Thermae Day Spa

A few days ago I was really ticked to find that my Thermae $ 100 gift card was useless.
After reading several other reviews, I learned that David Verdier of Verde Touch in Los Altos was willing to honor Thermae /​Kings Road gift cards /​certificates.
Not only did I send an email to David to confirm this, but I also ended up getting a massage from him. It was one of the best massages ever!
David will ask that you show your Thermae /​King Road gift certificate, and will give you a session of equivalent value, You get to keep your certificate. He won’t «take» something that wasn’t purchased from him. His goal is to obtain new clients. He’s got me!
David can be reached at david. verdetouch@gmail or
.

HELP!
I came in to get 2 gift certificates on Mother’s Day. Now they are closed??? What can I do? Perhaps they sold the packages knowing they were about to close… please help!!!

We love this spa!
We go for couples massages– really nice and relaxing!
I have also had facials there, manicures and pedicures-​ALL GOOD and the prices are pretty reasonable too.

Galen used to be at La Belle in the Stanford Mall and is absolutely THE BEST… He recently bought Thermae and with it now under his leadership, I can tell you, this place is going to be fantastic. His hair cuts last, do exactly what they are supposed to do, offer versatility between visits and his color work is nothing short of GENIUS.
He has a real vision to transform this place into a place with real pizazz, so stay tuned for some amazing makeovers both inside the salon and for those of us lucky enough to be his clients. His sense of style is top notch.
I’ve searched for a long time to find a really great stylist and even expanded my quest to New York and LA. Once I found Galen, I don’t go anywhere else. As my friend says, «Galen is ESSENTIAL!»
Thank goodness he has a place to call his own — his quality control and charming personality will make this a destination station in no time… and just think, easy parking and quick access to and from 101. Bonus!

I was referred to Galen, and at first was a bit hesitant as I am pretty picky with my hair. There has really only ever been one other person that I have trusted in the past, and been totally satisfied with. Galen got extra brownie points right away with me, when he called me to chat about my concerns and hesitations. He really took a personal interest, and was by far more accommodating than any salon I have ever been to.
The day of my appointment, I didn’t have a long wait. Before I was finished browsing the other services available at the salon, he called me back to his chair. I picked up a magazine (which I soon learned I did not need for entertainment) and went back. He did a fabulous wash with some very high quality Aveda products. During the wash, the receptionist had an issue she needed his help with. Rather than just leave me sitting for 3 minutes, he put a very nice deep conditioning product in my hair. He quickly came back, we talked about my expectations, he gave me his advice, and he started cutting. He was very considerate of my requests and did a great cut! He did a blow dry, used no hot tools, and put a little product in it. I have never been so happy with the results! It was healthy and the cut fell perfectly right. I was very pleased with his services.
Pros:
*He is not only a wonderful person who is very entertaining, he listens and goes the extra mile to make sure you are comfortable (he checked on everything from the room temperature to my hair requests).
*He is new at the salon and has SEVERAL great ideas to make it even better. This place is going to go through some awesome changes in the near future.
*You can do so much more than a hair cut because it is a full service salon
*He is fast, fast, FAST, but still does an excellent job
*He did not use a flat iron to style
*He uses quality products
*I have received special offers allowing for a class A cut at an affordable price
Cons:
*Once this place is transformed, it will probably be harder and harder for me to get in
*It can be a confusing place to find at first, but once you know where it is, you are good to go

Made my first visit to Thermae this weekend and had a deep tissue massage. Kim was my massage therapist and she was excellent. She really communicated about trouble spots and the amount of pressure she was using and made sure I knew it was okay to tell if something wasn’t to my liking. I felt great afterwards and a day later I’m still feeling great.
Yes, it is a small place but it was very nice. The bathrooms were clean as was the shower, plenty of towels and robes and the cucumber water was cold and refreshing. The staff at the front desk were very nice and professional. All in all it was an excellent experience and I will definitely be going back.

