Thanks to the invitation from our Russian friends, we had the chance to visit and experience a…read moretraditional Russian-style sauna--the banya. Otherwise, I would have never dared to step into this place on my own. Taking photos inside the banya is not allowed--for obvious reasons. You need to bring your own swim shorts or swimsuit to enter the banya area. The area includes a cold water pool, a warm water pool, and most importantly, the banya room itself. A banya is similar to a sauna, but instead of being very dry like a typical sauna (which uses a stove), the banya is extremely humid due to the constant addition of water. As a result, even though the temperature, 70 degrees Celsius, doesn't exceed that of a regular sauna (around 90°C), it feels much hotter. In fact, I felt suffocated the moment I stepped into the banya room for the first time--I was shocked! However, after staying a little longer, I quickly got used to it. The heat penetrated my body inside and out, and I started sweating like crazy. You can't even tell whether the moisture on your body is sweat or steam from the air. According to Russian tradition, you're supposed to jump straight into the freezing cold water immediately after leaving the banya room. I didn't jump--I walked in slowly, afraid my heart might stop if I did that! I felt completely relaxed afterwards, and I could tell my metabolism had boosted. I highly recommend experiencing a banya during the blistering cold Canadian winter. There's also a restaurant offering Russian dishes (or more precisely, Soviet-style cuisine), so you can refuel with some hearty food after being "boiled" in the banya.

This is definitely a cultural experience you want to try at least once!…read more Banya Richmond Hill is a local spa and wellness space offering an authentic eastern European banya experience. It has a variety of saunas, steam rooms, and baths, including a Himalayan salt room, and provides a relaxing and social atmosphere. Beyond the traditional banya experience, Banya Richmond Hill also features delicious house made food and drinks, including traditional Russian dishes and kombucha. I loved the Lamb Pilaf and potato perogies. I highly recommend coming early on the weekend or preferably choose a weekday in the day time to enjoy the experience with less crowds . Parking is a bit limited as well so make sure to come early!

Gr8 setup. Relaxing and enjoyable. I like the experience for…read moremy first spa. Comes down to a good therapist.

For me, this is the best hidden gem in Ontario. There's nothing better than fresh fruit, an amazing…read moreleg massage and a nice hot dip in the whirlpool! If you haven't been here, you need to come and if you've been here before - you know how amazing it is. This is my 3rd time here and definitely not my last!

This was my first visit to a Korean Spa, and Go Place was a wonderful experience. The interior is…read morebeautiful, spacious and very clean. You cannot bring in your own water, but drinking water and towels are available. When you go upstairs, a staff member explains what to do. You change from your shoes into slippers and receive a loose-fitting top and shorts to wear. There are several different sauna rooms to try, with secure cubicles nearby where you can leave your phone before entering each room. The spa has separate men's and women's changing rooms with showers, a hot tub and plenty of useful amenities. You can also purchase facial masks. Beyond the saunas, there are far infrared-light lounge chairs to lie on, massage chairs, a quiet lounge for reading or relaxing, a sleeping room, a gym and computer stations if you need to work. There is also a restaurant if you get hungry, as well as spa treatments available for an additional cost. Many people brought books and spent time relaxing between the different rooms. It is a lovely place to slow down, unwind and spend several peaceful hours.

I've been recommended to come here by a lot of people and so for my birthday I decided eh why not…read more For the price I'm paying and the length of time we're allowed to stay, not bad! Very large place, mindfully decorated, with different rooms and plenty of resting space, a gym, several dry saunas, heated pools and jacuzzis, a cold plunge, a restaurant with actually really delicious meal options, and an entire upstairs area for massages... a computer room?? And games you can rent out?? I was thoroughly impressed. Unfortunately for me I wish the guests appreciated the space more... in the areas where they request for guests to be mindful of volume... there were too many loud guests... i wish people were more mindful of shared spaces. I noted that a lot of people were on their phones which sort of defeats the purpose of full relaxation. Now for the add ons where you will have to pay a bit extra... The food is so delicious. I have zero complaints... other than the fruit is a bit too expensive. But they have very sizeable portions for meals! Massage therapy was lovely... it started with a sound bowl for relaxation. I'm pretty sure I fell asleep. I went for the lymphatic massage and then it ended up becoming a deep tissue massage with hot rocks. In the end I think I spent like $325... entry fee and massage alone was $180 together... honestly I'd come again with a group of maybe 4 friends or by myself once in a while (and by a while I mean like maybe once a year)

Excellent service. April is very thorough and professional…read more Both my wife and I have ben going there regularly and always happy with the service.

Such nice atmosphere and good service. Great leg massage by…read moreCeline and good shellac mani and reg. Pedi.

