Canada's Top 50 Spas of 2012

Le Nordik Spa, Quebec

Spas of America today announced their annual ranking of the Top 50 Canada Spas of 2012, based on consumer behavior on our website.

“Spas offering escape, rejuvenation and wellness in beautiful outdoor settings continue to prove popular with spa consumers,” says Craig Oliver, Spas of America president and editor-in-chief. “Our most popular Canadian spa experiences encompassed Country, Ocean, Mountain, Destination and Wine, while Urban spas provide a serene oasis for healthy-minded urbanites to relax and recharge in luxurious, sometimes exotic surroundings."

"Canada has an excellent international reputation in the spa industry from a global consumer perspective and also within the industry community itself. It is not only the physical beauty of our spas, but the skill and warmth of our people who design, manage and provide our services. I think it’s part of our spirit as Canadians” says Jack Morrison, past President of Leading Spas of Canada.

The Top 50 Canada Spas of 2012 includes: 21 spas from British Columbia; 8 Quebec spas; 14 Ontario spas; 5 Alberta spas; and two spas from Saskatchewan. Compared to 2011, the number of Ontario spas making the list increased by three, Alberta rose by two, Saskatchewan added one, and British Columbia stayed the same. The number of Quebec spas dropped by five.

Spas of America’s Top 50 Canada Spas of 2012 are ranked by unique page views generated by customers visiting the website throughout the year. Spas of America’s global audience is very targeted: 70% women; 80% USA/Canada; 25 to 65 years; $75k to $250k HHI; leisure and business travelers; and health, wellness and lifestyle oriented. In addition to the USA and Canada, Spas of America draws spa travel consumers from Europe, Asia and South America.

Spas of America’s Top 50 Canada Spas of 2012

1. 100 Fountain Spa, Pillar & Post, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
2. Grotto Spa, Tigh-Na-Mara Spa Resort, Parksville, British Columbia
3. Drift Spa, Blackrock Oceanfront Resort & Spa, Ucluelet, British Columbia
4. Miraj Spa by Caudalie Paris, Shangri-La Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
5. Secret Garden Spa, Prince of Wales, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
6. The Millcroft Inn & Spa, Alton, Ontario
7. Brentwood Bay Resort & Spa, Victoria, British Columbia
8. Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain, Blue Mountains, Ontario
9. Balnea Spa, Bromont-sur-le-lac, Québec
10. The Hills Health Ranch, 108 Mile House, British Columbia
11. Grail Springs, Bancroft, Ontario
12. Miraj Hammam Spa, Vancouver, British Columbia
13. Willow Stream Spa, Fairmont Banff Springs, Banff, Alberta
14. Scandinave Spa, Whistler, British Columbia
15. Five Lakes Spa AVEDA, Doubletree Fallsview Resort & Spa, Niagara Falls, Ontario
16. CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La Vancouver, Vancouver, British Columbia
17. Serenity Spa by the Falls, Marriott Fallsview, Niagara Falls, Ontario
18. Willow Stream Spa, Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver, British Columbia
19. The Spa, InterContinental Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
20. Haven Spa, The Sidney Pier Hotel & Spa, Sidney, British Columbia
21. Temple Gardens Resort & Mineral Spa, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
22. Scandinave Les Bains Vieux-Montréal, Montréal, Québec
23. Elements Spa Salon, Great Wolf Lodge, Niagara Falls, Ontario
24. Le Nordik Nature Spa, Old Chelsea, Quebec
25. The Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge, Jasper, Alberta
26. Mountain Trek Retreat, Ainsworth Hot Springs, British Columbia
27. Le Scandinave Spa, Mont-Tremblant, Québec
28. The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise, Lake Louise, Alberta
29. Sante Spa Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia
30. The Spa at White Oaks, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario
31. Hastings House Country House Hotel, Salt Spring Island, British Columbia
32. Susurrus Spa at Poets Cove Resort, South Pender Island, British Columbia
33. Amerispa, Sheraton Laval, Laval, Quebec
34. Willow Stream Spa, Fairmont Empress, Victoria, British Columbia
35. Sora Spa at the Hotel Grand Pacific, Victoria, British Columbia
36. Amerispa, Westin Tremblant, Mont-Tremblant, Québec
37. Spa Rosseau, A JW Marriott Resort & Spa, Minett, Ontario
38. Ancient Cedars Spa, Wickaninnish Inn, Tofino, British Columbia
39. Stillwater Spa, Park Hyatt Toronto, Toronto, Ontario
40. KurSpa, Sparkling Hill Resort, Vernon, British Columbia
41. Au Naturel Spa, Brookstreet, Ottawa, Ontario
42. Banff Upper Hot Springs, Banff, Alberta
43. The L Spa & Wellness Centre, Grand Prairie, Alberta
44. Ofuro Spa, Morin-Heights, Quebec
45. Sonora Resort, Desolation Sound, British Columbia
46. Manitou Springs Resort and Mineral Spa, Watrous, Saskatchewan
47. Sense, A Rosewood Spa, Rosewood Hotel Georgia, Vancouver, British Columbia
48. River Rock Casino, Absolute Spa, Richmond, British Columbia
49. Nimmo Bay Wilderness Resort, Nimmo Bay, British Columbia
50. Amerispa, Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu, LaMalbaie, Québec

