The Peninsula Spa

Came here to celebrate a friend’s birthday. We all had different treatments, facials, massages, signature journeys. Everyone thought their treatment was amazing. As a group, we had the use of the facilities for the day. We took a water aerobics class together, lounged on the sun terrace, had lunch and then snacks. The facilities are simply amazing. A hidden gem in NYC, a complete spa experience. Everything was just seamless. Michelle arranged everything for our group and it all came together flawlessly. Eduardo took care of us on the sun terrace. They created an amazing day that we will all remember for quite some time. Well done! We are already planning our next girls day out.

Had a prenatal massage here. From the moment I walked in I had a 5 star experience.
The service was amazing! They didn’t miss a beat, I’ve been to some high end spas that have some things missing that this one didn’t. Slippers in different sizes, shampoo conditioners lotion shavers blow dryers hair necessities like hairspray gel and hair ties …
The snack variety was a bit off (dried fruit isn’t what I consider the best) but I wasn’t there to eat I was there for massage.
On to the massage now, I have had the worst hip pain from the pregnancy, on both sides. The masseuse did wonders. A week later and NO pain. She was so gifted and knowledgeable/​trained in her field. I literally walked out of there feeling like a new person.
The whole experience was perfection. I also enjoyed the pool, maybe two other guests there it was a nice break from the city … I highly recommend, and you do get what you pay for!

This is a solid full service luxury spa in NYC. The facilities are well maintained, serenely decorated, with low ambient lighting. The aroma of eucalyptus scents the air with clean sweetness, while zen music calms the mind. I had a lovely pedicure, though pretty expensive considering the same treatment costs ¼ of the price elsewhere. The massage, on the other hand, was outstanding. It’s rare that a masseuse can make me so relaxed that I drift into a slumber. I had the prenatal massage, which I would totally do again in my third trimester, and this time do the whole 90 minutes, since the 60 minutes just passed too quickly. I usually don’t like massages since I get very ticklish, but Alessandra knew what she was doing. Well groomed, and excellent work. The relaxation and lounge rooms are fantastic, with abundant herbal teas, basil — lime infused water, and healthy snacks to munch on. The only reason why I wouldn’t give this place 5 stars is because the cleaning staff makes way too much noise as they restock and tidy the relaxation rooms. They should wear padded shoes and be very quiet, as people are relaxing.

I had the best facial with Lumi. She enjoys what she does and the head massage was great bonus. Relaxation room was v cozy.

Came here a few weeks ago for a 90 minute hot stone massage and use of their amenities.
This spa is definitely of the top tier category of spa experiences, but they seem to be missing a few minor things that prevented me from giving them a 5 star rating. Overall, it was a good experience and would probably return.
Now I know I’m going to nit-​pick here, but when paying around $ 400 (tax & tip included in this estimate) for a 90 minute spa service, it must be flawless.
The reception is nice but there was no where to sit while you fill out your intake form. There were only two seats, one occupied by a diva and the other occupied by her many 5^th Avenue shopping bags. Standing and filling out an intake form is not relaxing.
The facilities overall are pretty large and spacious. The décor does have a dated ‘90s feel and is in need of some renovations. The men’s locker room is well stocked, but I was a little surprised at the cheap-​o deodorants and shaving cream you can pick up at the local bodega or CVS. I’m thinking something like Kiels or more natural based shaving products would have been more appropriate in this setting and price point.
The swimming pool is located above the spa and has a brilliant view of the midtown buildings. It was not very crowded so its nice to enjoy the pool in peace.
They have a pretty amazing relaxation lounge with beds with down comforters you can rest before or after your massage. It almost feels like being on a first class passenger flight. They have an assortment of fine teas, almonds, dried fruits and coconut water to snack on.
When booking over the phone, the receptionist assured me (I specifically asked for a massage therapist well versed in hot stone massage), that the therapist was good at hot stone. She seemed more concerned over whether I wanted a male of female therapist. I said as long as they do a good job and know what they are doing it didn’t matter.
Fine. I was assigned a male therapist (they didn’t say their name). When it was time for our massage, a very sweet and friendly therapist greeted me. I could tell she was a bit flustered, but very nice and professional. It wasn’t a big deal, until I found out that they assigned her at the last minute to fill some kind of scheduling screw up. Apparently, she had been moved to my appointment from another back-​to-​back massage. I would expect this kind of rushing to fill the appointments at a lower grade spa. The therapist did have a rushed feel to her, though. I can’t blame her though, for management rushing her into a back-​to-​back appointment.
She did an amazing massage, but she only used the hot stones for maybe 10 minutes of the session on my back. I’ve had hot stone massage before and know what to expect. This was definitely not a complete full body 90 minute hot stone — it was however a great and caring massage, but not what I was expecting. Again, this is a front desk screw up not assigning a therapist more versed in hot stone.
Overall we had a great time, especially using their extensive amenities. My only concern really was the scheduling mix up. I’m sure if they sharpen these things up, especially at this price point, it would grant a higher rating.

