Enjoy a day of pampering at Vancouver's best spas

Who says you have to go on holiday to get away from it all? There are many ways to indulge in a little self-care close to home that will leave you feeling fresh, rejuvenated and utterly relaxed. Spoil yourself with pampering treatments from any one of these local Vancouver spas and enjoy the escape for a few blissful hours. You deserve it. [Image courtesy of CHI The Spa]

By Alison Cairns

Shangri-La Hotel Vancouver

1

5-1128 Georgia St W, Vancouver, BC V6E 0A8

• Phone Number
  • 604-689-1120Primary
• Directions

Escape the hustle and bustle of the city — even with Georgia Street a few floors below — and enter the calming atmosphere of the Shangri-La Hotel’s CHI spa. Treatments here are all focused around the Chinese philosophy of the life force, or chi, that flows through each of us. With this in mind they encourage movement to release anything that may be blocking this flow. Consider hydrotherapy, exercise, mediation and unique Chinese-inspired offerings as you slip away from your physical presence in the West to a truly blissful experience of the East.

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Spa Utopia Vancouver

2

1001-999 Canada Pl, Vancouver, BC V6C 3C1

• Phone Number
  • 604-602-7530Primary
• Directions

From therapeutic massage and hydrotherapy to skin peels, makeup applications and waxing, Spa Utopia has a wide range of treatments for some well-deserved indulgence. Located in Coal Harbour’s Pan Pacific Hotel, the spa has also tailored packages of some of their most popular services so all you have to do is relax. Consider, too, a VIP room where you and your partner are treated to a private room complete with fireplace, Jacuzzi, dining area and more while you undergo your blissful treatments.

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Absolute Spa At Hotel Vancouver

3

900 Georgia St W Suite Lwr, Vancouver, BC V6C 2W6

• Phone Number
  • 604-684-2725Primary
• Directions

Book any treatment at Absolute Spa and be sure to take advantage of all the extras. Luxuriate in their well-appointed change rooms complete with shampoos, lotions, robes and towels; take a dip in the Jacuzzi tub or sweat it out in the steam room. Then wait to be called for your treatment in their calming lounge with tea, coffee or juice and endless magazines. Post-treatment, enjoy a spa-worthy lunch in their dining area and spend a little more time in that Jacuzzi. An excellent way to spend a few hours.

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Miraj Hammam Spa

4

1495 6th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6H 4E9

• Phone Number
  • 604-733-5151Primary
• Directions

Relax as the Arabic people did in more ancient times. Using traditional Middle Eastern techniques, the Miraj Hammam Spa is truly a unique and rejuvenating experience. Unwind in the steam chambers, an aromatic mist enveloping your body, before reclining on Jerusalem marble for an exfoliating full-body scrub-down using black Moroccan soap. Extend the pampering with a cozy stay in the pillowed and blanketed lounge with tea and sweets and drift away dreaming of more exotic locales.

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Scandinave Spa Whistler

5

8010 Mons Road, Whistler, BC V0N 1B8

• Phone Number
  • 604-935-2424Primary
  • 1-888-935-2423Tollfree
• Directions

For a taste of the natural and an incredibly affordable experience, head up the Sea to Sky highway to the Scandinave Spa. Here, they have taken inspiration from the northern climates of Sweden and Norway and carved out natural pools of both hot water and cool waterfalls amid the beautiful wildness surrounding Whistler. For a mere $58, you have access to the massive bath area where you can stay as long as you’d like. Amp it up with additional spa treatments inside. An important note: the area is silent so no chit-chat with the girls!

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Beverly's The Spa On 4th

6

2185 4th Ave W, Vancouver, BC V6K 1N7

• Phone Number
  • 604-732-4402Primary
• Directions

This long-serving Kitsilano spa is best known for its killer manicures. But they offer a range of spa services you’d expect, from massage and facials to body scrubs and hair removal, as well as more unique offerings like microdermabrasion, body bronzing and Vichy shower rooms. They also have a few makeup counters, making this a great place to stop before a big night out, and they sell many of the products they use in the spa for home use as well, all spa-tested and highly recommended.

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Rosewood Hotel Georgia

7

801 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1P7

• Phone Number
  • 604-682-5566Primary
• Directions

Another hotel spa, Sense at Hotel Georgia perfectly suits the art deco, 1930s feel of this luxury downtown accommodation. Cozy into plush, grey velvet armchairs surrounded by dark wood paneling and woodsy, warm scents as you await your treatment. Choose from relaxing massage, body treatments and facials, or opt for a Spa Journey, which combines a few different services for the ultimate experience. For a quick jaunt, try their Spa Tapas, 25-minute treatments you can mix and match, from honey scrubs to shea butter hand and nail massage.

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More from Alison Cairns

Alison Cairns has been working in writing and publishing for over a decade. A devoted Vancouverite, she loves exploring the hidden gems and new happenings — both cultural and culinary — in the city. She is also a lover of coffee, wine, craft beer and pretty much all food except sea urchin. She staves off the results of these loves by running the seawall, cycling the city and hiking the mountains.

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