The Retreat Day Spa :: A Great Day of Self-Care
Raise your hand if you love a good spa day? If you live in (or plan to visit) the Greater Birmingham (AL) area, let me tell you about my new favorite spa: The Retreat Day Spa!
There are very few things more relaxing than a day at the spa. There are very few things more fun than spending the day with friends. Combine those two and you get the perfect day of self-care. So, imagine my delight when my friend’s husband contacted me to plan a spa day for his wife to surprise her for her birthday!
As much as I love a good massage, I don’t get them as regularly as I’d like. So the first thing I did was do some research. And by research, I mean, you guessed it, I searched Google. We live in the Birmingham (AL) area, so my search yielded tons of spas, so I took the logical next step: I asked around.
After asking a few people, reading reviews, and checking out Instagram and Facebook, I decided to book with The Retreat Day Spa in Vestavia Hills. And I am so glad that I did. We had a great day and I’m going to tell you ALL about it here! Let’s get into it!
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Planning
My initial contact with Jill, owner of The Retreat Day Spa, was via email. I sent an email inquiring about services for a group. I had never scheduled a spa day for a group, so I was a little unsure of how to proceed. Jill responded very quickly and was very thorough in the recommendations that she sent to me. We were able to work together primarily through email to plan the perfect day for our group.
Pro tip: If you’re planning for services for a group, make sure to book early. I booked several weeks in advance, so it was pretty easy to schedule our services within the same time frame.
As with most plans, there were a few changes along the way. But, Jill remained very patient with me as I made changes and offered solutions to every concern that I had.
Visiting a Spa During a Pandemic
It’s no surprise that since we are in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, I had questions about protocol at the spa. Jill provided information that I could pass along to the group and we were all very comfortable with the precautions that the spa is taking. This post on Instagram explains the spa’s COVID protocol:
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Our Arrival at The Retreat Day Spa
There were a total of 7 of us in our party. We arrived at the spa about 15 minutes before our scheduled time. We had filled out most of the required paperwork prior to arrival, so our check-in process was pretty quick. The staff was very welcoming and our first impression of the lobby area was very positive.
The lobby area was beautifully decorated and checked off all the boxes that I love about a spa:
✔ Friendly staff
✔ Relaxing aromas
✔ High-quality products
✔ Peaceful
✔ Comfortable seating
✔ Positive atmosphere
✔ Soothing sounds
The Retreat was definitely pleasing to the sense and I knew right away that we were in for a treat.
After we checked in, we were escorted to the Relaxation Room, where there was coffee, an assortment of teas, and other beverages. We all helped ourselves to our favorites and relaxed until it was time for our services.
The staff was very friendly and attentive and were right there to assist if we needed anything.
The Massage
We all had great experiences, but for this part of the review, I’ll talk solely about my experience.
I booked a 30-minute massage with Jordan. Jordan began our time together by politely introducing herself to me. She was friendly, attentive, and very professional. She asked me if I had any questions or concerns and asked me to elaborate on my expectations for the massage.
I had been strength training a few weeks prior to my massage, so I had some soreness in my upper arms and shoulder areas that I asked Jordan to concentrate on. She listened attentively and took care to focus on those areas.
Since I had expressed to her that I really wanted to relax during the session, she only checked in periodically to ask if the pressure was okay. Otherwise, I relaxed and soaked in the relaxing smells and sounds that were in the room. It was great.
I enjoyed Jordan’s attention to detail. She made sure to adjust pressure as she approached the areas that we discussed. I could tell that the varying pressure would give me some much-needed relief from the soreness that I had been experiencing.
I was so sad when our time came to an end and very much wished that I had booked a one-hour massage. I didn’t realize how much I NEEDED that massage until the session was over. I could feel the relief as soon as she was finished.
I have a hard time deciding what my favorite aspect of the massage was. Jordan’s technique was amazing, but I really enjoyed the hot towels, too! I think I have found my go-to masseuse!
Overall Impression of The Retreat Day Spa
The Retreat Day Spa can be described using two words: simply amazing! I wish I could go every week! The facility was nice, the staff was friendly, and the service was impeccable. I’ll definitely be booking another massage at The Retreat!
All seven of us left relaxed and happy. It was a great experience!
Quick Note: Some other ladies in my group had massages, too. We were all very pleased! A few had facials and enjoyed those as well. The esthetician consulted with the client(s) prior to their sessions to learn more about their skin type so that she could choose the appropriate products. (I love that every service is customized according to the client’s needs.) Someone also had a pedicure, which she described as an enjoyable experience, too!
