We checked in on a Sunday which is probably the busiest day to check in come to find out. The staff was very nice I just think there was a better way to check the QR code and they could incorporate that into their app because as it stands right now online check-in has no purpose.
We showed up at Kualoa Ranch and everything was booked out for over a week. Poor planning on our part. I did not realize we had to call weeks ahead to get a reservation. We had to show our QR code there just to get into the gift shop LOL! An adult pool was there but it was open for everyone to use only leaving the infinity Jacuzzis for adults only.
I guess I thought it would be relaxing but instead I felt we paid a lot for just fluff. For instance, if I'm going to get a massage, I want to really be worked in the massage and feel like my muscles have been relaxed. I didn't get anything close to that there. Sure, the hydrotherapy garden was nice, but it was boring and I would have rather been actually doing something (I couldn't make myself stay very long there anyway).
We just got back as well and did not have all these issues. Our one bedroom ocean view was in good shape and the AC was great. We joked about how cold we could make it.
I wasn't told anything of the sort before my massage. I didn't have a lot of experience with spas (still don't), and this was supposed to be a treat for my husband and I. Thought it would be nice for our "once in a lifetime" trip. So, not totally my fault. It is something that I tried once, that I just won't make the mistake of doing again is all. In the future, if I want to treat myself, I will only visit the ONE person who I know can give me a massage with the pressure I need.
For anyone out there that has not been to a message therapist and are thinking of splurging, this is a good reminder to make sure that you pick the right message that you want off of the menu, and then make your wishes known to them.You are booking the time. Any decent spa will provide you with a therapist that can give you a deep tissue massage if requested. This is not the fault of the person for booking the wrong massage.There are different types of messages on the menu typically. Some that are more relaxing, like what you had, and other more deep muscle ones. I agree with the other poster that expressing what you want is a must. Messages are a personal thing and everyone likes something different. I guess that I would not blame the therapist for not giving me something that they didn't know that I wanted.
A competent massage therapist will ask what the client wants. It’s ludicrous to blame the client - particularly at the level aulani markets themselves at.
This is not your fault — if they asked you repeatedly about the pressure and you said “
Disney actively markets to people who don’t regularly go to spas. I saw it in marketing materials at some point. I have never in many, many spa treatments not been asked “how is the pressure” multiple times - I doubt this person didn’t like the pressure and answered multiple times “just fine”. I also don’t love how we blame the customer and not the giant billion dollar company when things don’t measure up. There should be no upcharge for deep tissue massage (if you added hot stone or something it would be additional).
Gotcha, it sounds like it was a combination of maybe the therapist didn't work well for you and maybe different expectations. You said in another post you don't have much experience with spas, so I thought it was worth noting that the hydrotherapy garden is actually very unique. At many spas, you simply wait in a quiet room for your treatment and that's it. Aulani pricing is comparable to other high end spas, but at Aulani, you get use of the facility/gardens/locker room for the day for as long or as short as you want. I get that its not something that appeals to everyone, but I do think that added perk makes it a good value.
Thing is that you don't know what you don't know. I have come out of a massage before and have been in pain from the amount of pressure used, but felt tremendous a day or two after because it really alleviated the pain I was having prior to the massage. However, I trusted the person I was seeing to take care of the issues I was having. I never explained to them what I wanted, they just did it. I went in thinking that for the price being paid, that they would know what they were doing, and it would be a similar experience. There weren't options given for type of massage (at least that I remember for a couples massage), it just said relaxing. A relaxing massage to me is what I suppose you all refer to as a deep tissue massage. If I want a massage here at home, I ask either my husband or one friend from high school, tell them where my issues are, and they just fix it. They don't ever ask how the pressure is, but they sure as heck relax me and take care of my issues. I guess I figured for the price I was paying at Aulani, I would have a similar experience, as maybe some massage therapists have different techniques that allow for the same results using less pressure.There are different types of messages on the menu typically. Some that are more relaxing, like what you had, and other more deep muscle ones. I agree with the other poster that expressing what you want is a must. Messages are a personal thing and everyone likes something different. I guess that I would not blame the therapist for not giving me something that they didn't know that I wanted.
Agreed. I simply thought I paid WAY too much money for the fluff experience. Some people may like that sort of thing, or may not have the same issues I do, and that may make a difference in experience for them.
Exactly. Thanks for sharing. I appreciate your explanation, as Aulani is the only "high end" place I've been to. As for your last paragraph, again, lack of experience. If I was asked how the pressure was, I would have probablay replied "fine." However, this again would have been due to lack of knowledge, as I would have assumed that they would simply want to know if it was hurting, not if they needed to press harder. Looking back on it, the tiny woman who gave me my massage would NEVER have been able to really meet my needs, hence the reason that I would never go back to the Aulani Spa and will only seek a paid massage from the one person who I know can give me what I need.
FWIW lest people get the wrong idea, I've had some deep massages from VERY tiny women... a good massuse is not always ripped.
No kidding. The tiny Asian lady who did my massage on DCL nearly killed me. But man she fixed that muscle that goes over the shoulder blade.FWIW lest people get the wrong idea, I've had some deep massages from VERY tiny women... a good massuse is not always ripped.
