The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Washington DC

Best spa experience yet! My husband and I visited this spa for our anniversary. After having gone to Red Door and Bliss, the Spa at Mandarin Oriental is by far my favorite!
Upon arrival, we were greeted with hot washcloths and peppermint tea. After a tour of the showers, relaxation pool, steam room, and relaxation lounge, I went straight to the relaxation lounge. I got to relax on the chaise lounge chair, with a book, and my own personal reading light. The fruit infused water was delicious and refreshing.
Once I got into the treatment room, the lighting was adjusted to my color preference, and a couple of the products for my facial were chosen based on my preference. Everything was about relaxation and comfort. My therapist asked how I liked the room temperature, the bed temperature, etc. I loved that the facial is longer than most other spas. It never seemed as though the therapist was rushed in any way. My anti-​aging facial came with a head, neck, and shoulder massage, as well as a foot massage. When it was over, my robe was given back to me nice and toasty warm. Seriously, the little touches were noticeably pleasant.
Once my facial was complete, my therapist walked me back to the relaxation room and got me settled, complete with a bolster under my knees and a nice little tuck in with a blanket. Not sure how long I dozed off for, but it was great!
After showering, I headed to the reception area. As soon as I walked through the door, the receptionist greeted me by name without hesitation. She remembered my name and who I was – nice touch!
I loved every minute of this experience and will definitely return. I highly recommend this spa!

Amazing! Heaven! Wow! This is my first time coming to this spa but had heard wonderful things. I tried the oriental essence massage. It was the best massage I have had a in a very long time and I love massages. The service of the staff from the moment I walked into the hotel was first class! The spa is beautiful, relaxing, pristine, with plenty of amenities. My therapist was Marie and she was wonderful and very attentive. I left the spa feeling completely relaxed and refreshed and sad it was all over. It was splurge but absolutely worth it! I will be coming back for more!!!

I took our best friend here for a spa birthday. What an absolute GONG-​SHOW!!!
Let me first start by saying I am a frequent spa patron. In fact, we were just at the spa at the Salamander in Middleburg VA and if you want to compare and contrast the experience, I would offer that the Spa at the Mandarin is the equivalent of getting a massage on NE East DC’s 295 highway — and that is with 295 always under construction. So let me be clear, the Mandarin an utter DISASTER area.
It’s overbooked, under attended, poorly managed and ultimately disinterested in doing right by their customers. So Mandarin… You asked for ALL of this.
If I can save one poor sap the experience of losing $ 600 at this dump, my day will be made.
From start to finish, the spa was over-​booked and over-​crowded. They had an entire bridal party consuming EVERY inch of the spa. And let me tell you, between the drunk-​chick bridesmaid cackling, to not conveying that the entire spa was a giant construction zone, to ensuring their half-​assed management and therapists had no concept on what services we were contracted for… so the staff would interrupt every service to «confirm with the front desk». This robbed us of our time. Lastly the entire check-​in process being completely botched because they could not properly fit our robes, size our slippers, then the attendant would mysteriously vanish, leaving me with a postage stamp for my man-​scaped nether-​regions for 15 minutes.
I even called the management asking for a refund of ONLY half of the service because I could not in good faith ask for a complete refund. Like I said, $ 600 for a complete smishmortion of an experience.
Just make sure you know what this joint is capable of. IT’s A FULL-​BLOWN RIP OFF.

I was a bit wary of the reviews posted to try the spa at Mandarin Oriental. However, I just had the best massage ever with Theressa. She really took personal interest in helping me relax and was absolutely awesome. I selected the oriental essence massage and was not disappointed. If this review was just of Theressa, I would give her five stars. But, during the treatment another spa employee opened the door to our treatment room (likely thinking it was empty). I assumed when I mentioned it to the staff on the way out, they would be a bit more apologetic. Not a huge deal at all — just surprised. Will definitely go back and ask for Theressa!