Source: Google Analytics, January 1 – December 31, 2012

A complete list of Canada Spas can be viewed at:

http://www.spasofamerica.com/Canada

Timeless Beauty – Aspira Spa at the Osthoff Resort

Before arriving at the elegant Osthoff Resort we had already been charmed by the beautiful rolling green hills surrounding the resort’s home village of Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin. My husband and I were making the journey to visit Aspira, the Osthoff’s new spa addition. From the images we’d seen of the spa we knew we would be impressed, but had not anticipated such a romantic setting.

Once checked in we made our way to Aspira where we were introduced to a new peak experience in luxury relaxation – the Spa SuiteTM. Our exquisitely decorated suite came complete with a whirlpool, fireplace, lounging sofa, large shower and bathroom facilities. From the moment we entered, the stress of a month filled with travel, deadlines and countless obligations gave way to a sense of peace and comfort. Although we’d had couple’s massages in the past, we had never experienced the contentment of enjoying simultaneous treatments in a room that we could call our own after treatments.

Once settled in to the suite we welcomed in our therapists to begin our treatments. As the massage began I looked over and saw my sweetheart beaming, a happy and contented smile on his face; one could practically see the tension leaving his body as his therapist was finishing up the Swedish Tonic Massage (though I only caught a glimpse as I was far too carried away with my own soothing Aromatic Relaxation Massage). As my therapist moved on to a beautifully executed Reflexology treatment, my happy hubby slipped into the suite’s whirlpool tub to begin a long soak in a soothing Element Bath. What a pleasure - to remain in the same tranquil space while moving into different phases of our shared spa experience.

Read the complete Review

Spas of Canada - 141 Years Young!

Celebrating 141 years young on July 1st, Canada is one of the world's favorite destinations for fresh air, health and wellness. The planet's 2nd largest nation offers a wide array of experiences for the spa traveler. From Quebec's Nordic spas, Ocean spas on the West Coast of British Columbia, award-winning Destination spas throughout the country, exciting Wine spas of Southern Ontario, or relaxing Mineral Springs, Canada offers something for everyone.

Spas of Canada

Pala Casino Spa & Resort, California

Just a short drive north of San Diego, overlooking the Palomar Mountain range lies the striking Pala Casino Spa & Resort. The spa's beautiful attention to detail including bamboo flooring, mosaic tiles, wood accents and several water features creates a serene sanctuary.

The Pala Casino Spa Resort offers guests over 500 luxurious rooms and suites appointed with large televisions and high-speed internet. The resort’s eight restaurants provide a wide-range of dining choices including The Oak Room specializing in steak and seafood. Guests looking to catch some sun can take in the outdoor swimming pool. For the more energetic, the resort offers a fully-equipped indoor fitness center.

Pala Casino Spa & Resort, California

Mirbeau Inn & Spa, New York

Situated in the storybook village of Skaneateles in central New York State’s Finger Lakes Wine Country, about 20 miles southwest of Syracuse, Mirbeau Inn & Spa blends gracious hospitality, award winning dining and a world class Spa into a relaxing vacation experience.

The French Countryside-inspired Mirbeau has earned Mobil’s Spa Four Star ranking for the first time and is now one of only two Spas in New York State to receive this award.

The spa encompasses 14,000 square feet of luxury, designed to offer a protected place of elegance and comfort. Drawing on the richness of the surrounding natural environment, Spa Mirbeau provides guests with a balanced program of classic massages, body wraps, and facial treatments.

Mirbeau Inn & Spa, New York

Skaná, The Spa at Turning Stone, New York

From the name Skaná, the Oneida word for "peace", Skaná, the Spa at Turning Stone is an unexpected oasis centrally located in the Empire State. Part of the Oneida Indian Nation's 1,200-acre Turning Stone Resort complex, Skaná follows Oneida traditions with a host of services featuring fresh herbs (such as sweetgrass, cedar and sage) and all-natural products from two of the world's leading skincare brands - Kerstin Florian and Naturapathica. Treatments focus on the use of herbal and mineral wraps, warm stone therapy, and reviving soaks to restore balance and harmony to the body, mind and spirit.

