The Spa

Just got an EXCELLENT waxing by Alexandra. I have sensitive skin, so I am speaking from the perspective of someone who has had her fair share of waxings gone wrong… Alexandra is very sweet and warm, which makes you feel comfortable right away. She used hard wax and was quick and thorough. After the waxing she put organic aloe vera gel to soothe the area. I am not feeling any residual pain or sensitivity. I was able to get an appointment on a Saturday evening at exactly when I wanted to come in and the front desk staff was lovely. The waiting area had a pitcher with ice water and some fruit out for snacking and the waxing room was immaculate. I was also very happy with the price. I am a member so it was only $ 36, which is about $ 10 less than what I usually pay in Brookline. I will definitely be back for waxings with Alexandra.

SportsClub is my gym, and I love it, so my expectations for the spa were pretty high – I’d also been to the spa at the SportsClub in DC and had a great experience. Sad to say, very underwhelmed. I’ve been twice in the past week, once for a massage and once for a facial, and though the treatments were totally fine, I was really glad to have gotten the member discount==no way were they worth the cost otherwise. The «spa» is really bare bones – blah waiting room without magazines other than 4 month old tattered copies of the Improper, and no good snacks or drinks (the DC SportsClub LA spa had mini Georgetown Cupcakes, fresh fruit, iced tea, and tons of mind candy like new issues of US Weekly and Cosmo). Uncomfortable flip flops and overly heavy robes (without pockets, wierd) offered only after asking the dotty receptionist if they had anything to change into – both times! Won’t be back.

This PERFECT review is specifically for Nilluzio, name meaning «new light» in Italian. I’ve been spoiled forever such that no other masseuse will ever do. I now don’t even bother getting a massage on vacations so I can come home to the light.
It’s like a mix of deep tissue, physical therapy, thai: total tension release all in one. Nilluzio manages to get at places you typically want as well as the parts you didn’t know you needed:
–behind the knees
–TMJ relief (with painful jaw pressure points)
–armpits
–inner thighs
Sure, the pulling and stretch leads to much cursing under the breath, but all totally worth it. (Ladies and gents no undergarments please. Too much pulling would really cut off circulation and the utmost caution is used to wrap limbs in sheets so nothing is ever exposed.)
The Spa at the SCLA is outrageous. 10% off for members helps and special mid-​day deal they periodically run (80 min service for 50 min price) means 80 min of bliss for $ 135.
Leave your jewelry in the dish and find a dark chocolate kiss along with your diamonds when the time is up. Love a man that thinks of everything.

The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The rooms are clean and comfortable. It does not have the atmosphere of a spa, say at the Pebble Beach resort, but it is nice nonetheless. Crystal (who i recommend, by a large amount) was great and very easy to converse with. I will be coming back here, for sure! The gym is great, as well. Overall ⁵⁄₅!
BTW, pricing is VERY good and competitive with much lower end spas. If you are a SCLA member, you get 3 hours of ritz carlton garage parking for 5.00. If you are not a member, I would still inquire about the validation at the check in desk (not the spa’s-the immediate one when you get off of the elevator)

I have had two fantastic experiences here… and I was really shocked/​surprised to read such negative reviews… I usually go for the 50 minute sweedish massage– the first time with a gift certificate the next time paid for and it was amazing. Everyone was extremely nice and made me feel relaxed and comfortable.
Also we were slightly late for our second appointment (me and my mother) but both of us were treated well… Not going to lie though– the horrible reviews do make me think twice before looking forward to my appointment next Saturday!

I think most of the reviews of Splash are a little overly cranky.
I just got an «Ancient Indian» massage last week from their therapist Nelluzio and, I have to say, it was the best I’ve ever gotten in my life. He paid attention to every little detail of making the experience very comfortable, unrushed, and deliberate. He was also just physically very skilled.
The locker room is amazing, including the eucalyptus steam room, which I used afterwards. I lingered for about an hour before and after the massage in the men’s relaxation lounge and locker room, which spa guests are always encouraged to do, whether they are SCLA members or not. The cucumber water and tea were a really nice touch too.
I couldn’t be happier with the experience. Yes, it’s expensive, but as an SCLA executive member I’ve sort of gotten used to that, for better or worse. One gets what one pays for, and in this case (on both counts), it happens to be quite a lot.