This spa is absolutely wonderful and meets all expectations.
They are very professional and clean.
I got the hot stone massage and it was so relaxing.
I will definitely be back.

so not worth it. it is not like other mandarin oriental. this is really a shame to its name.
the place is not that great, the staff are just so not nice nor friendly nor helpful. i would not come back. go see the one in las vegas and the ones in asia. those are what mandarin oriental should be like.

Not worth it for the hefty price tag. My mom took me here for a relaxing day at the spa before my wedding but we both left feeling less than relaxed.
Of the hour and twenty minute massage I would say about half of it was made up. She kept taking my limbs and jiggling them. It was awkward, to say the least. She also put massage oil in my hair, not okay. For most of the massage I thought she was going to dislocate my shoulder. The next day I was really sore.
Would not go back.

This spa was such a disappointment. My husband booked it for Mother’s Day. I’ve had 8 or 9 massages in the past few years and have experienced budget friendly massages, splurges and the in-​betweens. The hourly price of this spa, as well as the descriptions on their website, lead me to believe I would be getting one of the best ever.
The valet guys were extremely friendly and told me to get the ticket validated at the spa so it would cost $ 11 instead of $ 22-​$ 40. They were right!
When I arrived, it was dark, quiet and smelled nice. The lady at the desk was extremely nice, validated my valet ticket and brought me a tiny tea and rubber sandals that were roughly a size 10 wide, they were huge and squeaky and I was glad to take them off. I changed into my robe and waited in the «Relaxation Lounge» where there was ice water, hot water for tea and some apples. Meh… not impressed.
Brandie was my massage therapist and I had high hopes for the whole experience. Right away we determined that since I like a stronger shoulder massage, it’d cost an extra $ 15 for the «upgrade». I’ve never had to pay extra for a little more strength, I’m a size 0 so it’s not like she had to really «get in there» to get to my muscles. And I certainly would imagine that $ 150 for 50 minutes would include a little extra pressure in my shoulders!
I picked out an oil that smelled good and Brandie asked a few questions. Did I like the blue light? Did I want to feel energized or sleepy? When she began to massage me, I quickly realized that we weren’t on the same wavelength. I asked for more pressure, I pointed out areas of tension that I had noted on my chart… I kept waiting for that magical feeling and relaxation but it never came. Not once. I didn’t even doze off, which was a first for me.
She did weird things like pinching the back of my ankle and skin around my right knee cap over and over (only the right). The hand massage was a pinching of four of my fingers on my left hand and she never did the right. My feet didn’t even get rubbed. WTF? I kept waiting for a foot massage but she wouldn’t leave my thighs and calves alone. It was so bizarre. I wasn’t even relaxing, I was just waiting and waiting for the good parts to come.
When she finished with my legs and moved back to my upper body, I was relieved and thought that she’d finally get around to my shoulders. She made a *lot* of moves up and down along my spine, though I had noted neck and shoulders on my chart. Again with the waiting for her to finally do my shoulders and neck…
She massaged around my clavicles. She rubbed my lower skull. She stretched my arms. She even ran her fingers along my shoulder blade and then moved to my lower armpit. When I mentioned all the tension in my SHOULDERS she ran her hand over my shoulder blade (HUGE knots) but didn’t acknowledge that I’d said something and she never went back to my shoulders. I wanted to cry :(:(:(
The last nail in the coffin was when she put a hot towel over my feet at the VERY end and I thought «Well, hell, at least I’ll get that foot rub now!» She proceeded to pull my body downwards by my feet, removed the towel, and banged a small gong to signify the «massage» was over. Then I just laid there wide awake while she washed her hands, fluffed my robe, put my shoes on a tray, organized a tray of the products she’d used, put a flower on my phone, made me a glass of water and put everything away. I was thinking «Lady, can you just get out of here for chrissakes? Or even better, can you stop organizing my stuff and rub my shoulders with those five minutes instead of puttering around the massage room while I lay here annoyed? It’ll be the best five minutes of the whole hour!»
It was such an expensive massage and I was SO looking forward to it. Ugh. It was disappointing and I felt guilty coming home and wondering what to tell my husband. I thanked him profusely but told him to never mind about sending me back at Christmas time at our company party held there every year. This spa sucked. Our ten year anniversary is next month and I’ll be asking for a massage at the Ritz after seeing their reviews.
Oh, and the hot tub is a «warm tub», pfffft. Who wants to sit around pruning in tepid water when I have a perfectly good tub and hot water at home? Everything was outrageously expensive yet mediocre. I was handed a card with a «recommended» treatment on it ($ 300) yet she never bothered to tell me what she recommended. She asked me if «the massage was sufficient.» She spoke to me like a robot the entire time. There was no excitement in her and I felt no desire from her to help me, only to clock in for her 50 minutes and think about her grocery shopping while she rubbed a nameless client.
They get 2 stars instead of 1 because the valet staff was super nice, the front desk lady was very kind and it smelled good everywhere I went. But that could describe any trip to a Bath and Body Works so… in summary, spend your money elsewhere.

