SPA-AHH!

3 Rural Spa Experiences to Help You Warm Up in Ontario

By Heather Starke

NOTE: Spa services may be impacted by provincial COVID-19 restrictions. Please check with each business to confirm hours and services.

FIELDSTONE SPA

Heated Igloo for Two?

This winter, you can choose to try a day spa farm experience from the outdoors looking in, so to speak – inside one of Fieldstone Spa’s cozy snow globes, or heated igloos, situated on the farm’s rambling property.

Fieldstone Spa is known for its excellent, all-natural face and body treatments, done from the warmth and comfort of its 19th Century farmhouse. 

It’s almost surreal to be outside in nature in the midst of our Ontario winter and actually feel warm on the inside, while doing almost nothing. Cross country skiing or skating are not required to warm up your body parts in a Fieldstone igloo. All you need to do is turn the next page in your favourite book, or sip on a cup of well-steeped herbal tea.

Couples or Friends Packages

You may want to do your igloo experience at Fieldstone as a couple. And one package that has Be My Valentine written all over it is 45 minutes in your own igloo with heated blankets, faux furs, a fireplace, and cozy slippers to keep you extra warm. You can pre-order wine, s'mores, dessert boards or soups to be enjoyed as an optional part of your igloo experience.

You can also try Fieldstone’s Full Day Spa inside their farmhouse. It includes a warming hands treatment, signature  pedicure, organic facial, reflexology or relaxation session, plus lunch (which can be taken inside, or reserved in advance in a heated igloo).   

If you want a few other outdoor activities, you can step into a pair of their snowshoes and explore some of the paths through the woods. You can also just lace up your boots wander over to the barn and visit Fieldstone’s two horses, Star and Albert.

Fieldstone also has a wonderful overnight accommodation connection. You can book their Embrace the Joy of Winter promotion in partnership with Cobblestone Farm retreat and Cucina Urbana eatery. Your two-night getaway at Cobblestone Farm in the County will include breakfasts, a day with a couple’s spa experience at Fieldstone, and then dinner at Cucina Urbana restaurant.

STE. ANNE'S SPA

Hydrotherapy at a Castle

Located in the Northumberland hills near Grafton, Ste. Anne’s casts a magical spell in the winter months. With shrouds of snow all around, the spa becomes a dream escape with 33 beautifully-restored guest rooms, spacious suites and cottages. 

Noted as Canada’s Top Spa, Ste. Anne’s has undergone an extensive rebuild of its lovely outdoor stone grotto to make its new meditative and therapeutic hydrotherapy pools a focal point year-round. The outdoor vantage point is still as pristine as ever, perched on high ground looking out across the snow covered hills. And now there’s lots of opportunity to soak it all in, staying thermally energized between hot, warm, cold and frigid waters – or to just take a quick dip, slip on your sandals, and retreat to the inviting eucalyptus steam room.

Day spa guests have access to Ste. Anne’s health and wellness facilities for the day, from the eucalyptus steam room and hydrotherapy pools to the relaxed lounges and winter hiking trails. The all-inclusive price of your day spa package will vary according to the day of the week, the season, and the number of remaining spots on that day.

If you have your own cottage, you can bundle up in warm blankets while sitting by your own fireplace – or take a long soak or hot shower in your own spa bathroom. A cottage kitchen gives you an opportunity to make some of your own snacks, or to hire a private chef to make you a gourmet meal.

Some accommodations here are a short walk or drive to the main inn. Even though it may mean a few brisk minutes outside, the privacy and comfort of having a large, generous living space afterwards is nice repayment. The last winter I was there, a few girlfriends in our group stayed in the main inn, but after dinner we'd all returned to our one cozy cottage. We'd gather around the fireplace and talk and laugh for hours. Hi tech is in all the rooms, but the atmosphere is one that says unplug.

Couples or Friends Packages

As one idea to warm up the month of January or February, try Ste. Anne’s featured Couples Day Spa Experience, which includes a one-hour couple’s Swedish massage, eucalyptus body wrap, three-course lunch, afternoon tea with sweet and savoury treats, use of Ste. Anne's signature robe and use of the facilities. 

Ask about their 60-minute Canna-Massage as an option. It's a full body herbal treatment that uses a bend of essential oils, including hemp-derived CBD oil. 

NORTHUMBERLAND HEIGHTS WELLNESS SPA & RETREAT

Treatments to Take You a World Away                                                         

Northumberland Heights offers a refreshing take on eastern wellness close to home with its Indian wellness influence. This spa can be enjoyed as a memorable day spa or overnight spa getaway.

Northumberland Heights specializes in Ayurvedic therapies, but also offers many other options on its full spa menu. Ayurveda, meaning “the science of life", predates modern medicine. It is a holistic system that encompasses both mind and body. Not too far into my last visit, I was able to meet the Spa's doctor of Ayurvedic medicine. I was introduced to its concept in one of the main treatment areas, as well in as the bright, circular yoga space overlooking the grounds.

One highly recommended treatment is the Padma Abhyanga foot massage. It’s considered one of the most essential therapies since the feet contain several nerve endings and are integral to our bodies. Its therapeutic intention is to soothe, revitalize and calm the various disturbances of the autonomic nervous system. An Abhyanga body massage can also be booked, with specially formulated oils combined with Ayurvedic techniques to lower blood pressure, reduce stress and decrease muscle stiffness.

After many of the services here you can reserve the exclusive use of a hydrotherapy steam shower in your own treatment room. You are given careful instructions on how to adjust the shower’s steam and jet settings, and left with their luxurious skincare line to pamper yourself. 

Couples or Friends Packages

Check in at 3pm and out at 11am for an overnight stay that includes a suite with king or two queen beds, pampering products to use in your room’s large spa bathroom, use of bathrobe, slippers and yoga mat, plus full use of the grounds, which can include a privately booked hot tub. Meals are enjoyed on site. There is a spa credit towards Northumberland Height’s menu of Ayurvedic treatments or other international spa therapies.

Day Spa packages are also available with many perks. (The cozy spa sweatsuit is also a nice takeaway.)

A nice intermission in your day here will be the three-course lunch in the Spa's bright dining room overlooking the Northumberland Hills. The chef's menu has selections for all diet preferences. Then, later in the afternoon, you can take High Tea in the library and sample from your own selection of petit fours and other goods.