Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg — Restaurant in Winnipeg

From the moment we arrived, we were met with an unwelcoming demeanor from the staff, who appeared disinterested in acknowledging us. This was unexpected, as our global spa experiences, including those in Winnipeg, have always started with a warm welcome. Unfortunately, this was not the case at Thermea. The staff seemed visibly annoyed that we were in line for assistance.

Upon entering the changing rooms, I was met with complete disarray. The space was overcrowded, and my assigned locker was inconveniently located in a high-traffic area. As I attempted to access my locker, a staff member collided with me while pushing a large black laundry bin, striking me forcefully with the bin. When I reported this incident to the front desk and requested a new locker, they responded with excuses about the locker assignment process and barely acknowledged the situation. The second locker provided was situated in a cramped corner with at least ten other women trying to change. It took approximately 15 minutes just to gain access to it. My partner also experienced similar chaos in the changing room, ultimately abandoning his belongings quickly to escape the overcrowded space.

When I finally emerged, I hoped the worst of the chaos was behind me, but unfortunately, it persisted throughout the facility. Every space—the steam rooms, saunas, relaxation areas, nap rooms, and pools—was overrun with loud, disruptive guests. No staff were present to enforce the expected quiet atmosphere.

In the eucalyptus steam room, for instance, a couple engaged in a loud and heated conversation, ignoring other guests’ reminders about the silent-room policy. We left and proceeded to the dry sauna, only to encounter the same issue: loud chatter and disruptive laughter. Hoping for a respite, we attended a class, but even there, guests continued talking throughout the session, despite the teacher’s presence and reminder that it was a silent class. Strangely, the instructor did not even address the interruptions, even when guests were speaking directly in front of her.

Seeking a quieter environment, we moved to the pool area, only to be met with groups of visibly intoxicated individuals loudly conversing, with wine glasses scattered around and feet propped near the pool edge directly near our faces. Frustrated, I approached the front desk and requested staff intervention. The attendant appeared annoyed and said she would notify the manager, but no action was taken.

Our attempts to find solace in the nap rooms were also unsuccessful. The space was filled with disruptive groups, including loud, giggling individuals repeatedly triggering the automatic doors and arguing couples. There was no place on-site that offered peace or quiet.

The lack of cleanliness of the spa was alarming. Both pools had countless wine glasses and paper cups propped at the sides, accumulating snow and cms away from falling into the pool, or worse causing injury. One staff member was even seen fishing garbage out of one of the pools.

Toward the end of our visit, an employee (Tess) randomly approached us to inquire about our experience. We hesitantly shared our concerns, including the persistent noise and lack of staff intervention, to which she suggested we should have done our part and notified staff “in the moment.” This was particularly disheartening, as we had done so multiple times. Tess offered to provide vouchers as a gesture of goodwill, which gave us a glimmer of hope that the night might end on a positive note.

When we met Tess however, she appeared to have forgotten us claiming she didn’t recognize us, as we apparently looked different from 30 minutes earlier. She quickly jotted down our names and a vague summary of our feedback, handed us a card for further comments, and dismissed us.

This entire experience left us disillusioned and resolved never to return to Thermea. The lack of organization, disregard for guest concerns, and absence of a serene atmosphere fundamentally contradicted what one expects from a...

I likely won’t be back unless something changes drastically with the overbooking and overcrowding situation. The service and experience has definitely gone downhill over the years.

What used to be a lovely place to have a relaxing and rejuvenating experience is now a loud, overcrowded, expensive public pool experience.

The price has jumped drastically over the past few years, but nothing has been added to the experience, and the service and experience itself has declined.

My last visit was on a Monday afternoon. We arrived and the parking lot was full. At check-in we were told customers were allowed phones in the facility as long as you didn’t take photos and videos. Many customers did not follow this guideline which was quite annoying.

The women’s change room was insanely crowded and messy. I felt I literally had to climb over other customers to get to my tiny locker to change. The locker area my locker was in was directly to the left as you walk in the front entry. The spot has about 48 lockers with floor space about the size of a living room coffee table. There was barely room for the small bench they had in there. The area was so small and had no where to set your bag down. The bench was being used by another customer and again, was so small only her stuff would fit. She apologized and tried to make room for me, but there was just no space to do so. It seemed other areas in the change room were the same way. I also noticed that it was messy with paper cups and towels piled on the floor.

