Beautifying wishes do come true on the shores of Fairy Lake at Amba Health & Beauty Spa at the Delta Grandview Resort in Muskoka, Ont., minutes away from downtown Huntsville.
Time to unwind and relax at Grandview.[Kathryn Kates photo]
“People come to Muskoka for relaxation, so I try to keep the spa intimate with top-quality services and products,” says spa owner/operator Corrinna MacConnell, a British-trained beauty therapist and esthetician.
The spa décor has modern elements with warm earthy tones enhanced with glowing candles.
The Amba Spa offers three treatment rooms, including a double massage room suited to couples and girlfriend getaways, and a separate area with two manicure and pedicure stations. The oversized comfy pedicure chairs are state of the art, with a massaging mechanism to die for.
In addition, there is a retail/reception area and a new guest lounge suite facing the lake – well suited to wedding parties and special groups – equipped with a kitchenette to serve buffet lunches to hungry spa-going groups preparing for a big event.
The staff at the spa numbers six, including one full- and one part-time registered massage therapist, two estheticians, a nail technician and a reflexologist.
The Amba Spa offers a number of services. Facials offered are an Aromatic Facial; Liftosome for lifting and anti-fatigue; Beaute Neuve – an exfoliating facial; the deep-cleansing Hydradermie Facial that purifies, moisturizes and oxygenates the skin with a galvanic current; the Men Spa Facial designed just for him; and the Express Facial. Facial add-ons include paraffin-wax treatment for the hands and feet, and scalp, eye or neck treatments.
Also offered is an array of massages, including hot stone and aromatherapy; reflexology; back treatments; manicures and pedicures; body wraps, including the European-Rose Body Mud and the Black Baltic Body Mud. For special occasions, including weddings, top-notch hairstylists are brought in and make-up artistry is available.
The spa offers three packages, including the two-hour Pure Balance, the five-hour Ultimate Spa Sensation and the most popular package according to MacConnell, the three-hour Retreat to Nature, which includes the Hot Rocks Foot Treatment, Deluxe Pedicure, Express Facial, Aromatherapy Hot Towels with Body Polish and European-Rose Body Mud Wrap, as well as a massage incorporating Swedish massage and the hot-rocks treatment.
“We have packages with the resort that offer guests accommodations, some meals and a $50 spa credit, including the romance package with champagne and chocolate truffles in the room,” MacConnell says.
The resort’s couples business is growing, but the clientele now is about 70 per cent women – 80 per cent are hotel guests and the rest locals. This year, MacConnell plans to offer women’s wellness retreat packages. She will be putting this relaxation package together with the help of a psychotherapist.
Since 1911, the Delta Grandview Resort has been welcoming guests who are seeking the quiet serenity of the countryside. The all-year-round resort offers an array of accommodations consisting of 125 cosy signature rooms and one-, two- and three-bedroom spacious luxury suites, all uniquely decorated. A number of the suites feature a whirlpool bath, fireplace and full kitchen with picturesque views of Fairy Lake.
There is plenty to do when not rejuvenating at the Amba Spa, including staying fit at the recreation centre, where you will find an exercise facility, a hot tub, a sauna, an indoor pool and even an indoor tennis court with racquets and balls provided. In warmer months, Delta Grandview’s heated outdoor pool overlooking the lake attracts guests.
During the winter, guests can do some cross-country skiing on well-groomed trails, toboggan and snowshoe, and they don’t have to worry about equipment – it’s provided by the resort. There is also an outdoor man-made ice rink for those who bring their skates from home.
In the summer, the Delta Grandview’s many activities include tennis, mountain biking, basketball, frolicking along the sandy beach, boat cruises, sailing, windsurfing, kayaking, canoeing, pedal boats, nightly bonfires and KidZone – a supervised, structured program for youngsters – perfect for kids while Mom and Dad partake in services at the spa. Guests have exclusive access to ClubLink’s on-site Mark O’Meara Golf Course and, for aspiring golfers, there’s a nine-hole Academy Golf Course.
At many luxury resorts, you can often spot a celebrity, but at the Delta Grandview you can see real “stars” close up, when you book an evening at Ecco Valley Observatory – Canada’s first astronomical resort-based observatory. Resident astronomer Thomas Kovacs takes guests on a journey through the solar system from one of the highest points in Muskoka.
For more spa information, contact Amba Health & Beauty Spa at www.ambaspa.com or call 705-789-1374. To book at the Delta Grandview Resort, call 1-888-244-8666 or online at www.deltahotels.com.
