Vida Wellness Spa at Sutton Place Hotel
Julie Register experienced this hotel spa in
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada April 2006

*There are three Vida Wellness Spas in British Columbia - two in Vancouver and one in Whistler. Having recently been to one Vida Wellness Spa in Vancouver at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, I was happy to have an opportunity to visit the second and do a little comparison. Vida Wellness Spa at Sutton Place Hotel is the second and newer location. This spa, like the spa at the Sheraton Wall Centre Hotel, shares its lockers, changing facility, showers and steam rooms with the hotel's leisure centre, and guests of the spa have complimentary access to the hotel's fitness center and pool. Vida Wellness Spa at Sutton Place Hotel is about 20% smaller and has a more intimate atmosphere and modern decor, but I found the friendliness, helpfulness and skill of the staff the same.

At 3,000 square feet, Vida Wellness Spa at Sutton Place Hotel has 7 treatment rooms, a manicure & pedicure lounge that accommodates up to 3 guests at a time and a relaxation lounge that accommodates up to 15 guests comfortably.

*Vida Wellness Spa at Sutton Place Hotel Reception and Retail Area

*Vida Wellness Spa Lounge	*Vida Wellness Spa Couples Treatment Room
*Vida Wellness Spa Pedicure Lounge	*Sutton Place Hotel Pool

I was scheduled for a 90-minute Vida Canadian Maple Body Exfoliation. I checked in at the desk and was taken across the hall to the hotel's leisure centre changing room. After exchanging my clothes for a comfy robe and slippers, I returned to the spa and was escorted to the lounge where I completed an informational form about myself. Then I sipped water and tried quiet my mind and not think about all of the interesting things I had just seen and heard at the Leading Spas of Canada Conference and Expo. I was relaxed and ready for my treatment by the time my therapist came for me.

Vida Wellness Spa Reception Desk	Sutton Place Hotel Leisure Centre Locker Room
Vida Wellness Spa Lounge	Vida Wellness Spa Hallway to Treatment Rooms

The Vida Canadian Maple Body Exfoliation started with a full-body exfoliation with a mixture of cinnamon, lemon and Canada's own maple sugar. For about 20 minutes, my therapist massaged the mixture on my skin to gently exfoliate it. It smelled wonderful! I showered the somewhat sticky remains of the mixture off and noted how smooth and alive my skin felt. By the time I got out of the shower, the sheets on the massage table had been changed. The second part of the treatment was a 60-minute massage with essential oils of almond, peppermint and sunflower, as well as a custom maple-infused body lotion. We discussed the current state of my body (tense and tired) and what I normally do (work at a computer). As the massage progressed, the pressure became deeper to counteract the tenseness in my neck, shoulders and back. What could have been just a superficial, "relaxing" massage became quite therapeutic.

After the treatment was over, I relaxed in the lounge for a bit. I felt terrific! My therapist brought me some printed instructions for computer and desk stretches, walking stretches and exercises for the back and knees which would help me when I left the spa. She also brought information about Kapha (my dominant ayurvedic dosha) with guidelines for balancing Kapha, recommended reading and an ayurvedic recipe for tea. I liked getting that information. I made me feel like the therapist was empowering me to help minimize the tenseness in my muscles before my next massage appointment - that we could improve my chronic tenseness by working as a team.

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad	Ayurveda: Life, Health and Longevity by Robert E. Svoboda	The Yoga of Herbs by David Frawley and Dr Vasant Lad
The Book of Ayurveda: A Holistic Approach to Health and Longevity by Judith H Morrison	The Ayurvedic Cookbook by Amadea Morningstar	Perfect Health by Deepak Chopra

Other services offered by The Spa include:

The highly rated Sutton Place Hotel is one of the only two AAA five-diamond rated hotels in Vancouver and appears on the Condé Nast Traveler Gold List and Travel and Leisure’s Top 500 list. It is located in the heart of the city within walking distance to the shopping, arts and entertainment districts.

Our room in the 21-floor Sutton Place Hotel was very comfortable and offered a great view of the city. Fortunately, the weather was clear during our stay, and we could enjoy it! The 46 Executive and Grand bedroom suites as well as the 350 guest rooms had been recently renovated and offer amenities such as a mini-bar, in-room safe, plush bathrobes, hair dryer, umbrella, high speed internet access, web TV and cordless two-line telephones with voice mail, 27” flat screen television, DVD/CD player. The hotel also offers residential living at La Grande Residence located in a private building adjacent to the main hotel for guests requiring accommodation for seven days or longer. La Grande Residence has 164 one and two bedroom fully-furnished suites with balconies and a kitchen.

Sutton Place Hotel also offers dining at the elegant Fleuri Restaurant featuring market specialties and French Continental cuisine with Sunday Jazz Brunches, Chocoholic Buffet and a Monthly Winemaker's Dinner. Gerard Lounge, with an atmosphere of a refined English club, offer cocktails and light bistro fare. La Promenade is perfect for afternoon tea. Fresh baked goods can be found at La Boulangerie. The hotel also has sixteen individually designed meeting and banquet rooms accommodating 10 to 400 guests as well as a Business Centre.