I have been to Thermae once or twice in the past for massages, I stopped because they were a little too expensive. However, today I was in the area and I needed a massage for my crinked up neck.
I called at 11 and they had an opening for 12 or 1. They assigned me Kim as my masseuse.
My massage was very nice. Kim did a great job on finding my knots and kneading them out. She was very responsive to any instructions I gave her regarding pressure and places my body needed extra attention. I felt very relaxed and pampered throughout the process. I would give her 4.5 stars for her technique. The only thing I would critique would be the use of cold oil. Most of the time, she warmed the oil in her hands, but a few times she didn’t.
The spa itself is very small, which I like. It gives it a more intimate feel. I give the spa 3 stars for the following reasons:
1) The shoes in the locker room are all VERY small sizes. The biggest I could find was a 6 (I wear size 10).
2) The whole places had the AC on, and though I don’t get cold easily, I was cold throughout parts of my massage.
3) The ladies locker room has lost some of it’s charm. The «amenities» they list are really just tampons, cotton swabs, lotion and soap. There are plenty of towels, but it just doesn’t seem very welcoming or relaxing. It seems more clinical than anything.
4) While I was waiting for my massage in the waiting room, the owner was giving a tour to a couple. They were really loud and talking over each other. I wish I could have relaxed a bit more.
Overall, it wasn’t bad.

Me and some girlfriends came here for a facial during Spa Week. We enjoyed our facial, it was nice. Service was good and the staff seems to know what they are doing. We all felt refeshed and clean after the facial.
I gave it 4 stars because it’s faily good and I would return. However, I think it would have been nice if the staff explain what they were doing & the products that they were using.

Oooh whee! I was recently here for a massage — $ 50 special during spa week — and was assigned to Shaunda. SHE IS ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. Definitely one of the best massages I’ve ever had — at Thermae or otherwise. Her hands have amazing reach (she is a beautiful big black woman — I’m not trying to offend anyone here!) and has the most wonderful long strokes and big hands — for massage, that is perfect! Her pressure was spot on — she didn’t even need to ask what kind of pressure I wanted. And, sadly, I tried to stay awake the whole time so I could fully enjoy the massage but I fell asleep… I tried, I tried!!!
I was also here another time for a bridal party event but I have to say that my masseuse was not memorable. I didn’t even ask her name. However, I am happily recommending Shaunda to everyone!

Being a former esthetician, I can probably be a tad picky with my facials…
I went to Thermae for the first time for spa week 2008. They were offering a $ 50 tea tree facial that everyone in our group got (of course we compared notes afterward). None of the estheticians asked us about our comfort level, pressure, etc. My massage was ok… extractions were aite. I don’t think she did much personally, but props for the high frequency!
I wouldn’t go there if it was full price.

It seems pretty clean in there but it’s small, and not in a location close to many other venues. I used to come here a lot until my esthetician left. Unfortunately, it seems the people who work there now don’t have as much experience — I wasn’t very satisfied with the eyebrow wax I had, the wax was too hot and she was very tentative putting it on and taking it off.

This is my first Unilocal review, and relates only to my haircut experience a few weeks ago.
I really hesitated to write this. I usually hold myself back from writing negative reviews. However, I think the service I received truly merits this review.
Simply, I had the worst haircut of my life at Thermae. At $ 55, I was not pleased. The hair stylist didn’t greet me and didn’t go out of her way to be friendly, merely stating «I don’t have clippers.» Well, that’s okay I thought to myself. She must be very good and doesn’t need to use them. I was wrong.
I walked out nearly an hour later with a lopsided and unappealing haircut. I was terribly disappointed and I’m slightly embarrassed to say that I headed to Supercuts to fix the damage.
My hair isn’t hard to cut — really! I’d expect much more from a day spa. NOT suggested for men’s haircuts.

