A Weekend at Ste. Anne’s Spa

A trip to Ste. Anne’s Spa is a transformative experience – the combination of the quaint buildings, peaceful surroundings – and the fact that you can spend all day in your robe – gets you into a relaxed, vacation state-of-mind in no time!

hat / sweater / bag

Last weekend, a group of my blogger friends and I were invited to spend the night at Ste. Anne’s Spa in Grafton, Ontario. This was my second time visiting the spa – as I had booked a Day Trip with some girlfriends in the past.

We were gifted with the “Spa Cottage Experience” so we stayed overnight in Vista Lago, one of Ste. Anne’s seven Spa Cottages. We arrived at noon on Friday, and since our cottage was ready soon after, we dropped our luggage off in our rooms. We were then shuttled back to the main building. The pic below is at the entrance of Vista Lago – isn’t it such a cute country cottage?

hat / vest (similar) / bag

The first thing we did after arriving in the main building, was to leave our winter layers in the changing room, and get into the signature Ste. Anne’s hooded robes.

The gang: Jenelle / Eleni / Dee / Sandra

We then headed to the dining room for afternoon tea, before going off for our individual spa treatments. I chose the Pure Aroma Massage – and it was 1.5 hours of complete bliss. Within 5 minutes of the massage starting – I was so relaxed, I probably forgot my name! This massage – along with the one I had on my last trip here – were the best massages I’ve EVER had. They must select their therapists very carefully, because the whole experience is perfection!

After our treatments, we hung out in the lounge areas. They had so many treats in their snack stations – little containers of homemade granola, biscotti, coffee, tea and of course: cucumber water. They also had massage chairs with remote controls, and lots of cozy little corners with sofas and fireplaces. Ste. Anne’s Spa is designed to make you feel like you’re visiting a friend’s country home, rather than a modern hotel – and they’ve definitely achieved that atmosphere.

We headed back to our cottage for dinner – as we were being treated to a Private Chef Experience! We had a chef come to our cottage and make us the most delicious 4-course meal – while accommodating for all our dietary requirements. Between the 5 of us we had: a nut allergy, a vegetarian, a gluten allergy and a non-dairy diet – so it was a lot to account for, but they totally made it work. After dinner, we played card games, hung out by the fireplace and went for a late-night dip in our private patio hot tub!

hat / sweater / scarf: c/o Amazon / bag

The next morning we woke up early, got dressed and shuttled over to the main building for breakfast. They served us the yummiest green juice made with Apple, Honeydew and Cucumber. The food was so good, and they’re open to customization and extra servings – so don’t be afraid to ask! I had fried eggs, toast and a side of avocado.

After breakfast, I had signed up for a yoga session – one of the many wellness classes they offer – but since the weather was so beautiful, we decided to explore the grounds instead. We visited the farm and their bakery – where you can purchase the same baked goods they serve in the restaurant, so that you can enjoy them at home!

We then changed back into our swimsuits and went to the fieldstone grotto, where we took advantage of the water therapy treatment – we dipped into the cold plunge pool, waded in the lap pool (pictured above) and ended up in the heavenly hot tub. In true Canadian style, we kept our hats on (seriously – it was not just for photos LOL) and we felt extra cozy! We also spent time in the Eucalyptus steam room – I don’t know why all steam rooms don’t add Eucalyptus – it felt so refreshing!

After a quick shower, we changed back into our jeans and sweaters – and went to the dining room for our last lunch before the car ride home. This picture shows a selection of the many meals we ate during our visit. There was so much deliciousness – their selection of non-dairy desserts is amazing – I’ve missed out a lot since giving up dairy – but their Chocolate Apricot tart makes up for EVERYTHING – do not leave Ste. Anne’s without trying it! Even their house bread tasted so good – I ended up eating so much of it!

I made a quick Youtube video of our stay – as some things are easier to show on video than to describe. Click below to see a room tour of our cottage, a peek at some of the quiet corners in the main building, and a view of the water therapy pools and massage treatment room:

Thank you to Ste. Anne’s Spa for gifting us with this amazing experience! Ste. Anne’s Spa is located in Grafton, Ontario – about an hour and a half drive from downtown Toronto. If you’re interested in booking a package – check out the link here. I definitely want to come back here with my husband for a mini-break some time soon!

DISCLAIMER: Ste. Anne’s Spa gifted us with this getaway package – but all thoughts and reviews are my own.