There is a saying when you experienced bad service, it leaves a bad stain in your mouth forever. And that pretty much summed up my time with the way they handled their customer service.
I bought a $ 800 spa package as a gift, and I sent my company’s messenger to pick up the gift packet in person after confirming it was ready. Apparently, there were some miscommunication with security and the spa frontdesk counter, my courier guy was turned away after waiting 15 – 20 mins and told there was no such payment.
I was only informed shortly after from a call by frontdesk saying there «found» the gift packet and apologize for it.
At this point, my guy had already left and needed to run other courier errands; and I still had to pay him for the task.
I called back to the counter asking to speak to a manager to resolve my issue, was put through several transfers, but ended up speaking to another person on the frontdesk, and this time it was the person that was caused of this situation. She apologized, but in a really rude way, and constantly tried to defend herself before I could finish my sentence. The worse part was when she insisted that it was my courier’s fault for not «waiting long enough» before she could sort the miscommunication between security.
When I offered a resolution settlement for the Spa to send someone to my office to deliver it to me, she snapped and said that is going to incur additional cost for her business, and approval is beyond her level.
Minutes later, she gave me what I offered. Despite so, this entire ordeal could be resolved so easily if I was able to speak to a manager in the first place.
And the fact that, this isn’t the first time happening, I brought something similar last year, and the same problem had surfaced.
It just leaves a really sour impression of not only the spa but the hotel as well, knowing that I’m supposedly paying for a luxury establishment only to be treated with disrespect.

My sister and I went here today for spa treatments, I got the microdermabrasion facial and my sister got a hot stone massage, both 90 min.
The facilities were great they have nice lockers rooms with showers dry sauna and steam room and cold shower. There was an Asian tea lounge that had great tea and a relaxation room with dried fruit nuts and beds that you could adjust and sleep in while you waited for your treatment!!!:)
My facial was done by Hella, she did an amazing job!!! Probably the best facial I have ever had, I really loved the specific attention she took with my skin making sure she examined it first before jumping into the facial and then doing treatment that was great for my skin!!! I feel amazing!!!
My sister felt like butter coming out of her massage!!!
It’s pricey but well worth it!!!:)

Massage was awesome. I liked their steam room. The view by the swimming pool was good. Not crowded.

I was SO excited to finally visit the ESPA and check it off my Spa list. Sadly this was a 2.5 star experience AT BEST. I really was expecting to be wowed and just wasn’t :/
PROS
–very friendly service, everyone from front desk to therapist to locker room attendants was attentive and nice!
–gorgeous (but small) facilities (and the steam room was scented :)
–the pool had a gorgeous view of the city
–double headed showers
–great shower products
–well stocked and spacious locker room
–very clean facilities
CONS
–my massage itself was barely average. Barely. I was happy to ask for adjustments to the pressure and location, but even with guidance I found my massage boring and not very enjoyable. I was disappointed that I paid money for someone to basically poke me with cold fingers for an hour
–no jacuzzi (essential for a spa!)
–the pool is extremely dated and just unimpressive
–small facilities as the sauna barely fits 2 people lying down
–pricey massage, but on par with most NYC establishments
Overall, it was an average experience but I definitely will not be returning due to the massage itself. I feel that other spas that compete with the Peninsula not only have larger/​better facilities, but also have mastered the basics, AKA the massage itself is the star of the visit!

Most amazing spa in experience in New York. The massage was great, and the amenities were as well. I made sure to take advantage of the showers, steam, and relaxation rooms.
This experience was a 5-​star one, but partially because it was a present from one of my friends. I’m not sure how often I would come here on my own dime.

I loved my ESPA experience! I was with a group of ladies for 2 treatments and lunch. The experience exceeded my expectations and is one of the best if not THE best spa experiences I’ve had.
The staff was welcoming, friendly and very accommodating. Did I mention the relaxation room? After a night of one too many cocktails it was just what I needed prior to my treatment. The relaxation room had 4 partitioned off spaces, very private, each with the most heavenly bed. I have never seen a room like this in any spa… amazing.
My first treatment was a hot stone massage with Sasha. I don’t know how she did it… but she knew exactly what I needed. It wasn’t like other hot stone massage… she added deep tissue as well.
My facial was with Lucy. She is very knowledgeable and really educated me about my skin and how to take care of it. My skin felt brand new afterwards.
A great experience… I will be back!