The spa's architecture is a tribute to the Oneida culture and includes a welcome area derived from a traditional arched Oneida longhouse. An American Indian sweat lodge offers guests an opportunity to experience what has been used for centuries to cleanse the body and purge the spirit of impurities. Other spa features include 12 treatment rooms, a full-service salon, co-ed mineral pool, soaking tubs, steam room, sauna, a luxurious VIP suite with plush amenities including a couple's treatment room, Boutique and the Skaná Spa Café, offering nutritious, delicious spa cuisine at breakfast and lunch.

Spa guests stay at Turning Stone's AAA 4-diamond award-winning Lodge at Turning Stone, selected by Condé Nast Johansens as its "Most Excellent Resort" in the USA and Canada. With two AAA 4-diamond hotels, a 4-diamond restaurant (Wildflowers at The Lodge at Turning Stone).

Skaná, The Spa at Turning Stone, New York

They Came to New York for the Waters

Pungently sulfurous waters burble up from the ground alongside a concrete 1970s hospital building in Clifton Springs, N.Y., southeast of Rochester, and I’m soaking in them. That is, waters from a mineral spring renowned in the 19th century for healing properties have been pumped from a stream running beneath the hospital lawn into a new spa wing, where I’ve gone more for relaxation than anything curative, and a nurse has prepared a hot bath for me.

In a serene pale-purple treatment room, I step gingerly into the tea-colored water. The vapors clear my head, and I soon feel tingly and light, yet strangely immobile. The sound of the spring outside, gurgling into tiers of concrete fountain pools, mingles with the indoor soundtrack of pan flutes. When a knock on the door comes for my scheduled massage, I’m sorry to let the water drain.

Upstate New York is hardly known as a center of mineral springs. But in the 19th century, the golden age of mineral-water spas, at least 50 New York towns, scattered from Long Island to Lake Ontario, had resorts or sanitariums drawing on water emerging from rocky places underground and laced with elements like magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron and sulfur. “There were more mineral baths available in New York than in any other state,” said Charlotte Wytias, the program manager at the Clifton Springs Hospital’s spa.

All sorts of healing powers were claimed for the waters, which often carry a metallic or swampy taste and smell. But primarily, the resorts were places to go on vacation. “Life at the springs is a perpetual festival,” an 1850s guidebook said.

Read The New York Times Article

Spas of America Launches #600.... A California Wine Spa (Cave) Experience

Spas of America, the fastest-growing spa travel website, showcasing North and South America’s best resort, hotel and destination spas, today announced their 600th spa listing and their first underground cave spa experience: Spa Terra within The Meritage Resort and Spa.

Forty feet below the iconic grape crusher statue that graces its southern end, Spa Terra is the first spa in the world to be developed entirely underground. Nestled nel cuore della terra (“in the heart of the earth”), the spa features steam grottos, soaking pools, water walls and lavishly appointed private treatment rooms for individuals and couples. Its sumptuous decor reflects the resort’s Mediterranean theme. The Meritage Resort is located only an hour from San Francisco, one of the most popular tourist destinations in the United States.

“We are pleased to welcome Meritage’s Spa Terra as a premium member listing,” says Spas of America president and founder Craig Oliver. “Their presence on our website benefits our existing spa listings and provides our customers from around the world with another fabulous option when seeking exciting and rewarding health and wellness travel experiences."

Michael Palmer, General Manager of The Meritage Resort, says: “Our spa is a perfect complement to the natural beauty of Napa. We’re excited about introducing our one-of-a-kind experience to Spas of America’s targeted, spa travel audience.”

Spa Terra’s , signature treatment is Solo Vino. It combines an exfoliating grape seed scrub, an invigorating jet shower rinse, a hydrating body wrap with a wine cave mud mask and a Terra massage. A wine and cheese selection rounds out the two-hour treatment. Visitors can learn more about Spa Terra on the Spas of America website.

Spas of America is a global online media company focused on healthy living and travel. The Spas of America website showcases over 600 of the best day, resort, hotel and destination spas in North and South America to spa travelers around the world. Since the site launched in 2005, over a quarter million customers have visited spasofamerica.com. Spas of America is a member of the International Spa Association and Leading Spas of Canada. It also operates the websites spasoffrance.com, spasofitaly.com, spasofdubai.com and spasoflife.com, a daily spa travel blog.

Laguna Cliffs Marriott Resort & Spa, California

Perched atop the cliffs of Dana Point, along the stunning Southern California coastline, experience a true California escape midway between Los Angeles and San Diego. Enjoy fabulous spa services plus a myriad of ocean activities, exquisite dining and first-class accommodation.
http://www.spasofamerica.com/spas/laguna_cliffs