Elmwood Spa

To experience Elmwood Spa is to experience a part of Toronto’s history. The arched exterior brick entrance is encased with cherubs and columns that hint at the structure’s storied past. Toronto’s largest stand-alone day spa is housed in a five-story heritage building, which was erected in 1889 and designed by the same firm that built Casa Loma.

The iconic building has taken on several incarnations over the last few decades. Originally built as a YWCA, it eventually turned into a women’s club and then a women’s hotel in the 50s—which even included chaperones. Now, the building houses 34 treatment rooms, several lounges, a full-sized swimming pool, steam rooms and whirlpool, two restaurants—including Bangkok Garden, Toronto’s first Thai eatery—and a juice bar.

Unlike other spas that have a sterile and minimalist feel, Elmwood Spa has a warm ambiance full of special touches, which can only be attributed to its unique heritage setting. Couples massages are performed in rooms that were once used as libraries and feature gabled ceilings and fireplaces. The women’s change room is a luminescent space with a lavish bright blue mosaic tile whirlpool in its center.