Kohler Waters Spa

I went to Kohler on Sunday with a friend to use the gift card I got for Mothers’ Day. I’ve had many massages at many different places. The quality of the massage was very low compared to nearly every other place I’ve been. My neck has been hurting ever since. I also felt that the spa is majorly overrated. The «circle of tranquility» is a hot tub. There is a freezing pool you can jump in if you’re insane, and the sauna was broken. The spiel we were subjected to when we first arrived was pretty ridiculous. The tour guide described every nozzle on every shower and told us in great detail how to turn on the hot tub jets. Overall, this was the most overrated spa and overpriced spa I’ve ever been to. They really should focus on quality instead of offering a huge menu of somewhat ridiculous treatments. I had booked the Bamboo Bliss– which should be described as: «We take two pieces of bamboo, wrap the ends with wash cloths secured with rubber bands, and drum on your body like a 3 year old might do. Then we heat up other pieces of bamboo and roll them on you. You probably won’t like it, so we will tell you repeatedly throughout that we can do a Swedish massage at anytime if you don’t like this bamboo nonsense».

After an extensive on-​line search, I selected Kohler Spa. My daughter and I were planning a girls trip to Chicago for shopping and spa. My goal was a special experience beyond just showing up for a service and going home. I wanted a spa that included some common areas with relaxing opportunities. Sauna, whirlpool, private showers, etc. Other spas we have been to cater to this need and I was envisioning Chicago to have something of this caliber as well.
It is not worth the visit.
When we arrived in town, we stopped by the Kohler Spa to make our appointments. The woman behind the counter gave off a less-​than-​friendly vibe. She seemed entirely put out by our interest in making an appointment and told us the few appointments that were available since it was a busy weekend. Since our options were limited, we stepped back to discuss. Thankfully, we encountered a much more friendly woman when we actually made the appointments. She was helpful and I regret not getting her name.
At check in, prior to our appointment, we were invited to sit in the quiet room or the whirlpool. The quiet room was not all that quiet and did not have that soothing, candle-​lit spa feel that we SO expected. It felt busy and bright with interruptions of service providers calling out names. Perhaps there is a more serene way to get someone for their service. A vibrating fob? Or a request to check in somewhere at their appointment time and if they haven’t, THEN look for them? Other spas don’t seem to have this problem.
While the pool picture looked inviting on-​line, the actual environment was not as impressive. The ambiance was more of a pubic pool than a spa. Lighting changes would help a lot.
On the positive side, the massage and scrub were wonderful and the refreshments were nice. I wish we had just booked that somewhere as the rest of the «amenities» were more of a take-​away than a plus.
After our trip, we checked pricing for similar services at the Four Seasons and found them to be the same or less. I wish I had known, surely the experience would have been better and more relaxing.

Went here on a Monday afternoon for some «me time». I loved every minute of it. I showed up about an hour and a half early and utilized the Circle of Tranquility. Make sure you bring your swimsuit as it is co-​ed. I started out in one of the fancy Kohler showers then alternated between the sauna, hot tub, and cool dip pool. After about 45 minutes in the Circle, I lounged in the relaxation area, drank some herbal tea and just relaxed. It was busier than I expected on Monday afternoon but it will still very quiet. Multiple people were straight up napping in the lounge area, which I thought was great. My therapist, Trish, then came to get me for my Magnificent Wrap. It was essentially a full body exfoliation, mud wrap, vichi shower, and moisturizing. It was fantastic. She made me feel very comfortable and it was honestly the best spa experience I have had. A lot of smaller spas don’t have the same size lounge areas and other amenities as they do here. After my treatment, I went back to the lounge area to let the moisturizer sink into my skin. I took a nap, drank some cucumber water, and then I checked out. It is expensive, but when I consider how long I was there (almost 4 hours) plus how relaxed I felt, it was worth it.

