Whenever I try to research a spa, I’m low-key annoyed how sparse the info is. And that’s even more so when it comes to expensive luxury spas. Look, the more expensive something is, the more info I want beforehand! And this is why I decided to write this little (okay, not so little) The Retreat Spa review.
What it is
The Blue Lagoon is the number 1 tourist spot in Iceland. The pool that was first created has now added various restaurants, a shop, and two hotels. One of those is the ultra-luxurious The Retreat, where a room (per night!) will set you back $1200. The Retreat also comes with one of the best restaurants (Moss) in Iceland, and, yes, The Retreat Spa.
The only reviews I could find were written by deliriously happy magazine editors whose trips were sponsored. (I would be deliriously happy as well, ttbt, if someone would sponsor me a trip to The Retreat, not gonna lie.) Do read my post about the Blue Lagoon here to learn more about it.
The cost
Everyone who knows me will know that I’m not in the habit of spending $400 for a spa “experience”. It’s far from what I’m comfortable with. It’s also far from what I’m able to afford.
I’ve been to the Blue Lagoon before (and written about that here), and have to admit that I love it, although I absolutely realise how stupidly over the top expensive it is.
When we booked our recent trip to Iceland, though, we got a relatively decent package price, and the Retreat Spa “Experience” (how they call it) was included.
We (husband and I) got the Experience and an additional 30min in-water massage.
That package would regularly cost us each 387€. Approximately: if I were to book a ticket for next week, it’d be 518€ right now) + 104€ (the massage) each.
“What’s Included
Blue Lagoon
5-hour exclusive entry to the Retreat Spa
Retreat Spa
The Blue Lagoon
Retreat Lagoon
Private changing room
The Blue Lagoon Ritual
Skincare amenities
A drink of your choice
Access to the Spa Restaurant
Access to 8 subterranean spaces”
Let me break that down for you. And if you start to wonder right now where the “real”pictures are: I couldn’t take any, because the Retreat Spa has a no pictures policy. Your smartphone and camera have to stay outside.
The Check-In
With the issue of your wristband at the spa’s check-in, you not only get access to the Retreat Lagoon, but also to the OG Blue Lagoon. (If you want to rub shoulders with the plebs after your five hours at the Retreat.)
Someone will then give you a tour through the spa area, which is huge, and lead you to your private changing room. The room has two showers, a vanity table stocked with the Blue Lagoon amenities, hair straightener and hair dryer. You’ll get a bathrobe and slippers, and I can immediately tell you what’s one of the Retreat Spa’s biggest perks is: you can change into a new, dry robe as many times as you want, and also get as many towels as you want. That is incredibly nice, because you’ll be in and out of the water innumerable times. Instead of having an increasingly wet robe and a drippy towel, you just take a new one.
Also, having spent anothert day in the Blue Lagoon proper, which was incredibly crowded, having a big changing room all on our own? Yes. So much yes.
The spa area
Then, there’re 8 different rooms to chill in after a soak or massage. These were incredibly, incredibly nice: a nook full of gently moving hanging chairs, one dark room with water tinkling, and a room with an open fire to hang out: heaven. (You can also use a sauna and steam room. I didn’t.)
The lagoon itself forms a series of descending canyons, and yes, it’s incredibly peaceful. No masses of people, nobody doing an Instagram shoot, no children screaming. (Only children 12 yrs + are allowed at the Retreat.) What’s annoying is that you have to get out of one pool to get to the next “canyon” – which is somehow obvious with descending, water-filled spaces, but – for me, a perpetual chilly person, annoying.
Food and Drinks
You get a free drink of your choice and fresh drinking water everywhere. Do drink a lot (and don’t stay in the water for more than 2hrs) because the hot, mineral-rich water is incredibly draining.
If you get peckish, you can have a bite at the Spa’s restaurant (the food comes from Moss restaurant, so, yay, win). It’s expensive, and the ceviche and smoked salmon we had were very, very good. Everybody lounges around in their bathrobes, so no need to change.
The Ritual
The spa’s big selling point is the so-called ritual. While at the Blue Lagoon, you’ll get various face masks to apply (only the Silica mask is available for everybody, the others you’ve to pay for). The Retreat has body scrubs instead. In a huge room with showers and seats, attendants guide you through the different “stages”:
“The Ritual is an exhilarating cycle of wellbeing based on the Blue Lagoon’s trinity of natural wonders: silica, algae, and minerals. In a spacious sanctuary of three interconnected chambers, you cover your body with the treasures of geothermal seawater, becoming one with the rejuvenating powers of the volcanic earth.”
Blue Lagoon
You basically apply one body mask/scrub after the other, marinating on the seats between the applications, showering, and applying the next.
And here is where the whole thing fell short for me. Heaven knows I absolutely don’t want someone do it for me, but given that a lot of people always come in and then leave, I felt like being in a waiting room with a lot of guests always passing through. That made the place, yes, chilly, and the exact opposite of cosy and relaxing.
The scrubs itself – yeah, sure, they’re fine. They’re scrubs, so what do you expect? No matter how fancy, those will exfoliate your body. Your skin will feel nice afterwards. *shrugs*
Worth it?
Here’s what’s wonderful about The Retreat Spa: it’ll never feel crowded. The surroundings are really serene (while the OG Blue Lagoon can feel like a circus). The cleanliness, design of the whole space and the attention of the staff is faultless. The staff is multi-national, which is great: a bubbly Italian gave us our tour, while a no-nonsense Icelandic Valkyrie with a wicked humour was the attendant presiding over the ritual.
My biggest worry before entering the spa was that I would somehow feel inferior to the rich, famous and beautiful crowd inhabiting the space. The no-pictures policy did (IMO) a lot to nip that in the bud. Instead you had a lot of people in bathing suits who looked exactly like me: normal, towards being middle-aged, wanting to treat themselves to a relaxing time.
And if you’re thinking “what am I to do in five whole hours”?! Don’t worry, time goes by in a flash. (If you’re looking for a review of the massage, I did cover that in this post, together with a quick review of the Blue Lagoon skincare line.) In the end, we left very, very, very relaxed and in a state of hazy wellbeing.
As always, if something is deemed “worth the money” is a hugely individual decision. I enjoyed my time at the Retreat, and still wouldn’t book it again.
But now that you know exactly what to expect, I hope you can decide for yourself if it’s worth your money.
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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