I’ve been going to Splash since it opened in 2001 (I was a member at the club from 2001 – 2003 and then again from 2004 – 2006)…my visit there yesterday will be my last as I’ve watched the quality of the service go way down while prices have gone way up ($ 650 yesterday for three massages, including gratuity).
I was in yesterday for a hot stone massage and it was just awful. The woman, Jeannie, I think, was going fairly deep, which is fine because I needed to get some of the knots worked out. However, in addition to going deep she was also very rough — to the point where no less than eight stones FELL OFF from areas where they were resting when she was working on another area. Clearly not an enjoyable experience at all…
And they keep raising the price — I think they are now the most expensive in the city. The customer service/​club policy is really poor too — we had given gift certificates to my mom for her birthday, which were for a hot stone massage, plus 20% gratuity. Well, when she went to use the certificate and get the massage three months later, she was told they raised their prices since we purchased the certificate and she needed to pay the difference. The fact that they wouldn’t honor what was on the certificate really blew me away.

The workout facility, locker room and Blue Café are what makes this spa. The services are NOT great. Not even close to great, quarter too or half past great. But who cares when you can lounge around, eat or work out for hours in such a nice facility!

If you are looking for a Brazilian, do your loins a favor and run far, far away!
1. Very rude staff.
I had a 1PM appointment and at about 12:50PM I called the spa to inform them that I would be running about 10 min late. The receptionist said that would be fine and that she would tell my spa technician, Sarah.
Upon my arrival I was checked in and quickly ran to the bathroom. As I walked into the waiting room after using the lavatory, a very petite woman with an enormous attitude greeted me. She looked me up and down–
I’m not kidding! She literally gave me the once over and then snarled her upper lip!
–and told me that since I was late she would only give me regular bikini wax. I politely told her that I only wanted a Brazilian and would reschedule. She cocked her head to one side, put her hands on her waist, and told me that if I wanted to do that it was fine but I would be charged.
I was quite shocked she resisted her obvious urge to wave a snapping finger in front of my face and utter: «Oh no you didn’t!»
Now, I understand that a spa has the right to charge you for services if you are too late. However, when I called the spa ahead of time to inform them of my tardiness, I was told it was fine. Additionally, I am the costumer and I found it exceptionally rude and inappropriate to be treated by a spa technician in such an offensive and disrespectful manner.
That having been said, when I returned to the front desk the manager was now on duty and was exceptionally polite. She said that if I wanted to wait 10 min Alexandra would take me.
Unfortunately, Satan’s handmaiden, Sarah, was not done spinning her web of spite just yet! The room I was placed in for my service shared a wall with the reception desk. As I was undressing, I could hear Sarah telling the manager that she should charge me for my appointment with her!
Well, at the end of the day I was only charged for one appointment (I didn’t have to argue — despite Sarah’s attempts, the manager never charged me for two appointments.) But, the negative attitude I received from Sarah still lingers.
2. If Sarah is the devil’s handmaiden, the wax Splash Spa uses is her play toy!
Perhaps this wax is fine if you’re not going totally bare «down there.» However, if you are, this stuff is painful! It’s a type of wax I have never experienced before: the wax is applied to the area to be de-​fuzzed and is left on the skin to cool. After a few minutes, the wax hardens (making like a cast around the hair) and is ripped off. Well, let’s just say, that as one waits for the wax to cool, it sticks to EVERYTHING around it — not just the hair.
Also, although Alexandra was very sweet, she kept telling me over and over again how «brave» I was for having a Brazilian. That’s all fine and good, but it’s a little upsetting when the technician makes you feel like you are the first one to try this procedure. (If this was 10 years ago, I might have let it slide; however, in 2007 I don’t think this a risqué service anymore.)
So, if you made it all the way to the end of this little harangue (or even if you didn’t and just jumped ahead), heed my warning and stay clear of this place.
Bottom line: This spa should be renamed «Plunk Spa» — because it did anything but make a splash with me.

I had high expectations for Splash. Hearing so many great things about it and also assuming it would be great bc it’s affiliation with the ritz and sports club/​LA, I was really disappointed.
In my opinion, there is really nothing special about Splash. It has a very basic spa look — tranquil music, tea/​water, small rooms with tables, etc. I had to wait about 15 minutes for my massage because they got my name wrong at the reservation desk. And the massage was just ok at best.
Next time, I will stick with Bella Sante or Exhale.