RELAXATION
& REJUVENATION IN BEAUTIFUL BRITISH COLUMBIA
by Nathan M. Fong
Long before today’s modern day spas featuring
marble clad treatment rooms with tranquil therapeutic music and
computerized Thalasso mineral baths, the Coastal First Nations
people of British Columbia immersed themselves into natural,
spiritual "spas". They soothed their bodies in sheltered
hot-springs along the coastline, cleansed and healed themselves with
a multitude of organic elements from the rainforests, and sweated in
cedar planked "saunas" with hot beach rocks and
vitamin-enriched seaweed from British Columbia’s coastal waters.
Spa treatments have always been an important part
of British Columbia’s history, and they continue to develop into
an important facet of the province's hospitality industry. People of
all ages are learning about the therapeutic benefits of spas and
their various treatments. For most of us who live in today's fast
paced world, seeking well-being and longevity has become, well, a
way of life; for many, massage isn’t a luxury, it's a necessity.
After a tiring day of golf, hiking or skiing, a spa session is
perfect for getting one’s body back into restoration-mode.
The province has long been a worldwide destination
for visitors yearning to be mesmerized by natural beauty. And Mother
Nature provides a bounty of ingredients for spa treatments, from hot
beach-stone massages to vitamin-enriched seaweed body wraps. Spa
seekers can pop into a downtown Vancouver retreat or venture out to
the quieter side of Vancouver Island.
Pampering is a priority at the spas on Vancouver
Island. At the internationally renowned Sooke
Harbour House, the private, personalized Serenity Spa combines
the natural elements of stone, garden herbs and the sea to enhance
body wellness.
Treatments are offered in the privacy of your own
ocean-view room, in the quiet, meditative surroundings of their
Potlatch Room, or right on the edge of the ocean in a heated cabana.
Specialties include body wraps with vitamin-enriched local seaweed
or warm mineral oils infused with flowers and herbs grown in their
acclaimed gardens. Or consider one of their hot or cold
stone-massages with stones collected directly from Sooke Harbour
House's beachfront.
At the Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, their
new 8000-square-foot Willow Stream Spa features a calming waterfall
welcoming guests with an invitation to experience the healing
mineral waters. The two-level spa designed with a blend of
traditional and contemporary, features 11 treatment rooms—five
with exterior views and a mineral-laced soaking pool. Their
signature Island Senses experience takes guests on a journey through
Vancouver Island. It begins with an arrival by ocean: An
invigorating sea salt body scrub, a walk in the forest, followed by
an aromatic pine hydrotherapy bath and then a detoxifying mud wrap.
End with a healthy massage of lavender drawn from the fields of
Victoria for a perfect finish.
On the vast rugged stretch of Vancouver Island's
West Coast lies the serene Ancient Cedars Spa at
The Wickaninnish Inn on Chesterman Beach. Extremely beautiful in
its setting between the wild Pacific Ocean and the region’s
old-growth forest, the spa enhances the magical guest experience of
this resort haven.
Signature treatments include their Sacred Sea
Thalassotherapy, which combines the most relaxing and revitalizing
aspects of hydrotherapy. After a luxurious full body exfoliation
with marine elements, and other skin conditioning agents, guests are
primed for a soak in the Hydrotherapy Tub where one hundred and
forty-four jets massage the entire body, while algae products and
essential oils calm the mind. The result is complete relaxation. The
entire body is massaged with an energizing composition and wrapped
while warm. Then finish with a foot reflexology massage and a
stress-relieving scalp massage, using personalized oils and
aromatherapy.
Back on the mainland in the heart of Vancouver’s
bustling downtown core is Le Spa at The
Sutton Place Hotel. Frequented by many of Hollywood North’s
visiting celebrities, this intimate European-style spa features
professional and personal services including various massage
therapies, reflexology, and a multitude of esthetics from facial to
herbal mud body wraps. Besides the popular La Stone hot stone
therapy, other specialties include treatment packages designed for
their male clientele, such as soothing stress-release facials and
back facials.
Not only has Whistler become renowned
internationally for being the best ski destination in North America,
its luxurious spa resorts are also celebrated around the globe. At
the foot of Blackcomb and Whistler mountains lies the prominent Fairmont
Chateau Whistler Resort with its acclaimed Spa. Their mission is
to provide the best quality service and healing techniques as well
as to create an ongoing nurturing, supportive, holistic and
spiritual environment for their guests. The spa is comprised of 17
exquisitely appointed treatment rooms with such signature showcases
as their Ayurvedic and Swedena treatments.
Ayurveda is a balancing treatment for the body,
mind and spirit where a personalized practitioner will evaluate your
body's constitution and the individual needs are addressed with the
use of oils, herbs, and massage.
The Swedena treatment starts with a massage with a
personalized warm oil blend, after which you are placed into a cedar
steam cabinet infused with customized dry herbs and flowers. The hot
infused steam promotes sweating that enhances the elimination of
toxins from the body -- certainly an incredibly detoxifying and
sedating treatment. The Spa prides itself on being one of the few
spas in North America to offer these treatments.
The Avello
Spa and Health Club in the Whistler Westin Resort & Spa
opened last year with 8000 square feet on two levels featuring 25
treatment rooms. Upon entering the spa lounge with its magnificent
river rock fireplace and picturesque mountain views, guests are
overwhelmed with a bounty of treatments from facials, salt-glow rubs
and hydrotherapy to signature Vichy shower treatments and
Thalassotherapy Wraps. An emphasis is placed upon Asian techniques
that include everything from Chinese, Shiatsu and Thai massages to
Acupuncture and Reiki.
In the heart of the rolling ranchlands of BC¹s
Cariboo region lies Canada’s first year-round health and fitness
vacation resort. Opened in 1985, The Hills
Health Ranch offers a complete spa staffed with health
professionals including a kinesiologist, a nutritionist, a
physiotherapist, personal trainers and certified fitness
instructors. Surrounded by over 20,000 acres of Canadian wilderness
and ranchlands, the Hills Health Spa has a substantial treatment
menu with a vast selection of pampering choices. Signature
treatments are their Rosehip Oil Treatments, from wraps and facial
massages to Glacial Clay Dual Detox Packs.
Situated some 270 miles north of Vancouver (and
also located in British Columbia’s Cariboo region) lies Echo
Valley Ranch and Spa. Founded in 1995, this sprawling ranch
recently created one of the more unique spas in the province, the
Baan Thai Spa. The traditional Thai structure, set amongst the
rustic western cabins of the ranch, is symbolic of the "East
Meets West" theme of the spa at Echo Valley Ranch. Here you
will find a team of Thai therapists who offer traditional Thai
massage, herbal steam baths, meditation and yoga.
With world-class urban hotels as well as remote
resort destinations visitors can indulge and be pampered almost
anywhere in the province.
