Tova Day Spa At the Fairmont Hotel

I went to Tova Spa for the first time for a much needed facial. My facial was superb! Selena really took the time to listen to my needs and analyze my skin. My skin felt and looked amazing afterwards. I walked out of there with such soft, hydrated skin and absolutely not one blackhead left on my face! Not to mention the amazing facial massage that was so relaxing! I booked my hubby an appt for next week (he doesn’t know it yet lol). I’m definitely going back !

Best place to go in San Jose! Everywhere else was booked and I received a 5 star massage!

I was expecting a better experience for a spa that is located inside the «Fairmont hotel». This spa isn’t horrible but it’s not a luxurious spa that you can spend a whole day at.
If you are thinking about just getting a massage and/​or facial this place is fine BUT if you want to spend a few hours just hanging out and relaxing then this isn’t the place.
The pros:
Deep tissue massage was great.
The cons:
The hot tub is small and located next to the womens locker room. It is co-​ed.
The sauna is like a small walk in closet.
They only provide ice cold water and apples. There isn’t any tea which was dissapointing.
The lounge isn’t a lounge. You can’t lay back and enjoy your time with a cup of tea. The lounge consists of large chairs lined up and a few magazines. Not a relaxing room at all.

I called for an appointment 2 days before and was surprised to easily obtain a massage in the window I wanted. That’s nearly unheard of in the area. I was a little skeptical, but we were staying in the Fairmont and I had a gift card for Tova Day Spa.
Signage inside the hotel made it super easy to find the spa. I was immediately greeted, given a key and pointed to the general direction of the locker room and where I’d be «picked up» for my massage.
The facility is very small. I think there were two cubby-​hole steam rooms, saunas, and showers total. There’s a large co-​ed hot tub in between the locker rooms. The «quiet room» is a bunch of over-​sized chairs in a dimmed room where you just wait to be picked up. Ken came to get me and we went upstairs which was a little odd — but I guess given the space, made sense. The massage table was heated which was nice and the massage itself was great.
I don’t know that I’ll return given other options in the city, but if I were staying at the Fairmont, I think it’s a solid option.

Since I can’t edit, I’ll just add the comment I meant to include on the first review. The one star was taken away for the shredded and slightly burned towel I pulled from shelves in the locker room. That should have never made it out of the laundry room for a guest to use! It’s the Fairmont so I expect they hold themselves to a higher standard.

NO NO NO DON’T GO!! So i had a couples massage with my husband for my birthday. .ugh.the massage therapist breathe smelled like raw onions as she whispered closely to my nostrils.ugh.i asked to not have my scalp rubbed and to have my shoulders and upper back focused on. She started to rub my scalp… messing up my hair .had to tell her to stop… then she pushed in the back of my neck for 5 minutes. .wasting my time. .then started to rub my face? Placed the towel on my fave and hair again and i couldn’t breathe had to all her to remove it. .i was so mad… i wanted to sit up and leave
.but i didn’t want to med up my husbands massage since it looked great… she never asked about the pressure. she never have me any pressre. hot towels was her friend until they got cold on me!! never wished me a happy birthday. .didn’t have slippers in my locker… front desk lady apologized for my bad experience and then charged my husband full price for that pretend massage.
Ugh​.im mad all over again writing this! !TERRRIBLE…TERRIBLE!

Horrible management, customer service and absolutely horrible experience!
First, i have to say i have never given any rating under 4 stars on Unilocal,this is a first.
I called ahead of time to ask if i could use my gift cards ($ 400 worth) from the previous location. The girl at the front desk said absolutely.
I get there and have about $ 500 in services done. When i go to the front to pay, they tell me i can’t use the gift cards.
I was absolutely mortified. The entire experience was ruined. I came there to get away, to relax. It’s horrible that they can do this to people, i felt robbed. I was told i could use the gift cards, otherwise i would have never came in. I was expecting to pay the $ 100 difference that i didn’t have in gift cards. Also, I planned on tipping 20%.
The receptionist got her manager and the woman said she would give me a fantastic deal of 10% off. It’s such a horrible feeling to felt that taken advantage of. This experience was meant to be relaxing, fun and overall enjoyable. Unfortunately, the manager didn’t take responsibility for her employee telling me one thing and not being able to accommodate her statement. This was clearly a training issue and the manager made the customer take on the repercussion.
This was horrible customer service and i will never be returning. I filed a BBB complaint because the woman did force me pay. Again, i have never felt so taken advantage of and robbed of my money. There are much better places in the area to get massages and have the wonderful customer service experience that you should be getting for the amount of money you are paying.

