Stillwater Spa

I have visited the Stillwater three times for three different services in the past few months.
What an enjoyable place. The ambiance is relaxing and the service is friendly. Robes, towels and flip flops are provided with a locker and there is a large number of amenities such as a hot tub, steam room, sauna and lounges.
The facial and massage are fantastic. In fact, the facial is one of the best I’ve had. The pedicure isn’t anything spectacular and you’re better off going to a nail place down the street for a fraction of the cost and same result. I’ll continue going and enjoying my time there!

My husband and I had the most amazing experience at Stillwater on Saturday. We had the 60 minute couples massage with jacuzzi. Our massage therapists went above and beyond to make the experience relaxing and enjoyable. The atmosphere is so relaxing and all of the staff were kind and welcoming. We will definitely be back again.

My massage with Mike and facial with Laurie were fantastic. I came after 6pm and it wasn’t very busy and I had a relatively good spa experience. However, I am not likely coming back for the following reasons (if you give me gift certificate I can always change my mind):
1. The spa is located above the subway line so you can here the rumbling of the trains passing every 5 frickin’ minutes. Not very Zen. And unfortunately, no amount of constructive feedback can really change this.
2. There were approximately 60 very slender lockers yet only 6 shower stalls. This ratio to me indicates potential overcrowding is likely possible (though admittedly it was fairly slow when I was there). I mean, why so many lockers!!! Can they in theory book that many people at any one time (and this is only the women’s change room folks). Again, the thought of having 30 – 60 women in the change room — not very Zen.
3. Not enough space to dress comfortably in the change room. If I fork out $ 420 for services, the least I deserve is to be able to dress comfortably, wouldn’t you think? Lockers surround the entire wall area but there are no benches to sit your your things. My backpack (containing a laptop, gym shoes, make up baggy, a water bottle, and umbrella) barely fits inside the slender lockers. There were 2 counter spaces that were enough to service 3 people comfortably each.
It would be less claustrophobic if they knocked down about 20 – 30 lockers and put some benches instead. If they did, I would bring it up another star.

My dear friend Anita G treated me a «gingerbread n butter» pedicure at the Stillwater Spa (side note: I have the BEST friends, y’all!) to de-​stress.
I had a truly wonderful and relaxing experience at the spa. My esthetician, Gordana, was a really lovely soul. She brought me little treats (I don’t know if this is customary?), composed of a caprese salad, sparkling fruit juice, and a little sweet treat. The gingerbread part of the pedicure is a scented oil she placed into my footbath — OMG it smelled just like gingerbread cookies, yum!
Love that they offer beautiful Deborah Lippmann polishes! I selected «Ruby Red slippers» layered over «Lady Is A Tramp» for the festive season (think deep burgundy sparkle) and LOVED the results. Gordana took a lot of care to make sure each toe was perfectly polished, which I appreciated!
It was fairly quiet being that I went late on a Tuesday evening and I think at one point I had the entire place to myself. They do not rush you to leave (which was awesome as I didn’t want to smudge my new toes by jamming them into my winter boots).
I wish I had my bathing suit with me as you can use the hot tub facilities if you wish while you wait for your services. Helped myself to some delicious tea and biscotti, they even had apples as well to snack on in the tea lounge. Spent a bit of relaxing in a «cabana» type lounger complete with my own TV and disposable headphones reading a magazine — Bliss!
Really enjoyed my experience here and I will return as a treat for sure.

Sent my wife for a water massage!
It was ok.
But than I realized they over charged me 2x, when I went to tell them.
I was informed I was mistaken.
The next day, I get a phone call informing me I was overcharged.
It took 3 weeks to get a refund check.
I would not recommend!

I had a 60 min Swedish massage here last Friday evening. Normally I don’t bother/​enjoy the spa experience but I had a gift certificate so I thought I might as well use it.
The experience was interesting, the locker room we were escorted to was actually slightly packed at the time making it annoying to change and move around. After you slip into a robe, you wait in a small waiting area with some tea, sandwich fingers and biscuits set out.
My masseuse was quite good but to be honest she wasn’t any more skilled than an average massage therapist.
On the way out, I was given a glass of champagne to enjoy.
Overall, what boggled my mind was that the massage cost $ 163 after tax, which didn’t even include a tip for the masseuse. That’s double what I pay at my normal massage therapist. I can’t really equate a white robe, a biscuit and a glass of champagne to adding $ 80 in value.

