Canada Spa Guide: The Best Spas in Montreal

Montreal, Canada. [Photo credit: Nathalia Segato]

Are you craving the bistros and elegance of Paris, but dread the trans-Atlantic flight? How about dinner in a Parisienne cafe and home in time for work Monday morning? Sounds romantic, right? Forget about Paris, for now. Montreal is the romantic and worldly destination you crave.

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If you live on the East Coast, you can do dinner and the theater and be home in time for lunch the next day. Better yet, spend a few days and revel in the 17th-century architecture, quaint alleyways, and grand boulevards. Attend the Montreal Jazz Festival, the largest in the world, or attend the Canada Grand Prix for Euro-style Formula 1 auto racing.

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Shop ‘til you drop or gallery hop in the arts district. Discover why Montreal is a designated UNESCO Design City while you gaze at the splendid works of art and architecture throughout the city. And don’t let the cold scare you—there is an entire underground city to keep you warm in winter.

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Montreal is also home to some incredible spas—both within and outside major hotels. You will find a burgeoning wellness scene that is ideal for couples, a girl’s getaway or a solo sojourn to refresh and relax.  While we have selected a few of our favorite spas within the Montreal city limits, there are a number of day spa retreats in the outlying mountain areas for a more sequestered experience. Check out our Canada spa guide to discover our picks for the best spas in Montreal.

Adieu Paris, bon jour Montreal!

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Bota Bota

Entrée McGill et, R. de la Commune O, Montréal, QC H2Y 2E2, Canada; +1 (514) 284-0333

Set sail into a full day of Nordic-style wellness on this anchored-barge-turned-spa at Montreal’s old port.  The health benefits of water therapy is the reigning ethos here and you will have ample opportunity and options to partake in a multi-installation water circuit.

 To start, you will enter a dry sauna for 10 to 15 minutes to detox and boost the immune system. The dreaded cold bath and shower is next, but don’t wimp out! The 15 to 60 seconds of cold water immersion will close pores, get your heart rate up, and add some adrenaline. The hot and cold combination produces white blood cells, relieves aches and pains, and gets the endorphins going.

After that, you can relax all you want on a hammock or lounge bed. Repeat three or four times for maximum effect. You won’t get bored as there are many installations available to keep it interesting. Choose the sun deck, boardwalk deck, garden or main deck. Soak in a steamy hot tub while the invigorating cold outside accelerates metabolism. 

Bota Bota offers a full menu of massage and facial services for women and men. Advanced facials feature products by Babor and Eminence Organic Skin Care. After your treatment and water circuits, enjoy a snack, beverage or full meal at the on-site restaurant. Sit on the floating dining room while taking in the view of the Old Port of Montreal.

Note: Remember to use your inside voice. Bota Bota does not allow talking or cell phone usage in the public spaces. So chill and let your mind and body go to a chill-out space reserved just for you.

Guerlain Spa at Four Seasons Hotel Montreal

1440 Rue de la Montagne, Montréal, QC H3G 1Z5, Canada; +1 (514) 843-2700

Timeless elegance with a touch of avant-garde chic await at Montreal’s most glamorous address. In the heart of the cultural and historic district, prepare to be whisked away by the beauty and charm of 17th-century Quebecois architecture at Four Seasons Hotel Montreal. Dine at Marcus Restaurant + Lounge helmed by Chef Jason Morris or sample Montreal’s legendary dining scene within minutes of the hotel. A Four Seasons concierge is ready to book your table at any of the city’s top restaurants, theaters, and attractions.

Indulge in French savoir faire at the Art Deco-inspired Guerlain Spa. You will find refuge in this exceedingly chic and heavenly space decked in white marble with accents of Asian simplicity. Eight treatment rooms, including a couple’s suite, await after a visit to the saunas and therapy pools to open pores and relax tired muscles. Featuring the only Kneipp Hydrotherapy Experience in urban Montreal, you can feel your foot and leg pain dissipate as you walk along the stones underneath the bubbling water.

Guerlain Spa proudly boasts results-driven European treatments that focus on skin health and a luxurious sensory experience. We suggest one of the signature treatments such as the 2.5-hour Tonka Imperiale- La Noblesse. During this royal session, you will experience a 90-minute massage followed by a sensual Guerlain bath experience while enjoying a glass of fine champagne and seasonal sweets. Tres merveilleux.

