Denise S.
Yelp
I love a good 24 hour spa and for the longest time, the GTA only had the more home-y and simple Seoul Zilzilbang in North York as an option. When I read about Goplace, I was so excited to check it out... and then the pandemic happened. I finally made it there on Family Day weekend, while the vaccine mandate was still in place. Most people were pretty good about wearing their mask in the common/lounge areas and changerooms, while you could remove your mask in the wet area (hot tubs, steam room) and saunas.
First impression -- this place is a well-oiled machine. There are tons of staff everywhere, cleaning, or there to answer questions or offer a fresh towel. The decor is pretty ballin' for a spa and the high ceilings in the main area make the space feel very spacious and airy, even when it gets crowded. The facilities are very well maintained. Everything still looks really new and sparkling clean. I almost forgot this is where I came to watch movies in my teens haha... Only in the dark napping room is it obvious this used to be a Cineplex (that room is great, except there was always someone snoring loudly so I didn't stay long but the reclining chairs are very cushy).
The variety of saunas was great and I appreciated the cubbies outside each one, so you could safely store your cell phone, water bottle, and face mask there (you lock the door with your bracelet). There are so many areas to chill, read a book, or play a board game. I did not check out the gym - but they do even provide running shoes if you want to borrow a pair. I would rather they let you bring your own workout clothes though...
I love the attention to details and luxe touches like L'Occitane toiletries and dyson hair dryers. However, I think that their use of disposable PJ's is pretty atrocious from an environmental standpoint. They also do not allow you to bring your own slippers. You have to buy theirs for $3 and they were too big for me. I don't mind the cost, but their use of disposable everything is a turn-off. (I actually saved my "go place" slippers so I can just pack them and use them again next time...).
I had lunch there (futo makin and salmon avocado roll). There was a big lunch rush, so it was a bit slow. My friend's food came out way earlier than mine. The sushi was decent - what you would expect from your generic budget sushi place. Later in the day, I got a green juice with tapioca which was super fresh and tasty (made with real fruit, no weird artificial or overly sweet flavour).
Costs add up quickly here, especially because there is the mandatory service fee that is applied to everything (including admission). If the fee is mandatory, I would rather they be more transparent and roll it into the entrance fee so that it is clearer. Anyways, entrance + slippers + lunch and green juice came to $117 total. I was there about 5 hours so I would say that is still pretty decent value for a fun, relaxing experience.
I was worried about it being crowded, especially on a long weekend. We arrived around 10:30am and it was really nice and quiet. By the afternoon, it got WAY busier. Sometimes we could not go into the sauna we wanted because it was full. Also, as we left, the parking lot was really full and people were having a hard time finding a spot. So I would definitely recommend coming early or late in the day to avoid the busier period.