Let’s go 4.5 stars here. I had a great experience! First off, the «Woodsman Massage» I had was the best one I’ve ever received. My therapist was strong and extremely experienced with deep tissue work. Here’s what I liked: The Waterfall Jacuzzi room, It’s great! The showers & locker room were awesome. The treatment rooms are perfect. The products they use are high end. Here’s what I didn’t like: The robes are TOO BIG! The «Relaxation Room» sucks, too plain and congested. furniture like lawn furniture. The pressing at the end to buy a bunch of products that they just used. Keep in mind it’s pricey but definitely worth it once in a while! Get Dat Did.

Very disappointing! Not worth the drive from Chicago. There are tons so upscale spas that offer better amenities. The pricing is comparable to Trump spa and doesn’t even come close to that experience.

What a beautiful, serene spa.
One of my girlfriends brought me here for my Birthday as a treat. She comes here fairly frequently (a few times a year), but it was my first time. I was so excited to try it and luckily i wasn’t let down!
We came on a Sunday afternoon. I was greeted by a friendly guy working the counter who immediately checked me in and called for someone to come and give me a tour of the facilities and show me how to work the locker. She also brought me flip-​flops and a robe (yes, they have plus-​size robes too, ladies!). So i quickly got changed into my swimsuit, then went to meet my friend.
We both went for the Vishy water treatment, the Lavender Rain i believe it was called, or Lavender-​Something. Since we were getting the same treatment, that meant we had to alternate appointments. So she went at 3, and i went at 4. While she went in for her treatment, I went to check out the «Serenity Circle», which consists of a jacuzzi the size of a small swimming pool, a cold-​water plunge pool, 3 shower stalls each with their own shower-​systems/​heads, a sauna, and a steam room.
First i jumped into the cold-​water plunge, which felt amazing. It’s only like 4 feet by 4 feet, but it’s 8 feet deep. So you literally just walk up, jump in, and then get out (there’s stairs to make it easy to get out). It literally just feels like all your synopsis and nerve ending all come alive at the same time. It’s a rush. I hate cold water, but this felt amazing.
Then I got into the jacuzzi and spent about twenty minutes in here. It was the perfect temperature. It had seating around the edges. it had jets at calf and back level. it has an amazing like ten foot waterfall that people like to let beat on their shoulders/​upper-​backs, and then a smaller like 3-​foot spigot with water coming out.
Once i got bored in the jacuzzi i decided to go check out the 3 different shower stalls. The middle one was my fave. It was like a rain shower pouring down on you and it had light-​therapy. You could program for the lights to change colors, or you could choose what colors you wanted. It was amazing.
I skipped the sauna/​steam room as i don’t like these.
A few minutes before my appt, i went and took off my bathing suit, stayed in my robe and then went to the relaxation room to await my turn to be called. This room is so relaxing! They’ve got a combination of lay-​down chairs and normal seats. It’s dimly lit, is stocked with little snacks, tea, water, coffee, etc… and the chairs have blankets if you’d like to lay down and settle in to read or take a nap.
My spa service was great! I enjoyed it. it was peaceful and the technical did a nice job, and she was very respectful and quiet.
Once done, my girlfriend and i hung out in the relaxation room and just quietly chit-​chatted for about 45 minutes. Surprisingly, there was NOBODY else there, and nobody was in the jacuzzi room with me earlier, either! One of the girls there had remarked at how odd it was that it wasn’t busy — which worked to our advantage quite nicely!
The whole place is SPOTLESS. They are always refreshing /​cleaning, nonstop. Every room is very clean and well taken care of. The locker rooms are also very nice. You get a locker where you can choose your own code, so you know your stuff is safe.
I HIGHLY recommend trying Kohler Spa. It’s a tad expensive, but I see WHY. And I will definitely be back. it’s worth it. Make sure you bring your bathing suit, and maybe a good book.
I walked past the pedicure chairs and it’s a beautiful area! there’s also privacy curtains between each chair that can be utilized. They’ve also got a little «shop» at the entrance with lotions and nail polish and what not. Everyone was super-​friendly, the place is immaculate, the service was lovely. I can’t wait to come back. It was everything I’d hoped it would be.

for the amount of money spent you can get much better services at your local neighborhood spa.
facial was a total waste.
Massage was pretty decent.
if you think you are going to go and spend more than an hour in addition to your treatments don’t bother. The place they have you sit is busy with people walking in and out so it is not relaxing. Maybe if they put chairs in by the hot tubs or something so its more relaxing.
My advice… go to your local spa and save yourself the money.

