Verified Company
Completely Disappointing and Deeply Unprofessional Experience –Avoid This Spa
We visited the Helvetia & Bristol Firenze Spa expecting a relaxing and high-quality treatment, but the experience was shockingly bad from start to finish. The therapist who treated me, named Somalia, was not professional at all. What was supposed to be a deep-tissue massage felt more like light, aimless stroking completely amateur and nothing like what I requested. It genuinely felt like someone without proper training.
Even worse, Somalia spoke about me during the massage to the therapist treating my husband, making unkind and critical remarks. Being talked about negatively while lying on the massage table was humiliating, disrespectful, and ruined the entire experience.
When we approached the spa’s management, they showed zero accountability. There was no apology, no attempt to understand what happened, no compensation nothing. They casually offered another massage the following day, which of course we refused after such a degrading experience.
What made it even more disappointing is that the hotel management also did absolutely nothing when informed. No follow-up, no responsibility, no effort to correct the situation. For a hotel of this supposed standard, this is unacceptable.
This was one of the worst service experiences we’ve ever had. Absolutely not recommended.
Reply from LA SPA Helvetia & Bristol
2025.11.22
Dear Madam,
Thank you for sharing your feedback, although we are sorry to read your review.
As the Spa Manager, I would like to clarify that the therapist who treated you has been working with us for four years, is regularly evaluated through mystery guest audits, and knows our standards perfectly well. We fully understand that a massage can be a matter of personal sensitivity, and we would have had no difficulty accepting a simple report that the treatment was not to your liking.
However, we find the claim that our therapist made inappropriate comments during the service to be very serious. We conducted an internal check, and all staff involved confirmed that they did not speak at any time during your treatment, nor did they make any remarks about your feet. If there was any communication between colleagues, it was solely for operational purposes, never to disrespect a guest.
I would also like to highlight that our reception team and our therapists apologized to you and your husband for the discomfort you felt and tried to understand the situation, while being unable to take responsibility for behaviour that did not occur.
I know my team very well and appreciate their daily commitment: they are professional and correct, and for this reason I felt it was my duty to protect them from statements that have no basis. We are always willing to mediate when a service does not meet expectations, but we cannot accept requests for refunds when there has been no objective wrongdoing.
Respect is a core value in our Spa: towards our guests, but also towards those who work with dedication every day.
We sincerely wish you to regain the serenity you seem to need, and we hope that one day you may look back on this experience with greater balance.
Kind regards,
Gabriella Francia, SPA Director
Thank you for sharing your feedback, although we are sorry to read your review.
As the Spa Manager, I would like to clarify that the therapist who treated you has been working with us for four years, is regularly evaluated through mystery guest audits, and knows our standards perfectly well. We fully understand that a massage can be a matter of personal sensitivity, and we would have had no difficulty accepting a simple report that the treatment was not to your liking.
However, we find the claim that our therapist made inappropriate comments during the service to be very serious. We conducted an internal check, and all staff involved confirmed that they did not speak at any time during your treatment, nor did they make any remarks about your feet. If there was any communication between colleagues, it was solely for operational purposes, never to disrespect a guest.
I would also like to highlight that our reception team and our therapists apologized to you and your husband for the discomfort you felt and tried to understand the situation, while being unable to take responsibility for behaviour that did not occur.
I know my team very well and appreciate their daily commitment: they are professional and correct, and for this reason I felt it was my duty to protect them from statements that have no basis. We are always willing to mediate when a service does not meet expectations, but we cannot accept requests for refunds when there has been no objective wrongdoing.
Respect is a core value in our Spa: towards our guests, but also towards those who work with dedication every day.
We sincerely wish you to regain the serenity you seem to need, and we hope that one day you may look back on this experience with greater balance.
Kind regards,
Gabriella Francia, SPA Director