I booked a day at the Spa as a present for my hubby’s bday. We were staying at the Park Hyatt so the concierge directed us down to the spa. The women who greeted us was friendly, she gave us our paperwork and then led us to the change rooms.
The change rooms were nice, clean and spacious with little amenities like toothbrushes :) and the lockers were self locking which I appreciated. After robing up I met my husband in the tea lounge. We snacked on biscotti and delicious cucumber water while waiting for our couples message.
About the message, I didn’t realize until after, but the couple message is not the same as a side by side message, there is an additional 30min of Jacuzzi time. This is a nice feature but I’m not sure it’s worth the extra $$ given there are Jacuzzi’s in the change room.
The message itself was excellent and performed by a RMT so we were able to get receipts for insurance.
After the message we were lead back to the tea room to await our facials. It would have been nice if both the services could have been preformed in the same room, but I understand at least with the couples message why this wouldn’t necessarily be possible. The tea room was quite busy with people coming and going and do to the scheduling we had a bit of a wait between services.
The facial was also excellent although I enjoyed the head message from the RMT better then the one during the facial.
The only odd glitch in the system was the payment/​check out. Several things were off. First the tip. I couldn’t just tip on the total, the girl had to bring out a calculator and calculate the % on each one of the services. I would think this is something they could sort out in their system and not have to do by hand. Secondly the receipt. As another review mentioned the did not give an invoice, just the visa receipt. When I asked for it she said she would email it to me and asked me to write my email address on the paper where the services were listed, needless to say I haven’t received it yet.
On a whole it was a lovely experience, I am glad I went with someone. However it was a bit pricy by the time all was said and done.

Been here so many times; it never disappoints. Very relaxing atmosphere. Every time I get a facial or a massage I fall asleep. Convenient location, right by Yorkville and Bloor Street. Came with the hub last time and we got a couple’s massage, it was great. Excellent service.

Been going there for years. And though I still really love the way it’s set up. It’s starting to show age.
I do really love the lounge area where they have light snacks and beverages. The locker room is also awesome because they have these little nooks where you can watch TV in complete privacy with the curtain drawn on this ergonomically designed lounger. The treatments are always excellent and I always feel at total ease when im here but as said before, it’s starting to show age and with so many new spas in the city, this place has an opulent charm but doesn’t cut it as the cleanest, trendiest, state of the art, like it used to claim. It’s a bit of a classic now to put it in a good way.

This is an average spa at best. Massage was good but during the process I didn’t feel comfortable as the therapist was too hard on my body. I also had my pedicures here, with which I was not impressed. I enjoyed hot tub and steam room and tea room, but service was not as stellar. This spa is also very crowded, and worstly there is subway tunnel right underneath, which shakes the whole place whenever train passes by. But you know what, the vibration from subway tunnel relaxed me more than the therapist’s reckless massage

My partner and I just moved to Toronto, and as regular spa goers we are excited to see what Toronto has to offer. After hearing good things we decided to visit the Stillwater Spa for their Signature Massage. The spa was beautiful and clean. The massages were excellent! My only complaint was that it was loud — people were talking in the tea room, the changing room and in the hot tub, sauna and steam areas. I could also hear and feel the subway rattle underneath the spa. Personally, I’d prefer a more peaceful and quiet atmosphere. But that said, the massage itself was wonderful and customer service, both by the front desk and the massage therapist was exceptional! I will be sure to visit again.

Service: Swedish Massage with Aromatherapy addition
Tea Lounge: Amazing biscotti and cucumber water. I didn’t like that it was co-​ed. I think spa’s should have a seperate area one for females and then a coed. I didn’t fee totally relaxed in the tea lounge with so many men around.
Massage: My massage did deserve 5 stars! It was amazing and I felt really relaxed
Customer Service: Horrible! Upon check out I reminded the spa attendant of the weekly special the swedish massage was on special for 119 for bookings monday to thursday. She gave me my total and I paid. But it seemed a little high so I thought to myself let me wait for my receipt. She hands me my debit receipt. So I ask can I have the receipt from the actual still water spa. She says we don’t give that out. I’M A LITTLE BAFFLED. Surely a spa of this callibre and representing the HYATT has a receipt system in place which outlines what services were purchased etc.
So I say can i have a detailed list of my services. Magically she produces a receipt. I see it and I have been charged the regular price for the massage when it was on special. SNEAKY !!! So I explain it to her again and she states well when you booked you didn’t say the special rate (but I did) She was rude after that, that it was a hassle for her to give me the refund. She totally turned me off from this spa.
Warning for those of you going there. Check your receipts!

