making us both feel incredibly comfortable and at ease. We discussed with the ladies what particular parts of our bodies were tighter and sorer than others, and which areas we felt we needed extra focus on. We were very impressed to hear that the 60 minute massage would be 100% tailored to our preferences.

Rae & Lucy explained to us how to operate the showers and the sauna, provided us with fresh towels, and also gave us the option of using essential oils - we were left alone for 45 minutes to shower and enjoy the sauna before the ladies would return back to the room to commence our massage. The shower was amazing, and we had the option of adjusting both the water temperature and pressure. Once we rinsed off, we applied some essential oils to our lower back and entered the sauna - again with the ability to adjust the temperature and lighting in here.. we were already in complete relaxation mode and our massage had not yet even commenced!

Once we were back on the warm heated massage bed’s, Rae & Lucy re-entered the room and our 60 minute treatment began. With all of the long drives that we have done through the states recently, the ladies identified that we were both holding a lot of tension in different parts of our bodies. Specialising in these sorer sports, our massages were tailored to our neck, upper and lower back, and back of thighs - with lots of deep tissue work, and encouragement of blood flow.

The entire 60 minute massage was ultimate relief and relaxation. It was a much-needed experience that left us feeling calm, peaceful, and grounded. Once we had re-dressed and emerged from the treatment room, Rae & Lucy met with us in the waiting area and explained to us individually what techniques they had used, and their recommendations for our bodies moving forward including stretching information and ways in which we can release muscle tension.

We enjoyed a warm cup of herbal tea and fresh glass of lemon water on the couches before we departed - a perfect end to our treatment package.

Cedar & Sage also specialise in full day retreats and yoga, perfect for birthday’s, parties, or just something special for you and...

Went for a 60 minute relaxing full body massage. And the experience was okay.

Good things: The spa spent a lot of thoughts and efforts to decorate the spa. Right after entering you will listen to soothing music, the host greets you with a smile and she will serve a warm ginger tea which will immediately put you into a mood. The spa also has a lounge which is nicely decorated and you can spend time there and enjoy your tea.

Things I didn’t like: The massage therapist was not so good with her techniques. As an esthetician I can tell when someone is doing massage not in the right way as we are trained in body massage. In this spa the RMT was just pushing and rubbing my muscles most of the time. Some of her techniques were really good but some were extremely bad that those can’t be considered as massage strokes. Also she was doing different things on my right side than my left side so there were no rhythm or coherence. It was so awkward!

Another thing was we took couple massage so both me and my husband were in the same room. Unfortunately the person who did my husband’s massage was very clumsy. During the whole time she was walking around loudly and pushing the stool again and again that it was getting hard for both me and husband to relax. It felt like she was in a rush.

Unfortunately I don’t remember their names so can’t really mention here but overall both my husband and my experience were just okay not great. Not going...