I traveled to Vegas last week to hang out with my parents b/c my dad had a conference at the Flamingo. My husband purchased a spa package for me at the Canyon Ranch Spa at the Venetian for my 30th birthday, and my mom decided to buy the same package so we could spend all day together at the spa. When I first read the reviews on this website, I was concerned about whether I would actually enjoy Canyon Ranch because of all the negative feedback. Looking back, I have come to the conclusion that most of the negative comments must come from people who spend too much time and money indulging themselves at luxurious spas, because my expericene at Canyon Ranch was very pleasant. It's impossible for any business to be 100% perfect every time. If you go there with a positive attitude and no unrealistic expectations, I suspect you will enjoy yourself as well.

My mom and I both had the mid-week escape package, which included a Spaclub passport, a lunch at either the Cafe or Grill, a Canyon Ranch Massage and the Total Elegance Facial. The positive aspects of our visit included:

-Access to the entire spa with the SpaClub passport which included the entire outdoor pool area between the Venetian/Palazzo, any group exercise class, both fitness centers, the sauna, steam room, whirlpool, 20% off any retail items, robes, sandals, showers, towels, toiletries, tea, coffee, flavored water, fruit, the igloo room, and the tropical showers. This is all available to you for $35 during the week--a great deal!

-Considering this is the largest spa in the world, the staff does its best to create an intimate atmosphere. We actually liked that the spa was so isolated from the main hotel/casino because it was very quiet and we forgot we were in loud, bustling Las Vegas. All the furnishings and colors are muted and warm to make you feel calm and relazed.

-The massage was excellent! I liked how my masseuse put her hands on my back and shoulders and guided me toward the treatment room when she met me. It made me feel welcomed and relaxed. The special touches during the massage such as the warm towels under your legs and neck, and the warmed robe at the end, were very impressive.

-I loved the warm lotion and mitts my therapist used during my facial, as well as the extra massage she gave my feet and hands when she removed the mitts.

-Our lunch at the Grill was delicious and our server was very gracious.

-With your treatment, you are given access to the Salt Grotto, the Conservatory and the Wave room, which are pretty neat and are also coed areas.

-Yes, dirty towels do tend to get scattered around when there are a bunch of inconsiderate women constantly using them and tossing them on the floor instead of in the towel receptacles that are liberally placed all over the spa! Put your towel in one of the hampers, and you won't have a reason to complain about them being on the floor. I thought, with all the trafic in that spa, that the staff did a superb job of picking up after all the customers.

There are a couple of things that could be better at the Canyon Ranch Spa.

-My mom and I both agreed that the ladies who did our facials were much more abrupt and not quite as friendly as the ladies that gave us massages. Perhaps that is because their job is more clinical, but they could stand to be a little nicer. Also, the facial should include more exfoliating and manual cleaning and not so much lotion and moisturizing. It would also be nice if the therapist would explain what she is doing in each step, and perhaps throw in eyebrow tweezing.

-The round brushes in the ladies locker room were too small and poor quality. I kept getting the brush stuck in my hair and ripping it. You are better off bringing your own brush.

All in all, we had a wonderful time and would definitely recommend this spa to others. Don't go there expecting them to be perfect. If you go there ready to relax and are grateful that you can afford to do something that most people in the world could never even dream of doing, you may even leave feeling like royalty.

The email I just sent to Canyon Ranch is below. I wish I ad read many of the reviews on this site. This spa is a waste of money and is just using the Canyon Ranch name. Skip it.

I recently returned from a work related trip to Vegas and would like to share with you my experience at the Canyon Ranch SpaClub. I'm an avid spa goer and was VERY excited to try Canyon Ranch. I hadbeen trying to plan a trip to the Lenox resort with my mother and sisters, but we have not been able to find a week that works for all of us. Anyway, my opinion now of the Canyon Ranch brand has drastically changed. From the moment I checked in the the front desk at the spa I knew this was not the experience I had thogh it was.
1. Front desk needs customer service training (ie customer is alwasy right). I had booked my package over the pone and was quote a price of $305 for a massage and facial. When Ichecked in I was told it was $315. The front desk made a huge deal about it. For me it was not the extra $10 but te principal of it. I was quoted a price and that price should be honored. Additionally, my good firend got a bikini wax -- when she booked it the person could not even find it in the computer. she made a huge deal about it and had to bring over a manger. then she didnt know the price of it and asked my firend what the brochure said. i was shocked as this is something very simple that she should know.
2. Locker room - there was hair floating in the hottub, dirty towels on the ground, lines for the shower. My gym locker room is MUCH nicer.
3. Relaxation room - this is were it did it for me. I finished my massage and had 30 minutes before my facial. I was one of the only customers in the room at the time. it was impossible to relax over the gossiping of the employees. i heard everything from where they had gone the night before to who they didnt like on the staff, to obnoxious clients. i couldnt beleive it. there's a sign that asks customers to be quiet and the employees are talking. Additionally, ever 30 minutes the therapists walk in and shout of the names of their clients. I think this could be done much more personally and quietly.
4. treatments - my massage was good -- not the best ive had, but se was good. my facial was probably one of the worst i have had. she didn't use many products, harldy did any extractions (actually only did it for under 5 min), didnt even ask me about my skin type or what my problem areas were.

