The Peninsula Spa

Beautiful spa, from the moment I walked in, to the moment I left I had excellent service. The front desk host, to the locker room attendant to, of course my masseuse– all truly helpful and made me feel comfortable. It was a little more than I spend on a 60 min Swedish massage, but otherwise great experience.

My massage was pretty good and no complaints with my pedi and mani. Everyone that works here are so friendly and accommodating. But it is pricey and I had similar services at other spas for far less.

I wanted to give my mom a massage for her 75^th birthday, so I looked up some places to go in Chicago (which we were both visiting from elsewhere). My sister-​in-​law suggested the Peninsula or Elizabeth Arden Red Door Spa, but Red Door didn’t have very good reviews, so we went to Peninsula.
Overall, it was an amazing experience. I had Nicky, who was not only REALLY amazing, but REALLY sweet! My mom had Evelyn, whom she also enjoyed greatly.
It’s pricey, but it was worth it to me. It was very much an experience (although I’d say to follow their advice and get there 30 minutes or more beforehand — we were running late, so we were rushed and ruffled when we began).
The only potential hiccup is that there weren’t enough showers (four) for the number of people who needed to shower at the same time (six), and the water wasn’t very hot. But that’s a very minor critique. I’d totally go back.
If you’d like a massage in Chicago, try this place out. And ask for Nicky!

I’ve been to several high end hotels for their spa experiences and nothing will be my trip to the Peninsula. You can not go wrong between the amazing relaxation room (those chairs), the great locker rooms, access to the pool with views of Chicago, the ability to order room service to the pool.
Besides the amenities, the service itself was amazing. I got a Dosha specific wrap and it was by far the best treatment I’ve ever received. When you schedule your massage you must see Mario– he was amazing!

We booked a girl’s spa day. It is elegant, beautiful and relaxing. My 90-​min massage was amazing. Perfect pressure, very relaxing. My facial was good, skin felt soft, all was well. Pedicure is on the more elegant than functional side. To me, the corner spot is functional, get it done, make it right, move it along. We were going for the whole experience and that is what you get at Peninsula. I just felt than an hour of foot massage/​scrub was overkill. I would gladly have added that time to my wonderful massage and facial but that is more personal preference. The place is calm. serene, well attended. There is a valet and street parking. It is convenient and soothing. What an absolutely beautiful day!!!

I rarely take the time to write a review and I may be the pickiest person ever when it comes to a «great deep tissue massage.» I can say that I got the absolute best massage ever at The Peninsula Spa with massage therapist, Valerie Decker. She is hands down the best massage I’ve ever had and I’ve had a few. After a week of travel and very heavy carry on bags — I tweaked my neck and shoulders and while it was a bit painful to work out the knots — I left feeling like a million bucks. Thank you, Valerie! I will absolutely come see you again.

This review is for the spa — I went for a couples massage and the massage itself was 5 out of 5. I had a female /​he had a male and we both agree it was the best deep tissue massage either of us have ever received. However, the front desk service was not the best. There were three issues… First when we checked in the receptionist was talking way to fast we could not even understand her. She was talking and walking me Through the locker room so quickly I had to stop her and ask her to slow down. Secondly after you get in a robe in the locker room you walk back upstairs to the reception desk. I think it’s uncomfortable to walk practically naked up stairs with just a robe on when there gym members walking by. Third thing was when we were checking out we were overcharged $ 30. It’s not much but when I caught it she tried to say I was wrong. Finally after insisting I knew what the correct price was she called the manager and he said there’s a glitch in there system that sometimes overcharges. Not very professional for an establishment like the Peninsula. I can only imagine how many people are overcharged. I’m not cheap but I am a CPA and pay close attention to detail and like to check prices. Like I said the massages were amazing and I most likely will return but the receptionists could use some work.

This spa is relaxing from the moment you step off the elevator. Everything about the spa and hotel screams service. There aren’t many places like this so go and spend the real time to enjoy it. We try to hit it every time we visit Chicago. You won’t be disppointed.