Moment Spa at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth

900 René-Lévesque Blvd W, Montreal, Quebec H3B 4A5, Canada; +1 (438) 387-4445

Step into luxury with 1960s glam at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, which seamlessly blends classic urban luxury with a bold, retro-chic aesthetic that make it unique among the city’s five-star properties. Situated just a short block from Saint Catherine Street, the tastes, sights, and sounds of downtown Montreal are at your feet, ready for exploration.

Dining is an art at Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth, with some of the area’s favorite hang-outs. Indulge in a crepe or shake amidst pink walls and kitsch décor at Marche Artisans. Enjoy comfort French fare with a British flair at Roselys or relax with coffee and freshly made pastries at Krema. Live jazz and rock are showcased at the eclectic Nacarat, along with artisan cocktails and a hip urban vibe.

Moment Spa is a haven of serenity in the heart of the city. Newly renovated, the romantic and sophisticated décor combines elements of Asian Zen and modern minimalism. Whether you are in town for business or pleasure, there is always time for a much-needed wellness break.

For ultimate relaxation, we suggest the Hot and Cold Basalt Stone Massage, a massage that takes place according to an ancestral ritual. The maneuvers are performed alternately with hot stones to relax muscular tension and cold stones to reduce inflammation, stimulate energy, and tone the body.

Rainspa at Hotel Place d’Armes

55, Saint-Jacques, Hotel Place d’Armes, 3rd Floor, Old Montreal, QC H2Y 1K9, Canada; +1 (514) 282-2727

A highly sought-after hotel in the center of Old Montreal and the recipient of an array of accolades from guests and travel critics alike, Hotel Place d’Armes is comprised of four Neo-classical buildings in the city’s most vibrant district. It is home to some of the area’s most distinctive and trend-setting restaurants and lounges, that, along with its exposed brick walls and on-trend décor, make it one of Montreal’s hot places to be seen and people watch.

Exceptional service and attention to detail make Hotel Place d’Armes a destination in itself for lovers of on-trend haute hospitality. The award-winning Rainspa is not only a critic and visitor favorite, it is one of the only spas in the city with a hammam. Rainspa takes your well-being to heart and has designed specific treatments for your every need.  You will find 10 relaxing treatment rooms offering traditional Middle Eastern hammam treatments, advanced facials, body treatments, and curated massages. There is also a rest area and a room that can be privatized for salon services.

Rainspa treatments feature some of the world’s premier brands including Biologique Recherche, Dermalogica, and Lezan. The marble-walled hammam is the main attraction at Rainspa for good reason. The relaxing and detoxifying benefits of the Oriental tradition soothe and pamper while the multiple wellness benefits include improved blood circulation, clearance of air passageway, purification, and decreased muscle tension. Allow your mind and body to float on a cloud as you experience this magical ritual. 

To get the most out of your hammam visit, we recommend the Turkish Bath Ritual to immerse yourself in a cocoon of gentle warmth. Your skin is exfoliated and revitalized using a scrub made from alum stone, honey, and royal jelly. Your body is then cloaked with a soft and soothing foam during which a relaxing and cleansing massage of organic Argan oil is performed.

Scandinavie Spa

71, De la Commune Street West, Montreal, Quebec H2Y 2C6, Canada; +1 (844) 220-2009

Montreal gets bitter cold, so it should come as no surprise that Nordic bathing and spa traditions are right at home in Quebec. Scandinavie Spa in Montreal’s historic old quarter is the ultimate destination to experience Scandinavian tradition without driving to a rural mountain location. Designed and operated with the environment and sustainability at the forefront, Scandinavie Spa challenges guests to an ambitious thermal circuit to achieve superior mind, body, and health rewards.

Scattered among historic stone walls and urban industrial minimalism, guests rotate between extreme heat, cold, and everything in between to a renewed state of balance and relaxation for which Nordic spas are famous. As you maneuver through the waters and relaxation lounges, your body surrenders tension and toxins to better health, improved sleep, and an ascension to a more energized state of well-being and contentment.

Scandinavie Spa is a comprehensive facility for women and men—just bring your swimsuit and the rest is provided. As a designated space of digital detox, guests must leave all electronic devices in their personal locker and are encouraged to savor the silence and erase the mind of intrusive thoughts and obsessions.