My friends and I have an annual reunion that starts with a spa visit and after a few years of trying different places, my thoughts always return to the experience at Stillwater for the quality of massage, experience and ambiance. Strictly speaking about the massage, staff and environment, it is a nice luxury as they have amenities and customer service not found in other spas. Every detail has been thought of. It is a fantastic use of space considering how much they put into the ladies change room and waiting room.
Re: the subway, the only time I heard it was in the shower but not in the lounge or massage room. I actually do not mind as it reminds me that I’m in this little haven safe from the hustle, bustle and noise of the city. I always plan to be there at least an hour before the service to soak in the atmosphere and relaxation.
I’m a loyal Stillwater visitor and would return here faithfully, even if it means I have one massage instead of 3 less costly ones elsewhere.

Definitely not worth the money. I got an hour and half massage. It cost a fortune (well over $ 250 plus tip). There were positives but I’d go elsewhere in the future.
PROS
–heated massage table. And they wrap you up in blankets. In December this was welcome
–in the waiting area they not only have seats but also tables and they offer water with lemon, lime or orange infusion. They also have biscotti and apples
–you get to pick your music! No need to suffer through all that weird, new-​age stuff
–lots of toiletries for use in the change rooms including toothbrushes!
CONS
–my back actually hurt afterwards for a couple days. I’m used to the pain of a deep tissue at the time but the after affect was not what I was looking for.
–you can hear the subway rattling away the entire time
–they aren’t very informative while you book with them. I didn’t even know they had a whirlpool and when I arrived they informed me I should have brought my suit.
–THE COST, I just found it completely astronomical for what you’re getting. Benefits only cover $ 129 for an hour and half massage and if I’m getting one worth over $ 200 I would hope I’m getting the most amazing massage of life. This did not happen.

I received a manicure, pedicure and facial as a gift for the Stillwater Spa. My review is based solely on service, since I did not pay for the services I feel like my review might be biased. I have no idea how much the services I had done cost or whether I think it was valuable for my money.
I had a different person for each of my services and everyone was very very pleasant. I had never had a facial before and I wasn’t really a fan of manicures. I regularly go for pedicures. Everything was ¹⁰⁄₁₀ in my opinion.
The receptionist was so friendly and made me feel welcome, showed me around and how to get ready. The person that did my facial was sooo nice. Everyone is so professional it makes the experience fancier! I loved my facial, I have super sensitive skin and I was pretty worried about how it would affect me the next day, but my skin was glowing.
The manicure and pedicure were great, the polish is really long lasting. It was the longest I’ve kept polish on my finger nails with out it chipping.

I recently visited the Stillwater for my first time — what a treat! I had the Swedish Massage, a pedicure with paraffin treatment and a facial. The facilities are beautiful and opulent. I enjoyed the private cabanas in the change rooms where you can watch TV with headphones (there is privacy curtain). It was a nice place to relax while my polish dried on my toes.
I did not get to try the whirlpool or the wet or dry sauna this time but I loved the waiting area with the flavored waters (one with cucumbers, one with lemon and the other one with oranges), biscotti, fruit and a variety of teas. There was a fireplace on one side and a salt water aquarium on the other. I loved being able to choose between several massage oils — I choice the grapefruit.
I did not find the spa overly crowded but we were there on a Thursday afternoon. I imagine that it could feel very cramped on a busy weekend.

I was SO excited to try out this spa, I’d heard such great things. I’ve experienced spas allover the world, particularly luxury spas. My experience at Stillwater was MEH.
I came in right on time, gave the front desk my name. She asked me to follow her into the changing room. She handed me a card and a piece of paper stating which services I was having done and walked away. Didn’t bother to explain how to use the lock code on the locker, nor explain where the waiting room is for my service.
When it came time for my facial, I was expecting a relaaaaxing, luxurious experience. Instead, i felt stressed out the entire time. My facialist was using quick, movements like she was rushing to get it done. She also kept sniffling and clearing her throat. When it was over, i was VERY disappointed.
My skin felt good, but nothing special and I certainly didn’t feel the least bit pampered.
I will never go back.

