The Spa at Norwich Inn

I stayed at the Norwich Inn on Saturday night (5÷28÷16) with my boyfriend. We booked a quick getaway on the recommendation of someone who had stayed there before a few times.
I wouldn’t say that our stay was BAD, but it definitely was not worth the money.
We booked a one night stay in a standard room (#12 to be exact) and a couples massage. We are pretty frequent spa=goers and have stayed at Woodloch Lodge in PA and been to The Red Door at Harrah’s AC amongst other great spa’s in the Northeast US. (Woodloch is by far in a category all its own). The room was $ 225 + taxes & fees and the massage was $ 119 for me and $ 130-​ish for him. I had a shiatsu and he had a hot stone.
Upon arrival, we were greeted pleasantly and told that we would be called when the room was ready as we got there very early. We decided to have breakfast at Kensington’s. The waitress was pleasant, but the food was nothing special. We decided to continue into Mystic, CT for a while until the room was ready. When we came back after hearing the room was ready, we made our way up the stairs to the first floor where our room was. My boyfriend and I noticed how unpleasantly warm the entire hotel was. While we were walking to our room, we heard another couple say the same thing. The room, although clean, was exceptionally musty. Everything is OLD — the carpets, the design… needs updating. We turned on the AC immediately to try and cool off the room, but it wasn’t until almost the middle of the night that we began to feel any relief — and that was after leaving the air on since 3pm. The other thing that was very odd… no refrigerator in the room… no coffeepot in the room… no ice machines (theres a note to call if you want ice)… vending machine in the basement… not very convenient. Also, the toilet in our bathroom was not properly secured the floor and kept moving anytime someone would try to sit on it!
We decided to go down to the terrace deck for tea & scones while waiting for our 5:30pm massages at 3pm. The scones were good. It was 90+ degrees outside, so we weren’t about to drink any hot tea, but we did each get a drink from Ascot’s while sitting outside for a few minutes. Upon going back in, we made our way down to the spa. I was extremely surprised, this being a SPA resort/​hotel, at how SMALL the spa is! Again, I will say that the staff was very friendly and for the most part, everything was clean — except the bathrooms in the womens locker room. There are a few tiny, dingy stalls and I didn’t even want to step in there in my flip flops because of the dirty, black, wet floors and grossness. The hot tub, was clean, but there are no seats/​ledges in it, so no where to sit and only room for about 3 people max. Steam room and sauna are clean but tiny. Also, the showers were not very «spa”-ish. The dollar store curtain needs to be replaced with a glass door or something. The water took forever to warm up. Also, the «shower gel» and «shampoo» seemed exactly the same. The other thing lacking? The attention to detail… other real top of the line spa’s I’ve been to know that this is the most important that —- for example… There is mouthwash out, but no little cups for it. There were hair products out, but no disposable brushes or combs. No disposable razors. No makeup towelettes. Things like that… Probably my BIGGEST gripe with the spa was the TEMPERATURE. For whatever reason, besides the small sitting area in the womens locker room which had a fan (thank god), the pool area, relaxation area, and treatment rooms were SO UNBEARABLY HOT. Other people around my boyfriend and I at the pool said the same thing. And, whats funny, is that the indoor pool, which is supposed to be heated, was FREEZING in this crazy hot room. When we entered the treatment room for our couples massage… it did not have any sort of ambiance like a couples massage normally does and the room was so warm. We asked the masseuse’s if they could make the room colder and they said «we wish». My masseuse had a small desk fan, so she turned that on. My poor boyfriend was sweating to death. I will say that the massages themselves were okay. Not great, but okay. Our massages were supposed to be 50 minutes long. The therapists came out to get us at 5:32pm, started the massages at 5:43pm and finished at exactly 6:20pm — not really a 50 min massage, but because I was so warm, I didn’t complain.
All in all, felt like I spent a lot of money for something that wasn’t worth it.
Again — pleasant staff and clean hotel room — just needs major updating and more attention to detail. I wouldn’t stay again. I spent almost $ 600 for 1 night with treatments but could have spent the same somewhere else and gotten way more out of it.

