WHAT'S ADVERTISED

Where can you unwind? Designed with you in mind, the treatment rooms at Away® Spa at W Montreal allow flexibility to fit your schedule. Let us show you that true relaxation is more than skin deep.

THE REAL SCOOP

The AWAY Spa at the W Hotel in Montreal is fabulous. It's a chic operation below the main level of the hotel, and from the moment you walk in, you feel relaxed. The spa has a zen appeal (everything from the music to the decor to the zen garden in the waiting area), and is truly boutique in the sense that there are only 5 treatment rooms but the service is top-notch.

The staff are impecabbly polite and seem generally pleased to be there, which makes the experience quite pleasant. During my time in town, I had booked a full complement of services:

Vitality Facial: Which is advertised as effectively correcting imbalances in skin with natural collagen, Skin Resonance - equalizer, Active Pureness - Algae mask, Absolute Pearl - oxygenating treatment. My skin felt beautiful and glowing after the treatment. No makeup required!

Hot Stone Massage: Which is a deep tissue massage that involves the application of heated basalt stones to key points on the body, to give a deep massage and creating sensations of comfort and warmth. I am highly active in sports and train regularly, and I was so impressed that the therapist (Yolanta) was able to spot exactly where my trouble spots were (left lower back and right rotator cuff) within seconds of me being on the table. I would absolutely go back to see her in a heartbeat if I lived in Montreal. The strain from these pulls and injuries were something that I was resigned to live with but she really worked on them and advised me on additional stretch/exercise/pressure points to use after the massage.

French manicure/pedicure: The process was relaxing and both the mani and pedi have stayed shiny chip-free after two weeks. Two thumbs up.

BOTTOM LINE
I would go to the AWAY spa again the next time I'm in Montreal and in need of a spa escape. The staff were great, and since I was there for a long while, they ordered a beautiful exotic fruit plate smoothie for me.

TIPS/SUGGESTIONS

If you are staying at the W Hotel and feel like cocooning, you can actually "bring the spa to your room" without an additional fee. The therapists will go to your room to perform everything from facials to massages, thus saving you the trip up and down the elevator.

Likewise, if you're a hotel guest you can charge the services to the room , so that you don't end up messing up your shiny new nails.

Finally, the AWAY Spa participates in the Wayspa.com program so you can actually procure the services at a discount off of the "rack rate". Specials vary from time to time, so check it out!