Weekly workshops including sound baths, yoga, seasonal celebrations and more, so check the website calendar for an event that piques your interest. A menu of therapeutic, relaxing, and fitness massages are available to compete the journey.

Spa Carre Saint-Louis

3470 Saint Denis St, Montreal, Quebec H2X 3L3, Canada; +1 (514) 982-9307

Nestled in the quaint Plateau Mont-Royal neighborhood, Spa Carre Saint-Louis is a subterranean sanctuary of renewal. One of the newest additions to the Montreal wellness scene, the unisex oasis of saunas, steam rooms, and plunge pools is augmented by the grounding effects of its ancient mosaic stone walls and earthly color palette.

Spa Carre Saint Louis promotes the benefits of hydrotherapy with a circuit of alternating stations of heat and cold, followed by relaxation. The sleek yet softly illuminated walls encourage a sense of balance and serenity as you motion through the circuit at your own pace.

Recover on a flat lounge bed in the large indoor lounge or breathe the brisk air on the outdoor patio. Follow with a Swedish, Shiatsu, lymphatic or deep tissue massage to align mind and body to a balanced and blissful state.

Spa William Gray at Hotel William Gray

421 Rue Saint Vincent, Vieux-Montréal, QC H2Y 3A6, Canada; +1 (438) 387-2008

Situated in the old port of Montreal near Place Jacques Cartier, Hotel William Gray boasts Old-World charm with luxury design elements and renowned service. It’s an upscale boutique property that puts guests in the center of an exciting and vibrant neighborhood.

An abundance of dining options await, including the hotel’s own Maggie Oaks, where you’ll find marbled counter tops and generous shareable plates. If you like to mix and mingle with the local crowd, head to Terrasse Perche on the 7th floor for poke bowls and cocktails overlooking the old port.

When it’s time to recharge and relax, Spa William Gray is one of Montreal’s most heralded spas with its impressive décor and advanced spa therapies. This striking spa boasts 5,600 square feet of space for a day of pampering and rejuvenation in a chic and sophisticated space. 

Special features include high-end Gharieni spa beds that involve a healing warm quartz massage bed or a Spa Wave sound therapy system. The spa also includes a luxurious hot/cold thermal experience with a Himalayan salt room, Finnish sauna, steam room, experiential showers, cold room, herbal sauna, and seasonal outdoor pool. 

A wide array of body, massage, facial, and beauty treatments are available, along with special packages for couples, brides or a day of indulgence. Spa William Gray is a proud purveyor of  facials by Biologique Recherche. Developed in France, Biologique Recherche uses French science and skincare acumen to return skin to a healthier and more resilient state.

For starters, we suggest the Soin Restructurant et Lissant. This treatment promotes cellular renewal in order to truly recondition even the most fragile epidermises. Its liquid/powder duo combines regenerating and moisturizing active ingredients to smooth the skin and clear it of pollutants. This helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines caused by dehydration while boosting complexion radiance. Enriched with active ingredients, it restructures the skin and redefines facial contours.

Valmont Spa at Hotel Birks

1240 Phillips Square, Montreal, Quebec H3B 3H4, Canada; +1 (514) 544-3772

A Montreal landmark that becomes more graceful as time passes, Hotel Birks stands as a hallmark to classic hospitality and gracious living. Founded by jewelry entrepreneur Henry Birks in 1879, the hotel has welcomed some of the world’s most esteemed guests.

A massive renovation in 2018 further encapsulated the property’s magnificence and enduring splendor with no detail left unturned. Its preserved historic heritage is the loving creation of master designer and architect, Jean Salette, making it a privileged home away from home to all who grace its doors. 

Birks is home to one of Montreal’s most enchanting dining rooms, Henri Brasserie Francaise. Savor the tantalizing local cuisine presented in the warmth of a classic French brasserie with a fresh Quebqois twist. The French charm continues at the luxuriously-appointed Valmont Spa. Known for treating skin at the cellular level, Valmont is the leader in European skincare innovation and youth-preserving protocols.

[Photos courtesy of spas and resorts]

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Jody Miller is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles with a primary focus on beauty, spa, travel, fashion, and dining. She has a BA in Social Science and completed an accredited aesthetics program. Jody believes having this background gives her a unique insight and knowledge about beauty and skincare. She has been fascinated by travel and other cultures since she was a child, and savors every travel opportunity and experience.