I have been visiting the Spa at Mandarin Oriental
in Washington DC since 2005. My experience
over the last 10 years. The staff is very friendly
and I have always had a great experience. I highly
recommend Thea for massage.

Went with my mom on our vacation to this spa during the Cherry Blossom Festival and the whole experience was absolutely amazing. The massage was incredible, the facial was so relaxing and rejuvenating, and the manicure and pedicure I received was even better. The nail polish they use lasted for over a week and did not require any UV lights, and did not chip my nails. I am a Nurse so I am always worried my nail polish will chip if I get color on my nails. The scrubs that they used during our mani/​pedi we we ended up purchasing so we can use it at home.
Customer Service is amazing! We order smoothies and they were even very accommodating when it came to my mom ordering lunch since she has Celiac’s Disease. They made sure our stay was perfect.
The lounge was so relaxing I could have stayed there all day. I loved the fact they even had a jacuzzi! Could not have had a better experience. Would definitely go back and would definitely recommend others to go!

As a New Yorker I’m surrounded by choices of both low and high end spas. I passed by the mandarian oriental in NY many writes wishing it didn’t cost so much. So I was excited to try their Washington, D.C. Location while I was on vacation. The prices were slightly less expensive than the NYC location. The entrance of the hotel was difficult to locate. The entrance n not on street level but up a hill. The staff was welcoming, the facilities clean. Loved the water experience, steam room and jet pool. So why only 3 stars. The young lady that did my massage seemed inexperience, there were awkward long pauses during my treatment. I felt like she had to read a book to figure out what to do next. I’ve had massages in and outside of the country but this one was not that great and really expensive. The therapist was kind but inexperienced in my opinion

Really torn on how to review, as the positives were very positive and the negatives negative. Wish there were a 3.5 option.
Positives:
–This is a REAL spa. This is no fake wanna-​be over glamorized salon claiming to be a spa because they put the word «spa» on the door. It’s an actual, real spa with a proper relaxation room, infused water available, an AMAZING hot tub (which isn’t hot at all but has these amazing beds in it that make up for it), etc.
–Staff was VERY polite, all except for the lady who checked me out who acted like she thought working the register was beneath her. Staff by and large calls you «Miss (last name),» is very attentive to discovering and meeting your needs. Facial aesthetician (Joanne) was quite knowledgeable.
–The bento box, while pricey ($ 38 – for what you get, should be around $ 22), was light and filling. I recommend having it poolside. From the pool, you can turn your lounge chair to see the marina. The pool area also has lots of sunlight, making it so calm and happy.
Negatives:
–My manicurist/​pedicurist was flat out crazy. She did a decent job (better job on feet than hands) but she talked all about her gay sister, how some guy she met online called her «baby,» how Muslims go to Heaven too, and that she read on the internet that Saddam Hussein is alive and a member of Illuminati. (She’s not sure if Illuminati is real, btw, but Obama is definitely NOT a member.) Heads up, she apparently only works on Sunday. (Lucky me.)
–If you are tall, this may not be the spa for you. I am 5’10″ and I wasn’t able to lie down in the steam room because all the surfaces in there are cut for probably 5’6″ or shorter. The facial bed was also clearly made for shorter people as the bump that’s supposed to go under your knees hit about mid-​thigh. In order to fit my body to the bed’s contours, part of my head had to hang off. Joanne was great about moving things around and lowering the contours, but I think you had to be 5’6″ or so for the beds to fit right, too,
–If you are driving, the ONLY parking available is valet. As a first-​time guest this was not made clear. They do waive the $ 11 fee if you’re there long enough, but I was embarrassed that I didn’t have any cash to tip the valet guy, since no one told me it was valet only beforehand.
–There is a MANDATORY 20% gratuity. I paid $ 110 for my mani/​pedi. So I’m expected to pay another $ 22 to tip a woman who talked about the freaking Illuminati for 20 minutes straight?

