Zen Spa Brisas — Local services in Carolina

Overall a relaxing experience but very VERY lackluster.

The spa itself was very basic. Locker rooms were small, one bathroom and two showers. Not a lot of space and basically zero privacy. The bathroom was not maintained - there was no toilet paper and the trash can was full with paper towels overflowing spilling onto the floor. This was a turn off from the beginning.

The "relaxation lounge" was also extremely basic. Not a lot of seating, lukewarm water and minimal snacks. The temperature of the room itself was also a bit humid. The amenities were just okay - a sauna and steam room. It would have been nice to have a private jacuzzi/hot tub separate from the rest of the hotel considering what you are paying for a service. The hotel gym is upstairs and so you could hear the treadmill from above which took away from the relaxing vibe.

My shower (one of two) did not have any body wash left so I had to use shampoo. Not what you expect....we were also not offered spa sandals and I didn't want to get mine wet since they are a bit nicer, so basically went in barefoot....also not cool. Robes also very thin and not high quality.

The massage itself was relaxing, but also very okay. I was hoping the epicness of my massage would make up for all the other stuff but alas....I've had better massages. My masseause was very nice (I had a male). I thought it was weird he didn’t step out for me to undress, rather held up a towel and looked away….that threw me off a bit. He asked me what areas to focus on, and then barely focused on those areas so I was disappointed. I wasn't taken back for my 4:00 pm appointment until 4:05 pm and they still finished my 50 minute treatment at 4:50 pm, so I feel I got jipped on my last 5 minutes. It was an okay treatment, but honestly would’ve rather kept my money.

On the plus side - the treatment room was very comfortable, relaxing music, and just going to a spa is a treat in and of itself so I enjoyed it but it was very disappointing. If you’re like me and only do stuff like this/treat yourself when you’re on vacation, you expect luxury. Considering the Royal Sonesta is very classy, I assumed their spa would be great. I didn’t bother reading reviews - don’t repeat my mistake! I would not recommend going here and recommend going somewhere else. Spend your money where you get...

When we bought the massages for this spa, we thought that the experience — since it was at The Royal Sonesta — was going to be excellent. But it couldn’t have been further from the truth.

Our first impression was awful: there was no one at the counter to greet us, and when someone finally showed up, they acted like we were bothering them. How wrong we were to expect professionalism when the person who handled the booking hadn’t even informed us of the most basic details.

The steam room seemed to be defective, and the heat in the common waiting area was disastrous — unbearable. Everything was dirty; there were cups everywhere, and it was only nine in the morning.

Hidden additional charges, poor service, and complete lack of hospitality.

The only thing good about it were the masseuses. Even though the massage tables were broken and the air conditioning wasn’t working — they had fans everywhere —.

If I could give zero stars, I would.

10/27/25 Update: Thank you for your response. I appreciate the clarification; however, I would like to share that my experience was different from what you described. The employee who attended us mentioned herself that she was not assisting anyone else at the time of our arrival. The massage table where my husband was placed was unstable, and the therapist had to adjust the headrest multiple times throughout the session because it kept collapsing.

Additionally, the air conditioning was either off or not working properly, making the area uncomfortably warm. These details made our visit far from the relaxing experience we expected.

I’m sharing this feedback not to argue, but in the hope that you truly review these situations and ensure that future guests receive the attentive service and proper conditions that match the reputation your business...

Didn't want to give them a star because they do not deserve that. Received a booking confirmation 9 days prior to my stay at the Resort. Sent a email regarding special pricing for those staying at Sonesta since their other locations offered pricing. The representative expressed due to the luxury location they did not. Absolutely fine. I expressed that I was good with this location for a couple's massage for my husband and I , for his birthday weekend. (10 days later) Upon arrival to my appointment at 5:30pm. I was told by the front desk representative that I had no appointment but yet, she could see my email conversation and I showed her my email confirmation but she still preceed to tell me that there was nothing she could do. Then i asked if they could take us now. She said no, we wouldn't. Then after asked to have a contact to a manager. We were told to grab a card to the same office but there was no other person I could speak to. Then we were offered a 25 minute Spa time because due to going back and forth we spent 15 minutes of the 50 minutes of the message. After being told nothing was available. I was offered the next day but unfortunately, we have to catch a flight back to the states. I DO NOT recommend. POOR customer service, no business ethics. WARNING!! Confirming your appointment still may not get you serviced. Had a great vacation in San Juan, PR until this. Worse ending to Awesome...