Loved this spa! Came with a group of 4 girls and we had a fantastic time and will be back again! Food was good and spa was super clean with so many options before and after your treatment. The only reason I did not give 5 stars is because I would have wanted the spa to provide shuttle service to both of the nearby casinos and the vineyard especially when purchasing the wine package.

I am updating my first review because I returned for a second time. This time I returned a lunch party and we were there Saturday into Sunday. I have never in my life heard of somebody waiting in line to get into a relaxation room the hot tub was constantly so Overfelt I never got a chance to go inside. I paid for every service since they do not have a package deal on the weekends and I found that my facial service was not very professional. The aesthetician use Q-​tips to extract and it hurt and bruised my face. The massage was wonderful when I return I will not come on a weekend since I felt like we were a bunch of cattle overstuffed and filled into the spa and it was not relaxing one bit. The spa is gorgeous beautiful high class but I saw this weekend that I went to be a money maker and it was just not as nice as if you come during the week so I highly suggest to go during the week and don’t book a facial the Esthatician told me that in the state of Connecticut they do not need to have licenses so I just don’t feel that she was qualified especially for the price.

This spa is a hidden haven! Certainly not the biggest and definitely not the most updated, but always provides a relaxing experience. For an overnight stay, I highly recommend the Girlfriend’s Getaway package which will include high tea, accommodations at the inn for 2, breakfast, and dinner in their lovely dining room. I have stayed both during summer and winter months and both experiences brought something special. Sitting outside in the cold in nothing but your bathrobe is certainly interesting! During the summer, opt for a wine tasting in their beautiful gardens overlooking the rolling hills of Norwich. If you have the option, definitely request a room in the inn itself rather than the cottages as those rooms are newer and cleaner. Grab a schedule of events so you may plan out your days and make as many fitness classes and live music events as possible! The food is delectable, the massages are wonderful, and the fitness classes are exceptional! The staff could do a better job at making you feel like a spa guest. I highly recommend this lovely inn!

My two sisters, my mom, and I did the revitalization package at the Norwich Spa, and we had an amazing day! We all loved our massages, and had great express facials. The package also comes with lunch, which is delicious, and a workout class. You get to eat lunch in your bathrobe which is always nice. Also, definitely get a Bellini and a chocolate cake at lunch!
We are already planning our next girls trip here!

The place is in need of a make over.
The staff is young and not trained in basic customer service. The online booking system is out of date and unable to accept gift cards. The staff was unhelpful when I asked to have my card charged back and use my 200.00 gift card.
I was surprised at how dirty the showers were and how dingy and old the carpet, lockers, and fixtures were in the women’s spa area.
The restaurant wasn’t any better, peeling wallpaper with servers who were not customer focused.
This was a 40^th birthday gift from my friends, it was disappointing to them that this is what they spent their money on.
Our treatments were wonderful, but nothing to warrant the drive and the big price tag.
If your looking to pamper yourself at an upscale spa I wouldn’t recommend this place.

UPDATE: Received a pleasantly unexpected email in response to my initial review and was able to perfectly schedule all requested activities in a single phone call. Service the way I expected it should be. More than made up for my initial reservations experience. — Will update actual experience after our stay.
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Attempted to arrange a Spa day for the wife. I was told they are booked eight weeks out. Good for them. Understandable.
The very real disappointment is that the included complementary overnight holiday gift will have expired by then (31-​Mar). Effectively you would need to book right on XMas day in order to have just over a month window to take advantage of the offer altogether. To add insult to injury the woman I spoke with was so curt. I felt like she couldn’t wait to get off the phone with me and was not the slightest bit proactive and showed no willingness at all to help me work things out with the quite unexpected news of timing.
I haven’t even been there yet and already it’s been a quite inferior service experience. I certainly hope it’s better when we get there.

