The Spa at The Grand York

The spa is located within the grand hotel, so is very convenient and a lovely addition to the already exceptional hotel. i booked a 60 minute facial, which ended up being more like 45 minutes. during the treatment, i was expecting a very quiet and relaxing environment. however, i was either hearing the same song on repeat, people talking outside the room, the creaking of cabinets being opened over and over again by my beautician or the cracking of her bones. i regularly go to a spa near where i live and it is half the price, a lot more welcoming and you receive the full duration you pay for. the prices of the treatments are extortionate and so you expect the highest of standards, but unfortunately it was average at best.

We booked the £75 half day spa packages in advance, but were not told that we needed to ring the day before to tell them what treatments we would like. this meant that we were unable to get the hot stone massage. we were asked to fill out forms prior to going into our treatments on the day, including information about whether we would like a quiet treatment or chatting, what areas to work on, firmness of the massage etc. it seemed like the therapist didn't read these forms as she chatted throughout so i eventually gave in and talked back (my partner noted a similar experience). she also squirted some very hot oil on my back at one point which hurt enough to make me say "ow" aloud. i was quite surprised - the oil, which may feel warm when dispensed onto hands, was a lot hotter directly from the container... the therapist did do a good job of releasing knots from my neck and shoulders, so i appreciated that. it just wasn't overall the relaxing experience i had hoped for. the spa facilities were good. some of the staff were pleasant, some looked angry a lot of the time. in a bizarre twist i was rung the day after with the person on the phone finally responding to the online enquiry i had made days before to actually book into the spa. they clearly hadn't clocked that we had already visited. for a 5* hotel, we did not receive a 5* experience...

My partner treated me to a deep tissue massage at the spa after our lovely stay in the hotel, and it did not disappoint. my massage therapist miranda knew exactly what pressure i needed in the right places, especially where i had tension in my shoulders. she is very good at what she does and was very professional! i highly recommend to ask for her if you ever book a treatment there.

Booked for mine and my sister's birthday a half spa day with a half hour work it out massage. not really the 5 star experience i was hoping for. the relaxation room lounger throws were dirty, you could feel the dirt on them and the room was full of dust - no attention to detail from the cleaners at all. on entrance to the treatment room, it was like an iceberg as the air con had been left on possibly overnight as i had the first treatment of the day so i was offered an extra blanket but it was still very cold. there was a sewage smell from the shower in the room and the treatment bed didn't feel clean like the ones in the relaxation room. the therapists phone went off which she excuses but i felt like there was a lot of faffing in and out of cupboards getting oils etc, didn't feel very organised but the massage itself was ok and i did feel relaxed eventually. the pool was lovely but not very clean, there was a black scum around the pool edge. the jacuzzi was nice, as was the steam room but the sauna felt far too hot, we wouldn't sit down at all which is very unusual. as for the showers, again no attention to detail with the cleaning, lots of hair in the drain, limescale build up and the hair dryer filters have never been cleaned. overall not an awful experience but just not the 5 star treatment i was expecting.

Fantastic service & amazing hotel! everyone was so nice and very helpful. would like to give a big shout to ian the doorman who was very kind and helped us with directions and just generally a very nice gentleman! would also like to say a massive thankyou to sandra on the front desk, she was amazing and was very polite & kind to us! she made my partners birthday very special. 😁