Mandara Spa

I made an appointment for a 60 minute pedicure, looking for a bit of relaxation while on a business trip. As recommended, I arrived 30 minutes early and had a cup of tea, awaiting my assigned technician. She picked me up six minutes late, but I was fine with that. It’s easy to get behind. I picked out a polish and was escorted to my pedicure chair. I sat in the actual pedicure seat for under 25 minutes. The technician left twice, with no explanation for a couple of minutes each time. Though my toes look nice, I was expecting a 55 – 60 minute service. Per my spa paperwork and the online booking system, I was scheduled for an hour service. As a former spa director, I am beyond disappointed. I paid a premium price with a mandatory 20% tip for a quickie pedicure. Total damage — $ 78 for a 25 minute pedi and a hot tea.

Excellent service. Worth every dime. They where very attentive. I got a facial and she gave me tips on how to control my breakouts.

While there are a ton of rough reviews on here, I suppose I have to consider the crowd.
I have never been to a real spa experience before. Reading some of these reviews left me wondering if a Sauna and Jacuzzi would have been a nice addition. I’m sure it would have been.
To start, the receptionists are neither friendly, but also not pushy to get you into more services. I guess you pick and choose your battles. I got a great deal, which was 3 – 25 min services (back massage, foot massage, and basic facial) for $ 129. It was a special, and I doubt they run it often.
I was escorted to the ladies room by a male, so he explained everything outside the door and left me to walk myself through. I didn’t realize till after the services what door was the steam room. The amenities were nice though.
My massage was by a gentlemen named Bill, and he was wonderful. I recommend you ask for him. He wasn’t what I was expecting, and that was perfectly fine, because he wasn’t chatty so I was able to totally relax and not feel like I needed to make small talk. Denise did my facial, which was also great.
I loved the relaxation spaces, though I do understand the concern about comfortable sitting and the brightness of the more comfortable space.
I say this is a spa for novice, and if you can get a good deal, is a must. I wouldn’t pay 400+ for their services though.
Also note, that the tip is included in the final total. I was going to actually tip more, because Bill was great, but the receptionist said I was not able to via my card.

I didn’t give it one star because both therapists were extremely nice and attended to my needs; however, the facilities are nothing short of disappointing. For the price point I was expected to dish out, I left extremely underwhelmed. When I arrived around 9:30a, there was a construction crew of 3 guys in the men’s locker fixing the water pipes. This wouldn’t be a problem, however, the locker area is so tight, that I could barely get around them during the first hour of my visit. I made it worked and decided I’d spend some time in the steam room. Well, I should have taken a parka into the steam room because the temperature was extremely mild and the guest has no option to increase/​decrease temperature, or even, kickstart the machine. Everything is controlled from a backroom that guests have no access to. O, did I mention the steam room is literally 4ft x 4ft. Seating for 2 people is almost impossible so don’t even think of laying down to relax in the steam room. The men’s room attendant did see me in there and he brought over a spray bottle (a very industrial, commercial like bottle) that had a eucalyptus scent so I could spray inside the steam room. Nice gesture by him, but at the moment you open the door, it took another 15 minutes before it got warm enough to enjoy the qualities of a steam room. I still had about 30 minutes till my first treatment, so I decided to slip into a robe and enjoy the communal common areas. Shouldn’t you melt into spa furniture? For the most part, everything was extremely hard and it was difficult to get comfortable into any position. They boast an «outdoor sun deck,» which I admit, it a nice feature; however, the furniture outside was full of mold and had very noticeable wear, some seats were even missing cushions. Okay, okay Alex, stop being so rough on the Mandara and go rinse off before your first treatment. I returned to the men’s locker room to take a quick shower before my massage. You’d think the following would be the height of my disappointment, but stick with me. I turned the water on, trying to get a sense of the heat. Well, with the lever pulled all the way back to the hottest temperature, the only water coming out was cold. I moved to another stall, and then the last (there are only 3) and eventually, I was able to get a light trickle of warm water. O, and the best part of the 3 stalls, all were infested with multiple (at least 8 to 10) gnats in each stall. Yes, bugs! To think I have experienced all of the above and I still have yet to go into my first treatment. The reason I went early is so that I could enjoy the facilities. You’d think a spa that charges upwards of $ 400 to $ 500 for a couple of services, would have amenities to complement the charge. Please note, there is not gym facility to use, there is no WiFi, there is no sauna, there is no whirlpool/​hot tub, there is no mixed nuts and fresh fruit, there is definitely no sense of luxury. Luckily, both my massage therapist and aesthetician were good, which is the reason for my 2 stars. This spa is located inside of the Dolphin Hotel on Walt Disney World (WDW) property near Epcot. It is not a WDW property and this spa is not affiliated with WDW. During my «relaxing» spa day, the hotel had schedule a site wide testing of the alarm system, which is wired into the spa, including the treatment rooms. Imagine, a relaxing massage, and for a period of about 15 to 30 minutes, you repetitively hear «WARNING: This is not an emergency. We are testing the alarm system.» Accompany that with sirens and flashing lights. The relaxation was unbearable. Now, I don’t blame that on Mandara, but obviously there is a lack of consideration and planning between the hotel and the spa company. Could this not be done before or after hours? Could the spa not fore worn their patrons this is going to be happening, even before scheduling their appointments? I imagine these sort of protocols are mandatory and planned in advance, so it would be up to the spa to keep aware of these exercises so they can properly inform their customers. I’d like a refund!