Beautiful Xmas gift from my husband. Overnight stay. Massage facial and dinner. Place is immaculate. Rooms were great with a fireplace that we could light ourselves. We will be back for sure

I can’t say enough of how pleased my group and I were with our day here. Facial was excellent, massages were excellent, customer service was excellent. The facilities were very clean and serene. ¹⁰⁄₁₀ will do again.

The Inn is perfectly located between New York and Boston & Cape Cod and a 10 minute drive to Mohegan Sun. My husband gets to gamble and I «SPA». Yes, there’s a Spa at Mohegan Sun but I find it colder than the more cozy, intimate vibe at Norwich. Yes, the skills of the masseuses vary; some visits better than others but «C’est la vie» — not a reason to disqualify such a convenient respite.

My sister called in to get my Fiancé and I a massage the day after our wedding. She called earlier in the week and had a pleasant conversation with someone who shared some packages and pricing. She called back today 11÷7÷2015 to make the appointment. She was told, in a very nasty way, that whoever gave her the pricing she was given was WRONG. My sister said the woman was not only unapologetic for the misrepresentation of the packages and fees but that she was rude and curt. I have read mixed reviews on the spa, inconsistency and rudeness. If we get a call back and are given the options at the prices we were told I will give this spa a try and come back to post the experience. I expect to be contacted to make this right. If you reply with a generic ‘sorry you had a bad experience’ response that will be where this ends.

I was here this past weekend for a second annual girls trip. Last year my review would have been a 5-​star but I was a disappointed this year. My message last time was perfect – this time, not so much. The room was cold and didn’t seem worth $ 155 for 60 minutes. It also feels a bit like a factory at the beginning and end of each massage, with crowds of people getting stuck in the hallways. Upon exiting the massage room, you snap right out of your zen state. Even worse is the long line for the restroom. At any given point, there were at least a dozen women waiting to use one of the 3 bathrooms – the spa is in desperate need of more bathrooms!!!
My bigger issue is the café. The service is scary– we waited over 45 minutes for our lunch to arrive at our table because there was only one woman working. She was very kind but there was no way she could prepare the personalized orders for everyone in there in a timely manner. It’s not anything gourmet but at least that is reflected in the prices. Also, the café was over run with guests, especially the gym-​goers who had tons of energy, which was a totally different vibe from the spa-​goers. My recommendation is to create separate facilities for the two different groups.
Overall, good experience but will look for a new spa my next time in town!

Are you looking to be spoiled in ultimate relaxation and be in a country setting far, far away from the city? Well have I found the place for you ! Ok, well my sister did. Aesthetically, the grounds at the Norwich Inn and Spa are gorgeous ! Beautiful, manicured lawns greet you as you drive into this historic estate. Here you will find tennis courts, a restaurant and a pub. I went with my sister to The Spa at Norwich Inn on a Sister Spa package that the hotel/​spa was promoting. We had the best time ! We arrived before check in and were able to take advantage of all the spa facilities while we waited for our room. With everything on site, there is no need to leave this beautiful space if you choose not to. Luckily for my sister and I, we had no intentions of doing so. The minute you enter this beautiful spa resort you are greeted by the most friendly staff ! Everyone is accommodating and eager to answer every question and meet your every need. The Sister Spa package included a minimum of a one night stay, three course dinner, a 50 minute massage, spa pedicure and full use of all spa facilities. Also included are afternoon tea and scones as well as a wine tasting ! Tips and gratuities are included so the package is a great value. There are also a variety of day and overnight packages to select for the ideal visit. One star was omitted for the food (tasteless) and the pedicure technician that did a rush job on my pedicure. Not what I would have expected at such an establishment. Besides that, we came to relax and spend time together and The Norwich Inn and Spa was the perfect place to do so. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay and time there. Thanks sis ! The Spa at Norwich Inn was the perfect relaxing getaway. I cannot wait to get away with you again !

