The Retreat at Brightleaf

I’ve been to the Retreat a few times for facials and massage and in general, have had a great experience, which is why I return. I almost always book my services online without problems but for my last visit, I was told that they ‘lost’ my appointment. I was also told that next time I should call for an appointment than book online. Really?!? Why then even have an online booking option if it doesn’t work? This was incredibly disappointing since I had taken the afternoon off from work to make it to my appointment. I was also told that perhaps I changed my password and that’s why the appointment was lost. That was not the case and I certainly didn’t appreciate the blame being redirected towards me when it is your online service that is obviously flawed. I’ll be looking for massage and facial services elsewhere.

I’m not sure if 5 visits is enough to call myself a client; but I think it’s enough to pen an informed Unilocal review!
APPOINTMENTS
They have excellent hours; I love that I can get an appointment last minute, or late evening, or on any weekend with plenty of timeslots to choose from. When they revamped their website this year, they also began offering online booking which makes setting something up even more seamless (the only snag seems to be if you want to book multiple services back-​to-​back; it appears you can’t do this in one booking session, which is a little clunky software-​side). But calling in or even emailing for an appointment has never been difficult either; I aways hear back promptly. Two out of five appointments, they’ve had to alter (in one instance, they asked to cut my time back from 2 hours to 1 because the therapist wasn’t feeling well; the second time they asked if they could bump my appointment later in the day). I feel as though not honoring the booked time is probably uncommon; and I have to point out that they, without prompting, offered a small discount to my services on both occasions. So despite a slight inconvenience, they were very apologetic and proactive.
ATMOSPHERE
The lobby is bright, cheery, inviting. They offer water and tea. I love the gallery of old– and new-​school Durham city sights. The rooms seem to each have a theme (eg, Paris; Africa); they’re modestly decorated but perfectly comfortable and calm-​inducing. The restroom is off of a hallway, with a sink that is separate from the toilet area; it feels a bit public. In terms of ambiance, I’d place this midway between a «cheap» option like Massage Envy and a posh (er) luxe spa like Healing Waters. My main complaint is that some of the massage rooms share a wall with the neighboring local business, which happens to be a fencing school. Half of my appointments, I’ve been able to hear muffled fencing combat. It’s not all that noticeable, but does kind of remove you from a complete state of relaxation.
SERVICES
I’ve utilized three different massage therapists at the Retreat, and had one waxing service. Everyone has unique preferences when it comes to massage, but I think I’ve finally found a great fit in John. He has great «bedside» manner, seems very in-​tune to the muscles, and administers the deftest most effective trigger-​point therapy I’ve ever received. I was paired with Shelly for waxing, and quickly took to her warm, conversational personality. She did a pretty thorough job, and a practically pain-​free one too! The Retreat offers a variety of massage styles, plus facials, body polishing, and other indulgences.
Pricing seems appropriate for the experience; although I wish I could afford to go more regularly! They do run monthly specials in their e-​newsletter and occasional deals around the holidays, etc. I’m really glad to have The Retreat close by, and even happier to have discovered John for my sports massage needs!

After having my second prenatal massage today, I have to say I’m hooked. It’s a beautiful spa, great therapists and excellent prices.

Great ambience — aesthetic design is clean, minimalist, and relaxing. It’s tucked away, so there’s not too much loud traffic in the area. I always frequent this spa for massages while I’m at school. I’ve tried the Swedish, Deep Tissue, and the Sports massages. The 60 minute Swedish is always a favorite of mine — just the right amount of time to relax and the perfect pressure. Deep Tissue and Sports were a bit intense, but if you speak up, the masseuses will change the pressure very easily. My favorite massage spa in Durham.

Great, clean, therapeutic, and professional place to get a massage. I’ve never been disappointed.

Review for the receptionist on Thursday — she is curt and if it were the first time I had called I would have gone elsewhere. Sounds like she is chewing gum on the phone and talked to others while on our call without mentioning the lengthy pause in our conversation.
Receptionist on Sunday was nice and treatment great, so will go again but would avoid the person on this call if possible.

I usually proclaim, several times a week, that I’m stressed out. Therefore, I should be able to have a weekly massage, right?
I’ve now had 3 separate and lovely experiences at Brightleaf. Two separate couples massages with my husband and a shorter massage that focused on my legs and feet.
All three of my aestheticians were confident, knowledgeable and made me feel comfortable. My husband felt the same.
The facility is clean and well kept. It’s a day-​spa, so none of the fancy showers/​tubs that some places have, but the facility is reflected in the reasonable prices.
They’ve had really good Black Friday sales on gift certificates in the past, so check out their website. They also send out periodic emails with specials, but not spammy.

The facial with tony left my skin glowing. I just hope the pricey products I bought live up to their promise. Id go back again to try a massage along with the facial.

The Retreat at Brightleaf is honestly as good as it gets. My fiancé always complains that the masseuse never applies enough pressure, but after our massages here he was more than satisfied. I loved my massage and we know we’ll definitely be back!

I had the deep tissue massage here with Isaac (one of the males, I think that’s his name) and he did a great job. I told him where my aches were and that’s where he focused. I was actually free from soreness for 2 full weeks, which is much longer than I’ve had from other massages. The only downside is that this place is pricey ($ 80 for 1 hour).