I want to be fair so I’m giving this 3 stars. I am still disappointed tho. Valentine’s Day weekend we decided to splurge and spend the day at the spa here. I called and booked ahead of time and asked specific questions. Spending over 300 $ on something like this is a big deal for people like me. I read something about being able to spend time in the jacuzzi and asked and they confirmed it. I came to the spa with my boyfriend and was so excited for our experience. It started of rocky when they didn’t have any sandals that fit me. I am a 9 so it’s not like it’s a crazy size. Half my foot was out. It was a courtesy so I let it go. Then I asked where the jacuzzi was… And everyone looked at me like I was crazy. I told them I saw online about the jacuzzi and specifically asked when I booked but the girls seemed almost annoyed that I was questioning them. They said I could book the bathtub for 75 $ an hour and that the jacuzzi was at the one at universal. They spoke in the most unconcerned and unapologetic manner. The tea they offer is nice. Our massages were great! I never had one before and it was wonderful. In the end the product was nice but the experience wasn’t. I believe customer service is worth more than anything. I felt so unappreciated and like I was being made fun of. Sadly I don’t think I’ll be back ever again or recommend this place solely on the rude ladies that work the front desk.

My boyfriend and I went to the Mandara Spa for a couples massage on Valentine’s Day. We were promptly checked in and led back to the locker room. Our attendant showed up around the spa. He told us where we could wait and relax, told us how to use the locker combination, and where to get our robes and slippers.
The spa is really beautiful. I loved the first room, but it was not as comfy since the chairs had wooden backs, but it was darker so that is where we waited for our service. They had tea, juice, and citrus water for you to consume while you waited.
Our masseuses were Sarah (me) and Kim (him). They took us to the couples massage room and got us set up. Sarah did an excellent job, though my preference is to start laying on my back so that I finish the massage on my neck and shoulders which is the spot I really want. We started face down, so we ended with neck and scalp. Don’t get me wrong. That’s nice too, just not my preference. My boyfriend said Kim gave him the best massage he’s ever had in his life. So, there you go.
After our massage, we relaxed I the other room with the big cushy pillows and I drank a cup of delicious hot tea.
We then returned to the locker rooms where we showered and changed for the rest of our day. The locker rooms were well equipped with a steam room, 3 showers, shampoo, conditioner, shower get, lotion, razors, combs, and a blow dryer. The products were very nice, except for the razors and combs. They were very cheap, but I guess I can’t expect too much since they are really for one time use, but I have been to spas that had nicer razors and combs. You should’ve seen me trying to get that teeny tiny comb through my thick wet hair. It was an experience for sure.
My real complaint about the spa and the reason I’m giving it 4 stars instead of 5 is the noise. The couple’s massage room is next to a room with a Jacuzzi and I could hear the loud roar of the Jacuzzi and the tub filling and draining my entire service. This was incredibly distracting and really screwed with my zen. If I go back to Mandara I will most definitely request a room nowhere near the Jacuzzi room or I will be the one in the Jacuzzi room.

