There’s something about this time of year—maybe it’s the cocooning effect of snow, or perhaps some primordial need to rejuvenate as we hibernate that makes winter particularly suited to a spa treatment. 

And while there’s always a place for a pampering facial or a knot-busting massage, we live in an age of wellness innovation. In Canada, we’re also spoiled for choice when it comes to the kind of dreamy spas that people would—and do—fly around the world to experience. An Insta-worthy escape and a treatment so new and different you’ll be telling your friends about for weeks afterward? Thank you, more, please. 

Here, seven of the most unique luxury spa treatments available across Canada right now. 

Kananaskis Nordic Spa’s Alchemist Steam and Hydrotherapy, Kananaskis Village, Alberta

Nordic spas are all the rage, but few have the jaw-droppingly gorgeous alpine backdrop you’ll find at this Alberta property. Set over 50,000 square feet, you can spend a luxuriously slow day making your way around the classic Nordic hydrotherapy circuit: Sweat in the sauna with a forest view, dip into the cold plunge, chill in the hammocks. Repeat three to four times. One particularly unique feature of this spot is their “alchemist” steam cabin, where you can breathe in essential oil-infused air. 

Sparkling Hill Resort’s Cryo Cold Chamber Treatment, Vernon, British Columbia

Cryotherapy is buzzy in wellness at the moment, touted for everything from boosting your mood to helping you sleep better. It also happens to be Sparkling Hill Resort’s signature treatment. Wearing a protective headband, face mask, gloves, and light overall clothing,  you’ll step into the cold chamber, set to a teeth-chattering -110°C, for up to three minutes. (Fear not; you’re fully supervised by professionals throughout.) The result is a boosted nervous and circulatory system—think reduced inflammation, increased mobility—and some impressive bragging rights. 

Moon Jelly Bathhouse’s Seaweed Bathing, Clayoquot Sound, British Columbia

The Moon Jelly Bathhouse experience is all about immersion into nature: Not only are you floating on a wooden platform, gazing out at the awe-inspiring Tofino coastline, but you’re bathing in a heated tub filled with seawater and seaweed pulled from the very waters of Clayoquot Sound you’re bobbing on. This venture was inspired by a transformative seaweed bathing experience one of the founders had in her home of Ireland. It takes the ancient practice of thalassotherapy—essentially using seawater as a therapeutic—and combines it with seaweed for a self-led journey that can help lower stress, reduce inflammation and do great things for your skin, too. 

NuFACE Microcurrent Lift Facial at The Spa at The St Regis, Toronto

When was the last time you had a facial 31 stories above the Toronto skyline?! From the moment you step off the elevator at the ritzy St. Regis hotel and into their luxurious spa, it’s very clear you’re in for a facial that is quite literally an elevated experience. Equally unique to the location is their NuFACE Microcurrent Lift treatment, which uses the latest in microcurrent technology to firm, tighten and just generally boost your overall radiance and youthful glow. 

Wander’s Underground Thermotherapy, Bloomfield, Ontario

This brand new property (that just opened this January) offers a fresh take on the popular thermotherapy craze. For starters, it’s Ontario’s first lakefront Nordic spa, perched on the water in idyllic Prince Edward County. Visitors can indulge in the spa’s Thermal Escape sensory journey; which involves moving between the steam room or sauna, and cold plunge or ice shower to reduce inflammation and boost circulation. Not to mention, it’s entirely underground, cocooned in the resort’s subterranean spa. In addition, spa-goers can immerse themselves in an Aufguss Sauna Ritual. Typically a 15-minute sensory experience, these rituals use sound, scent, and water to enhance the sauna’s benefits. 

St. James Spa’s Oxygen Glass Dome, Montreal, Québec

While the 5,500-square foot spa (complete with waterfall) at Montreal’s Ritz Carlton is an experience unto itself, one of their tools is particularly unusual: the O2toDerm oxygen dome, which can be added to any of their facials. It’s a device that packs a 2-for-1 punch: Not only does it push 92 per cent pure, highly-concentrated oxygen toward the face, accelerating collagen production and regenerating broken cells, it also performs LED light therapy at the same time. The result? Plump, juicy skin that looks like you’ve slept for a month and/or aged backwards by a few years. 

Kiku Wellness’s Kiwami Flow Ultimate Four-Hand Massage, Vancouver, British Columbia

The only thing better than one set of hands soothing those tense muscles through the power of massage? Two, of course. Using traditional Japanese “flowing strokes,” this four-handed treatment calls for two masseuses working together to get the energy moving around your body for the ultimate de-stressing and de-knotting treatment. Once your Yin and Yang are balanced, linger for a meditative hour in these Japanese-inspired surroundings, sipping one of the spa’s signature teas.