*Worst Experience*. I came for a deep tissue massage before a week long meeting. It’s hard to even describe what type of massage I received but it was NOT a deep tissue and hands down the worst massage of my life.
She used excessive amount of oil all over my body that it was literally dripping down my sides, extremely rapid rubbing and pinching of my skin. By the time I was done I was so upset and worked up. I did not say anything during my massage because my wife and I were doing a couples massage. She was getting the right type of massage and I don’t want to disturb her experience.
To top it off I did send a very detailed message about my experience to management and never heard anything back. Don’t waste your money here. There are better Spa’s in the area

Complete disappointment! This spa is marketed to male and female, but actually is really only equipped for women. At the time I booked this massage I asked for a male therapist, I was told they had plenty of openings over the next two days but no male therapists on staff either day. The advertising and brochures in the hotel room state they have a hot tub, sauna and steam room. This is what is really available to men: A co ed above ground jacuzzi (the kind you buy at home depot or costco) in the hallway. A portable two person sauna in the corner of the locker room. This is what really got me… the steam room is only for women because it is located in the women’s locker room!!! Extremely disappointing, I feel scammed out of $ 200. Part of going to a spa is not only for the massage but the amenities as well. As far as it goes for men this does not exist here! I mentioned it to the person at the check in desk and got «Im sorry, I will tell my manager»

The locker room is very small, but as always had a great massage! Have been 6 times at least!

I had some great experience with one of their facial specialists (it’s a shame I don’t remember her name) because, she was listening to me and she knows what she is doing. Very sensible and she even remember my name when I visited again 3 month later. I loved her treatment a lot, so this time, I brought my sister there and got a facial again and we had new specialists. My sister got what she wanted and she was okay, but my massager was just horrible. I told her my skin is so sensitive, so I don’t put makeup stuff at all (actually I don’t even use BB or CC cream and lipsticks because they always give me skin problems, I only use Eucerin skincare products which my dermatologist recommended) but she didn’t even listen to me and keep asking me to upgrade to micro from aroma therapy. She kept saying «Trust me, you will love it.!!» I finally accepted her recommendation because she talked too much which was quite annoying and I just wanted to stop it. So I got the skincare and it totally ruined my skin. My skin gets itches every time I try to put something on and got so delicate. So, if you wanna go to this place please stick on what you have decided. You know you are the one who know your skin. Don’t get any their recommendations. If you are lucky, you will get an amazing therapy just like I got at the first couple times, but some of them are just trying to sell expensive stuff.

I brought my mom here with me to have her first full body massage. We both loved it. It was a beautiful relaxing spa, and our therapist were both amazing. I’ll definitely come here again the next time I am staying in the Fairmont.

I just got a facial from Tova and a massage from Kathleen– AMAZING! Tova was so knowledgeable and comforting. Her suggestions made my skin look fabulous! Kathleen’s massage was relaxing and she did a great job getting to my stubborn knots from stress. I am coming back tomorrow! And I will be back again soon!

I had the most amazing deep tissue massage with Olga. She applies the perfect amount of pressure and has a technique like no other. Great experience!

I have had many massages and been to some high end spas, however Olga is the best massage therapist I have experienced. Right pressure and fabulous technique.

I almost didn’t go here because of the mixed reviews. I like to form my own opinions, so I decided to give this place a shot. I am so glad that I did! I started with a deep tissue massage with Kathleen and it was amazing! The pressure was perfect and she was a true professional. You can tell off the bat that she loves what she does. Following the massage I had a sea salt scrub done. This was my first scrub ever so I was super nervous as I had no clue what it actually entailed. Again, Kathleen was awesome! And the sea salt scrub was even better than the massage. The only reason I didn’t give this place 5 stars is because it is a bit on the small side (for the price). Other than that its was a great after work getaway for some «mommy time». I will for sure be back!