I recently went for a massage to help my back. I had a great massage therapist, but believing I booked a 1.5 hour massage in person at the spa front desk, I was surprised to discover (after paying for parking which took another 30 minutes to get my car on the way out) that the front desk at the spa booked me for a shorter massage. There was no one available to give me that additional 30 minutes I felt I needed. In general, I feel that the check-​in/​check-​out is not as easy or efficient as it should be. Everyone is nice, but somehow issues are not handled smoothly or professionally at times. As a member, I had to wait to check in one day while an employee asked the front desk to not only order room service for her, but to ask if she would get an employee discount.
To compete as a 5-​star hotel, and with a spa membership program, I hope that the Peninsula improves the spa experience. Disappointed.

Let’s be clear and understand that this is the PENINSULA. Therefore everything
has a pretty steep markup. The spa is really there to keep the ‘hotel guests’ happy.
Because with all the nail joints in town… why pay more?
For me… it’s just a little treat for myself.
STAFF: The most friendly and accommodating staff I have come across in years. From the doorman who greeted me at the door to the receptionist at the spa, everyone was trying to go above and beyond to make me feel welcome. At check out time, I was given a little tutorial about some of the other things the hotel has to offer.
SPA SERVICE: Classic Pedicure ($ 75)
The pedicure chairs are awesome, the foot bowl is awesome, the lotions and potions smell really nice… that’s about it.
As with ANY service, it is all about the TECHNICIAN. This was my second time at the salon. The first time I went the tech was meticulous! My toes could have been in a photo shoot.
This time around… not so much. The tech (Nella?) was real friendly, but pretty run-​of-​the-​mill with the skills. Shaping the nails was inconsistent. The nail polish job was not the greatest… should have spent a lot more time cleaning it up. I pointed out a couple of spots to her… and she made excuses.
I tip based on performance. This was a mediocre performance, mediocre tip.
Bottom line… it’s was like going to a restaurant where all the ingredients are organic… or flown it from some exotic place, but the chef never went to culinary school, so no matter what the ingredients are, you still get a mediocre meal… but he’s REAL friendly.

3.75 overall.
I had a holistic pedicure and a 60 minutes deep tissue massage. The pedicure was definitely 5 stars, but for 100 dollars it should have been. Aleks was the person who did the pedicure service for me and I think she was wonderful (I’ll definitely be back for THAT). The deep tissues massage was good but run of the mill (I couldn’t help feeling that it was overpriced at $ 160 dollars) Adrienne was my masseuse, she was nice: no muss, no fuss… exactly what you would expect, but I didn’t notice a difference between this and a $ 100 massage at a place like massage envy (with the exception of the heated table, which was really nice). The rest of the spa was really nice and I would describe that as 5 stars. I’m not giving the entire facility 5 stars for two reasons:
1. My boyfriend treated me to the spa with a gift card so I wouldn’t know the price of everything. The giftcard also included a note that said a 20% gratuity had also been paid. When I went to check out, the woman at the desk gives me a bill that showed me the full price of everything and asked if I wanted to add any gratuity, I told her I was told the gratuity was included and she said it wasn’t. I showed her the note and only then would she concede that the gratuity had in fact been paid. I would like to think this was a misunderstanding but it really left me feeling like someone was trying to get one over on me while I was feeling so relaxed – which is not a nice feeling AT ALL. I also know my boyfriend wouldn’t want me to see the price – them showing it to me was just tacky and rude.
2. I ordered one additional thing while I was at the spa – lunch. I had the quiche lorraine. It was the worst quiche i have had in my entire life: greasy, fatty, bacon heavy doughy crust. ugh. It was just gross. I ate it because I was hungry, but it was not good. At all. They delivered it poolside, which was nice but the cost was $ 22.00 (which I thought was outrageous). Had I known how bad the food was going to be, I would have stopped at Trader Joe’s on my way and smuggled my own snacks in.

After all the great reviews I was expecting a great experience, but left a little disappointed. Massage was great, one of the best I’ve had in awhile, but expected a little more from the spa. How do they not have a sauna? For a $ 200 massage it just wasn’t worth it. Only time I would go back is if there was a special running.

The spa at the Peninsula is my mom’s favorite place to get pampered in Chicago so I’ve been lucky to experience the services here for many years. I usually get the hot stone massage, but recently I decided to try their warm bamboo harmonizing massage. The prices are definitely steep, but the customer service is unparalleled. From the moment you step off the elevator into the inviting spa area, you are greeted by the staff that go out of their way to make sure you are comfortable. For me this is at most a once-​a-​year experience, but I have never been disappointed with any of my treatments at the Peninsula and would definitely recommend it to anyone wanting to pamper yourself with a luxurious experience.