A solid 3 stars. 1 stars because we got an appointment last minute on a Sunday for 3 people, 1 star for the place being clean and 1 star for my masseuse.
To be honest I was a little bummed when I pulled up to Thremae for the first time. It looked really small from the outside and it didn’t give me the feeling that I was about to visit a luxurious spa. I don’t know, maybe it’s the location since it’s nestled right in the middle of a residential neighborhood bordering Menlo Park and Palo Alto.
My suspicions were confirmed when we walked in… yep this place was not very spacious. However the lobby was nice and like most spa’s had all the product lines they use on display for purchase.
After we checked in the receptionist took us to an ultra tiny locker room, told us to change into robes and wait in the lobby for our masseuse. Wow, other Unilocalers weren’t kidding… the locker room was so tiny! There were three of use changing and it was pretty cramped (butt to butt as subie c. mentioned). Thank god there was nobody else in the locker room with us.
The waiting room was cute, but again small. Like most places they have magazines to read, cucumber water and tea. I opted for a glass of tea but found the container almost empty. You would think they would keep beverages stocked for their customers… come on it’s not that hard.
I totally forget my masseuse’s name (younger African American woman), but she did a decent job on my massage. She did a solid job on my back, arms and neck. However, she didn’t do such a great job on my legs and feet… could have used a little bit more pressure. However, one thing she did do was give me a face massage. Now I know it’s not for everybody but I love it when a masseuse rubs my face. It almost put me to sleep. Overall my massage was relaxing. Again not the best massage I’ve had, but definitely not the worst.
After my massage I went back to the locker room to change. Since I was the first one done in my group I decided to take a shower. Keep in mind there’s only 1 shower in the extremely small locker room, so I probably wouldn’t have taken a shower if it was crowded. However, it was just me so I decided to rinse off. I was really surprised to find they provided Dial shower gel. I mean come on this is a spa… you can manage to use something better than a $ 4 product you can find at the drug store. I know it’s not a huge deal, but when you’re paying $ 85+ for a treatment you would expect to them use top notch products.
Overall, my experience was good but not memorable, so 3 stars.
(Also see my sister’s, Val D’s, review of Thermae above/​below.)

I would give this place higher ratings if I wasn’t late and was in a better mood. Because i was not in a good mood… my overall spa experience was not great.
I was suppose to get a 50 minute massage for $ 50 during spa week. Got there 15 minutes late so when i started i really only got a 30 minute massage.
Lady I had Shauna was ok. Didn’t really know what she was doing at first because she was very lightly grazing my body with the sheets over me. When she finally started massaging me it was ok. She was attentive and considerate of her pressure. For 30 minutes she only worked on my back, neck, and head. I didn’t know why she wrapped hot towels on my feet because it was nice for about 5 minutes and when it cooled it just made my feet really cold and clammy.
I also didn’t like that she massaged my head. When I was done my hair was all greasy and I had plans for the rest of th day which I had to rush to.
Facilities are decent and clean. They provide you with a robe and slippers (unlike La Belle where you only get a robe if you request for one). The waiting area has granola bars, iced cucumber water, and really good warm/​sweet tea.
Not sure if i’ll go back if i have to pay full price. The menu looks quite expensive.

Similar to Madelyn Y., I had the same horrible experience with Visale. The only thing that was different was what he kept repeating to me every 5 minutes, «I know, I know it’s sore, but it’ll feel really good after the massage.» That was creepy. Overall it was an extremely uncomfortable and painful experience. I just wanted the massage to be over.
The only reason why I am not giving Thermae 1-​star is that my friend, whom I went with to the spa, had a wonderful experience with her masseuse. The spa facility overall was decent as others have commented. Just make sure you don’t get Visale as your masseuse!

