Looking for a spa day closer to the west end? You might want to check out Carp's Hot Rock Spa. It is *not* like Le Nordique but... in... read more a good way! The place is much smaller but you also get it just for your party for three hours and there's no wandering: there's a guide and a plan! You can bring whatever snacks (ahem and booze) you'd like, and there's a gazebo above the main site with a big table that gives really nice views while munching. Since you're the only ones there, there's also no shushing -- you can chat as much as you want. For a place off Carp Rd it was astonishingly quiet.
In terms of the actual experience, you are attended by a "Sauna Master" the whole time. Depending on the package you choose, they set the sauna progressively hotter, do fan waving to push the hot air toward you, add aromatherapy oils, etc. It was actually the nicest sauna experience I'd ever had because of the "contrast" (= cold water/ice) the sauna master applied during the sauna times. Those let me stay in longer than I normally would have, so my muscles relaxed more. After the sauna, there are two bucket-showers with cold water (surprisingly refreshing) and a colder pool to dip in. You can relax on loungers or muskoka chairs around a woodfire, before your next cycle.
It all felt really personal and pampering. And although our sauna master did give us gentle reminders about timing, we never felt rushed or pushed around.
Highly recommend!