I got a massage and body scrub here a few months ago, and I am just now writing a review. The whole experience was absolutely fantastic.
From the moment I got there I felt relaxed and welcome. I was a little nervous because I don’t do spa stuff that often, but they made me feel right at home. (And, lets be honest, I could get used the spa at the Peninsula!).
The massage therapist asked plenty of questions about my comfort level, goals, sore spots, etc. I told her that my lower back is horrible, and she paid special attention to it during the massage.
Now…the locker rooms. They are gorgeous. You can do a nice steam and shower before your treatment. I higly recommend this! It is, like, one of the best parts. Bring a swimsuit so you can relax at the pool afterwards. Let’s be honest– plan to spend the *entire* afternoon there.
A few quick pointers:
don’t arrive with a full belly– that’ll ruin the massage and/​or body scrub experience
bring a swimsuit for the pool
bring small bills to tip the bellhops who may help with your bags or hail a cab
oh, oh, get there early to use the gym, and *then* take a steam
wear comfy clothes
Eeek– I hope to go back soon!

If you are looking for a nice relaxing spa where the staff is friendly and welcoming, The Peninsula SPA is the place! We typically don’t «spa» unless on vacation, but we splurged and went here for our anniversary. You check in on the 20^th floor, then you take a flight of stairs to the locker rooms, but then go back up the stairs for the treatment. Seems a little bit strange of layout, but it was fine. While the spa and locker rooms aren’t huge, it doesn’t need to be. The lockers are electronically locked with a passcode, so you don’t née to lug a key around with you. Inside the locker is everything you need — slippers and robe, and there is even bottled water on a table next to the lockers. The massage therapists are fabulous and really try to work the areas that you tell them. It was a very relaxing and enjoyable experience. Then after the treatment, there is a little relaxation area where you can spend some time laying down and munching on an assortment of a couple nuts and dried fruits. Their cucumber water is amazing. I do wish there was a little more variety, but it was adequate. Since it was our anniversary, they also brought us some sparking wine and more mixed nuts. Afterwards, there are several rain showers available using their exclusive ESPA products. The bathroom attendant was also great. She was cleaning up the shower stalls after each person’s use. She also offered me a brush and curling iron to use while I was doing my hair in addition to the hair dryer that was sitting out. I tipped her in addition to the therapists. As for the price — yes, treatments are expensive. If you are used to the $ 59 massages at the local strip mall, then this is going to be quite the sticker shock. That said, it’s a different kind of experience. For a special occasion or a treat once in awhile, I feel that you do get your money’s worth in service. Just a hint for those on a budget — they participate in SpaWish and SpaWeek and they accept the gift cards.

To preface this review, I am only giving the spa 2 stars for a «luxury spa.» It would get 3.5 stars if I were grading it as a regular spa and not taking into consideration what it charges as part of my review (which is really why it gets the downgrade). The spa at the Penisula really solidified for me that overpaying to treat yo’ self doesn’t mean that the services are going to be any better than had I paid less at a less swanky location.
I booked an aromatherapy massage and a facial to help my friend celebrate her 30^th birthday. In all fairness, I should mention that I had never been to this spa before but based upon the rumors I had heard, it was one of the best in the country. I’ve been to some pretty amazing spas, so my expectations were high. Unfortunately, Penisula’s spa did not live up to the hype.
Maybe I’m being picky, but upon my arrival, I felt like things were kind of disorganized and there was not much direction given to clients on what to do. For instance, I was shown to a locker room and told to change, but did I need to leave any undergarments on? Where did I go next? What should I be expecting? How do I get out of this maze? I had NO WAY OF KNOWING.
As for the services, the massage was very, very good, but I have never had a «bad» massage. I have also had equally excellent massages as the one I had at the Penisula for much less. However, I would have gone back to the Penisula had I just gotten the massage. But no, I had to also book the facial. I was super excited to get my grill cleaned out and be told what my problem areas were. Instead, I had a brusque technician who heavily sighed the entire time and even scolded me a few times when I wasn’t contorting my body in the right way. There was no warning before a dark quiet room turned into a glaring light directly on my closed eyes covered by cotton swabs.
The worst part, though, was the extraction. Now, I know an extraction is going to hurt, but I am pretty diligent about taking care of my skin — I wash my face every night, use pore strips once a week, slather retionol all over, etc. etc. — so I did not think this was going to be as hellacious as it was. There was no warning, and then she just went to town so roughly that I was afraid she was literally going to break my face. I actually had an entire internal conversation where I posited that this spa must have been a defendant in a lawsuit for a broken nose or cheekbone so I could concentrate on something other than the pain. Then, she gave me some kind of treatment, but she certainly didn’t tell me anything about it or why she gave me that particular treatment, which I kind of wanted to know so I could try to incorporate some of the same products to keep my skin healthy.
After our services, my friend and I wanted to have a drink by the pool before our dinner reservations. We ordered a mimosa and a glass of wine. It took 30 minutes. THIRTY MINUTES. We also couldn’t sit by the pool because it was littered with screaming children who were also running around the spa with their mothers laughing at how precocious they were. (no.)
Any of the above would have been tolerable if I had not paid as much as I did for the two services I received. I paid $ 400 for services, and while I do okay, I certainly don’t have a money tree to blow on spa services. This was a special occasion and I expected, for that amount of money, for the spa to make it feel like a special occasion. Instead, I felt like I was treated as a customer on a conveyor belt, so lesson learned.
Moral of the story: run of the mill spa with greatly inflated prices. It’s a great place to go if you can get a discount or groupon-​type special. However, if you want something super luxurious, go elsewhere, and if you want just normal spa services, also go elsewhere. Also, so you don’t think I’m a whiny brat, my friend felt the exact same way about her experience, so either we are two whiny brats or this review is legit.