Nice and luxurious, plenty of the usual treatments on offer. The deep tissue massage is my favorite, I say go for it.
I like leaving here and going for a cocktail in the bar in the hotel. There are few ways to top a day off!

Husband and I came here for couple’s treatments– massage and scrub, plus one hour relaxation time in the couple’s suite, and lunch at the pool.
We arrived early to run in the gym. Gym was nice. Lots of water and towels, beautiful views. No fans on the treadmills, fortunately I was planning on washing my hair after.
The customer service is outstanding. The facilities are very nice. The women’s locker/​sauna/​shower room was very well maintained, but not very big. I’ve visited quite a few hotel spas in Asia with better facilities in the locker rooms– like pools and baths and such. This place has dry sauna, wet sauna, and showers.
The couple’s suite was absolutely amazing! Shower/​steam, huge tub with LED lights, ect… Tons of towels, robes, slippers.
The massage was pretty good. The scrub was. more gentle than I’m used to. If you like serious, Korean-​style scrubs, this is not the scrub for you.
The relaxation room is amaze, nicest one I’ve ever seen, anywhere.
After treatments, we had lunch by the pool. The pool is small and a little run down, so we didn’t swim in it. We were told the lunch was a bento, so I was expecting Japanese food. It’s American food, served in a bento. And it wasn’t that good.
Whatever, though. All in all, we had a great time. I would return there for massage. So to recap– if you are accustomed to the amazing hotel spa facilities in Asia, you won’t be too impressed with this place. But for Americans, it’s a pretty nice spa.

If you are looking for a way to cope with the dead of winter, this is the remedy. The facilities are fastidiously maintained by polite, friendly staff. Lunch at their indoor pool was delicious, and when you book a spa service, you can stay and enjoy their facilities all day. My friend and I liked it so much that we decided we’d try to make this an annual splurge «staycation» day for us. It’s worth it!

The spa is located at the 21^st floor on 700 Fifth Avenue. I could not wait to dive into the glass-​enclosed pool on the 23^rd floor. The pool is 42 feet (13 meters) long and the temperature was perfect, not too cold, not too warm. I was the only one swimming in the gorgeous pool in a Tuesday afternoon.
I headed down to the shower room then the Thermal Experiences. It was an enclave with dark gold and black mosaic tiles: Finnish sauna, ice fountain and experience shower. Before the massage I took a break at the Relaxation Room. It was a room with four adjustable massage beds. The fluffy and weighted Frette comforter cradled me while I enjoyed the Zico coconut juice. William came to welcome me to the Therapy Room.
He was a gem! I am quite experienced with different massages and he knew human body and had strong hands. He quickly found my trouble spots and went down vertebrate by vertebrate. It hurt a little bit, but the kind of hurt you know your body likes. He worked some magic on my neck, which not many people ventured or even successfully fixed my neck problem. I was very pleased with my deep tissue massage with William.
Full review:

it is worth mentioning that within 24 hours of Espa receiving a letter of complaint, the week day management staff (who were much more pleasant and responsive than the weekend staff) reached out to personally apologize for the way that I was treated. along with their apology, they offered another pre-​natal massage at a later date. they also gave me two full day passes to use their facilities.

This is definitely not an everyday experience, partly because I could never afford it and partly because it is totally out of this world. I struggled to be at peace with the price point ahead of time, but it is totally worth it.
Here’s the quick info you must know:
1) The 90-​min deep tissue massage with Margaret was fantastic. She helped me to select appropriate aromatherapy and seemed to figure out all the pain points even though it was her first time working on me. She was engaging, professional, and highly skilled.
2) You’re encouraged to arrive 60 min before your treatment to enjoy the steam, sauna, and relaxation room. What they have here that I haven’t seen elsewhere is a relaxation room that is more than just a room with dim lighting. You get your own personal «cocoon» which is an adjustable bed with that envelopes your body. I highly recommend spending time here AFTER your massage to extend that state of super relaxation.
3) The fitness center is motivating thanks to the view. Running on a treadmill 22 floors above the street looking out onto 55^th St towards the Hudson is thrilling. There’s ample gratis bottled water, chilled towels, and fruit.