I had a great experience at Tova’s. It’s a beautiful space in Fairmont hotel that offers all kinds of services. I went in for a massage, their signature massage called hot Poultice (it’s sort of a little bag filled with some aroma oils and herbs and stuff and they massage you with it, and you get to keep it). It was superb! It was a 105 min massage which i fell asleep in. I really liked my masseuse. I got to enjoy their steam room as well which was very nice and I stewed a bit in the jacuzzi too. Overall yey for a good time at the spa!

Wow! What an incredible experience! The spa was amazing, the people were personable and professional. And my skin never looked better! It took 10 years away. I got the anti-​age facial and micro derm abrasian treatment. I couldn’t believe it was me afterwards. Neither could my boyfriend! Thanks Tova!

Visited this spa as a hotel guest. Terrible experience. I called to book a spray tan. The woman sounded hesitant, put me on hold while she «checked on something» and then said they could accommodate me. Great! I arrived 10 minutes before my appointment. Was checked in and told to sit in the waiting area. Would have been nice to have been offered a robe or just a glass of water or something, since this is supposed to be an actual spa and charges like it, but no big deal.
About 15 minutes later, I was collected from the waiting area and brought to the treatment room. This was the first sign that something was actually off. It was a tiny room with a bed where they obviously do facials. «Umm… are we going to do the spray tan in here? Or am I just supposed to get changed in here?», I asked. «Oh, yeah… see, it’s not actually a spray tan,» she replied, «It’s a foam that we apply to your body.» Huh? How is it possible that nobody told me that when I made the appointment? Or when I checked in 20 minutes ago? It says «airbrush tanning» on their spa menu, by the way.
At this point I almost walked out, and I wish I had. But I was attending a wedding that evening and wanted some color, and it was too late to try to book elsewhere. She assured me the «results are great!» So I figured hey, this is a pricey spa in a nice hotel. I’m sure they do a good job…
False.
It was the most awkward, terrible «tan» experience I’ve ever had. No dimming of lights. Was asked to lay down naked on the table under bright lights while she smeared tanning foam on me with rubber gloves. Neat. Kept my underwear on, obviously, but I had to ask for a towel to cover my chest. When I requested it, she suggested that I just keep my bra on instead. Umm… strapless dress tonight… probably don’t want «tan lines» from a freaking fake tan (or for my bra to be covered in «foam»).
I expressed my disappointment to the woman who applied the tanning foam that I felt this was really a bait and switch for someone who had booked and expected a spray tan. I also expressed concern because she basically only took a few pumps of the foam to cover my full body. It was clear that there wasn’t really enough coverage to do anything but she swore that the tan would develop over the next 2 – 3 hours. (It was barely noticeable even a full 24 hours after treatment and was a complete waste of money.)
By then I just wanted to get out of there. I went to check out and the woman who did my «tan» had obviously given the manager a heads up that I was unhappy because the manager was waiting for me at the desk. To apologize for a negative experience? Nope! To argue with me about it! She immediately went on defense (I hadn’t even said a word to her about it) and claimed that the foam was «the best one on the market!» and that they actually sell it in the spa if I’d like to take some with me.
I literally laughed at her at that point. Really? Suggestive selling a product I was pissed about to begin with? I don’t think so. I left a generous tip for the woman who did my treatment, because I didn’t actually feel that the situation was her fault, it was management’s fault. But you can be sure I will never return to this terrible «spa» and would encourage others to avoid it! Pretty disappointing to find in a Fairmont.

*****May 11– 5 stars*****
Had my very first facial with Tara. She was fantastic! I enjoyed the experience greatly and she even had some product recommendations for my problem skin on my back and was able to explain why my skin was going nuts after starting bioidentical hormone therapy a few months ago. She gave me hope that within the next six months my skin should improve and normalize. I highly recommend you go see her.
*return visit for shellac manicure May 14* 1 star rating:
I loved my first visit so I returned to have a manicure done a few days later. The manicurist was extremely nice and I really liked her, HOWEVER, the «manicure» was bad. It wasn’t really a manicure. My cuticles still look terrible and the shellac is pooled in my nail beds. I would’ve done a better job myself! Let me add that this manicure cost $ 65!!! I should’ve gone to the little place down the road that charged me $ 20 for the best pedicure I’ve ever had! Very disappointed in the salon services. I would go back to have it fixed but I’m leaving town today.
Summary: spa is great– salon is way overpriced and not very good manicurists.