After a grueling day of screaming down the bowls and chutes of Blackcomb and Whistler mountains, do your battered body a favor by making an appointment with the Spa at Chateau Whistler. It's a sure-fire way to forget all about your aches and pains while enjoying all that the great indoors has to offer.
The spa, housed in the beautiful Chateau Whistler Resort, was renovated and expanded a few years ago to grand proportions. Wander past the hotel's cozy lobby, with its floor-to-ceiling windows and incredible views of the slopes, to the spa's serene waiting area. Then sink into one of the over-stuffed sofas and enjoy the warm decor with a cup of chamomile tea while waiting for your therapist to beckon.
If you've opted for one of the unusual but popular Ayurvedic Body Therapies, you'll be asked to fill out a short questionnaire while you wait. This is to help your therapist obtain clues about your physical-fitness level, skin conditions, personality, and other traits in order to create a more personalized treatment. Originating in India some 5,000 years ago, this philosophy of health and healing uses special oils and herbs to detoxify and cleanse the body, in hopes of leaving it peaceful and nourished.
One option under this category is the Swedana Therapy ($130 for 90 minutes), in which a massage therapist kneads and rubs your cares away with a heavy dose of warm medicinal oil and soft new-age music. Following the luxurious massage, you'll be asked to drag yourself into the next room for a soothing steam treatment. Lay down in the large cedar cabinet, which covers your body from your neck to your toes, for about 10 minutes while the steam and aromatic herbs (such as rose, lavender, chamomile, or eucalyptus) pull toxins from your body and into the oil. Then head back to the massage table where your therapist dusts your body with chickpea or whole wheat flour to absorb the dispatched toxins from your skin--he or she will then scrub it all off with a stimulating bristle brush. You're then free to shower and change in a private room.
For those not interested in Swedana, Pindha Sweda, Shirodhara, or other Ayurvedic body therapies, don't miss the 90-minute specialty baths ($130), including the Papaya Enzyme soak and the Sports Relief bath, complete with an exfoliation and massage. Or try the Ahava Mud Wrap (90 minutes/$130), Hawaiian Mango Revitalizer (60 minutes/$105), Traditional Shiatsu Massage (30-90 minutes/$50-$125), or any number of other body treatments. Sumptuous half-day packages are also available.
After 90 minutes of being oiled, steamed, floured, and scrubbed, resist the urge to head directly to the hotel's restaurant. Instead, join the ruddy-faced, sniffling masses on their way up the chair lifts, or grab a cup of hot cocoa, a good book, and a quiet corner, and let the relaxation continue.•