Minus 1 star for crazy expensive, but perhaps that is just NYC. and plus 1 star b/​c of GREAT service. and such a BIG spa with LOTS of cool extras.
Started with taking the elevator to the 21^st floor. Gorgeous lobby with beautiful flowers that weren’t smelly.
reception area with very friendly helpful, made you feel like a VIP reception b/​c she had a walkie talkie and had to ask someone if it was OK to take you back. Was taken through the door to the ladies area/​suite — where there were 3 private showers, a big shower but no door. sauna, steam, full size lockers with robe and fluffy slippers. Closet with extra work out clothes! and towels. and non fluffy plastic slippers.
room temp water, cold water and all you can eat apples, nuts, dried fruit
a relaxation room for before or after a treatment with 3 beds you could just lie there. comfy, quiet, beautiful
massage by Sasha was AMAZING! she comes from a family of massage therapists — her grandmother and mother all were massage therapists. and she has been getting massage from them her whole life. She was GREAT and hopefully you all won’t book her b/​c then she will be booked when I am in NYC. Great at deep tissue and working areas that I needed worked. Very sensitive to my don’t like smelly oils, allergic to eucalyptus. Very therapeutic massage. LOVED it. came out floating and well massaged.
i would come here all the time. just pricey… but once in awhile…
minor suggestions for improvement:
I prefer the fluffier robes, but they had the yukata (summer cotton cloth ones) which might be better for massage b/​c less gooey when you are covered with oil?
crazy jacked up shower, didn’t have a door. so no one used it. get a door or curtain so we can use it?
didn’t like that men/​women wait in same area. had to worry about crossing legs/​etc given nudity under robes?
wished there were views of the city from the waiting area– but perhaps that would remind us of the city and stress us out

As the second reviewer of the place (why aren’t there more reviews???), I wholeheartedly agree with Deborah H. This place is amazing.
I’ve been here multiple times, mostly for massages, sometimes for a facial, and every single time I have been whisked away into a state of calm and relaxation.
Locker rooms: Top notch, especially the steam, sauna, and amazing shower they have in there.
Lounge: Ok, so they have a lounge and they also have a relaxation type room with chairs that recline almost into beds and snacks and coconut water. It”s quite nice. I try to use that room as much as possible when I’m there
Massages: Every massage I’ve had here has been great. I’ve ranged from the deep tissue type to really get at my knots, to a more relaxing massage that has zoned me out.
Facials: Really nice. She was very diligent on extractions and even noticed which side of my head I used my cell phone, as it was more «congested» there. And, they used a UV light thing to show me my skin… scary but informative.
I highly recommend if you’re looking to paper yourself and escape bustling New York City. Plus, it’s right on 5^th ave so you can go shopping afterwards too!
You can’t go wrong with this place, as long as you can afford it.

I’m resurrecting my Unilocal account for this place. That should tell you how incredible it is.
The last two months have been extremely demanding in terms of flying, jet lag, lugging a million pounds of luggage, etc. I had some lower back pain from all this (I sound like I’m 65 don’t I?) and remembered the all-​expenses-​paid one-​hour treatment gift certificate tucked at the back of my desk. I called and emailed the spa, asked some questions about the massage types, and made an appointment for the next afternoon for the deep-​tissue massage. It was a weekday, so I don’t know if it’s more difficult to make appointments on weekends.
I was a little disappointed that I didn’t have access to ALL the facilities (pool and gym) since they are reserved for the 90+ minute treatments. I still went about half an hour early to use the shower, steam room, and sauna, which were all immaculate and luxurious, as expected. At massage time, I plodded into the waiting room in my plushy slippers and robe, and was greeted by my massage therapist, Willy.
Willy. Was. Amazing. After spending about 15 minutes on my lower back, all the stress and pain literally melted away. Then he simply TOUCHED my shoulders and exclaimed «Wow, you clench your jaw don’t you.» First time a massage therapist has EVER been able to deduce that. FROM A TOUCH. He had gone through similar health issues, so gave me tons of advice, and asked if he could spend the remaining time on my upper back (instead of moving onto limbs, etc). I agreed happily. This chat took no more than five minutes; he was completely cognizant of talking too much and interrupting the massage experience.
45 minutes of bliss later, I rose from the massage bed, COMPLETELY and utterly relaxed and with a newfound understanding of jaw clenching and the understanding that, yes, I would be returning and shelling out $ 195 (+tip) of my own cash to see him again.
Following the massage, Willy took me to the «resting room», which consisted of super comfy beds, snacks, and drinks. I couldn’t spend much time here but would have loved to take a nap.
Next time (there will be a next time), I will arrive even earlier to spend more time in the steam and sauna, and make sure I have time to nap afterward.
Oh, they provide most toiletries (razor, shampoo, conditioner, body lotion, hair stuff, spray deodorant, hair dryer) in the locker room but make sure you bring your own facial lotion, SPF, and toothbrush, if you need those items.