Fairmont Banff Springs

Highly recommend! Every staff member I’ve encountered has been incredibly professional. Even after moving to the other side of town, I still make the drive because the service here is truly unmatched. The hygiene is impeccable. I first came for a Brazilian (because let’s be honest — that’s the real test; if they can do a flawless job on the toughest area without leaving me peeling my underwear off, you know they’re good). Now, I get everything done — legs, underarms, you name it — and I’ve been coming back ever since. I won’t take my business anywhere else. I’ve tried multiple places in my area (about a quarter of Edmonton), and none even come close. Other places left sticky spots or did patchy work, but here, it’s consistently perfect every single time.

Let’s just say, I CAN’T get into the energy of 2024 without giving This review! My first experience was an in person visit, and I was convinced to make an appointment sometime for a special occasion. A few weeks later, I looked them up online, read good reviews and dialled to make an appointment for a Retreat Massage for the occasion of my Birthday! Similar to the experience of another review, the lady at the reception was not very enthusiastic about making a new appointment, only a few days in advance, as they are ‘generally booked well-ahead’ and could only offer a 90 or 60 mins facial instead of 90 mins Full body massage. Well, it was my birthday and I wanted to feel good and special so, for the similar price, yeah I wholeheartedly went ahead and booked it. On the day of the appointment, I called them in the morning and informed that I might be late by 10–15 minutes as a birthday surprise popped up. After reaching at the reception, I quickly changed the footwear and was taken to the changing room & given a form to fill that I filled within 3-4 mins. I awaited for a knock in that room for over 15 mins. Was taken to the massage room where I settled-in rather uncomfortably for the facial. I complained about the tension in my neck to the aesthetician as well but that was to no relief. Over Half way through my 90 mins facial, I sensed this process is coming to an end but hold on!! what about my lips? They haven’t event been touched as part of my facial’ So I softly asked my aesthetician ‘wouldn’t lips be massaged?’ And she responded ‘oh no, since you were late, we had to skip that part’ and my brain was like ‘sorry, what?!’ She ‘informed’ me that it takes a few minutes for them to make in house lip scrub and that wasn’t done. She also clarified that this will be adjusted in the final bill. So here I am, getting a facial for OVER 165$ on my birthday to relax and feel good and my brain and body is gripping in feelings of betrayal by the service provider. She finished the massage and applied some greasy petroleum jelly on my lips which I wiped off within a few mins (you can see my lips on the next day. Peeling off. Cracking. Felt burning sensations.) It gets worse after the facial, as the aesthetician leaves the room without saying a word on after facial care or if she has applied the sunscreen or not (it’s 1pm), or just about checking if all’s fine because she was done!! I left the facial room after waiting a few mins andchanged into my clothes. As though there was anything left to be disappointed with, I was in for yet another horrible sight of a dirty toilet and there it was! Edmonton City’s Best Spa with poor hygiene at the peak of weekday daytime. Uff. I ran my way to another thankfully, a clean one. I was fairly billed for a 60 mins facial instead of 90 mins. For an unfair, unhygienic, unkind & unhappy experience. My ONLY REGRET of the spectacular Birthday celebration I had on 14th Nov 2023 is CHOOSING Urban Retreat for a facial that day; draining me energetically and monetarily.

I’ve been a loyal customer of this spa for few years, frequently visiting with my family for facials, massages, manicures/pedicures, and eyebrow threading. The staff has always been friendly, and the atmosphere is calming and clean, which kept us coming back. However, over time, we noticed a decline in the overall quality of the services, which eventually led us to stop visiting. This became especially evident during our last few visits. My family and I, particularly my mom, felt that the massages were rushed, with certain areas being missed entirely. This was a significant disappointment for us, as we had previously enjoyed more thorough and relaxing experiences. During one of my last manicures, I chose the same fast-drying polish I’ve used before (and paid extra for), but it chipped off within a couple of hours. I called the spa, and they kindly offered a same-day touch-up with another aesthetician. However, when I mentioned the issue to the staff member who typically worked on my nails, it felt like my concerns were brushed aside, and unfortunately, the polish didn’t last long after that session either. Additionally, while booking in advance is often necessary, it became increasingly difficult to secure appointments that fit our schedules. Even when we did manage to book, rescheduling could sometimes mean waiting a month for the next available slot, which was frustrating. Ultimately, these service inconsistencies led us to stop visiting. I truly hope the spa can address these issues, as we had many great experiences in the past and would love to see them return to the high standards they once had.