The spa is on Disney property & is beautiful. However, they will delete time from your service, but charge you full price for the service if you are late because of issues with parking at the facility etc. We gave ourselves plenty of time to arrive but had an issue with parking at the hotel & my husband couldn’t walk fast as he injure his foot. My husband got a couples massage as my birthday present for me — he paid for two 50 minute massages & we received 25 to 30 minutes massages for the full price. No understanding, no accommodation etc. The staff did not care we were upset or that the experience for my birthday was ruined. In the waiting area I had tears because I felt bad for my husband /​my husband was hugging me … Spa did not care.

Even if you are serving a guest at the end of the day, the facilities should be just as nice as the morning. There were dirty piles of towels in the lobby, used tea mugs in the lounges, the refreshments were gone, no toliet paper in bathroom stalls, hair balls on locker room floor, and overflowing trash bins everywhere! I am very disappointed I spent money coming to this «high end» spa.

As soon as I walked into the swan resort I was expecting an average spa with high Disney resort prices. To my surprise it turned out the complete opposite in most ways.
Yes the prices aren’t what you pay at nail salons but it’s a spa and you kinda expect their services to be a bit pricier.
The spa itself to me was a magical serene escape. With oriental décor and lots of openness made it a perfect day for relaxation. Their waiting lounge was well equipped with teas, coffee and a few edibles.
Each massage room had its own private shower and some had a private jacuzzi.
The locker rooms were very clean too with a nice steam room.
The nail services staff was very friendly and kept on checking in on our comfort.
The whole place was top notch when it came to class and style. Definitely very luxurious without the snotty attitude.
There is wallet parking which is validated by the spa.
I’d highly recommend this to parents or adults trying to take a break from the Disney madness.

Went to the Manara Spa for a pre-​disneyland pedicure with my lady pals. When I called and booked they told me they did nail art.
My pedicure was pretty good and my tech gave a great foot massage, but the nail art afterwards wasn’t great. It looked really nice, but most of it wiped off within a few hours. I think she forgot to put top coat on?
It was VERY expensive for what we got. My two other friends got very sub par nail art as well. I would recommend going somewhere else for your disney themed nail art.

Two of my ladypals and I thought it would be fun to get pedicures/​manicures on our first day at the Disneyland resort before we start our days at the parks, so we booked at the Mandara Spa. They only had two nail techs on, so we weren’t able to get our nails done at the same time (we were given 2pm, 215pm, and 315pm).
First, it’s expensive. Like, REALLY expensive. I got the Fire & Ice Pedicure. That’s $ 75 base price. The hot stones were okay, but I have no idea what the ice part was, or if it even happened. I asked for some nail art: red toenails with a black Mickey head on the big toes and black and white polka dots. The lady rushed through EVERYTHING and barely talked to me the entire time. She made a mess of one nail, which she redid, but the polka dots were still sloppy. Apparently they charge extra for «all the nail art» on a per nail basis, and then throw on a 20% AUTO GRATUITY on top of it (which applies to everyone whether you are a party of one or a party of three, etc). I paid $ 114 USD all in for the worst pedicure of all time. Hands down the most regretful purchase of my entire trip.
The other girls I went with had polish come off their nails within a day. The quality just isn’t there. :(
The décor of the spa is nice, and they give you tea or cucumber water while you wait, which was probably the only good thing about this place.
Save your money. Go off resort. Go before you get to the resort. Just don’t go here.

Very relaxing atmosphere. Coconut Poultice Massage is a must. 75 minutes of massage and acupuncture techniques with coconut and almond oils that hydrate the skin and relax the muscles, pretty sure I dozed off!

First off, I would give no stars but they gave me back my full refund so I’ll give 1 star. I just went this Monday for Brazilian wax and have never been so appalled by a spa experience. I’ve had multiple extended bikini and Brazilian waxes before coming here. My waxer did not know what purple wax was so it was just hot wax and strips. I thought the wax felt a buy hot but it wasn’t unbearable so j didn’t say anything at the time. 20 minutes later when I got back to my hotel, I noticed that I had what looked like dark blood blisters on both sides of my groin. I called as soon as I noticed to tell them and once they realized this wasn’t my first wax that offered a full refund. After getting in the shower later, I noticed she left half the hair at the bottom and the top looked like peeling skin from a second degree burn. Needless to say, walking around the parks has been very uncomfortable.