Beautiful Spa and full of professionalism. Thea, my massage therapist gave me a best massage I ever had. Steam room, jacuzzi, vitality shower… you just don’t want to leave! I absolutely loved it!

I love this place but beware… they consider Friday the «weekend» so you will be charged the weekend rate if you go on a Friday. I wasn’t told that in advance, & I suspect others don’t know it either.

So far, this is still my favorite spa in DC.
In fact, I was in complete shock when I went to update my review only to realize, I had never written a review for the spa itself despite at least 5 visits here.
Anyway, if you’re in the mood for a total experience this is the place to go. If you want to feel pampered and relaxed, this is for you. If you’re in the mood for a staycation kind of escape (even if for only a few hours) have at it here.
If you plan on coming here for the first time, take your time. Valet your car, grab some tea or wine in the lobby with the snacks first and take in the hotel lobby. It’s grand and the courtyard is lovely with a view of the river.
The spa is downstairs on it’s own level. Once you step off the elevator, you’ll be embraced by the dim lit lights, peaceful music and otherwise, silence and peace. Just walking down the hallway towards the front desk makes me feel like my boots on the wood floor are disturbing the serenity. The staff is always incredibly professional and attentive. Once you check in, they’ll ask to take your shoes and will bring slippers out for you to walk into the locker room. But first, a hot towel and some tea. Oh, and orchids everywhere.
I’d suggest arriving to the spa at least 30 mins before your treatment. That will give you enough time to change and use the water facilities or lay down in the relaxation room. I love drinking plenty of fruit infused water before and after my massage, while listing to music in my headphones or thumbing through a magazine before my treatment.
This last visit I had the pleasure of receiving a massage from Toya. She was fantastic. Professional, warm and so attentive, she made me feel special from the moment I met her. She made sure to inquire what areas to focus on, provided me options of oils to blend, adjusted the heat on the table for me and even made sure to add an additional mud moisturizer on me at the end that they sell at the spa. It was fabulous and I was so appreciative of the care she showed.
Still one of my favorite places to indulge in DC and beyond!

Great experience. Nice, zen-​like, extensive facilities with lots of amenities. Attentive, professional staff. And Andrew, the massage therapist, was excellent.
A good escape within the city.