The pools and saunas were so overcrowded and loud. It was hard to find a place in the hot pool, and we could never get a spot in the relaxation lounge. In our 4.5 hour visit, we could not experience one ritual in the dry sauna as it was too crowded.

We were able to experience the dry sauna between rituals, but the staff in the towel room were so loud. We could hear them discussing their weekend and could hear them laughing. Didn’t make for the most relaxing experience and seemed very unprofessional.

The hot pool during our visit was labeled as being at 102. I can confidently say that it was not. We overheard other people commenting on how the hot pool was not hot. We found the temperate pool to be warmer. We alerted staff but not sure what the outcome was as the temperature stayed the same throughout our 4.5 hour visit.

I could not believe how loud fellow patrons were. I found it so distracting and not relaxing at all. Staff did walk around with a chime and a sign that said “shhhhhhh”” but that really didn’t do anything.

I feel that the level of professionalism in the staff here has declined greatly. The overcrowding and overbooking is real, even on weekdays. I wish management would actually address these complaints rather than suggesting people visit at different times. The vibes are just not relaxing and customers are fed up. Something needs to be done with the booking system. All the problems would be solved by limiting the number of people in there. It seems the company has lost sight of the vision they had when they opened this place.

The one redeeming quality of this visit was the food and service in the restaurant. The food was very tasty, service very friendly, and frankly the most relaxing part of our visit (which like nice, but disappointing at the same time).

I know this place can be better, as I have experienced it better, but the bang for my buck with my last experience was just not there. I’m not sure I’ll be returning anytime soon (if at all), and will likely not recommend this place to anyone wanting a truly relaxing, therapeutic experience that...

I visited Thermea for a relaxing solo spa day in August 2023 on a Friday. I arrived at 10 am and throughout the day, the spa was not super busy and there were plenty of areas to relax without being surrounded by people. You are required to make a reservation online ahead of time and then scan in when you arrive and then receive a wristband to access the locker (where there is a towel and robe).

The Aufguss sauna rituals were my favourite part of my visit! They occur every hour on the hour in the Finlandia sauna. The gong will sound five minutes before the ritual is set to begin as a reminder to head to the sauna. I would highly recommend participating in at least one of these! I attended three rituals - one was the Arboreal (which used branches to wave the steam around) - and two discovery rituals. Each one was unique and personalized with the essential oils used on the snowballs and the artisan’s towel/branch waving techniques and choreographed moves. It was amazing to watch and breathe in the essential oil scents, while feeling the intense heat and steam wash over you. After each ritual, it’s recommended to go to the cold plunge which felt exhilarating!

I completed the thermal cycle numerous times during my six hour visit - hot, cold, relax and repeat. I loved the hot tub pool, the vapour steam saunas (eucalyptus and orange oils), the exfoliation area, indoor relax room with peaceful music and ergonomic tiled benches beside a fire, and the Barik barrel sauna.

The grounds at the spa are gorgeous and I love the natural landscaping with prairie plants, rocks and grasses around the pools. There are infused water stations in the saunas and herbal tea in the relax room. You can find fire pits and chairs around the property for relaxing and a cute treed beach area with a boardwalk path, sand, lots of lounging chairs, a place to order wood fired pizzas and drinks, hammocks, day beds and a misting area.

The restaurant has lots of indoor seating in the dining rooms with nice views and there is outdoor patio seating as well. I ordered the Sweet Potato Farmer’s Feast Bowl and an Orange Blossom Sangria which were incredible and flavourful!! You don’t need to bring your wallet as the restaurant scans your locker bracelet which automatically charges your credit card.

Being at Thermea feels like you’ve been transported to Scandinavia. It’s peaceful, calming and beautiful. The property is surrounded by trees and on the curve of the Red River and doesn’t feel like you’re in the middle of the city at all. It’s a perfect place to unwind, slow your pace, and be in the present moment.

I recommend bringing a book and water bottle with you in the spa (you can hang your bag on one of the many hooks around the pools).

My only complaint about my Thermea experience is the parking lot. It’s gravel and filled with huge potholes. You’d think they’d be able to maintain the parking area or pave it to offer a more enjoyable experience getting to and...