Reviews of Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Empress (Spa)

Clara Kovats

As a professional Esthetician (who prides herself in executing attention to detail spa services), I had the BEST EXPERIENCE here at WillowStream Spa. The atmosphere is relaxing, tranquil and professional. It was soooo nice to be on the receiving end for a change. Thank you Montana and Karly for pampering me!

Elizabeth R. Bjornson

Always a pleasure to join Willow Stream for some pampering and relaxation. Stay, clear your mind and indulge - Willow Stream does not disappoint.

Bahara Elena

Phenomenal experience! I chose the Lavender Dream (body wrap) and it was so relaxing. This spa raises the bar high and is sure to delight. I would 100% recommend booking a service! Ask for Lynne!

Joshua Hamman

Great massages! Worth the price!

Lori-Lynn Lisa

Beautiful atmosphere and wonderful massage!!

Bianca Graham

Great overall spa experience!! Had the Executive Meltdown and it was great!! Best to go early and use the amenities too.

Ty Bee

The staff are wonderful and the facilities are great. I've been there twice now and will definitely be back.

Robyn Stalkie

No surprise that the spa at the The Empress is exceptional. I had a wonderful experience with the amenities and felt so relaxed after my massage. I will definitely be back soon!

Jimmy Gi

If you are going to splurge here's where you want to go. All the lotions and potions are used to make your experience better.

Grant Atwood

The fairmont spa is one of the best in Victoria. The waiting area is beautiful and the staff is very friendly. In the men's change room, the steam room does not work very well but I am there for the massages! They also offer access to a mineral pool, swimming pool and hot tub.

K Larkin

Cons: Temperature was freezing, air is powering through the room making treatment uncomfortable. Disposable flip flops are slippery, and almost killed myself coming off steps from pedicure. Limited colours, can already see will need to redo the full colour in a few days. Pros: staff were friendly. Location is nice.

Kelly McAree

Great treatments everytime

Sonya Jones

I went to Willow Stream Spa on Christmas day and it was one of the best Christmas's I've had in years! I got a one and a half hour massage by Heather and I now know what a limp piece of spaghetti feels like as that was me when Heather was done with me. But it didn't stop there! I then went into the steam room until I almost completely melted had a quick rinse then off to the mineral pool to regenerate my body. 3hrs later I left the spa and felt amazing! This will definitely be a new Christmas tradition!

Lisa Cottier

I attended at the end of January for an RMT massage. While the hotel is closed at this time, including its pool and gym, the spa remains in really good form and is actually a nice retreat away from crowds. They are keeping spa attendees at a safe limited capacity and are as hospitable as ever. The only thing lacking (hence rating down to 4 stars) was the availability of a male masseuse as I require a bit more pressure and don't much love when an elbow is used in place of palm-pressure.

julia caron

very good but pricy

M G

Had a massage treatment from Jessica. She was professional, friendly and fantastic at what she does. Highly recommended. Access to the pool and hot tub is a nice bonus.

Nicola Jane

Fantastic birthday treat! Loved everything about it ❤️

Tony&Vanya

Amazing service and great staff

Logan Keirstead

Lovely spa with great service. Larissa and Christine are the best! I would highly recommend them and their expertise. Would be nice if the spa was licensed as many other Fairmont spas are.

Dirk Venter

Beautifully located hotel in downtown Victoria oozing charm. Have been twice, once in summer for a very short stay and once in winter during the festival of trees. Was upgraded in the winter because we extended our stay by just one night. Upgraded room had beautiful green marble and brass bathroom, separate tub and glass-walled shower, double vanities. Had very comfortable large king bed with spotless linen and large armchairs, desk, and hall table/mirror with wine bucket and glasses. Room had its own Keurig coffee maker which did first class morning coffee but which my wife thought too strong and the desk swapped it out for a regular machine immediately when we indicated we weren't happy with it. Hot water was plentiful. Did not try room service, did eat at the Bengal Lounge which is beautifully decorated but the Indian food did not taste authentic. Basic Vindaloo, Tikka Masala, or Chicken Jalfrezi would have been great, but we were disappointed with the somewhat bland uninspired pedestrian fare - sad to say even the roasted nuts were poorly seasoned and tasted burned. This was also the only restaurant in the hotel with poor (slow) service, and it seems to get by on its' occasional jazz evening, decor, and cocktail clientele rather than anything to do with its kitchen. By contrast breakfast at the hotel was superb, a wide choice of a la carte items and buffet items done exactly as we wanted them. The afternoon tea was fabulous, a wide array of fresh cakes, pastries and fresh fruit, although we found the tea a bit weaker than we (or any fan of a good strong black tea) would have liked. To be fair, stronger tea is more of a breakfast thing, although the availability would have been nice. Moreover the tea condiments were excellent enough for us to request a packed lunch of them when we left. All the servers we had while at the hotel were experienced and skilled. Because of its location downtown there are many excellent restaurants a short walk from the hotel. We love Tuscan and tried il terrazzo - truly fabulous - and there are excellent pubs on Government St. Some of the hotel looks dated - and here I'm thinking the numerous unhappy looking Mother-in-Law's Tongue plants the somewhat dull corridors to the rooms, and the entry level accommodation (small rooms - we stayed in one of these on our first visit) - but the hotel is certainly not dowdy, it has a lot of charm and style. I would suggest that you tether your mobile phone to your laptop if you have a data plan of value, as the Internet use in the hotel was an unwelcome sting, Also wished that the hotel did not charge quite as much for their parking which I believe was in the order of $30/night for our small car. To maximise value I would suggest extending your stay by a night or two and requesting an upgrade at the same rate. We had a great time in Victoria, in part thanks to the Hotel and staff, so we will be back.

