Refuge — Local services in Monterey

Quick Summary Loved the concept of an outdoor co-ed spa for couples retreats. Great ambiance, clean rooms, and had a great massage. But the customer service and communication were lacking which led to a damper on what would've been a good day at refuge

Situation- 1 star I'm just going to get this out of the way first. We booked massages online several weeks ahead of time at 5pm. Luckily, my therapist came in right on time and I was having a grand time. However, little did I know, my girlfriend's massage (which was booked at 5pm) was about to be delayed and nothing was communicated to her until she waited for over 30 minutes. (It turns out there was a scheduling mishap with someone else's massage earlier in the day, so the Refuge staff double booked the assigned massage therapist. That massage therapist went to break and my girlfriend wasn't notified by the situation until 530). When the staff communicated this to my girlfriend, they kept stating "oh, it won't take that much longer", but basically my girlfriend didn't get her massage until 545. This was especially disappointing because we had a dinner reservation that we missed due to this delay. I understand that mistakes happen, but having an almost hour delay completely ruined the rest of our night.

Pools- 5 stars They have 3 different pool types (cold, cool, warm) where you can dip in. Each pool is pretty scenic (unable to take photos because they prohibit electronics past a certain point) and the whole spa gives a rustic vibe. There's plenty of pools to choose from without feeling crowded. Nice to be outdoors as well

Sauna/steam room- 5 stars They have a salt sauna and a eucalyptus steam room. I liked the salt sauna because of how large it was. Felt very clean throughout

Facilities- 5 stars Didn't get a chance to visit the gym but plenty of cardio machines there. There's also 2 resting rooms with lounge chairs, and a bunch of outdoor lounge chairs as well.

Locker rooms- 4 stars Lockers rooms felt clean, but it did feel cramped as not that many seating areas. They could've done a better job of spreading out the guests to different areas of the locker room.

Massage- 5 stars I'm glad my massage therapist, James, convinced me to go with deep tissue massage instead of Swedish. Did a great job of targeting my knots and applying the right amount of pressure.

Bottom Line Facilities were great and clean. Would've had a fantastic time, but the massage service delay left an ugly mark on what would've been a great, stress-free day

ADDENDUM: Returned to Refuge to give it another chance, and everything went smoothly. The staff were very helpful throughout. All the areas were nice and clean. It was a perfect way to escape and I enjoyed the hours of steaming/saunaing along with the cold baths, capped off with a massage. Would highly recommend Refuge to any Carmel itineraries

Would highly recommend booking a massage reservation as they fill up quickly. Would also come here at least 2-3 hours in advance to really enjoy all the amenities (they have a gym as well as the sauna/steam rooms and cold pools so this can be a whole-day experience if you want). Best spa...

My boyfriend and I have been going to Refuge for 6 years now (except when they were closed during COVID). We always spend our birthdays/anniversaries/long weekends in Carmel and the one thing that we look forward to is spending a relaxing day at Refuge. However, we have notice a decline in satisfaction since they reopened from COVID, especially in our recent visits.

We visited twice this year, 1st time for Valentine's Day and we just went again last Saturday. Not only did we hear so many people chatting loudly in the pools (some people were screaming when they hopped into the cold pools) and we could hear people chatting and laughing when we were resting on the anti-gravity chairs, we also saw people texting and taking pictures with their phones in the pool area. Last Saturday there were 2 ladies stretching and doing Yoga in the sauna room, and another couple to decided to join them as well. It was distracting and quite disturbing to be in the same room as them. On top of that, the yoga peeps kept talking and they had to rush out of the sauna room multiple times to get fresh air (especially after doing a handstand). The sauna room door slams so it's not like I could just close my eyes and pretend nothing is happening.

As we approach 9:30pm we starting having multiple staff rushing into the different rooms yelling at customers saying "YOU HAVE 30MIN LEFT", and most people started moving to the changing room. A few minutes later there's an asian female staff who spotted me and my boyfriend still sitting on the anti-gravity chairs and she rushed in and yelled again "YOU HAVE 10 MINs LEFT".

Overall we felt like we had to try super hard to relax in our last 2 visits, which is absolutely NOT what Refuge promotes. Last Saturday's experience was the weirdest experience we've had at Refuge.

I remember in our first few visits, the refuge staff were super nice and smiley, they walk through the cycle and facilities for us at the reception and always remind us that there's no phone and we have to RESPECT THE SILENCE. I didn't used to see anybody with their phones, people didn't really talk and even if there were people talking loudly, the staff would take care of it without disturbing the other customers. I have no idea what happened since they re-opened from COVID, but the silence is definitely not respected and I feel like there are less respect for the customers as well.

We always talk about Refuge and recommend it to our friends and family. We planned on taking our family to visit in June, but we are seriously reconsidering since we definitely don't love it...

This is my fourth visit to Refuge, and it is always a tranquil and relaxing experience. The atmosphere is absolutely beautiful and serene, and the amenities always feel clean and well taken care of.

While I would have loved to give a 5-star review, I unfortunately had a very unpleasant experience with one of the staff members. During my visit, it was the busiest I've ever seen it, and we were hard pressed to find an open coat hook for our robes and towels. No biggie, I don't mind there being lots of others enjoying the spa, as everyone is respectful and quiet. However, as I exited the steamroom, I noticed that my robe had been misplaced, including my locker key which was in the pocket. After checking all the pockets of the other robes and retracing my steps, it was clear that someone took my robe on accident. I spoke with someone outside of the men's locker room, and they were very pleasant and understanding (I didn't catch their name but they had lots of piercings and a very cool vibe). I was told I could come back when I was ready to leave and borrow the spare key for my locker.

Fast forward to a few hours later, I approach the kiosk again to find a tall, older Caucasian gentleman at the booth. After explaining what happened and that I was told to borrow the spare key, I was met with immediate skepticism and condescension. He proceeded to lecture me about how I should have had the key around my wrist, and that I have now caused unnecessary issues for the staff, and that he wasn't sure if he could trust that I was telling the truth. "Oh, they didn't leave a note or let you know? Someone took my robe." I asked, to which he immediately took the opportunity to jab "or you took someone elses!" Eventually, he let me use the spare key, saying he is "choosing to trust that I am being truthful". I grabbed my stuff and immediately returned the key, however, I left feeling disrespected and undermined.

I understand that these things can be frustrating. I also would think that there would be a system in place for this kind of ordeal, as I'm sure I'm not the first who has their items swiped due to all the robes looking identical. It completely ruined the experience for me, and I no longer feel that I can completely be at ease at Refuge, which is a huge disappointment. I will likely return and hope I do not run into the same rude...