SPA WEEK 2008!!!
so my friend and i came here for a facials
this would be my first facial, and my friend is a seasoned veteran, she said the facial she received was very good, she’s a fan of the nob hill spa facials, and commented that they do a very good job, and is on par with nob hill spa.
so originally i was going to go in for a hair cut, with christina, but i changed my mind and asked if i could do a facial. (when can you get $ 50 facials you know? you can always find cheap haircuts anyways)
the receptionist panicked a little, and said that might be hard, b/​c she would have to check if the room was available, but my hair stylist can also do facials too!
so i wait in that room, nice and spa like, dim lighting, cucumber water (just like nob hill) and they have kashi granola to snack on, they called me in, the table was nice and cozy and warm, she analyzed my skin, said it was on the dry side, and did some moisturizing masks to hydrate my skin. also gave me a nice shoulder neck and head massage too!!!
what i also really appreciate about this place is that they don’t push their products on you. they just place it at the front desk for you to take a look at. i kindly declined.
my friend however, LOVES the TRU facial product line. this is the same line of products they use at nob hill as well, she has some skin issues, which clear up whenever she uses TRU, so she bought up everything that was recommended.
i didn’t get to go in the shower or locker room, i didn’t know if i was allowed to go there as a client with a facial… so i was kind of confused b/​c there were other people there with robes and stuff. maybe i should have came earlier??? i don’t know, no one explained this stuff to me if their facilities were open to us.
all in all, i got an awesome facial, got all my blackheads and white heads extracted, steamed to open up my pores, moisture mask, massage, everything was excellent!
parking is easy, and facilities are clean and modern, and staff is excellent!!!
i will def come back for a massage!

I came in sat. for spa week. I was greeted by their friendly receptionist and was shown to the locker room and relaxation room. Like the other reviews said, locker room had one shower n two toilets. toiletries extending from shammpoos, to moisturizer, to hair dryers. Each locker had a key, slippers, and robe.
They had a nice relaxation room, but i did not get to «relax» the women who were there were talking very loudly and constantly. it didn’t bother me that much, but i can see it bothering other people. especially after a massage.
I had a facial with Jennifer last sat. She was super sweet and very friendly. They have warm comfy facial tables and the room was dim and relaxing music in the background. The facial was good, my face looked great! Although, i can still hear those women talking from the relaxation room!
I’d give it 5 stars, but my facial was cut a little short and it didn’t start at my appt. time, but the staff was great which is why i’ll be coming back next week! =D

I get a massage at Thermae about every 4 – 6 weeks. I have to say that they have the best masseuse I have ever been to there. Her name is Snjezana. I’ve been to La Belle, Watercourse Way, and Juut. Nothing compares to her deep tissue. She rocks. She also is an esthetician. Perhaps Snjezana will be another reason to go to Thermae besides the well-​loved Janean.
PS — they take tips by credit cards again
PSS — the product slinging is still over the top

I had monthly facials with Janean at Thermae for about 2 years and thought she was wonderful. She was precise and knowledgeable, not to mention down to earth and warm.
However, ownership recently changed at Thermae and Janean is no longer there. Sounds like she and the new owners had a falling out and she disappeared. I don’t know what exactly went down, but in my opinion, they lost their very best esthetician. She was the heart and soul of Thermae (as lead esthetician she also handled makeup and the products they sell) and without her, it’s a very cold place.
Janean was the only reason to go to Thermae. It’s out of the way and has a weird vibe now. Their nail services are nothing special and better massages are at Watercourse Way in Palo Alto. Oh, and they only do nail services on the weekend. Weird. I won’t be going back again.

I’ve had a really positive experience with Janean, the head esthetician. My close girlfriend has been a long time client of hers, and I think she’s found a new one in me. My facial was in the last week of December 2006, and on Monday, I think I’m going to call to make my next appointment.
Janean was very patient in answering all of my questions, which made me at ease. If you don’t know me, I’m really paranoid. She answered everything from «I’ve heard that you can get herpes from the extracting tools…» to «Do you think my eye cream is too thick?»
The table/​beds here are very comfortable. With the soothing music, and the warm bed, it’s hard not to feel relaxed. I think if it weren’t for the extractions (OUCH!), I’d have fallen asleep!
I’ve always been a little bit reluctant to spend money on facials, but 2007 is the year that I decided I should take better care of myself. With facials from Janean once a month, we’ll see if my skins gets better!