Thursday, February 03, 2011

Vancouver's Top 10 Spas come in all styles and sizes

Victoria and Toby Carr of Vancouver's Breathe Spa
Photo by Sue Frause
Vancouver is my favorite spa city in North America. Among my favorites are Absolute Spa, Breathe Spa, Miraj Hammam, Skoah, Spruce Body Lab, The Spa at the Wedgewood Hotel and Vida Spa (several locations). In fact, I'm so hooked on having my eyebrows tweaked (OK, tweezed!) by Asuncion at The Spa at the Wedgewood, I plan my trips to Vancouver around the state of my 'brows!

Two new luxurious hotel spas also make my list, offering top quality treatments: Willow Stream Spa at Fairmont Pacific Rim and CHI, The Spa at ShingriLa. When I was in Vancouver in January, word was that Tom Cruise, wife Katie Holmes and daughter Suri were staying at the ShangriLa during the filming of Mission Impossible 4. I didn't see them, but the sightings were frequent.

Among my favorite small spas is Breathe Spa, owned and operated by Victoria and Toby Carr. Victoria trained in beauty therapy in her native England, where she owned and operated her own spa. With 14 years experience, she also managed a spa for one of the world's exclusive cruise lines. Her husband Toby is a registered acupuncturist, with more than five years experience in health and bodywork.

During my latest trip to Vancouver, I booked a Hawaiian Organic Body Scrub with Melissa. Knowing that I'd be going to the Big Island of Hawaii the next month, what better way to get into the Aloha spirit? The treatment started with a warm water foot bath, followed by a Malie Organic Liliko and Lemongrass Body scrub, Plumeria Body Mist, application of warm towels and finishing with Malie Organic Lilikoi and Lemongrass Beauty Oil. The treatment was lush, and I left feeling relaxed and ready for my upcoming Hawaiian adventure. 

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