Manicure & Pedicure Review
After a tough conference I went here for a little pick me up– naturally I think a mani/​pedi will be perfect, especially at the Mandarin Oriental, right? Ummm no!
Positives first– 1) The reception staff was very friendly 2) The spa interior was very zen like and perfect for relaxing and 3) My nails looked great in the end.
So why only a 2 star – because the experience was well below par. When paying $ 85 ($ 114 with tip & some fancy scrub) for a mani/​pedi I obviously expect something that blows my normal place out of the water.
Negatives–
1) Service was given in a Poang chair from IKEA– NOT a massage chair which I just knew was a standard nowadays.
2) «Skin consultation” — As soon as I sit down and placed my feet in a tub of water, the tech rubs my legs and heels and then says «oh you have very nice skin right up to your ankle». Yea my feet are rough– its January and that’s why I am here paying $ 85! But it was a lead in to sell me «higher quality products.» Mind you this same line was used at the beginning of the manicure as well.
3) Sales Tactics– Now really the «high quality» isn’t included in the service? And who uses sales tactics mid treatment in a spa??- Not relaxing at all. Not what I expect from a 5 star spa you know.
4) No dryer– So before painting my finger nails, I agree to put my coat on so as not to smudge my nails after drying. After the tech finishes painting it becomes apparent we have a problem– there’s no place for me to dry my nails. Finally its suggested that I move into the relaxation room– yes to sit on a bed fully dressed with coat & cross body purse on to air dry for 20 minutes.
5) Credit Cards only– This is minor but I’ll give a thorough review so others know what to expect. The 20% tip is included in the bill, which makes things easy. I use a gift card and cash for the last few bucks. Unfortunately, they really don’t keep change in the register so the receptionist went upstairs to get change for me (sweet but silly). At this point the receptionist offered me a bottle of water while I waited, the first offer in the two hours I’d been there. Aren’t spas supposed to offer water or herbal tea upon arrival? Maybe that’s only standard at 3 & 4 star spas.
6) Unnecessary comments– I also heard several ridiculous comment during my service like– «wow from your nice skin tone I would’ve never guessed you were black.» «You hair is so nice and healthy, not like a weave.» «You look like you could be anywhere.» Ummm just do my nails and shut your trap please!
In all fairness the nail services are listed as «add ons» in their spa menu but its clear from my experience the service itself is a total after thought and just a money maker. How can you offer nail services with no place to dry? Thankfully I went using a gift card but its was the poorest spent $ 100 in a long time. Perhaps if you spend $ 200+ on their other services you will leave happy but if you’re going for a nice «luxury» mai/​pedi– don’t bother, nothing luxury about it.

Treated myself here for a birthday present because I’m a sucker for pampering lol I opted on the Cherry Blossom Treatment.
To start, the hotel is beautiful. Valet parking was 11 bucks with validation from the Spa. Following a winding hallway on the «spa level», I was greeted by name and a «Happy Birthday». In fact each staff member I would encounter greeted me by name. On check-​in, I was brought hot green tea, a warm towel, and a tray to take my shoes, replacing them with slippers. The receptionist gave me a tour of the facility. I was escorted to the locker room to change and store my things. Everything was clean and all of the rooms smelled nice, including the bathroom. The locker room (think vanity room) provided every amenity you could want including curling irons, shower caps, mouthwash — everything! The robes provided are AMAZINGLY comfortable. I had 30 minutes to enjoy the vitality pool/​experience shower/​sauna/​relaxation room. Next time, I will be sure to arrive an hour prior to appt to be able to fully enjoy these. I sat in the vitality pool on the jets, rubbed my body down with ice (just because it was offered). I liked that I was the only person there. Went to the relaxation room which was stocked with citrus-​infused water, tea, and bananas and apples for snack. I wanted tea but there was no more hot water. Anyway, kicked back for about 10 minutes in the dimly lit room before my masseuse Joanne came to get me.
Joanne gave me a rundown of what to expect for my treatment, asked if I had any special considerations or concerns, and she let me choose what color I wanted the room to be bathed in. It was originally purple, which would have been fine, but I chose red. She let me know it was a color of wealth and luck in Chinese culture. Umm. thanks for the tidbit lol The Cherry Blossom Treatment includes a exfoliating warm cream application, full body exfoliation, a reflexology foot massage, and full body massage with lovely fragranted melted shea butter. The fragrance was sooo nice and lasted literally all day! I was in pure spa bliss.
Not once did somebody ask me if i wanted to purchase a product (they just gave me a free sample bag of all the products they used in my treatment upon leaving) The tip was included in pricing. The place is very customer-​conscious. Though expensive, you are treated like royalty. It is worth it. I will certainly be back.

