Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa

I had a weekend stay with some girlfriends. The property was beautiful and the service everywhere was wonderful. We ate at the restaurant and the food was delicious. We had drinks in the bar and had a bartender named Debbie who went above and beyond, creating delicious cocktails for us and giving us recommendations on what to do in the area. It was super busy that night, but she still took her time to meet our needs ( and the other patrons as well) and made sure we had all we needed. We will definitely be back.

While the massage/masseuse I had was great; the facilities and the experience as a whole was not so great. First, when we followed signs to the Sante restaurant per what was posted in the lobby and then sat at our table for a long time and no server came. When I went into the lobby to ask about service, they told me that the restaurant was closed and only the bar was open. However, then I went to our table and a server was helping people at the table beside us and then helped us. The food—just not that great. Then as we left the Fairmont lobby we found it a bit difficult to find the spa—would be good to have signs on the Fairmont grounds to point the way to the spa. At the spa, the pools were fine but there are no clocks if one is in one of the pools outside (we had a massage appointment and so wanted to keep track of the time). Also, it was unclear where to get a dry/clean towel. (There were towels hanging on hooks by a pool but it was unclear if these were towels that others in the pool were using, and if so, there didn't appear to be other towels.) It also felt that the spa didn't have enough staffing; one had to search for a person if we had a question. So—overall, it was not as relaxing of an experience as we'd hoped.

The spa at this property has historically been a tranquil retreat, but my recent visit was marred by an unprecedented level of overcrowding and noise. The once serene atmosphere was transformed into a chaotic and boisterous environment. The ambiance was more akin to a hotel pool, designed for socializing rather than relaxation. This experience left me deeply disappointed.

Fairmont Spa fell short for many reasons. My massage was wonderful. I had an add on of a dry body scrub and I feel that should not be timed as part of the hour massage. An extra 10min should be added. One of my favorite things about going to a spa is the steam room. The day I went that was not working the rain shower ceiling sprayers were not working either. The pool area was lovely and our snack was also enjoyable. The showers are in need of cleainng and updating. Cracks and mold on the ceiling and most of the dispensers either did not work or were empty. This is defined;y not a 5 star spa. They should advise you before arrival of what is out of order.