chloe prusa

Best place for a couple's afternoon!!!

jackie ross

Always outstanding! Service and pampering beyond belief.

Marcus K.

Beautifully laid out and relaxing spa. A massage also allows you to enjoy other areas including a mineral bath, the pool (also accessible if you are a hotel guest), steam room and sauna. Therapists are top notch and able to address any concerns or issues you have. They gave us excellent sports massage to help us get ready for a race. I got a new PR so thank you for the great massage. It's pricey but you are at the Fairmont. Great place to unwind and relax.

John Brum

Excellent

Landof Deborah

Great facility, lovely staff. Cornelia and Rhonda are amazing at what they do. Highly recommended.

Katie Ross

Staff was pleasant. But when booking the extra time in the facilities staff did not inform us that the pool was closed and not available at the time of booking. They also did not give a discounted rate due to the closure. Tea was very nice but the snacks given with the tea were very disappointing - cookies were bite sized almost one bite snack pack style and did not reflect the price and expectation. Pedicure to follow treatment was delayed by due to bad nail polish, was initially accused for these results and had to completely redo nail treatment. This delayed dinner plans by an hour and was only compensated 10% off treatment due to the malfunction/time delay. Guests in group were left an hour without any hospitality. Booking at such a prestigious hotel spa, our party was very disappointed with the experience.

Theresa McInally

Loved it

Nancy Schabner

Not recommended ...this was the worst spa experience I have ever had. You would think that a spa connected to a hotel such as the Empress In Victoria's inner harbour would be comparable to Spa Utopia, Tigh na mara and Spa at the Century or King Fisher....not the case! You will however pay the same rates.... or more. I arrived to discover that the pool and steam room where closed for renovation which was a bit of a drag. The Spa was also super noisy and not relaxing at all. Common areas such as the tiny mineral "POOL" (the size of a hot tub) and the "relaxation lounge (six chairs) where side by side, small and cold. The lounge offered only small packages of yogurt and a small fruit bowl (What!!) making Spa Utopia look very generous indeed! There were no curling irons or flat irons to be found and products where barely obligatory. Can't say the same for my massage though, My RMT Devin was outstanding ! That said, when I book in at a spa for a massage its because Im looking for the full spa experience, Pretty sure I'm not alone here, if people are just after a massage there are plenty of RMT;s around and the price is less than half of what I paid at Willows Stream. Upon check out I heard another patron complain about the noise level and the girl who checked me out told me that another lady who checked out earlier had the same experience. She then went on to make all kinds of excuses for the problems. I heard a women in the change room say that they gave her a raincheck to come back and use the pool and steam room. When I asked for my raincheck (and I had to ask) the girl at the desk obliged but went on to let me know about all the restrictions attached to it ie:No weekends and phone well in advance etc. I told her to keep it Won't be revisiting this spa.ever!.

Derek & Joanne Pinto

Great place to relax.

Derek & Joanne Pinto

Great place to relax.

Bryan Dwyer

Best way to relax if you can live with the higher prices.

Eugenie Lin

Wonderful experience!!!!!! It was enjoyable and comfortable!!!! Christine is super friendly and skilled!!! I had extremely relaxation message!!!!

Kaitlin Troy

Heidi gave me one of the best massages. As a registered massage therapist she had the knowledge and expertise to make my lower back feel great. Woke up with no pain after the treatment. On top of the massage being so rewarding the spa had other amenities to take advantage of while experience a spa service. Bring your bathing suit to use after your treatment in their steam room sauna or mineral pool and help your self to a soul soothing herbal tea.