I love getting massages, repeat LOVE. So when a friend offered to treat me to a massage at the Mandarin Oriental, I practically jumped at the opportunity. Upon entering you are greeted by the friendly staff. An attendant will bring you a cup of tea and a hot towel while they get you signed in. Next the attendant will bring out a tray for your shoes. In exchange you are given a pair of sandals.
Being my first time, an attendant guided me to the change room and showed me the various spa features. I had 50 minutes to unwind prior to my massage. My first stop was the experience shower. While there were several options, the body jets were my favorite. The four jets lined up vertically on either side of you shooting hot water made for a very relaxing experience. After the experience shower I moved into the pool. The jets were on a timer so I did have to get out of the water once to restart it. My only complaint would be that the water could have been hotter.
After soaking for quite some time, it was time to dry off. I put on my soft plushy robe and headed to the lounge. A nice warm blanket and a citrus infused glass of water kept me company while I awaited my masseuse. Once collected, I was escorted to my massage room. We discussed my pressure preference, trouble areas and the chosen oil fragrance. While on the table but prior to the start of the the massage, my masseuse placed her hands below my face and instructed me to take three deep breaths. The aroma was quite lovely and a nice touch. Overall the massage was great and incredibly relaxing.
Post massage, I returned to the pool and experience shower one last time before heading out. While I didn’t pay for this visit, I like that the tip is included in the price.

Note:
My visit was several months ago, (March I think) and I am posting this a little late.
I think when I booked my appointment here, and based on their website, I expected more of a Vegas type spa experience, or at least something on par with what you would find in other upscale hotels.
On the surface everything was nice and clean and, although small, they had the amenities you would generally expect for the price you are paying: hot tub, steam room, relaxation room and some fresh fruit, water and teas. My biggest complaint was that the Vitality Pool DID NOT have hot water. This seems to be a theme through the reviews I’ve read and apparently has not been fixed sinced my visit.
Otherwise the massage was good, but forgettable. Can’t say it was much better than the $ 60 massage envy massages I usually go for.
The staff was very polite and welcoming when I arrived, taking my shoes at the door and bringing tea. Definately sets the stage for relaxation. I had a late appontment on a quiet weeknight and although I enjoyed the privacy, I was a little disapointed in the lack of spa attendants when I finsihed my massage and that all of the fruit and beverages had already been put away for the night.
Overall a good experience, but I don’t think it was worth the price.

Massage — 5 stars
Spa/​Pool area — 3 stars
My husband and I decided to stay at the Mandarin Oriental hotel for a night and indulge in the spa/​massage treatment. This spa does not have the facility for a couple’s massage, so we both ended up going to separate sections.
Negatives:
— The spa automatically adds a 20% gratuity for each massage. I prefer to choose how much tip I give my massage therapist, so even though I would have given 20%, I still feel it should be my choice.
— The Vitality Pool DOES NOT have hot water. The water was lukewarm. I was shivering once I got out of the pool. Most of the jacuzzi’s have hot water. I had read about this in Unilocal reviews, but didnt believe it. Oh how I wish the spa management reads the reviews and makes sure the water is hot (even though the board says max temperature to be 124 degree Fahrenheit).
— They ask you to be in the Relaxation Room 5 minute prior to the massage. However, the room only has 5 beds. When I went to the Relaxation room, all the beds were taken, so I just hung around the lockers for a bit.
Now to the best part of the experience — the MASSAGE. My massage therapist was Elena and she was fabulous!!! I had the 50 minute Oriental Essence massage. Even though its supposed to be a light and relaxing massage, she asked me where she should focus on. She realized there was a lot of stress in my shoulders, and spent a lot of time there sometimes hardening the pressure. After the massage, I was so relaxed. I thought the massage was totally worth the $ 170.
If they fix their spa facilities, I would rate this place as 5 stars. Go there for the massage and dont have high expectations from the spa facilities itself.
My next appointment is going to be with Elena!!!