Oh man do I hate this place.
We made reservations for a Couples Ritual for our honeymoon about 6 months in advance. Called to confirm 7 days prior to arrival. Showed up and were informed that:
1. The couples tub was under construction.
2. There was no other service we could book in its place to pass the 90 minutes before our scheduled massage.
3. There were no showers, restrooms or robes for my husband.
Intended plans: Sit in cozy robes with new husband, soak in a hot tub, get massage.
Real life: Sit in our jeans staring at lotions for sale and tiny Buddhas.
I have two specific complaints… first, when I called to confirm, you could have mentioned that «I have you confirmed for the Couples Ritual, but we have no tub… would you like to book something else?» Don’t just let me show up!
Second, the employee was not even slightly apologetic. Of our 11 day vacation, the Mandara Spa was my one regret. It was an expensive waste of time. Go anywhere else.

My spa experience was very disappointing. I had booked a Balinese massage, Reflexology and manicure pedicure at 8:00am. The experience was definitely below average and extremely over priced. The masseuse for the massage and reflexology was late and seemed tired. The reflexology was definitely not at all what I expected. There was no pressure at all, it was just light caressing. I was really expecting it to be much more of an acupressure just like the description in your catalog. My manicurist/​pedicurist complained of a stomach ache and not feeling very well while I listened to chain saws because the spa was under construction. Within the hour my nail polish started peeling off. After a miserable 4 hours I could not wait to get out of there. Much to my dismay to add to the experience I was charged $ 475.00! I was sad and felt totally ripped off. I will definitely not be returning and would not recommend this to anyone.

Worst manicure and pedicure I’ve ever gotten! I wanted to treat myself and my friend after finishing the Wine & Dine half marathon (and to celebrate her 30^th birthday) and I was so disappointed. The manicurist painted over my cuticles, didn’t use a top coat and left nail polish all over my skin. Plus, she trimmed my cuticles when I asked her not to. It’s now a day later and everything is chipped and cracking. Certainly not what I expected after paying $ 312 — talk about highway robbery!!! I was forced to tip 20 percent, too.
On the plus side, the spa itself is nice and the staff is all very friendly.
However, if you’re going to spend hundreds of dollar, I would suggest finding another place. There are plenty of great spas in the area, so don’t waste your time at Mandara.

I was refunded for the highlights so I’m giving them an extra star

I was slated to stay at the Loews for a conference I had in Orlando last week. I figured I’d book a little «me» time into the trip and so I scheduled a long afternoon at the spa.
Once I arrived, I was ushered into my facial, and while relaxing, the technician upsold me to another facial for «deep moisturizing» treatments. While I had no problem with the $ 50 upcharge (if it actually did anything), I walked out of there feeling like someone had rubbed my face for 50 minutes but not much else. I then got a mani/​pedi, and while I wanted a french manicure/​pedicure, there were additional upcharges to consider. I asked for a shellac to be done to my nails, and was told there wasn’t enough time for that. So let me pay you $ 60 or so dollars, and only get a manicure that’s going to last for 3 days.
Then when you check out, they try to sell you all the crap they used on you during your treatments. Not likely on top of that 20% required gratuity.
I get back to my room only to discover I still had stuff left on my face from my facial and now my skin is peeling. Not any type of moisturization overload there at all, nor any noticible difference that I even just wasted a ton of money on a facial that apparently did nothing but harm my skin.
Never going back, and if you think you’ll be relaxed or happy with your experience, think again.

Located at the Loew’s Portofino Hotel but with no interior access. You do have to walk outside if I’m not mistaken. I passed by a lovely swimming pool surrounded by sand which was unique. I had to use the gym and was sorely disappointed that there’s an additional $ 10 charge per visit to use the gym? The gym is decent though.
I wanted to wind down so I checked out the rest of the facility. Typical steam rooms, locker room and a lounge area but nothing that blew me away. The front lobby area has a lot of nice products. Spas should give me that relaxing, blissful, pampered feel afterwards. I just wasn’t feeling it here.