I came here recently as part of a bachelorette party. The whole day was very relaxing, from lounging in the relaxation room in our comfy robes to dining in the restaurant (try the lobster salad — you won’t be disappointed!).
We took advantage of the yoga class (for an upcharge) before our massage service began. The instructor gave a great class and I really enjoyed the extra props she had on hand. I was not happy that the class ran over and I felt very rushed on my way to my massage due to time restraints.
My Swedish massage was fantastic. The masseuse accommodated that I had been struggling with a migraine for a few days and spent extra time focusing on the related pressure points. I was not thrilled, however, that the massage table had a slight lean to it and would wobble back and forth each time the masseuse pressed into me. That was pretty distracting.
It was very convenient that we were allowed to individually chip in towards the bride’s tab when we cashed out in the gift shop at the end. Also the manager accommodated my complaint about the massage with a slight discount. I really appreciated that.
I will definitely try to make it here again because it is wonderful to unplug and enjoy for a day! Hopefully I won’t experience those little kinks next time around. I also hope that it is sunny so I can lounge outside in the courtyard area too!

My mom and I are world traveled spa clients. Whenever we’re somewhere new, finding the perfect spa and putting down roots there is one of the first things we do. After asking around and researching ct’s best day spas, the resounding answer was clear that it was the Norwich Spa. Her visit from California was the perfect time to see if the consensus was accurate, so we booked our appointments and made the drive.
The grounds of the Norwich Inn are a prestine ⁵⁄₅ stars. Immaculately manicured and beautiful, I could see this being the most lush escape from the city. The hotel itself has some old world glam that needs a bit of an upgrade, but still a solid ⁴⁄₅ stars.
The spa is located on the bottom floors towards the southwest side of the grounds, next to the nail salon and boutique. First impressions were beautiful, with expansive wall murals, crystal chandeliers, and spa scents wafting down the hallways. The spa services menu was incredible, one of the most comprehensive and customizable that I’ve seen, an absolute ⁵⁄₅ stars.
Spa check in ladies were a rude and flippiant, and not at all friendly. We took a hurried tour of the spa before they dumped us off with the locker room attendant table with even more rude attendants to whom I’d give a ¹⁄₅ stars. They did their jobs well in the aspect of keeping everything clean and well stocked, but had suspicious looks and were constantly hovering and glancing strangely at us.
We booked the day spa package deal so we started the day with the aqua aerobics class which was amazing, ⁴⁄₅. Instructor was passionate and fun, and the class was a blast while being a great workout. We then did some weight lifting in their ample workout area, sunned ourselves on their chaise deck, and went to lunch.
The food was way better than what I was expecting at a hotel, with great healthy choices, vegetarian and gluten free options clearly marked. Our package included two appetizers and two entrees, and they were all excellent. The steak appetizer was the best, so delicately cooked, and the lobster sliders were out of this world ⁴⁄₅ stars.
After lunch was our massage treatment. The package includes a sweedish massage, and mine was without a doubt one of the worst massages I’ve ever had. My therapist was alternating between violently scratching my scalp, to lightly rubbing the same spot on my neck for almost 2o minutes. At the end of this, I was cranky and sore, and surprised to find out she’d been a masseuse there for almost 30 years! You’d think with that much experience she’d know what she was doing, ⁰⁄₅ stars.
When I met back up with my mom in the locker area, I was further surprised to hear that her massage was equally as bad, and both of us couldn’t wait to be done with it. We told the therapists our feedback, and they seemed dismissive and said with a shrug upon departure that in the future if we didn’t like this to book something else. This is poor customer service, and left us with a bad taste in our mouths after what should have been a relaxing treatment, also ⁰⁄₅ stars.
We went for a steam room treatment after this to try and relax but ended up just getting a shower and leaving. Upstairs they had tea and scones but we were so unhappy with the massage, we really couldn’t enjoy them. The last thing we did was check out in the boutique, and our package included one full size body product per person. What it didn’t say is that they get to chose, and if it’s something you can’t use, or don’t like, they won’t let you pick anything else, ⁰⁄₅ stars.
There was also wine tasting on site that we planned on attending, but after this repeated fiasco of an experience, all we could think about was just leaving. All in all, great looks, great food, but what we came for was the spa, and with rude staff and less than mediocre massage, this place cannot possibly redeem itself as a competent and worthy day spa.