For not a whole lot of dough (relatively speaking) you can spend the day here with your girlfriends and pretend you are at a ocean-​side resort and have a fabtastic time!
This place is super clean and lovely is the best way I can describe it. Take a look at their website and plan your visit before you go. My sister hates massages and I love them so I had one and she didn’t. We both didn’t think we would like the serenity circle. Instead of being dopy it was actually really cool and our favorite experience of the day.
The amenities are all top-​notch. How cool Wisconsin based Kohler opened this place in Burr Ridge! I cannot wait to go back.

The serenity circle is amazing! I would recommend getting there an hour before your treatment to fully enjoy the hot tub, plunge pool, sauna, steam room, and showers!
I thought the treatments (facial and massage) were average. My esthetician did not evaluate my skin or do extractions during the 80 minute facial. I’ve had better at red door spa for similar cost.
The staff was great, cordial, and friendly. But i definitely felt like the esthetician and masseuse were less knowledgeable than what I would expect at a high end spa.
Good experience but over priced for the level of service.

This place is and ALWAYS has been top notch. The whole experience is well worth the cost. Kind staff and clean establishment!

I really wanted to love this.
I did.
I was really looking forward to it and considering the reputation and the price point I thought I was going to get a great massage.
I didn’t. I requested the hot stone massage, a treatment I’ve gotten many times before in many different places and this was by far the worst hot stone massage I’ve ever had. It was 80 minutes and maybe 10 of those were spent working on my back. Parts of the massage here seemed genuinely bizarre, why is a frozen stone used to massage my face? Why is the bed contorted in such an uncomfortable way? Why is the towel used to cover my eyes cold? Why was the room itself so cold? Little stones were put between all my toes? Weird, just, so weird.
I wasn’t asked about problem areas or any personal preferences. I have chronic pain in my back and it didn’t feel any better when I left here than when I came in and it was a steep price to pay to feel exactly the same.
Also, I would have liked to know that I was going to be given a male masseuse. It didn’t even enter my mind and had I known, or been told even the name of my masseuse, ahead of time I would have been given a chance to let the spa know that I’d really be much more comfortable with a female masseuse. I know for a lot of people this isn’t an issue but for me it really is and I would have really liked to have been given the option.
I didn’t say anything before leaving because no one at the front desk asked me how my services were and at the point I honestly was just agitated enough to want to get out of there.
There is a hot tub and a sauna and steam room and they’re nice but not $ 225 nice and I felt this way about all the facilities– they were adequate but definitely didn’t match the prices I was charged. Also, every time a car drove through the parking garage it made a loud noise that was distracting and a little unnerving.
I won’t be back here– there are places that are much better and much less expensive.
Bummer.

Great place, great hospitality, great services! Prices are a little steep, but the experience is always great! Love the blankets in the waiting area. Love the circle of tranquility but the sauna was not very hot when I was in there at 8:45am this morning — the management may need to turn it on earlier. Also the lights on the floor behind the waterfall may need to be changed out, looked moldy in there! Highly recommend the Great Lakes Stone massage with Grace, Hollyhock body spray, and the Fresh body oil!