Originally, this trip to Walt Disney World was supposed to be a «girls’ vacation» for our little «Gang of Four» group of girls. However that was three years ago, before the new era of «I want to go to Disney with my ‘man’», and the drama-llama’s inability to save anything for the trip. Eh. Whatever. My best friend and I were still determined to go on this trip, and so we did. Although longer a «girls’ vacay», we were still determined to do one «girly» thing (well, besides dinner in Cindy’s Castle) in the spirit of which this trip was planned. So we booked tickets to the baseball game for the boys — and we took ourselves off to Mandara Spa for a day of pampering.
Set in the huge, and tacky Swan and Dolphin Resort (no really, it’s really tacky. The entire complex is PEACH AND SEA FOAM GREEN! There are 5 stories-​tall fish, swans and clam shells all over this thing!), the Mandara Spa is definitely one of those spas that believe in «rejuvenation» and «zen-​like serenity» and «relaxing». Yeah if you’ve ever met me, you would know that this Type-​A girl doesn’t relax. Ever. To quote my best friend’s boyfriend «relaxing is counter-​productive». Fortunately, I do love a good facial, so while my best friend got the Balinese massage with hot stones add-​in, I got an oxygen facial.
We arrive a early and check in. My friend’s massage was at noon, and my facial was at 1 (although, I could have sworn I booked it for 12:30). No matter, we were there for an intense session of gossip and girly bonding. The locker room was small but clean, but the «waiting room» was marvelous! A small Thai-​inspired gazebo was set up inside, with long benches covered in pillows. While the benches weren’t terribly comfortable, there were delicious hot teas (I believe my friend may have yoinked a few tea bags as… uhhh…“souvineers”), and icy cold spring water with slices of lemon. In addition to the waiting room, there was a «relaxation room» for after your treatment, that was even more lovely, with chaise lounges, a balcony, and private jacuzzi spas. We sat and chatted hilariously until the masseuse was ready for her. I sat around in the waiting room reading an extremely poor selection of magazines (no Cosmo, Vogue, Elle, or WSJ!)…and waited and waited and waited.
The host of the spa checked up on me a few times, but by 1:20, when I was still there waiting, I finally flagged someone down to find out what was going on. The staff were very apologetic and rushed to find out what happened to my appointment, but I have to say, I had been sitting in that waiting room for quite a while, and I wished that someone thought to check up me prior to this. It turns out that the person doing my facial was running late (I think she may have been in an accident — nothing too serious, as they were able to get her on the phone), and promptly set me up with someone else, and offered a 20% discount. By 1:45, I was escorted into one of the rooms for my facial.
The lady that worked on me was wonderful. Soothing, calming, yet worked fast and efficiently, it was probably the best facial I’ve ever received! An hour later, I had the glowiest face in all the land! It was like a shiny beacon calling out to the world. Or something.
Up to this point, I would have given it a 4 star review — not even holding the delay in my appointment against them (these things happen), however, two things made me downgrade this to a 3 star experience.
First, while my facial was great, at the end of it the nice lady that was working on me, recommended some products. I hate this part of any treatment, but whatever, it’s a necessary evil, and I try to convey as nicely as possible, that I’m not really interested. She kindly suggests that she will leave her recommendations at the front desk for me should I decide to purchase these products. I thought that this was rather tactful, however when I got to the front desk to pay, the receptionist that was ringing me up, made me feel about *this* small for not buying two $ 80 6oz. tubes of cleanser.
Secondly, and more upsetting was the tipping policy. The lady that worked on me was great. I was probably going to give her a 18% — 20% tip for being so enjoyable. However, upon paying, the front desk lady tells me that they automatically tack on an additional 20% tip to the bill. Automatically. This was not a large or private party where I could see this making sense. This was just one person, with one treatment. The facial itself was already $ 160, and they wish to add in an automatic 20% tip?!? I also saw nothing about this policy on their website, nor was there any signage about the automatic 20% tip until you pay. I feel that this was very shady and not very classy for such a nice spa. Eh.
All in all, the facial and the atmosphere was lovely, however the front desk attitude and the automatic tip policy made this lovely experience into something shady and unpleasant.