Those little touches can make a big difference - Ste. Anne's massage treatments ease the stress of body and mind, Jim Byers Travel Editor GRAFTON, Ont.–Sometimes it's the big things th

Jun 25, 2009 04:30 AM

By Jim Byers
Travel Editor

GRAFTON, Ont.–Sometimes it's the big things that impress you about a place.

Big bathtubs. Big drinks. Big, puffy bathrobes.

There's plenty of big at Ste. Anne's Spa. But there's a lot of little things that have helped elevate this tranquil retreat from simple spa to a place that readers of one spa magazine have voted tops in Canada the last three years.

As you walk towards the old, stone building that houses the main desk and check-in area, you look over and see that someone has thoughtfully placed two small statues next to a black lamp post.

You turn slightly in the opposite direction and see a row of Muskoka chairs placed at just the right angle to a small garden in the corner of the enclosed yard; almost like a Japanese Zen affair.

Even the roads seem to have been laid out to please the eye.

As you stand near the stone buildings on top of a small hill, you look toward a swirling, snaking road that travels over rumpled, impossibly green countryside; very much unlike your normal southern Ontario grid.

Lovely as the views are, most people go for a weekend or a day at the spa for physical and mental treatments. And they've got a few at Ste. Anne's.

My first treatment was one suggested by staff; the "essential oil scalp rejuvenation."

It sounded a little funky but the masseuse, Mary, explained it was really an upper chest, neck, head and scalp massage.

I was sold when she started digging her fingers into my shoulders.

I was really sold when she leaned over and said, "You know, you have a lovely neck. Really, it's just wonderful."

I made sure I told my wife how lucky she was to have a guy with a really nice neck. She didn't seem as excited about it as Mary was.

Anyway, by the time Mary finished massaging my ears and my eyelids and rubbing oil into my scalp, I was in heaven.

"It's like a manly facial," she explains, trying to soothe the male ego.

One treatment that proves hugely popular is the Minerva aqua polish. A guest who underwent the procedure explained that she stood in front of a giant spray of water from all sides, then had a mixture of sea salt and tangerine (you get a choice) essence rubbed all over. When it was time to have it washed off, she was scrubbed by what looks for all the world like a very luxurious car wash brush and then got to lie on a bed and have water sprayed from above. The final touch was a layer of creamy moisturizer applied to the skin for a remarkable glow.

In addition to the treatments, there's a lovely steam room with a penetrating eucalyptus scent that envelops your senses, a small lap pool that could use a bit more pressure, an 18C plunge pool, a 29C warming pool and a 40C hot tub that sits alongside some cozy stonework with lots more small details, including cherubs and a lovely fountain. There's also a stretch room for yoga and meditation.

A guided hike of the rolling, 230-hectare property is a great way to spend a Sunday morning, as you're led through forests of swaying pines and lovely stands of birch and maple. They also have a golf package with nearby Timber Ridge.

 

Some spas take pride in force-feeding guests with ultra-organic lettuce and bowls of thin soup or force them to leave their evil alcohol behind. Not here.

"I believe that deprivation only discourages people," says chef Christoper Ennew, who serves balanced meals with herbs and reductions instead of ladling on rich sauces.

You'll find beef tenderloin and lamb and a lovely seared cod crusted with pumpkin seed that's served on a bed of bean cassoulet, as well as an imaginative pizza made with roasted red peppers on a base of ground almonds instead of flour (okay, maybe don't suggest that one to your Italian grandmother).

At afternoon tea, try the maritime cranberry; nice and flavourful and slightly tart, or perhaps the tea with lapacho bark to boost your immune system. They're not licensed, but they're happy to uncork your favourite bottle of wine.

It's a lovely and luxurious property, but very homey. There are family photos galore and the rooms and baths offer all the latest amenities without screaming "we paid a million dollars for a fancy designer to do this."

"We're not in the hospitality business, we're in the stress business," says owner and general manager Jim Corcoran.