Spending the summer in the city is very chic. We hang out in the parks, falling in love; we drink ice-cold beers under the blazing sun along the canal; we go out dancing every night and head home in the cool evening air, our feet dusty from Montreal’s slightly dirty sidewalks.
Our foreheads are damp with sweat, our fingers sticky from the ice cream, our lips parched by the sun. Last night, I went to recharge at a little paradise in the Old Port: Rainspa.
Hammam, essential oils, and therapeutic massages
One of the prettiest buildings in Montreal is the Hôtel Place d’Armes, across from Notre-Dame Basilica, built of gray stone with large, rounded windows at the top. Rainspa is on the third floor, and as soon as you arrive, the air already smells of eucalyptus and tiare flower body oil.
I swap my ( slightly dusty)Maguire ballet flats for a pair of caramel-colored sandals, slip on my swimsuit, and am guided through the spa’s dark, quiet corridors to the hammam. It takes my eyes a few minutes to adjust to the semi-darkness—the sun was blinding outside.
Right away, the dark walls and the steam-filled, birdsong-like atmosphere of the hammam—along with a large glass of lemon-infused water—plunge me into a liminal state of mind-body detox. No phones in the hammam, of course—just 45-degree steam infused with eucalyptus. I think of vacations as a child and a hike through the rainforest. I take a cold shower; my skin already feels softer.
Afterward, I was picked up (flushed from the heat) by Simon, a therapist of exceptional kindness and professionalism who explained everything to me, since it was my first time receiving an exfoliating treatment and a therapeutic massage.
The exfoliator smells like orange blossom, and afterward I’m left with a layer of dead skin gone, revealing fresh, soft skin underneath. The massage begins with deep breathing, and under Simon’s hands I feel the knots in my back disappearing with a pop. I’m going to have an even tan and soft legs this summer…
A little corner of paradise
In addition to massages and treatments to prepare (or restore) your body for the warm season, you can also enjoy a “light legs” treatment, sports massages, prenatal massages, hot stone massages, CBD massages, and facials. The spa uses the world’s finest products, including brands like Biologique Recherche, Dermalogica, and Luzern.
Because it’s way too hot and the humidity outside is pretty gross, we recommend stopping by the Rainspa hammam to detox your skin and clear your head, and to enjoy their treatments and massages so you can pretend, for a few hours, that you’re at an island resort —a little corner of paradise.
Practical Information
Where? Rainspa, 55 St-Jacques Street, Hôtel Place d’Armes, 3rd floor
Old Montreal
When? Open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
How? To see all the spa treatments and to book, click here
Thanks to Agence Cali and Rainspa for the lovely invitation,
