Up All Night: Club D’Elite spa review

Club D’Elite has several charms. The tropical decor, complete with palm trees and a clear blue sky overhead in the lounge area, immediately instilled a feeling of relaxation and comfort. When my colleague and I visited the spa in November, we felt immediately transported stepping into the warm waiting area on a chilly evening.

The staff members were friendly and accommodating–if a little too eager to check in on us every few minutes–and each room we visited was clean and spotless. The food provided in the buffet area was savoury and a departure from the tapas-style meal offerings that have become quite common among spas. The buffet style meal is inspired by spas in Asia, according to Club D’Elite’s head chef.

The most damning flaw of Club D’Elite is its inability to serve all body types, instead catering to slimmer clientele. I am by no means a thin person, nor am I morbidly obese, but after several failed attempts to find a proper robe size, it was made clear to me they didn’t have proper attire available for women above a size 14. Staff members were apologetic, as I spent the rest of the visit in my street clothes, but it was disheartening to discover that not all spaces are designed for body positivity and inclusivity. Truth be told, I was ready to leave then and there, but stayed on for the sake of giving a full review.

The 45 minute back massage was not a relaxing experience. My colleague and I were informed beforehand that our two massage therapists had very different methods (one specialized in gentle massage, the other in deep tissue massage), essentially making it a coin toss for who would be waking up very sore the next morning (spoiler alert: it was me). The therapist made no attempt to learn if I had any focus areas needing attention and sparsely checked in to see if she was being too rough.

The foot massage, however, fared much better. While still rough at times, the ability to sit and enjoy drinks and a movie with a colleague while getting joint foot rubs was a luxurious experience. The spa is open until 2 AM, giving clients more than enough time to relax in their post-massage lull with drinks and a warm meal.

Club D’Elite is not for everyone, it certainly wasn’t for me, but for the clients it does appeal to, this spa is worth its very reasonable price tag.