The Spa at Palms — Local services in Spring Valley

First time at Drift, and I went in via a Groupon for $99, which included a 50 minute massage and access to the facility. I made my appointment the evening before, with a gentleman named Shane or Shaun. He rattled off the terms and policies so fast, but was very polite. The spa director graciously allowed me to reschedule the same day, which I greatly appreciated. Upon checking in, you are automatically charged a $28 gratuity fee, which I was NOT told about on the phone when making my appointment. NOT cool. appointment. To top it all off, apparently they forgot to use my Groupon code, so I basically paid for it twice, which I didn't realize until I returned home. Again, NOT very sharp business practices. I probably should have paid more attention, I know, but I was tired and just looking forward to my massage.

The facility is beautiful. The robe and sandals were very comfortable. The only robe size seems to be L, and you are not asked which size you'd like, as they are already in the lockers, which have a digital code to lock and unlock, so no keys. I could have used an XL to be honest. The facility is gender specific, excluding the outdoor pool and the Hammam. The Quiet Room had well appointed, comfy furniture, and many magazines. There were fresh pineapple and cranberry juices, as well as coffee and pre-made hot tea, and water. Fresh apples were in a bowl, and there was granola available to snack on. I was really looking forward to relaxing in the steam room, but it was out of order, and I wish I'd been told so, and I probably would have skipped the appointment altogether. The Hammam, a very large co-ed room, has a much lower temp of steam infused with Eucalyptus, which was very nice. The sauna was very nice, as well as the hot jacuzzi and cold ice pool (VERY cold!). The hot jacuzzi had areas of slipperiness on the concrete lip that you'd normally grab onto with your hands; I din't know if it's mold, mildew or what, but definitely gross. I went outside to use the pool, and honestly it wasn't anything special. VERY overpriced cabanas as well as the cocktails. The bathroom amenities were very nice, including deodorant, body lotion, hair spray, and gel. Hair dryers were also available, but no combs or brushes to be found, which I thought was odd.

The massage itself: upon entering my therapist John (very friendly, btw) advised me it was "light to medium pressure," and any other level I could choose from on a small menu of services. Deep tissue was an extra $30, which I thought was absolutely ridiculous. I opted for the light to medium pressure, which I could barely feel at all. I did not feel more relaxed than before I had arrived. Basically this amount of pressure was akin to someone rubbing lotion on you, and that's it. Seriously. I can see why the need Groupon to help them out, with the weak sauce massage and $28 up front...

service: 5/5 ambiance: 5/5 amenities: 4/5 this review is for the spa at the palms, not the palm’s place. my friends and i booked massages together to celebrate one of their birthdays. upon entry, ariana kindly helped us get checked in. she is personable and friendly, just as the other staff members we encountered. on the 2nd floor is the women’s and men’s separate locker room and amenities including toilets, showers, a hot tub (unfortunately out of order at the time of our visit), a steam room, and sauna. the space felt clean and comforting at the perfect temperature and environmental noise level. i loved the eucalyptus spray they provided to spray during our hot showers. after showering, we went to our massages. my massage therapist, kelly, did such an incredible job at making me feel relaxed and comfortable. her massage felt gentle yet firm and i highly recommend booking with her if possible. after our massages, we relaxed in the coed lounge for a bit where we ate small snacks and continued to use the amenities provided. we stayed until closing but throughout our time the spa attendant never rushed us and remained attentive to our needs and did whatever she could to accommodate our requests down to the last minutes. the only reason i gave 4/5 stars is because i feel that it is more on the smaller and basic side of spas compared to other ones i have gone to in terms of amenities but overall my experience was incredible and we left that place feeling truly relaxed and happy. thank you to all the staff who provided excellent service, attention to detail, and a personable experience that made my friends and i feel grateful for your time. i would...

I just think it's funny that a bunch of people go on a Groupon and have nothing but bad things to say, you are getting a huge discount with Groupon and that cuts into the therapist's pay and you think they are going to be happy about that? The massage and facial technicians do not get paid by the hour they only get paid by the job so you're coming in with your group on and they are ending up with that amount off of their paycheck and on top of that they get no say on whether they accept Groupons or not because it's up to management. I doubt you people are even tipping on the original price. Half of you tip on the discounted price and the other half don't even tip at all. If you want the luxury of a therapist being available for you if and when you need them then a 20% tip is the proper way to go. If you hate the service it's 10%. Also if you're that hard up for money why are you even going to a spa anyway? Make some better life decisions and save your money. I mean you can even go to Chinatown for twenty bucks, but you want to cry about your massage yielding your Groupon. Gtfoh. P.s. deep tissue is extra because it's HARDER WORK FOR THE THERAPIST who is working 10 hr shifts to make you prissy entitled...