Balnea Spa — Local services in Bromont

We have visited Balnea Spa twice. Once for the baths only and once with the reservation of a duo massage. Both times we have concluded that if we compare the price charged (including massages approximately 100$ +tax more per person than some other thermal spas) with the amenities and the scale of service offered it simply isn’t worth it and it is a much better experience at other establishments we have visited. For context we are frequent spa goers: we go to the spa every 2-3 months for the last 6 years and have tried various locations throughout Quebec.

POSITIVES Stunning views If you stay later in the evening watching the stars from the baths it is absolutely breathtaking. The massotherapists are very skilled, knowledgeable and offer exceptional service. We both had some of the best massages to date. A large cup of tea was offered after the massage and there is an opportunity to give feedback on the service received. Bath robe (plus sizes available upon request) and towels included in the price. The “Joue Braisé” dish was a small portion but absolutely delicious as well the cauliflower dish was a very good portion and tasty.

NEGATIVES The parking near the spa is small and you will likely have to park further down but unfortunately there is no salted or sanded walking path or steps established and the snow was compact and slippery (when walking back down to the car at night I almost fell and the lady walking down next to us did fall and her spouse had to help her back up). The phone lines close at 5pm and there is no way to contact anyone in case of an emergency (if someone is injured in the parking lots further down where no one can see, it would be impossible to call a spa employee for help after 5pm even though the spa is opened much later). Outside at the spa there are signs that indicate that the floor can be slippery but there are many areas and in particular two stone staircases that go down the center of the spa down towards the long pool overlooking a beautiful view that do not have rubber matts. My husband slipped but was able to balance himself however the man that came down the same stairs a while later fell hard down those same steps. We didn’t see him fall but we heard him and turned around from the long pool and saw him on the floor. It took him a while to get up and he was holding his hip and limping after the fall. No employee was present to see what happened or offer assistance. We all understand it is an outdoor spa in the winter and that it will be quite slippery however rubber matts are nevertheless necessary and a safety minimum in my opinion. The dry saunas are much smaller than at other spas and there aren’t many to choose from. We have found that overall (although not all) other spas have more of a variety of pools/saunas/lounges/experiences to try during our stay. In the summer there are more options to lay outside but in the winter it is too cold to sit outside without any warm fires or outdoor heaters so everyone crowds in the lounge area indoors which isn’t pleasant or relaxing when waiting for a massage or when wanting to grab a snack or drink. Do yourself a favour and avoid ordering the cheese board. I genuinely feel this board is an insult to clients. The serving size needs to be adjusted or then the price needs to be lowered. For 18$ + tax we were served 3 slices of cheese and 6 crackers with onion chutney. When I say slices I mean like a sliver of cheese you would cut yourself from a block of cheese as a snack. I am sorry but there is no way that 3 slivers of cheese about the size of a finger and 6 small crackers are worth 18$. It is not a cheeseboard when the whole thing is the same serving size as a single children’s snack pack (truly without any exaggeration). I hope our cheeseboard was an anomaly and that it is not always served like that because I genuinely found it both unbelievable and insulting to my intelligence and my wallet. Other menu options are much better although selection is very limited (see above...

Please be aware of the shady gift card schemes! You will not be able to get any appointments! You will waste your money.