When I first walked in I was greeted a bit abruptly. I was told to take off my sandals but there…read morewas no slippers to put on. There was a bin of used dirty slippers on the side and the entrance look dirty and a bit runned down by foot traffic, was a bit annoyed that I had to put my just out of the shower feet on a floor that had outside shoes. The room I was taken too had drips of some liquid on the floor and a garbage can that was so full it spilled over onto the floor. Wasn't sure if the table linen was changed before I got there. The lady that gave me a massage was entirely pressing too hard and I got hurt several times, no, a lot during the entire session, inspite the fact that I repeatedly asking her to be more gentle, or I said ouch that hurt, or I just visibly kept flinching. Then, twice she fell asleep while massaging me. The rubbing slowed all the way down to a stop, abd then she was trailing off to one side of my body, and then she would catch herself and begin massaging again. This happened like 3 times. Finally I asked "are you alright?" and she came too and played it off and said "oh I was just trying to be very gentle since you're so sensitive. Ya, OK! I paid for the aroma therapy massage and what that ended up being was that she rubbed lavender oil on her hand and put her hand up to my turned down face under the table and said breathe deeply in and out three times. OK! Then she sat at the head of the table to begin massaging me, and my head was continuously pressed into her bosom and belly, very weird and uncomfortable. At one point there was some rough skin or piece of nail or hang skin that was occasionally scraping my body along with the feeling of the coarseness of her forearm hair when she massaged me with her forearms for a minuteor so. I don't know if this lady was a licensed masseuse or not, "I'm leaning towards NO", but it sure felt like she was winging it. Didn't really get a neck, hands, or feet rub, and the legs and arms was too short of a rub as compared to my back. My back took up most of the time. For Someone sensitive like me, I'd think a professional would know what to do to get around that and make sure I got a fantastic experience, but it was quite the opposite. I'm a pretty small lady, 5'7" at 111 pounds, and I was so sensitive because I've had a hard life and has been through a lot, like a lot of us have. Whether youre small like me, inbetween, or bigger, a professional knows how to get the job done and give an evenly distributed massage. The place could have been cleaner for my liking, the vibe was not inviting, and the professionalism and expertise was grossly lacking. NO, I would not recommend this place to anyone i know, and NO, I will never return to this establishment first any of their services.

Ridi (not sure if I spelled her name correctly), was EXCELLENT! She gave a great facial, and head…read moremassage was worth the five stars alone!! Highly recommend, especially if you're looking for a non-toxic environment or have allergies/sensitivities!!

I am hottub, sauna, spa connoisseur! My aging body demands quality hot water and saunas. I was…read morevisiting Toronto from the U.S. on a work related trip and was desperate for hot water so paid the full $85 ($90 with tax) to get in for the last 45 minutes and was sorely disappointed. The sauna was barely warm. The main pool was luke warm; albeit relaxing to move in, as I was the only one using it. The supposed "hot" pool was not warmer than my hottub at home that we keep at 104, so must've only been around 101 my guess. And yes, the 2 other women that were there were chatting up a storm, so not your relaxing, spa type environment. The staff, though, were very kind and helpful. I'd say if you have time and the same amount of money, head an hour east to Thermea spa, which is well worth the time and money!

More of a 3.5 star. My friend has been here and I've always been meaning to try it. Visited during…read morethe morning on a Monday so it wasnt too crowded or loud. I booked a 30 minute therapeutic massage at 12:45 pm with female RMT Chris, which cost about $130 total. They told me to come about 1 hour before check in to enjoy the complimentary water pools. I would strongly recommend going before 12 or 1 pm om weekdays cause it gets more crowded and loud afterwards. I dont think weekends are advisable due to all the other reviews I read. When I went, only 8-10 women were in the spa and that was enough for me. If you have never been like me, they can give you a little 2 minute tour. Once you are inside the spa area, on the right side you will see a locker room to change and put your things away (they give you a locker key), a vanity room to get ready (hair dryer, hair brush, q-tips, cotton pads, hair ties are provided), and a washroom. Their are also slippers you can use (see inside cabinets) and you will get a face towel, body towel and robe. They have 3 pools (cold, warm and hot), a sauna and steam room. Be sure to do a quick body rinse before going in. You can do their suggested water circuit. I did one full circuit but then went to steam room again. I then took shower in preparation of my massage. If you want to continue water circuit after beauty service you will have to wash off any oils and creams used before going back in again. For my massage, they take you into a private room in another quiet zone area. Chris was pretty good, I wanted to focus on my shoulders and neck. Maybe lower back if there was time. I found she was going to light and asked her for deeper pressure which really worked out the knots. She didnt have time to properly do my lower back tho which was fine cause I only did 30 mins. So if you need something similar, I recommend 45 or 1 hour massage appointment so she can do full body. Note for improvement, I did notice they have filtered water fountians but I think they could have done cucumber or lemon water as a nicer touch. They do have a juice bar though, I tried their Vitamin D smoothie which was popular there. Overall, I wouldn't mind returning if I wanted to treat myself but it's very similar to the Korean jimjilbang (sauna) in the sense that its very communal like. A bit higher end but not as much variety as some Korean saunas. If you rather save money and are more focused on pools then I suggest Korean sauna. If you want a massage like me and water pools is a nice extra then this could be a good spot.