I’m a little torn about this place. On the one hand, the therapists I had were really great… extremely professional. I had a great massage by someone who clearly knew what she was doing. I just thought the layout of the facility was a little awkward for a spa with these prices. The relaxation room is nice, but the main hallway connecting the reception to the locker rooms runs right alongside it, so there is a lot of traffic, and people sitting in their street clothes as there’s nowhere else to sit if you’re waiting for someone else in your party to finish. Also, be aware that ALL of the steam facilities are co-​ed, requiring a bathing suit. At other spas in this price range, the locker rooms have had their own steam and sauna rooms. I’m not a fan of wearing a bathing suit into a steam room. The lockers are also small and on top of each other… it’d be a tight squeeze in there on a busy day. The locker rooms had some amenities, but not as many grooming products as I’d expect from a spa at this level. Dry shampoo would be really great to address post-​treatment oily hair. I couldn’t help but compare it to my favorite downtown spa which is more expensive, but not by much.

It’s lovely. The service is top notch. And be sure to take your swim suit to use the co ed water area as it is included in your service fee because if you don’t, you are not maximizing the higher prices here than at other places.
I’m updating my earlier review as the prices have gone up since then. $ 158 for a 50 minute deep tissue massage on a weekday, $ 168 on the weekend is getting a little on the pricey side especially when you compare it to other places in town that are more in the $ 120 range. But then again. .. it’s a branded spa. And know that they automatically add a 20% tip to the service on top of that (you can adjust it either way but that’s the starting point)
My recent therapist, Julie, was great! Worth every penny as she worked tirelessly to relieve the pain I was having in my shoulder and neck that I got from sitting funny in an airplane seat. Not only did she do the work, but sent me home with some suggestions on how to keep it from happening in the future.
Not my regular massage place, but when I need a little tune up, I can usually get in on a same day appointment and I can be assured of a quality experience.

I wish I could give zero stars.
It has been a few weeks since my experience at Kohler Spa but I’m still bothered by my experience and think others should be aware. On August 31^st I brought my mother for a signature massage which she loved. I had a prenatal massage that was completely unprofessional.
My therapist Tony was nice enough when he introduced himself but quickly into the massage I realized that he appeared slovenly and was lazy. First he was so overweight that he would bump into me every time he tried to fit between the foot of the table and the wall. He covered my eyes with a towel which was relaxing. He spent most of the massage sitting on a stool. He started the massage rubbing my right foot with one thumb… I’ve had quite a few massages in my day and have never had a single thumb massage (especially for the Kohler price).
When Tony switched the my left foot he quickly returned to a single thumb circular massage. I could see under the towel on my face that his face was lit up, he was checking his cell phone. I was bewildered and didn’t know what to do. He checked his email/​text/​Facebook for multiple minutes. He did it again while massaging my shoulders and then my calf muscle. At this point I sat up and asked him what he was doing. He said nothing and quickly slipped his phone in his pocket. I probably should have left then but I was so upset and the massage was almost over.
At checkout I asked to speak to the manager, Alexandra. I wanted her to check his phone for pictures, it made me uncomfortable that I was undressed and he had a camera in the room. Alexandra did and called me to confirmed no pictures were on his phone and then gave me his lame excuse that the clock wasn’t working in the treatment room so he needed to check the time as they have strict guidelines for treatments.
This spa goes to great lengths to inform patrons that cellphones aren’t allowed to preserve their calming atmosphere but they clearly don’t take a strong stance with their own employees. It was an awful massage, experience, and follow-​up from management. The 20%off my treatment was not worth the negative experience. I won’t be returning and would caution anyone who gets Tony for their treatment.

After reading the reviews, my friend and I decided to play hooky from work and take a relaxing mental health day. We booked our services a week in advance. I for the Kohler signature facial and a body treatment with the word bamboo the name (sorry I neglected to recall the exact treatment names). Kristen did my first service. It was very relaxing. My only one con would be it was a bit chilly in the treatment room prior to the Vichy. But that only made me welcome the warm water more. The spa is beautiful, well stocked and all the employees are very courteous. We spent some time between services in the whirlpool and sauna.