I’ve been a loyal Balnea customer for years and it was always pleasure to drive up there and spend some quality time. Every time my friends would visit from the states we would always go there. So no wonder when my birthday was coming up, my husband got me a gift package with massage, thermal experience, body scrub and a restaurant experience. I just got it last weekend. Today we got a call regarding the gift card not having been delivered at the right address. You have this option for gift card delivery when you purchase online. Anyway, it wasn’t a big deal since my husband told me what was included in the experience. A week after the gift card was purchased the lady named Isabelle called from Balnea “to look into” the situation with the delivery. Since we were on the phone with her, we told her the delivery failure wasn’t an issue and we would like to book the experience right the way. She told me that the services that were included with the gift card weren’t available on any days that I asked and that the esthetician is only available two days of the week but she is fully booked. I told her that it is very disappointing that this is the case and maybe it should be mentioned on the website for the customers to know BEFORE they spent $400 on the gift packages with services that would be almost impossible to receive any time before next year. Isabelle said that she doesn’t speak English well enough to explain to me the whole situation so I told her that I speak French as well. But even in French she couldn’t resolve the problem. Her response was that it was my fault for not booking the services in advance (i don’t know how I was supposed to do that since I just received the gift card…) and I should be thankful that there is an esthetician at all because they didn’t have one before. I told her that she is rude and she shouldn’t be talking like that to the customers. I cannot describe all the dissatisfaction and disappointment with this whole experience. I understand if the people get overwhelmed when they are busy or etc, but here you just get a phone call with a screaming lady on the phone accusing you of not being on top of your reservation(!) It was a terrible experience of talking on the phone about something that should be bringing excitement about upcoming visit to your favourite spa. My husband while trying to reach a supervisor later spoke with another “customer service representative” Gabrielle who was even more rude than Isabelle and who refused to transfer him to a supervisor while screaming on the phone: “no refunds! Final sale. No one is here from management! I don’t know when they will be here!” Like really? It is very strange for an upscale spa like that to have such personnel. I don’t know how they hire people with zero customer service experience. We have never met more rude people than these two customer service reps from Balnea. The management was unresponsive at all and after several hours on the phone with them my issue is still unresolved. It is very sad since the place itself is very nice but I’m honestly beyond my words disappointed with the treatment we got. Please don’t wasted your time and nerves with Balnea. Take your money elsewhere. There are other beautiful sites out there with a good customer service and people who care about your time. It is not worth it. I do not recommend this place due to rude customer service and...

Summary: clean, pleasant, good view—the large infinity hot tub is a real pleasure—but get someone to give you a tour when you show up, or you will be wondering if there is something you missed.

I’m torn because on one hand, we had a lovely time, and there are lots of different areas and things to do, but on the other hand, there were a bunch of tiny things that sort of added up. Is it worth visiting? Yes, please go and have fun! I’m glad I went…but next time I’m looking for a short trip out of the city, I might try somewhere else.

Made a reservation through a local hotel. We were interested in seeing if there was any last-minute availability for a treatment. The hotel called on our behalf—it’s part of the promotion they offer—but the hotel staff said that they were unable to get a call back. We eventually gave up and just made the hotel reservation for the day so that we could keep our room.

A number of reviewers seemed to have issues with the noise, but this absolutely wasn’t a problem I observed during the day. Everyone tried to obey the rules (a map showing you the silent & whispering areas would be welcome). However, we had a full-day pass, and did note that people became a little more lax after about 8pm. I even walked into an upstairs chill-out area where someone was watching a video on their phone (?). So I think the staff is doing a great job during the day, and it’s probably harder to take care of the noise level and finish up in the evening. I did have a laugh at everyone here who smuggled their phones into the place.

As others have said, I was hoping there would be a map or a guide to the spa, but we weren’t offered anything, even when we told the desk staff it was our first time. I noted a sign in the changing room that there was a yellow button by the door we could push to get a tour…but I couldn’t even find the button!

The lack of direction felt especially pronounced because it was winter and some of the areas were closed. After I took a really good walk and look around, I felt a little more like I knew what was going on. Again, maps, clearer signs (color coded?) and maybe even lines on the floor could help. I get the impression that they have been expanding in a variety of directions, and the new additions are very nice. I hope the next step is maybe some bathrooms, as there aren’t many (and some are used as private changing stalls for ladies who aren’t comfortable with the locker rooms).

The spa resto is expensive and healthy, not any different from any other nice spa I’ve been to. Good veg options. My partner and I ordered a not-very-hot chocolate that I wish had been, well, hotter. But, you know, going to a spa to detox and then filling up on booze and marshmallows isn’t exactly a brilliant move on my part either.

All of this is minor stuff, except for what is maybe a safety issue: an area in front of some steps, where the flat, concrete sidewalk suddenly slopes down. I almost took a tumble, so be careful. If you visit during the winter, there’s a lot of heated mats and such around, which is good. They say sandals are optional but I wouldn’t really want to risk being barefoot in sub-zero weather. You do you, though,...