Spa At Mandarin Oriental

05/11/09

Very Unfortunate Experience

by gibbles234 at Citysearch

I got my girlfriend a gift card to the spa, thinking she would have the best possible experience here out of all the spas in Manhattan. I am a regular at the Mandarin restaurants and live near the Time Warner Center, so this seemed like an experience I could trust. I can't believe how wrong I was.

Valerie Washington, the spa concierge I bought the gift card from, was extremely helpful, and I have nothing but positive things to say about her. But on the day of her massage, my girlfriend called me stressed out because the front desk told her that there was no money on the card. Of course, I had paid in full a month earlier, so I was taken aback. It was inconvenient enough that an experience that was supposed to be 100% taken care of was turned into one where she suddenly had no idea how to pay for it, but what's worse is that they actually took her credit card and charged her for the service. In effect, my gift had become an expensive burden on my girlfriend's card. I then called up and asked them to immediately switch the charge to my card while they solved their own error. They ended up charging both of our cards and leaving the charges on for a full week, until I spent over an hour on the phone trying to get them to reverse it and even sent an e-mail to the spa director!

Basically, the experience was tarnished quite a bit. When I think about the massage I bought, all I can think of is the awful experience I had constantly calling the manager, Pamela, to get the triple-charged service reduced to just the single charge it should have been. I think my girlfriend said the massage itself was good, but it's not a subject we bring up anymore.

I wouldn't have written this review if they had done anything to make up for the stress I went through and the time I wasted. They said we could use the facilities for a day, but I don't even know if they will follow through on that because the director never mentioned it on her last phone call with me. Something more would have been appreciated. I never write reviews, actually, but felt I had no choice after the poor way this situation was handled.

In short, I cannot recommend this spa. Try the new one at the Plaza instead.

• Pros: Great reputation, Beautiful ambience
• Cons: Poor judgment when it comes to payment

03/02/09

Best Spa in NYC

by JfSantos07 at Citysearch

Aside from the obvious high price-tag this is the BEST spa in NYC. Each service is the best it can be. I've figured out the magic trick that if I want to make my wife happy a gift certificate to this place surpasses almost anything (jewelry aside). Great for guys too.... why can't we look/feel good?

• Pros: Attention to Detail - Convenient
• Cons: Expensive

02/10/08

Best Spa Experience in Manhattan

by newyorkspagal at Citysearch

If you can afford it (or are in the mood to splurge!) the Spa at the Mandarin Oriental is THE most luxurious spa experience in Manhattan. It is on the 35th floor and all of the treatment rooms have incredible views of the city. It is incredibly quiet and tranquil--I didn't hear a sound during my massage, which is a wonderful treat in the noisy city. You are warmly greeted, showed your "itinerary" for the evening, and handed slippers before being led into the changing rooms, which also include the "heat experiences", hot and cold pools and a beautiful sauna. You receive a small ammenity kit to freshen up after your treatments and the locker facilities/lounge are absolutely elegant--fresh orchids stacked between the towels, immaculately clean and well-attended to, etc. My massause, for an 80 minute massage, was exemplary--she barely made a sound during the treatment, was diligent in keeping me gently covered, asked thoughtful questions prior to beginning about my goals, problem areas, etc, and most importantly was warm and kind. This is an expensive spa--$400 all in for an 80 minute massage--but it is far, far superior to other spa experiences I've had around the cityl