The Retreat at Brightleaf 815 West Morgan Street, Durham, NC 27701

"I had a facial + microdermabrasion. I was pleasantly surprised with every part of their client experience. The individual at the front desk was kind and welcoming. The esthetician was knowledgeable and took the time to evaluate my skin. She explained every step of the process. I left feeling relaxed and rejuvenated. I have already booked my next appointment. I recommend anyone looking to have an incredible self care experience."

"I went here for the first time based on reviews and had a very mediocre 90 minute massage that did not feel worth the money. It was a 3/5 in my book, until I then woke up this morning (the day after) and was in so much back pain. I can barely move my head from side to side. It could be coincidence, but I strongly suspect it's as a result of the poor massage technique. So, I'm left with a 2/5 rating. I don't remember the name of my technician, and perhaps there are others there who are more skilled. ----- Update in reply to management's response: It would be helpful if the Retreat had an option for feedback, but they do not. It is not clear to me who I should speak with or how to provide feedback other than writing a review. Should I have asked to stop my massage in the middle of it and come to the front desk? Is there a specific person who counts as "management" who I should speak to? I assumed the person at the front desk was a receptionist and not the appropriate "management" staff person with whom to discuss my concerns. I continue to be experiencing back pain after my massage, and I would love to know that the Retreat takes seriously an injury as a result of a massage in their facility, including a plan to prevent this from happening in the future."

"Excellent spa with talented staff. I especially recommend Kenzie and August for massages and Mackenzie for facials, but I doubt you can go wrong with anyone."

"Excellent massage and facial service, frustrating booking processes. I like the services I have gotten at retreat but it’s a pain to book. Made two reservations and apparently one didn’t go through even though I have an email saying I submitted the request. No follow up stating that the appointment was not available. Only found when we arrived at the retreat. This is not a one off. I missed an appointment in the past because I made it over phone and they stated they will send confirmation over email, which never arrived. Found out they had my name and email confused with someone else’s and charged me the whole amount after I missed said appointment which I didn’t know existed."

"Just had a really disappointing experience getting a facial here with Mackenzie this morning. Long story short, just make sure you're getting the full time and that they're not trying to squeeze you in. I also felt that this place wasn't as friendly to first timers as it was to its regulars which wasn't really cool either. I'm from out of town visiting my cousin who just graduated from Duke and decided to take the day off and treat myself while on vacation. I booked a 60 min. massage and 60 min. facial back to back online but something happened to my facial reservation and it was never logged in their system. I was willing to just let it go but then the receptionist at the front desk said they could get me in for a 30 minute facial in 15 minutes at 10:30am. I thought sure, it's better than nothing. Well I ended up getting called in at 10:37am, which I thought no big deal, I get that things run over. My issue was the entire facial seemed rushed and on top of that my facial ended at 11:02am. I made sure to look at the time because when things run late I just want to make sure I'm getting the full time for this exact reason. I briefly mentioned it to the receptionist when checking out and she said she could maybe talk to her manager or give me a discount on a future service. I'm from out of town so the discount would do me no good and I felt so uncomfortable I just wanted to leave. I ended up leaving a 15% tip because the total was combined and I was happy with my massage but I wish I had just asked for a refund on the amount I was cut short for my facial because I paid for the full time."