Location: é Spa ce 1898, Molino Stucky Hilton, Venice, Italy
Category: Hotel Spa
Price Range: Massages ($40-$120) Facials ($80-$120) Body Treatments ($80)
Signature Treatments: Carita Facial
Treatments Received: Therapeutic Body Massages
Summary: The newness of this spa can’t make up for the lackluster services and poorly designed floor plan. We had high hopes as we took a ferry from Venice across the Grand Canal to the Molino Stucky Hilton hotel located in the historical Giudecca district.
The curb appeal was impressive and the spa manager, Simone, just oozed Italian charm from every one of his Venetian pores as we checked in. In spite of the warm welcome and the spotless surroundings, the spa felt very cold, cavernous and overly public. The spa lobby is designed as a public pass through for hotel guests, forcing you to feel exposed to an unwelcome audience as you wander around in your robe or spa towel to and from the sauna, Jacuzzi and treatment rooms. What’s worse, the women’s locker room door opens directly onto this busy hallway. Anyone passing by gets a free peep show of the various stages of undress going on in the ladies’ locker room. Not exactly the relaxing retreat you’d expect in a high-end, pricey hotel. The lack of privacy flawed the entire experience. The therapists, Alice and Francesca, were average masseuses, and the experience was marred even more by their lack of language skills and customer service. They never asked me about massage pressure, room temperature and music level preferences. Not a memorable treatment by any stretch.
The relaxation lounge was the high point of the visit. The soaring ceiling and tall, softly draped windows gave it a feeling of spaciousness. We couldn’t wait to sample the selection of hot teas, fruit juices and crispy apples and then sink into one of the comfy looking, oversized chaise lounges. The soothing mix of international music blocked out any external noise and chromotherapy lights overhead made it easy to drift off while anticipating what color of the rainbow would appear next….green…no, blue…no, purple, yesszzzzzz…….
We lingered there long after our so-so treatments and a dip in the lukewarm Jacuzzi. Call it damage control, but it was the only way we could think of to get our money’s worth after such a disappointing spa experience.
Category: Hotel Spa
Price Range: Massages ($40-$120) Facials ($80-$120) Body Treatments ($80)
Signature Treatments: Carita Facial
Treatments Received: Therapeutic Body Massages
Summary: The newness of this spa can’t make up for the lackluster services and poorly designed floor plan. We had high hopes as we took a ferry from Venice across the Grand Canal to the Molino Stucky Hilton hotel located in the historical Giudecca district.
The curb appeal was impressive and the spa manager, Simone, just oozed Italian charm from every one of his Venetian pores as we checked in. In spite of the warm welcome and the spotless surroundings, the spa felt very cold, cavernous and overly public. The spa lobby is designed as a public pass through for hotel guests, forcing you to feel exposed to an unwelcome audience as you wander around in your robe or spa towel to and from the sauna, Jacuzzi and treatment rooms. What’s worse, the women’s locker room door opens directly onto this busy hallway. Anyone passing by gets a free peep show of the various stages of undress going on in the ladies’ locker room. Not exactly the relaxing retreat you’d expect in a high-end, pricey hotel. The lack of privacy flawed the entire experience. The therapists, Alice and Francesca, were average masseuses, and the experience was marred even more by their lack of language skills and customer service. They never asked me about massage pressure, room temperature and music level preferences. Not a memorable treatment by any stretch.
The relaxation lounge was the high point of the visit. The soaring ceiling and tall, softly draped windows gave it a feeling of spaciousness. We couldn’t wait to sample the selection of hot teas, fruit juices and crispy apples and then sink into one of the comfy looking, oversized chaise lounges. The soothing mix of international music blocked out any external noise and chromotherapy lights overhead made it easy to drift off while anticipating what color of the rainbow would appear next….green…no, blue…no, purple, yesszzzzzz…….
We lingered there long after our so-so treatments and a dip in the lukewarm Jacuzzi. Call it damage control, but it was the only way we could think of to get our money’s worth after such a disappointing spa experience.
Facility: 3 Services: 3 Staff: 4
Highs:
- The spa manager burned a CD of the spa music for us after we complimented the mix
- Chromotherapy used in relaxation lounge and treatment rooms
- Only one toilet in the entire women’s locker room
- NO shampoo or conditioner in the shower
- NO amenities or trash can in the vanity area