Anyway, I felt the need to make you aware of this spa as in my opinion is damaging the Canyon Ranch reputation. I could go on and on about my experience and will most definitely not see Canyon Ranch the same was as Idid a week ago. It's a shame bc Ireally wanted to visit the Lenox resort, but now don't think I will bother. If it's anything clsoe to the SpaClub, I want nothing to do with it.

On a recent stay at the Wynn in Vegas - and after eating too much for too long! - I decided to buy one of Canyon Ranch's day passports to be able to use their gym and gym classes, steam, shower facilities. The passport costs $35. I could have used the Wynn's gym for $25 but I figured that Canyon Ranch would be a really great experience. I was really disappointed in the facilities. I guess I expect a lot from Vegas especially since every hotel has high end spas and this is Canyon Ranch, the pre-eminent spa franchise. First of all, I entered through the Venetian and I don't know if there's another entrance to get into the spa but I was directed by a guard to take an elevator up to the 4th floor for the spa. The elevator opens and I am in one of the Venetian hotel room hallways. So I'm now walking down a long hallway of hotel rooms. I'd be pretty upset if I were staying there that there is foot traffic like this outside my door. The spa entrance was non-descript but said "CANYON RANCH SPA CUB" - the "L" was rubbed out. A little sad. We checked in, paid our $35 dollars, and were not given a tour or explanation of the facilities so we wandered around to figure everything out. The locker room was really spartan, and I don't mean that in a minimalist chic way. I mean it like a high school gym locker room. I saw the hot tub area and I would never get into that thing - it looked like it hadn't been renovated in 20 years and was not luxurious in the least. My friend and I were on the hunt for the relaxation room so we could have some fruit and water before our workout. We couldn't find the room because its actually an unmarked door which had a towel wedged into the top of the door frame to prop it open. Weird. The room itself was really trapped in the 80s and had no character or relaxation quality - my friend pointed out that with all the women in robes and magazines strewn all over the place, it looked like a gynecologist's waiting room. Also, in comparison to say, the Bliss chain, which offers a full spread of light bites in its relaxation room (cheese, crackers, fruit, little brownies), this was kind of pathetic. There was water, tea, coffee, and whole fruit which was actually unripe. (I ate a green banana for lack of choice.) Anyway, on to the fitness class - "Muscle Conditioning". The teacher was nice, but he spent more time talking about what we were going to do as the next exercise than us actually exercising. Also, the studio's decor is dated with some sort of weird pastel logo on the wall and stripes. I just kept thinking "This is Canyon Ranch?" After the workout we had some lunch at the cafe' and then took their class called "Blissful Restoration", which was supposed to be a restorative yoga class. I take restorative yoga in NYC. Its basically a less strenuous version of yoga but there are still all the basic poses and it provides a challenge. This, however, was literally naptime. I spent about 10 minutes straight curled up with my head on the pillow and my knees to my chest. The teacher "lit" three electric candles. Really hokey. I probably should have walked out but I thought it would get better, and after all, I paid $35 for this experience. Also strange is that there is no separate yoga room. There is a workout studio with spinning bikes on the perimeter where we did this yoga class - not Zen or relaxing at all. Also weird is that the $35 is advertised to include full access to showers (not that we wanted to!) but we were not handed a lock for a locker or robes and we were carrying our bags around the whole time. In any event, I am surprised Canyon Ranch would associate its name with this and I hope that another brand buys this space out soon and improves it. Now that the Venetian has the shiny new Palazzo resort attached, there should be a spa that is up to par with the fabulousness of the property.

The Canyon Ranch spa is voted the second best spa in Las Vegas. It is located at the Venetial hotel and shared by the newly built Palazzo. Booking is very easy. They didnt had my original massage service due to a construction. The spa is easy to find. They have a cafe that serves healthy but overpriced menu. Of course, this is Vegas. They have a 24 hour cancellation policy but wasnt able to accommodate the changes I made from a friend who canceled. So, I had to take her service or else I get charged the whole price or only refunded 35% of the price. That was a hassle. The women's locker are small and Im glad it was not crowded when I was there. They serve juice and water and some fruits. The jacuzzi area is relatively small. I wonder what happens when the spa is too busy. They have numerous treatment rooms however. I had the canyon ranch massage. My masseuse was good though. i noticed that they are touchy feely meaning to say when they meet you, they will put their hands around your shoulder or touch your back. I was surprise at this at first but I think this is a way for you to feel more comfortable. My massage was late but finished right on time. After that, I had my mango scrub. It was ok. I think I can do it home if I have the hydro tub they have. The cute part is after a service, they ask you to choose a wellness card that inlcudes some inspirational quotes. When she showed it to me,I thought we're doing tarot readings. lol. The walk to the treatment room is long and puzzle-like. Very un spa-ish. When I spa, I want to zip out right the room and continue on getting ready. It was a long walk. they shld do something about this. Will never go back only if they have a really signature service I want to try.