The Peninsula Spa & Wellness Center — Local services in Chicago

Went here last week to use a gift card I had been saving for years (traveling a lot got the best of me, so I was very excited to finally use it!). I was told the facilities were under renovation but that they still had the same level of experience for my massage. Booking was super easy and quick!

Just to preface - this service was January 13, so thing might change by the time you read this. When I got off the elevator, I was met with the receptionist sitting at two very crowded folding tables with a cheap table cloth on it. She didn’t even have enough room to prep the clipboard she needed me to fill out. It was all set up in the hallway of a floor of regular hotel rooms.

I then moved to the “relaxation room” which was just a hotel room that they took out the bed and put a few chairs and tea maker in. It was embarrassing. The bathroom was in the hallway and you could hear EVERYTHING happening in there. There was no music or sound to ambient the room. And no snacks like trail mix that others had posted about. Just a dead quiet room with chairs where you could have tea and hear people in the bathroom.

I was then taken to my treatment room, which again was a regular hotel room that they took the bed out of. The table was super comfortable and the massage was ok. My therapist was a bit too deep in most places - even when I asked him to lighten up. He never asked how the pressure was or checked in along the way, which was disappointing. “Spa music” was playing from his phone. No speaker, just a phone turned up.

At the end - I at least expected to be offered to use the shower if I wanted. I was told to get dressed and meet him in the hallway.

At check out I asked if the pricing was discounted considering they didn’t have any of the normal spa amenities. The receptionist smiled and nervously said “no” as she fumbled with the clipboard again.

Very disappointed in this service and the environment. If their spa is under renovation, they should not offer services. If I wanted to walk into a room and receive a decent massage, I would have gone to massage envy. Stay away from the peninsula while they are under renovation. They should be embarrassed to change the prices for what they are...

I gave The Peninsula Spa a chance to make things right privately, but after their dismissive response, I’m sharing publicly.

Our February visit was a mess from start to finish. First, my partner was forced to cancel his massage day-of because the only female therapist left, and the spa offered nothing to compensate. No alternative service, no discount, just a hollow apology. For a luxury spa, that’s unacceptable.

The makeshift "spa" during renovations was just a basic hotel room. No amenities, no robes, no daybeds, no changing area…yet they still charged full luxury prices. I’ve since been told their spa looks no different post-renovation, with the locker room still needing a desperate facelift.

The worst part? My facial. Without exaggeration, the worst I’ve ever had anywhere. Grace, the aesthetician, was late, unprepared, unsure what facial I was getting, and completely uninterested in my skin concerns. Instead, she pushed an upsell she couldn’t explain, then gave a chaotic, disjointed service…mostly applying products and then leaving them on my skin while she disappeared or buzzed about the room. Zero flow, zero care, zero expertise.

It got worse when she ended with a chemical peel, without asking about my skin or routine, when I had requested a hydrating and soothing facial! My face burned instantly. Not only did she admit that she had no clue what product she used on my face, only after I reacted did she ask if I used retinol (I do, nightly). Then she blamed me saying, “Don’t you know you’re supposed to stop retinol a week before a facial?” First of all, no you’re not. Second, it’s her job to ask. My skin was left inflamed and peeling due to her negligence.

This $500 facial was a disaster. I’ve never wanted a facial to end so badly. But despite zero amenities, terrible service and a complete lack of ambiance, The Peninsula still charged full luxury prices during its renovation.

They refunded me but didn’t offer a complimentary or discounted service as a goodwill gesture, just access to their facilities, which felt...

I booked a half day spa experience which included the use of the pool. Overall, the experience wasn’t as relaxing at I expected. The pool did not have any attendants. In order to order lunch or drinks, you have to call using the house phone. The one hour massage was good (not great). The masseuse wasn’t overly friendly….The one hour facial was not worth the time or money.the whole experience was robotic and not relaxing. The esthetician (even though I’m not sure if she is a licensed esthetician) didn’t dim the lights, she robotically told me what she was going to do before the facial started. The first thing I noticed is that the drop down ceiling was stained. The esthetician spoke in a loud voice the whole time and tried to upsell me a $70 collagen mask (I found out later that my friend’s esthetician charged her $95 for the collagen mask. We told the front desk but they didn’t seem to care). The facial was supposed to include a foot rub. It was comical bc my esthetician clearly didn’t want any part of it bc she used wet towels and essentially cleaned my feet instead of rubbing them. I just had a pedicure so I know my feet were in pretty good shape so I’m assuming she just doesn’t like feet. I honestly couldn’t wait to get out of that room. I’d also like to note that the check out process could be more efficient and that the staff should work on acting like they actually want to work there. And some attention to the clients would be nice. Overall, I cannot recommend this spa. There are so many other wonderful spas in the city if you want to be pampered. The Peninsula Spa is not worth the money or effort which is such a shame. Love the hotel and really wanted to...