My daughter and I spent two nights, using expedia for room reservations and purchasing everything else separately… it was divine! Lending tons, juice bar, spa, services, villa for room. all excellent… will be a yearly event for us and will go another time with friends!

I visited the spa for the country getaway package with my boyfriend. It was my second time at the spa. My first time that I visited I went with the more expensive package, the rejuvenation package. I’m surprised by the negative reviews. Both times I found my experience to be relaxing and the service to be on par with other spas. My first visit with the more expensive package was fantastic and I feel I got my money’s worth. It included overnight accommodations, fitness class, dinner, breakfast, and two 50 min spa treatments use of the spa sauna, steam room, whirlpool, and regular pool and of course all the freebies (wine tasting, afternoon tea and scones, spa tips etc) priced per person. My first visit I did Sunday into Monday. On my second visit I did Monday into Tuesday. I did prefer the service providers on my first visit. Maybe on weekend days they use their more experienced service providers? The wine tasting on a weekday wasn’t really a tasting it was wine just given to us. On a Sunday there was a man who walked us through info on both wines and was quite entertaining. I’ve had a European facial, thalassotherapy, massage, and a scrub. All were thorough and relaxing. Food is very good but not all options are necessarily healthy though so watch out, on the Kensington’s menu they do include calorie counts. Yes, it can be costly but I feel overall it is well worth it. I highly recommend spending the money on the rejuvenation package. If you go with a less comprehensive package you will probably end up spending the same price anyways.

Love, love, LOVE this place!. I come once a year on average, around March for my birthday. It is such a happy rejuvenating experience that everyone should be able to enjoy on occasion. There would probably be an achievable world peace if it was mandatory for all to do the norwich spa regularly. Not to be missed! You deserve it!

I’ve been coming here for 15 years and can’t believe I’ve never reviewed it!
Getting a massage? Ask for Eva. She’s a goddess.
Getting a facial? Ask for Katie. Best. Facial. EVER.
Nothing beats lounging in your bathrobe all day. In the summer, it’s great to be able to be outside, enjoying the sunshine.
Only drawback is winter and when it’s crowded it’s hard to find a place to sit and relax in the quiet because there’s so many people.
I love coming and will continue to come multiple times a year!

Great overall experience. Staff was wonderful and accommodating. We had rooms 23 – 25, and they were great. Rooms 10 – 17 had maid service as early as 10am, so your room would be clean by the time you venture back around lunch time. The only caveat about these rooms is that walking down the hallways during party-​time, you could hear the music through the floors around those rooms well into the late evening hours (10−11pm). That doesn’t sound spa-​like to me.
The spa was a bunch of fun and was very nice. I wouldn’t call it luxurious, but it was definitely worthy of 4-​stars. Unfortunately the men’s hot tub was more like a cool bath, but the steam room and sauna made up for it. For what we paid for accommodations, this was not acceptable. The fresh fruit in the mornings and complimentary toiletry products were a nice and expected touch at this price-​point.
Dinner at Kensingtons was divine, and the entertainer, Pat was a delight. The bar area brings me back to my days as an equestrian and feels like a place where I’d like to smoke a cigar in a smoking robe with my buddies after a day out on the links.
Walking around in a robe all day is not only allowed, but encouraged.
The overall experience was great, but came up just short of a 5-​star rating due to the aforementioned shortcomings and details.
We will definitely be back, and hopefully they will have brushed-​up on their attention to detail for that 5-​star rating.
Shout out to Donna, Sam, Pat, and Halley (sp?) for making our stay great with their exceptional customer service and above-​and-​beyond hospitality.