After months and months of waiting, the Stillwater Spa day with my 2 best girl friends had finally arrived. I was taking out them out for both of their birthdays and I had heard great things of the Spa. I myself had been to the spa only once, but it was a very in-​and-​out ordeal (I had a pedicure on a quiet Monday evening a year ago). At that time, I did not get to see the spa nor take advantage of the amenities so this time I was determined to do so. One of my girlfriends had been there before and was also very excited to go back. Expectations were high for everyone.
Intro. Our appointment was for 12:45pm, but we arrived at 12pm to use the sauna, steam room, etc… The entrance to the spa is on the main level, but you have to go downstairs to check in. All 3 of us got the same package: facial or Swedish massage, Pedi and Mani. The hostess led us to the change room and it was busy and SMALL! I noticed that there were no chairs or seats. The lockers close to the walls are an arms-​length away from the mirrors where people do their makeup, blow-​dry hair, etc… In other words, be prepared to do a lot of bumping and grinding… and not the fun grinding either. In the middle of the change room, there are these hideous «lounge chairs» covered in a bright blue foam mattress where one can lie down, listen to music and close themselves off from the world by a curtain. No thanks. By the time us girls got everything ready, we were only able to spend 5 minutes in the sauna and out we went for our first treatment. Stressed at the Spa.
Facial Experience — I am glad I am still Alive.
Because I always get massages, I opted for the facial treatment. My worst one ever. Nothing happened to my face (thank goodness), but rather, my facialist was horrible. Her Extractions were touches on my face. Her facial massage consisted of tiny pats and patters of fingers. No attention paid to my shoulder area. The arm and leg massage… did I even get it? There were moments of intense stress when there would be 15 minutes at a time of no movement and sound, except a snorting-​sniffing sound (think the sounds made with err happy substances…)Anyways, a good facialist is hit or miss. If you know a good one, stick to her like the guns. Otherwise, you will just end up with a lacklustre experience.
Pedicure — Lovely. You cannot really go wrong with a pedicure. I got the Stop and Stare nail polish.
Manicure — Hilarious. The manicurists make all the difference I find. I learned everything from how to catch a guy from Macau and the best things in married life to one man for 35 years. Total Love for my manicurist.
Ambiance. The spa is way, way, wayyyy to small for the amount of people… on a Saturday afternoon… the day before Mother’s Day. The change rooms are already too small, but the lounge is another matter entirely.
*WARNING! WARNING! WARNING! FIGHT TO THE DEATH FOR A SEAT OR BE AT RISK OF EVIL STARES AND SCATHING COMMENTS.*
We were at the lounge/​tea room sitting and talking while waiting for our nails to dry. We left some things at a table just in front of us. We all got up to collect the items (3 seconds) and when we turned around, someone had taken our seats. When one of my girlfriends stared at the Mama Blob Hawk, she in turn commented something to the effect of: Well you got up or you snooze you lose or etc… etc…
So, ladies and gents. Please be cautious. In parts of Florence, I would cation you of pick-​pocketers. In Stillwater, I would caution you of seat-​stealers.
All in all, it could have been many things that may my spa day a complete let down: Busy, not intimate (which I think a spa should be), a non-​relaxing facial and patrons who are… well, I will be genteel. For the money and time, I will definitely be going somewhere else.
Oh, and by the way, your spa music choices are: Subway Rumble, Funeral March Classical Music (I kid you not), and The Cat’s Meow.

