SunWater Spa — Local services in Manitou Springs

So much potential but completely missed the mark. If you're looking for a true relaxation spa retreat, SunWater Spa is NOT the place. My friend and I booked a soak and a Healing Waters hydrotherapy. Our appointments were at 8am,when they opened but we were asked to arrive 15 minutes early. They still did not open the doors until 8am&a line had formed outside. From the moment they opened the door, nothing but chaos and confusion ensued. We were herded and rushed in with at least 4 other groups of 2 in line behind us. Completely flustered at check-in, the lady tried to explain "places to change", a map of where to go, sign the waiver, handed us a bag with a rob & towel, told us where to get our sandals, the times for our soak & hydrotherapy that required 1 of us to get out of the soak early(I had already known & that was not an issue).It was info overload and SO confusing. We felt rushed with 4 parties behind us waiting & the 2 people checking in guests were speeding through the process. With robe, towel & sandals in hand, my friend & I walk into the "bathroom" that they pointed us in as the "changing room". It's a 2 stall toilet and 2 stall shower.1 small bench to put our things, 2additional ladies came in & we were bumping into each other. My friend & I took the shower & the other 2 took the toilet stalls. Unsure where to put our clothes, we began walking to the tubs for our soak & we passed lockers so we used those. The soak was okay. If your looking for privacy(we did not care),there is NONE. Overhear conversations from people in surrounding tubs. Difficult to believe the water we were soaking in was mineral water but so irrelevant to this complaint. I thought they told us(at the chaotic check-in)that my therapist would come get me a 10min prior to my scheduled hydrotherapy time. Approx 5min till my session, no one had come up so I got out of the tub. As I'm drying off, someone comes up & very unpleasantly informs me that I was supposed to be downstairs 5min ago. I tried to apologize for the confusion & she was not engaging in conversation about the mix-up. We did not really understand when we could go to the pool that was downstairs. I did not know there was a cold plunge until after my hydrotherapy session. Would have loved to try that. Onto my "hydrotherapy" service. Earlier, I had tried to ask an associate what is worn during the service. Her response was, "I don't know, I've never done it". It might be helpful for your staff to experience the services so when guests have questions, they can provide valid answers. When I met the therapist, they informed me to undress to my comfort level but most complete the service naked. I only had my swimsuit on so naked it was. My therapist, Jam, was great. No negative experience is a reflection to them by any means. This was a $260.00 glorified sponge bath. Such a complete waste of money! Maybe if a massage was incorporated into this, it would have come a little closer to being worth the price tag but just to have some product rubbed into the skin and hair and then washed off was NOT worth the money. I would also highly recommend offering ear plugs & nose plugs due to the water going up your nose & in your ears. Having to flip over on a small, wet, soapy/slippery surface isn't really the easiest thing either. I will say, the scalp massage was probably the only enjoyable part of this session. This type of session is no way worth the price tag. After talking to my friend about her experience, she was also confused bc after I left for my hydrotherapy, she asked someone about going downstairs to the pool but she was told that she had to wait somewhere else for 80 min so her therapist knew where to find her. She just sat in a room for the entire time. Neither of us got to use the pool as a result of the confusing instructions & lack of direction provided. This was nothing but a day of confusion, uncomfortable interactions, unknowns & stress. NOT what you expect when you book a day at a spa. Such a waste of money! 4k max char...

I moved here recently and my best friends flew in to visit me for a few days. For our last evening together (Sunday, Oct 20) we planned to soak in spa hot pools. We called Sun Spa on Saturday Oct 19 to reserve spots. We were told no reservations, we could just drop in. When we arrived at 3:30 pm the next day for their 4 pm yoga class the front desk was surrounded with people. We paid for yoga and almost paid for the soak but then were told not to pay since there was a waiting list and we weren't allowed to get on the list until yoga was over!! The front desk young women weren't sure what type of yoga class they were offering and they disagreed slightly as to whether we could be put on the waiting list. We got the impression in this confusing conversation that they may have decided to put us on the list but alas when we finished yoga class (5:30) there were 15 people/groups on the list, and we were then put at the bottom of the list. And each person got 2 hours in the tubs. We waited 15 minutes, watched 2 women from our yoga class go into the pools (we were told they got priority because they were friends of the yoga instructor) and then we looked at the list again and it had not changed. It could be hours (or never) before we got in for a soak!! I would not call this a spa. It was all so awkward, unorganized, and crowded. We were all very upset and disappointed. Although our yoga class was great (Ross was great instructor and the studio was gorgeous), we were there for a soak. Some guidance or help or kindness on the phone beforehand or when we arrived would have been so helpful! We were just so surprised that a drop-in "spa" wouldn't allow us into tubs at 5:30 when we had arrived and paid for a "spa" service at 3:30. The acting manager (Ross) was standing behind the receptionists at the front desk looking at her phone while I tried one final time to get better understanding from the receptionists as to when we might be able to use the tubs. I had to work the next day so soaking at 10 pm was not an option. Ross did not look up from her phone. When we asked to talk to manager they offered to find Ross but I was already under the impression she didn't care so finally we left, 3 hours after arriving, feeling angry. The biggest impression we got was a lack of caring or kindness from the staff. I have heard since then that staff turn over rate is 75%. I really wish I had not relied on this place to host us and please my guests on our last evening. I will not be back. Update over 1 month later- no one ever...

Yesterday was my first experience at SunWater Spa and I called and made a reservation over the phone about a month ago. When I arrived at the parking lot designated for SunWater it was completely full and there was a huge event across the street. There was no mention of an event that would impact the amount of parking available to patrons in any of my several reminder emails leading up to my reservation. So this was an inconvenience that was frustrating for me because had I known I would have planned my travel time accordingly. After finding a spot, I checked in and let the young lady know this was my first time. Instead of taking me on a tour of the facilities that were available to me for my reserved soak, she just told me about them. This was difficult for me to understand as I'd never been inside the establishment before yesterday. She showed me to my tub, which she said was tub 4. I showered off, put my belongings in the crate, and hopped into the tub. I was in there for 5 or 10 minutes when another employee asked for the name on my reservation. She went inside and grabbed the young lady who had checked me in, and she said I was in the wrong tub and that I needed to move to tub 3. Another frustrating inconvenience that could have been avoided had a little more attention to detail had been made. A few moments after moving tubs, the young lady came out and told me that she had forgotten to provide me with a robe and towel. I had packed 2 duffle bags that morning with my own towels, robes, sandals, and hygiene products because all the reminder emails had said due to COVID-19, these things would not be provided. Had those details been updated I would not have packed my own things especially since there are no lockers on the premises. So I had to carry all of my belongings around to my Thai yoga massage and facial appointments as well. This experience was not as relaxing as I had hoped because so many things that should have been communicated beforehand and during my reservation were overlooked. I will not be returning to SunWater spa in the future and I will not recommend your services to friends and family who inquire about it. Please update your automated emails and your check-in process, especially for first time clients. The first impression really is the most...