When the city is shut down and you are stuck in your hotel, there isn’t much to do, except to eat, drink, loiter, watch movies in your room, or go to the spa.
I think I ended up doing all of those activities, mostly in the spa. Someone needs to research behind me (its been a couple of months since I have been) — but the spa facilities should be open to all hotel guests (if not, then paying members, people with appts, or Taipan Clubbers get to experience the Spa). Since the weight room and pool are part of the spa– I would think its open to all of the guests.
The first day, I just wanted to relax in the pool. The employee at the front desk was nice enough to give me a tour of everything, and asked her if I had any questions about anything. Since I knew I had nothing to do the next 24 hours, I decided to book an Oriental massage (80 min). After that was settled, I wanted to play in the pool and the locker room.
Now when I say play in the locker room– I mean utilize everything they had to offer– steam rooms, showers, steam showers, saunas, and dunking pools with fountains. Go figure there was some old dude playing in the dunking bath forever (I almost went to see if he was still alive) — so I couldn’t take the pictures I wanted to– and that was risky, as to how humid it was in there! So I spent about 10 minutes in each thing, and snarled at the old man every time.
I had enough of him, so I hopped in the pool. At least I had that to myself, and it was heated– perfect for late October weather. Since I didn’t want to go back in the room smelling like chlorine, I took a shower in the locker room. They have 3 showers, all with black marble. Looks real nice! And plenty of grooming/​cleaning supplies.
So the next morning, I decided to get my massage. I thought it would be a good chance to try again for pics, but there were even more people this time… Damn. So I went on about my business and got my massage. I damn near fell asleep– but thankfully I made it up to the room. This was only the second legitimate massage I have ever gotten (the other being at Disney’s Spa at Aulani), and it was right up there, but I was ultimately spoiled that first time (who would have known?).
Everyone was awesome, and professional, but that damn old man that taunted me in the dunking bath just makes it too hard to be as good as it gets!

I’ve been searching for an outstanding spa experience in Washington for a while. I booked an Oriental Essence treatment here and planned to spend a couple of hours afterwards enjoying the hot pool, sauna, and the best of what life has to offer.
You are definitely taken care of by the polite and attentive staff. The locker facilities are clean and quiet, and the waiting area outside of the massage rooms, where your therapist greets you, is serene and comfortable. The massage itself was fantastic, very soothing. And thankfully, there was no effort on the therapist’s part to make conversation. I understand that some people feel awkward in these quiet situations, but this is a spa, not a hair salon.
After the massage was over, I just about managed to muster the energy to walk to the pool. Unfortunately, the experience went downhill from here. I walked into a ‘rain shower’ stall and turned on the water … and nearly had a heart attack. The water came out freezing, and the shock just about undid all the relaxation from the massage. By the time the water started warming up, the timed (timed?!) water jet had switched off. I stepped into the dive pool to restore my body heat after that, but it was only lukewarm rather than hot. Very unsatisfying. After that, I walked into the sauna… again, warm, not hot. They seem to have some sort of aversion to heat in this place.
If I were rating this place by the quality of the massage alone, I would give it an easy four stars. But there are more affordable and equally good massages in DC. A day spa is about the experience, about being treated like royalty and pampered. That feeling expired shortly after the massage was over.

Hotel der Luxusklasse mit tollem Service und SPA Bereich (nicht genutzt)
Sehr großes Zimmer mit traumhaften Badezimmer.
Preislich deutlich gehoben aber im Preis/​Leistungsverhältnis.
Leider ist die Lage für Fussgänger etwas
zu weit ab von Downtown.

It’s a nice spa, with several water features, including a steam room and a tropical shower. However, the tropical shower water was ice-​cold, and I’m fairly sure it was not supposed to be that way. The jacuzzi is nice, but the jets are not super powerful as they should be; it also emanates a strong chlorine smell. The relaxation room had only apples and oranges for snacks — kind of disappointing. Service was good, but they really need to pay better attention to details such as those mentioned here.
Tip: use valet parking. When you leave the spa, they’ll validate your ticket and the cost will be $ 7 instead of $ 30.