Came here for the first time recently for a RMT Swedish massage.
The lobby is stunning with lots of waterfalls everywhere (I guess «Stillwater» is a bit of a misnomer). I had booked my appointment over the phone. At reception, they gave me a leather case with my «spa itinerary» — I guess this is more useful for those who book multiple services. And the case also had a health sheet — pretty standard survey of medical conditions, medications, etc. The guy told me not to worry about filling it out right away, as I could do so later in the Tea Lounge. He showed me around, gave me a key to the changeroom and a pair of slippers.
In the changeroom, I went to my designated locker (they are numbered) where there was a terry cloth robe and bath towel. Nice lockers — a separate drawer for small items (e.g. watch, glasses), lots of hangers, and you lock it by picking a 4 digit code (like hotel safes) so you don’t have to worry about carrying around a key. Since I was an hour early, I took a shower and used the jacuzzi and wet/​dry saunas. It was a weekday afternoon and for most of the time, there was no one else there so it was blissfully quiet. I also enjoyed the little beds/​TV viewing stations… I’ve never seen this before and it is sort of a weird concept to me (I thought the point of spas were to get away from technology?). But it was kinda fun to get my CBC fix while waiting for my massage. The change room has toothbrushes, razors, combs, cotton swabs, etc. in case you forgot something.
The Tea Lounge is pretty big with couches as well as an area with tables and chairs that almost looks like a restaurant. There’s lots of tea, cucumber water, biscotti, and apples. There wasn’t a great selection of reading material and several people seemed to have brought their own books/​magazines.
The massage itself was wonderful. My masseuse was Leah and she was thoughtful, professional, and pleasant. You get a choice of music («spa music», chill out, classical, piano, jazz). I chose piano and must say… it was kinda hokey. I thought it was gonna be Chopin or something, but it was more like new age-​y/​easy listening fusion. Next time, I’ll try classical. You also can choose unscented/​lavender/​eucalyptus/​grapefruit massage oil. I went with lavender, which was nice and not too overpowering. The massage table itself is heated. Sooo nice. During the massage, I was wrapped up in a duvet. It’s like getting tucked into bed when you’re little! At the end, she puts hot towels over my feet — it felt super-​relaxing. I think I fell asleep for a bit near the end. Pressure was just right for me. I did hear the subway rumbling by a few times, but I’m used to falling asleep to the sound of a streetcar so I didn’t mind. The sound of public transit is oddly soothing to me… After the massage, you leave your treatment room and there is a curtain in the hallway so that it’s not as jarring to go from the dark massage room to bright lights outside. Leah gave me back the leather case thing, with a separate receipt I could use for insurance purposes.
In summary, a wonderful oasis of calm in the city, highly recommended! The facilities are very nice, clean, and aesthetically pleasing but for me, what makes Stillwater stand out is the impeccable service. It is expensive, but if you have health benefits that pay for RMT massages, this is a great option.

Nothing like a mid-​day escape!
Located in the lower level of the Hyatt hotel, the Stillwater Spa is busy with hotel guests and people in need of some pampering.
The staff are courteous upon arrival (a lot more courteous than over the phone). They provided me with my itinerary and showed me to the change rooms.
[CHANGE ROOM]
The change room is small. I was surprised that they didn’t have many hair dryers and there weren’t any benches. They also didn’t have a bathing suit dryer. The robes were white but not that fluffy. And yes, I like fluffy robes, who doesn’t? We’re paying enough for treatments here, make the robes fluffy!
[TEA ROOM]
While waiting for your treatment you are able to hang out in the silent tea room. I don’t know if you actually have to be silent, but it was quiet enough you could hear people sipping their tea.
They had free biscotti to munch on and a tea and coffee station in the middle of the room. They had magazines, a fire place, and a fish tank with cute Dori fish.
[MASSAGE]
I had a 90 minute massage with Loreen. She was really good and incredibly friendly. She asked what areas to focus on and customized the massage to problem areas. I felt chatty and she was chatty, so I enjoyed having her as my RMT.
You are able to choose from three types of massage oil. The lavender was very mild smelling and nice.
While relaxing you could hear the subway train rumble by…
[WHIRL POOL AND SAUNA]
At the back of the change room, there is a small whirl pool, a dry sauna, and a wet sauna.
The whirlpool is small and not that exciting. The whirlpool jets weren’t super strong but it was nice and relaxing. I found they used a lot of chlorine (or not expensive enough chlorine). I’m sensitive to the stuff and I ended up with a chlorine rash a few days later which hasn’t happened to me from other spas.
The dry sauna was nice and heated with charcoal. I didn’t find it got quite hot enough and wandered over to the wet sauna.
The wet sauna was hot! Assaulted by steam scented with menthol, you can barely stay in here without suffocating. I had to put my towel over my face to breathe. After a few minutes, I had to leave. They wrapped a towel around the door handle to prevent people from burning themselves.
The shower facilities were basic. Nice rain shower but only a few soaps and none of them smelled super fragrant or pretty (Not like Elmwood).
In the change rooms, they have these private «cabanas» for you to sit and watch tv with headphones. You sit in a blue plastic cabana chair and draw the curtain for privacy. I watched a bit of television and it was okay except for the constant noise of the hair dryer on the other side of the curtain.
Overall, I had a nice time at the spa. The spa is impressive when you walk in, but I didn’t find the facilities were anything to rave about.
I didn’t like how there are no unisex facilities at all. Unless you book a couple’s treatment, you really won’t see anyone of the opposite sex except in the tea room while waiting for a treatment.
Also, I don’t like how everything is crammed into the change room.
Women running around changing and talking is not part of relaxing.
Because everything is in the change room, there weren’t windows or bright light. Everything is dark lit and there aren’t really areas to just hang out and lounge.
It’s nice to come here for a treatment, but not a place I would return to for a fun day spa experience unless you really want to be on your own.