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| - On my first night in Montreal I walked past this place and smelled the beautiful scent of eucalyptus wafting past me on the street. I could also feel the warm humidity of steam, and immediately knew I had found a spa. To my surprise, I found the sign that read Scandinavian Baths" in French. Being a hot spring and bath fanatic, I made a mental note to look this place up as soon as I was back in the hotel with a wifi connection. I was so pleased to find their Early Bird weekday special: a 60 minute Swedish massage with 3 hours access to the baths for $90 CAD. I called as soon as they opened the next day and set an appointment. (In order to take advantage of the early bird special you need a pre-booked appointment.)
I arrived around 8:40am and was promptly greeted by a cheerful woman. She showed me a map of the baths, gave me a pair of rubber (Croc-like) sandals in my size, and a wristband. The wristband was the key for my locker (so sleek!) and told me that there are two towels and robe inside, and that I should change into my spa sandals in the hallway before the locker room and wear my swimsuit for the duration of my stay. (Rest easy, nudity is not allowed here. Clothing is mandatory!) The locker room was beautifully clean and well-kept, and well-stocked with everything one might need to leave and greet the world again (cotton swabs, hair straightener, hair dryer, wonderfully-scented shower gel and shampoo/conditioner, etc.) My wristband locker key worked perfectly by waving it in front of the dial, and the locker was much larger than I needed for my things.
Walking out into the spa, it is a large room with different sections. If you are getting a massage, turn right out of the locker room hallway and grab a clipboard to fill out your massage paperwork. Your masseuse will come and greet you, silently, when it's time for your massage. (There is NO talking in the spa, it is WONDERFUL.)
My massage was FABULOUS. After it was over I spent very close to three full hours enjoying the baths. The first full round of - hot bath, cold water, rest, eucalyptus steam room, cold shower, rest, dry sauna, cold shower, rest- took just about an hour and felt kind of overwhelming. One tip I can offer is that you hang your robe on a hook and leave it there until it's time for your rest. I kept trying to shuffle around my robe and towel, but it was just a nuisance. I really only needed my robe when I rested and my towel I didn't even need until I went into the dry sauna (it's required to use the sauna that you sit on the towel).
By the second round I felt fully-centered and really meditative. The entire experience was incredibly relaxing and if I lived in Montreal this would be a weekly or bi-weekly experience for me. I actually felt like I resolved or came to terms with a lot of things that I have been struggling with in my life recently, and came out of the baths with an entirely positive outlook.
I highly recommend a visit here. This is the perfect place to relax, or celebrate the end (beginning, or middle!) of a trip to Montreal.
PS- The silence is amazing and just the three or four hour break from my phone was worth it! The total for my trip in CAD was ~$104, but when I looked at my credit card statement it was only $84 USD and THAT is a STEAL! :)
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