Matt Tommy

The service here is amazing and the quality of the massages, facials and pedicures are really phenomenal. Seriously, if you can go every week you should! haha. Jess does a great massage and caitlin does a great facial if you need recommendations. They are all really good - i just like to stick to my go to people. The front desk and the back end office is awesome. There is a great sauna and steam room in the mens section. Mineral pool is really refreshing too. Wouldn't recommend it enough 11/10

abella bibiana

Had a massage here with my husband on the last day before we had to catch our ferry and might I say it was the best last stop we took.. The environment was super clean friendly yet professional! Plus the mineral bath left the skin smooth and radiant after which is amazing since I have dry skin! Highly recommend this spa for all!

Stacey Coombes

Love the facility and staff are fantastic

Michelle Yates

slightly pretentious

prouhi

One of the best couples massages we ever had. Very nice and accommodating staff!

Sashia Leung

Had the Coastal Retreat service and it was amazing! Provides you with a bit of everything: body scrub, shower, massage, hair treatment, mini facial. Cornelia was an absolute professional who provides superb service. I highly recommend booking with her as she is very knowledgeable, helpful and a wonderful person. The facilities are very clean and has comfortable massage beds. Willow Stream Spa is my favourite spa in Victoria and they are lucky to Cornelia on the team!

Chelsea Grace

The Willowstream Spa services, amenities and staff are second to none. I have visited the spa 4-5 times now for massage treatments with both spa therapists and registered massage therapists and have always had the greatest experience. You will pay more for your services but the extra cost is very much worth it. Not to mention that finding a booking time has always been easy. They have a larger number of staff and are open longer than most spas in the city.

Angela Meinzinger

There is no limit to the great things to be said about this Spa! I visit at least twice a month because it is such a haven for rejuvenation and relaxation. I look forward to every visit! Nadine is a wiz with nails, and the facial and massages are heavenly!

Angela Meinzinger

There is no limit to the great things to be said about this Spa! I visit at least twice a month because it is such a haven for rejuvenation and relaxation. I look forward to every visit! Nadine is a wiz with nails, and the facial and massages are heavenly!

Jagoda Kissock

My husband booked a hotel stay & spa package as my first Morher's Day present. We planned a 48hr getaway with our 10 month breastfeeding baby so that I could indulge for an hour and half in quiet, relaxation and massage. Upon checking in to the hotel, the front desk confirmed that a treatment was booked at the Spa. However when I arrived for my treatment, no appointment was booked and 2 people could not figure out how the booking (which centres the hotel stay) was missed... despite emails and phone calls regarding the booked. They offered to get me in at a cancelation same day... or at 7:40pm... 30min before my baby's bedtime. I explained a myriad of times that my appointment was booked according to my baby's schedule - with breastfeeding, pumping, and bottle feeding planned days in advance so I could get away for that hour and I couldn't just drop my baby at any moment to come in. The manager was condescending and belittling when I asked how this was missed and when I tried to explain that I can't be available when it is convenient for the spa because I am a mother of an infant and her needs come first. Needless to say, my hour of calm was 30min of frustration. Thanks for ruining my poor hubby's thoughtful first Mother's Day gift.

Michael Leung

Awesome massage and pool, saved my back after a long flight

Michael O'Sullivan

Gorgeous as always. Can not wait till my next visit.

Philippe Hahn

Jordan Daw and his team are phenomenal! Great service, venue and value.

Tarlan Mazarei

Amazing couple’s massage session for our anniversary! Great customer service and talented massage therapists.

Nancy Barnes

Love the spa and the staff. I have been going to this spa for about 10 years and have never been disappointed

Zaahira Lalani

Had a lovely spa experience here, where we received an RMT massage and spent some time in the sauna and mineral baths. I appreciated that we were able to use the Fairmont swimming pool and hot tub as well, as we had extra time after our massages. Would definitely recommend this spa experience, it definitely felt pampered and luxurious.

kim wedlake

Extremely poor experience with this spa. About to make a reservation online, I called the reception to make sure there wasn't a minimum spend to have access to the facilities (pool, sauna etc). I was told on the phone that beside manicure all treatment worked, proceed to make the booking online and received a confirmation via email. Then couple days later I received another email from the staff saying that my booking was for a complementary treatment and without a massage I couldn't come. This might be a good venue once you are in, but an inexact receptionist and a faulty system that weren't balanced by any form of apologetic customer service makes me write this review.

Brooke Brendeland

Had the most unreal facial with Britney. She was amazing! Most relaxing hour of my life. Mineral pool/sauna and steam room very clean. 10/10 recommend.

Caitlin Maxwell

Very professional staff. My mother had a facial treatment and said the products used were amazing. She ended up buying some product as well. They have a pool and sauna !