Received a gift certificate and enjoyed a lovely relaxation massage with Caroline, followed by a signature facial with Emily. Both were wonderful, but if I were to go again for purely relaxation purposes, I’d stick with the massage.
I wish that the receptionist had told my massage therapist that I had a facial scheduled for afterwards — I think there was a communication mixup, and I ended up hurrying to put my clothes back on, only to wait alone in a treatment room before going to the esthetician. So flow between treatments could have been better.

Clean and welcoming retreat indeed. In love coming here for therapeutic messages. From Swedish to deep tissue, the therapist at the retreat know how to heal. You are sure to come out feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.

I’ve been here a few times previously for Swedish massages, and all have been decent, but not great — the real appeal of this place lies in its tranquil setting and layout. This time, though, my mother booked a massage for both of us (weeks in advance) to use while I was home for the week. When we arrived this past Monday, we were told we weren’t booked in the system and that we couldn’t be accommodated. The receptionist gave us gift certificates for our massages (which was nice) and told us the next available time was for Saturday evening (albeit, a really inconvenient time).
It turns out that we couldn’t make the Saturday evening massage, and when I called the receptionist to cancel and try to book another massage, she told me there was absolutely nothing available, even when I reminded her of our time crunch and that the booking fault originally lied with them.
Really disappointing for a place with such a reputation.

Once again had a five star experience at the Retreat. Yesterday was my birthday and I wanted some pampering. My massage with Tracy was excellent. She listened to me and really worked on what was bothering me but also got to everything else. I was so blissed out after the massage I could hardly talk. My facial with Amanda was perfect. My skin looks amazing today and she gave me a little sample of some BB cream because I forgot my make up. Above and beyond! I love that each treatment room has it’s own theme, Asian, Parisienne, etc. and there’s mouthwash in the bathroom. It’s the little things in life… right? The Retreat has thought of everything. I will definitely be back as soon as possible.

The Retreat is fabulous! The staff are very friendly and upbeat. The rooms are serene, clean, and beautiful. The whole space is gorgeous.
Brandi does a fabulous job with my acupuncture. I was a newbie to acupuncture before Brandi and I’m hooked! It truly has helped with anxiety.

I went for a brazilian wax with Emily this time. It was quick! It was painful by its nature, but Emily did a great job to finish fast and prepare me for the upcoming pain.
The greatest thing was that I did not have any blood spot afterwards. I did brazilian wax about once a year, and this was the first time that I did not see blood afterwards. The skin around the area looked calm after a short while.
I will definitely consider doing it more often and will come back to Emily.

The Retreat is a top-​notched. I always look forward to my visits there. The staff is professional and friendly and goes out of their way to make your visit a pleasant one. I would recommend the services that they offer to anyone, man or woman. Emily is the best aesthetician I have seen.
The massages that I receive from Blake help to manage my migraines and stress level. If only my health plan covered my massages! I will say that all of the services at the Retreat are reasonably priced.
Everyone who works there is fantastic at what they do. Run out and get yourself a massage and a facial. You’ll thank yourself for it.
Oh, and don’t forget the acupuncture!

How have I not reviewed my favorite spa before!!! sheesh! BAD DAWN!
I LOOOVE this place. I go here religiously for facials and massage.
Blake, the owner, is without a doubt my fave massage therapist here. She rubbed on my pregnant body weekly making those last weeks bearable (maybe bare-​able in this case? hehe).
Emily, my go-​to lady for facials is so stinkin’ knowledgable and easy to be around. She endures my endless questions and has me looking my best and feeling great by the time I leave.
The receptionist, Fay, is even a huge hit with me, with her sweet little british accent and ability to usher me into relaxyworld upon entering the spa.
It’s beautifully decorated and often has art from local artists gracing the walls.
They are price competitive and if you friend them on facebook they will update you with last minute openings.
Le JoY! Le Purrrrr!

I first went here after buying a Groupon. I bought two Groupons, for my fiancé and me and when I called they were nice enough to put us in for a couples massage. It was AMAZING. We were placed in a really nice, clean room with music and after a quick chat with the masseuses about our needs, we got settled and the work begun. One of the best massages ever. I think I was with April. She was great.
Because we used a Groupon, we were encouraged to book another massage on our way out at a 20% discount. My birthday was coming up so we thought why not. Same deal, couples massage, two different masseuses who were just as good.
I highly recommend this place and the location is great because it’s right next to Brightleaf and you can go for brunch or whatever right after.

Until yesterday, I only had my eyebrows waxed once, back when I was in 8^th grade and my mom got me a «makeover» for my birthday (which was really just a haircut and an eyebrow waxing), and I’ve been trying to keep their shape by plucking for the past *cough*teen years.
Well, because The Retreat is sweet and cultivates relationships with other local businesses, I received a gift certificate as an employee of a nearby boutique for Christmas. And since my birthday’s coming up, I used it on my second eyebrow waxing ever!
I filled out the paperwork in the really nice, really comfortable waiting area. If I had to wait longer, I would have helped myself to some complimentary Tazo tea and flipped through a magazine. But Emily was ready for me right away, so we got to the hair removal.
It was quick and almost painless, and Emily was really friendly and chatty. And the best part: my eyebrows look so fantastic– perfect but natural!
Maybe it’s time to say goodbye to the tweezers!