The pedicure here is like no other. the deeply nourshing pedicure is the way to go. Your feet will thank you … the treatment itself is so relaxing and wondeful. but the results are incredible. Wondeful service, peaceful, beautiful spa. Will never have a pedi anywhere else!
More $$ than a typical pedicure, but worth every penny!

The hotel itself is very beautiful, but the SPA is not so much, feels a little dated, waiting area is not too comfortable. Massage was ok, but WAAY over-​priced even compared to other 5* hotel SPAs.

I tried $ 185 one hour hot stone massage last weekend. Give it 4 stars in my mind exactly match for what the public rating here, since you already see planety of merits of the massage place here, let me provide you few additional things you may want to know before go.
— There no private changing room, you could bring your cloth go change at priviate shower room but it’s a bit inconvenient since it’s not in same place. So, what I experienced was there two women in each side of me, changing clothes and we three have to protent we not see others naked. it’s kind of awkward, since we are strangers.
— The face holder in massage room is bit tight, Im wearing make up that day to do massage so I tried not let the face holder touch my make up, it’s works but it’s make me a bit hard to be complete relax, they should change a bigger size of the face holder.
— I hope they offer more selecting of drinks for the customers beside water. such as tea, coffee, soda water or champagne.
— Compare the previous massage I had in asian, massager in Chicago is more gentle. it’s personal preference, but I like more pressure during massage since I have back pain, the pressure can help realse the pain.
In a nutshell, it’s a little bit expensive place to go for massage but still worth the money you spend. I feel my whole body is warm and livily after the massage.

Always an excellent choice, the Spa at the Peninsula gets high marks from me time and time again.
Their relaxation room with those comfy chaises that are separated by privacy curtains is one of my favorite parts of the experience. Many a time I have dozed off here either before or after my services to be awoken with a soft voice uttering «Miss? Miss?» in my ear.
On this recent visit– I decided to splurge and go for what they call «Spirit of Peninsula» body, head and feet treatment. It was 2 of the most decadent hours that I have indulged in, in a long time. I’m sure I’ll miss some of the steps of this treatment because I think I am still having an out of body experience because of it, but I will try to do it justice.
It begins with a warm foot bath followed by an exfoliating salt scrub all over your body. Next up? A deep massage with fragrant oils and if that wasn’t enough, they do some kind of a hand, foot and scalp mask (very minty) that invigorates. And then they finish with a scalp massage. I could barely get off the table at the end of the treatment. Know that it’s not a cheap treatment (about $ 300) for the 2 hours but for this road weary girl– it was worth every penny.
My only disappointment, was when I came out of my service, I wanted to go and doze in my relaxation room. But all the chaises were taken, so I wandered back into the locker room to use the sauna instead. Not exactly the same calming effect.
I’m a girl who likes a little pampering. And the Spa at the Peninsula takes care of that every time!