At last! Markham has opened Go Place Spa, an Asian spa resort that brings wellness to the next level. Fully equipped with multiple therapy rooms, hot tubs and personal services all in one beautiful space that saves you a trip to Asia. Boasting a massive space of 68 000 square feet, Go Place Spa’s a bit intimidating when first stepping in. You might feel a bit overwhelmed at first and not know where everything is – I spent 3 hours in there and still wasn’t sure if I’d seen everything.

When first stepping in, you are welcomed by staff members directing you upstairs to begin your spa experience. Everyone spoke English here so communication wasn’t a problem. They give you your own numbered wristband to know which locker to use and to track all your spending within the facility. I was excited to begin my Go Place experience as it’s the only spa (that I know of) that’s open 24/7 and all year round for the reasonable entry fee price of $55. I wanted to see if this place was really too good to be true.

 

All About Go Place Spa

Upon reaching the second floor, another staff member greets you to take off your shoes and direct you into the change rooms. From that point on, I got a bit confused as I found it’s not only a change room but also where you’ll find the hot tub and steam room area. I was a bit disappointed that there were no communal pools in Go Place as I had come with my guy friend and we couldn’t enjoy the hot tubs together. Instead I had to spend my time in the hot tub and steam room alone, which was a bit of a bummer.

I also didn’t find the temperatures of either to be as hot as I’d like. There were two hot tubs in the women’s change room but three in the men’s, which I hear is to attract more male customers. I also brought my own flip flops to wear around the facilities but was informed they only allow their own slippers to be worn outside the change rooms, which costs $3 a pair. Although the entire space was spotlessly clean, I’d prefer to not walk around barefoot so I added a pair to my tab.

 

Go Place Spa is quite an attractive space that has been transformed from a movie theatre, mainly known for their themed therapy rooms and saunas. I’ve never seen so much lounge space within one place with almost every one of the lounge chairs being filled up. I came around 6pm on a Sunday night and it was quite busy. However, although everyone is able to talk inside, the sound doesn’t travel throughout so you can definitely still feel like you’re at the spa.

There are 7 therapy rooms in total at Go Place, all of varying temperatures and all serving a different purpose. The 7 rooms include: the Jade Room, the Salt Room, the Volcanic Rock Room, the Agate Room, the Amethyst Room, the Ice Room and the Far Infrared area. Pictured above in one of my favourite rooms – the Amethyst Room. You can see how the style of the spa is to lie down on straw mats as you release tension while absorbing the healing properties of each room. Apparently, amethyst is known in Chinese culture to aid in reducing stress and anxiety. They believe the energy released from the heated crystals can help to relax your body and cleanse your mind.

 

In general, none of the therapy rooms were very hot. The hottest one was the Volcanic Rock room, which I stayed in for some time. Although I still barely worked up a sweat after leaving 15 minutes later, it was probably one of the quieter rooms with a higher temperature, which I enjoyed. To cool down, I surprisingly really enjoyed the Ice Room, at a low temperature of 4 degrees. There was no one in there – because I guess no one can take the coldness – but it was nice and refreshing after baking in the saunas.

I didn’t care for either the Salt Room or the Jade Room mainly because of how packed it was in there. They were designed like huts in a circular pod, so space was very limited. Not only that but there were groups of guests playing cards in there as if it were a lounge space, which took away from the overall spa feel.

 

Go Place Spa also has a gym if you plan on working out with shoe rentals available but my personal favourite was the silent sleeping room. It’s pitch dark in what I assume used to be a theatre room (as the entire space was transformed from a former movie theatre) with plenty of lounge chairs for you to nap in. I didn’t actually get to fall asleep unfortunately as someone had already beat me to it and was snoring loudly inside.

One thing to note is that at Go Place, instead of robes, they give you these dorky hospital-esque uniforms (pictured above) to wear within the facility. Although I wasn’t too fond of the two-piece pyjama ensemble, I will say that they were extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear. Since you spend most of your time in the common area in the dry saunas and relaxation areas, it’s easy to move around in while keeping them on the entire time. You’d most likely spend a smaller portion of time in the change room area (with the pools and steam room) so you don’t need to take them on and off like you would with a robe. Just make sure to snap some pics to show off how dorky you look in them before leaving though!

 

One of the best parts of Go Place Spa is definitely the cafe where you can enjoy a full meal or a small bite. For the reasonable price of $10.99, I got the braised beef noodles that came with a side of fruit and garden salad. It tasted surprisingly good; usually spas aren’t exactly known for their food but this place was decent to say the least. There were also bubble tea options, seafood displays and sashimi on the menu.

I’d recommend grabbing food if you plan on staying for an extended period of time. There’s also an overnight option for an added fee of just $15, which basically works out to be a fraction of a price of a hotel nowadays. The prices were overall very decent at Go Place, especially with an unlimited stay option. We stayed close to five hours during our visit. Another good thing is that you can carry your cellphone throughout the entire facility so if you want to come get some work done, make yourself at home.

 

To me, while I liked the concept of Go Place Spa, it ultimately feels more like a place to hangout with your friends rather than a place to enjoy the full spa experience. Aside from the plentiful of lounge space, there’s also a computer room where you can play online games. I can’t speak for the added massage services provided as we only used the facilities but from previous guest’s feedback, you basically get what you pay for. The massages with a massage therapist go for as low as $40 for half an hour but an RMT massage would start at $100 for an hour. 

I’m not sure if I’d be back again as I felt the dry saunas weren’t hot enough to my liking and were way too packed in general. As well, the fact that there’s no communal pools put a bit of a damper to the overall experience. However, I will note that in most Asian cultures, pools are usually separated between sexes to accommodate the clothing optional bathing experience. The pools at Go Place were also clothing optional but I opted to wear my swimsuit (this time around) while enjoying my hot tub time.

 

In total, I spent about $87 after taxes and tips. It was a bit pricier than I’d expected as I hadn’t anticipated being automatically charged gratuity on top of the total amount. Although I can understand why they do as they have an extensive team of staff members constantly cleaning and monitoring the facilities. There were multiple workers in the change rooms ready to hand you fresh towels and regularly cleaning the pool area. Everyone was also relatively friendly – which should be a given at a spa but isn’t always the case.

Now the only thing I’m still curious about is how to make those Princess Leia head towels everyone had on top of their heads. If you plan on visiting, it’s basically THE thing to do there. Check out Go Place Spa if you’re looking for a cozy winter activity to enjoy with your friends but if you’re looking for some peace and quiet, I’d try elsewhere.

 

 

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Go Place Spa

3275 Highway 7 Unit 2
Markham, ON L3R 3P9

www.goplace.com