My husband and I were visiting Chicago for my work and I was looking for a place to relax after a stressful week. I wanted a massage at a spa with a hot tub, sauna, steam room, and a nice environment we could relax at for a few hours. We got there half and hour before the deep tissue massages and got to relax for a bit in the hot tub before the massages. We have gotten massages at several resorts and spas in Arizona, Hawaii, Indiana, and India. Both my husband and I thought that it was one of the best we ever had. My Masseuse was Janice and she was excellent. The staff was friendly and courteous. I would definitely go again. It was a bit pricy, but if you plan to spend several hours there relaxing it is worth it. One note is that the spa is very busy and had quite a few people, but because we planned a late dinner we stayed longer and there were only a few people there in the evening.

I’m not going to lie. I was really unsure about my decision to go here at first. The prices shocked me! I was afraid it would never be worth it. It was worth every single penny and more!
We decided to just book 1 service since we weren’t sure about it. We booked a 50 minute couples massage with aromatherapy. It ended up setting us back $ 400 with tip! I can’t believe I’m going to say this, but I would have paid double!
The actual massage was the best I’ve ever had! I’m already planning my next one. My therapist Tony was amazing and did everything the EXACT way I asked.
The tour we received at the beginning was nice and immediately we felt relaxed here. The locker rooms have everything you need and are sparkling clean, but it wouldn’t hurt for a larger locker room (BF felt men’s was small too). I spent 25 minutes in the shower. It’s the most amazing shower I have ever taken!
We spent a little time before our treatment in the steam room together and the huge jacuzzi with waterfall. I think it’s one of the only times I have seen him actually relax and not care about work for a few hours.
The relaxation area is nice. I loved the trail mix and banana chips. It helped hold me over since we skipped breakfast. Next time I’ll order a smoothie and spend another hour lounging. They could use a few more loungers.
You could easily spend 5 hours here if you received 2 services! I almost feel like that makes it worth the money. Just be aware that the areas are for both men and women so swimsuits are required (except locker rooms of course).
The locker room attendants were sweet and helpful. She (Sue) even ran out to front and grabbed me some products I wanted to purchase! I can’t wait to head back!

Went here on a Saturday. As far as services go it is REALLY expensive to go on a weekend so avoid going here on a Friday or Saturday.
I really wish the girl who scheduled our couples massage let us know to get there ahead of time to enjoy the amenities. No one explained that. Actually the girl who booked the appointment was very uninterested and not very helpful especially when I told her that it was my first time at this location. Minus another star for that.
The massage was good. Nothing spectacular for the price. It was $ 360 for a couples massage on a Saturday. For a place not in the city that is insane. Also, the locker rooms are not big… For some reason they bulk everyone in the same locker section. It makes more sense to spread the lockers out and not give everyone who booked an appt a locker in the same section.
Overall it is a very nice place but overpriced in my opinion.
Also, unless you are getting a massage you really should not be in the relaxation area. Why should someone getting a pedicure take up space in that area when they are only paying a fraction of the price to be there?

To be honest, I’m a bit torn about reviewing this place. It’s a very nice spa with a calming atmosphere. The staff was very nice and professional, and the general amenities are also nice (though I wish there was more than one gluten free snack available. You can only snack on so many banana chips. Just saying.) There’s tea, coffee, and cold water in the relaxation room. The circle of tranquility was lovely and very relaxing, though right now there are massive water stains on the ceiling from a leak.
I got a Kohler bath because I had to get something. The bath was nice. But at the end of the day, it’s a bath. The tub was huge and very long. I sort of slipped around a lot with no traction underneath (Side note: When I lived in Japan more than a decade ago, my host family had a tub that was deeper and kept the water warm. Why can’t they get that technology here?) The bath was nice, relaxing as a bath is, but it wasn’t $ 117 relaxing (with 20% gratuity automatically added.) My friend got a makeup consultation and was very unhappy with it. Neither of us thought the woman did a satisfactory job with her makeup, and the woman apparently just put the makeup on without a discussion of what my friend wanted, or why certain makeup choices were made.
So overall? Nice experience that culminated in paying $ 117 for a bath. That last moment sort of detracted from the level of relaxation.