This bathhouse is modeled after a Russian Banya and contains a dry sauna, wet sauna, steam room,…read morecold plunge & bucket, resting/common area, and a dining room. With the entrance fee, you are given a towel, bathrobe, and a bracelet for a locker. You can also opt for different add-ons for your experience such as an exfoliator/scrub or a sauna hat. They do not offer slippers so bring your own if you prefer them. I found the saunas hot enough as I have a low heat tolerance. The cold bucket plunge was also refreshing after the sauna. The cold plunge is a well that states a one person limit, though many people went in with 2-3 people at a time. The entire atmosphere reminds you of a cottage getaway. Afterward, we went to the dining area where they offer complimentary tea at the cutest tea station. They also make homemade kombucha and offer pickle vodka shots. We ordered the borsht, cabbage rolls, dumplings, herring, and the sourdough pancakes. Right off the bat, everything was delicious. The borsht was probably one of the best I've ever tasted, especially with the sour cream and the tanginess of the broth. The cabbage rolls were juicy and seasoned well, the sourdough pancakes tasted like fried dough and had a rich buttery flavour as opposed to the sweet, cakiness you would expect from a pancake. But the most surprising was the herring, which came with pickled cabbage on top and was incredibly tasty. Definitely give this a try if you visit. The drinks were also made strong, despite the low price ($11-15 for a cocktail). We all agreed that we should return just for the food alone!

I had an absolute blast at women's night which is every Tuesday at Southwestern Bathhouse!…read moreAdmittedly because it was my first time I was confused as hell and the front desk didn't really walk me through any of the rooms or what their functions were or what to do first etc, but all the info was on the website and there were only three rooms and one cold plunge so it ended up being kind of self explanatory. Scrubs are five dollars for purchase which actually is kinda crazy considering the size but I came for the full experience so you bet I bought one for the steam room. The sauna and steam rooms were INSANELY hot and the cold plunge was INSANELY cold. It was FANTASTIC lol! It was so foggy in the steam room I literally could barely see anyone else and my nostrils were burning from the heat. The water in the pool was nice and cold though and really helped keep cool in there. The larger sauna was super relaxing temperature wise and more for chilling out. If the cold plunge was too extreme there was also a chain and bucket that release cold water that was not nearly as freezing. There was a lovely cozy rest area with dim lights and a tv and in the nook of the dining area a plethora of stunning herbal, aromatic and fruity teas. As for the food itself, AWESOME. There were plenty of options for me as someone who only eats halal meat and has to otherwise be vegetarian or pescatarian in the event meat is not halal. I had potato pelmeni and the bowl was LOADED. I was in absolute BLISS. The mushroom julienne was a pool of cheese, cream and mushrooms, what was there not to like there??? The bread was the only meh part of it all. The sour cream cake was lovely and fluffy. Very homemade vibes. I loved the experience and would absolutely come back again!

We came here a few days after their Grand Opening and were impressed by the top notch customer care…read moreand the quality of their service. You can choose between different aromatic oils for the forehead massage; each oil had different effect like: relaxing, headache relief, energetic. You can choose between 60 and 90-minute treatment sessions. They have single or couple massage rooms. They'll scan your scalp once at the beginning of the session and once the treatment is done and they also provide feedback on how oily or sensitive your scalp is. The treatment includes scalp and forehead massage, shoulder massage and hair wash. I felt so relaxed during the session that I felt asleep and when I woke up, I felt completely relaxed and refreshed. Definitely worth the 60/90 minutes spent. They currently have great promotions for their Grand Opening.

Just had the most relaxing spa experiences at Chill Head Spa. The place had a soothing atmosphere,…read moreyou're welcomed with slippers and tea while filling out a questionnaire. You also get a scalp analysis before your treatment. I felt so relaxed and my hair has not been this soft in so long!! Everyone was very friendly and attentive during the session, there's also snacks and tea afterwards too! Definitely recommend for a self-pamper session or as gift.