| Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa | |
I spent Canadian Thanksgiving (about a month earlier than the US version) at Harrison Hot Springs Resort & Spa. The resort is nestled between the tidal, 48 mile-long Harrison Lake and mountains. It was fully booked with families during my stay. Children were everywhere except in the actual spa and my room.
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Accommodations
The hotel has two sections - the older low rise and the newer tower. I spent part of my stay in each. From before 7 am to after midnight, the older part of the hotel was filled with the thunder of kids stampeding through the halls and jumping off the beds in the room above mine. From 8 am to 10 pm, shrieks of joy and laughter came from the family pool my room overlooked. If you are with your family, that part of the hotel is perfect. However, if you are looking for peace and serenity, I suggest you request a room in the newer tower. The view of the lake from my room was lovely. I walked into my room just in time to see a rainbow across the lake. And...it was much quieter!
Hot Springs Pools
People walk around all over the hotel in gowns (robes). Some rooms provide them, some don't. If they are not included in the cost of the room, they can be rented at the front desk for $5/stay. People stroll between their rooms and the hot spring pools or the spa. There is more than 8,000 square feet of hot spring pools - one for adults only, one for families, a lap pool, and an indoor pool. They are filled with filtered and chlorinated water from the hot spring.
Healing Springs Spa
The Healing Springs Spa is located in the Health Pavillion. It shares this stand-alone building with the indoor hot spring pool. The Health Pavillion recently underwent a $2.2 million renovation and reopened on June 25, 2001. The lovely new design was the work of BBA Design Consultants Inc., of Vancouver, BC Canada, under the direction of Sharon Bortolotto B.I.D, R.I.D., Principal. The Senior Designer for the spa was Madeline Eng.
The spa's waiting room is separated from the indoor hot spring pool by a lovely 30 foot high glass waterfall wall. While very attractive, the wall does little to keep the noise from the pool out of the spa reception / waiting area or Quiet Room. Fortunately, the nine treatment rooms are quiet.
I had the signature Healing Waters Body Treatment in a beautiful room that features a private, slate-lined, walk-in, two-person soaking tub filled with unchlorinated, filtered spring water under a ceiling filled with fiber optic lights which simulate a starry night sky. In this room, as in the other treatment rooms, there is a radiant heat panel on the ceiling to keep exposed skin warm during treatments. The treatment table is covered with a lamb's wool pad beneath the sheets and topped with a down comforter.
The treatment started with a soak for 10-15 minutes. My esthetician, Cathy, started with a full-body salt scrub to exfoliate [Note to self: do not shave legs before salt scrub!!!]. The salt scrub was followed by a mud mask (wrap). The treatment is normally done with clay. However, we substituted mud for clay since the clay heats up and I was already hot from the 40°C tub. After being completely covered with mud, I was wrapped in plastic. Cathy massaged my face with Decleor face oil then left the room for short time while I relaxed. When I was "done", Cathy returned and had me shower in the room's Swiss shower (4 side nozzles, 1 overhead, and one handheld). Cathy changed sheets while I was in the shower and stepped out of the room. I dried off and climbed back onto the table. Cathy returned and massaged me with Decleor moisturizing body lotion.
After my treatment, I had a spa lunch in the Quiet Room. The spa menu was being updated. I chose Valley Italian Vegetables Charbroiled with Virgin Olive Oil sandwiched between Focaccia Vegetable Capaccio from the old menu. Other selections included Grilled Breast of Fraser Chicken with Marinated Agassiz Pea shoots on Three Corn Bread and Papaya Chutney, Papaya with Mango and Kiwi with Fraser Meado Yogurt and Granola Sticks, and Frisee Lettuce and Smoked Lake Trout with Raspberries and Orange Segments, Hilliwack River Honey, and Caper Lemon Vinaigrette.
Other treatments at the spa combine natural mineral hot spring waters with a wide array of aromatherapy products. Traditional services found at a full-service spa were also available such as facials, manicures, pedicures, massage, shiatsu, reflexology and more, all administered by professional spa therapists.
Activities
In addition to the spa, Harrison Hot Springs Resort offers hiking, tennis, the Harrison Resort Golf Course and the Harrison Resort Adventure Park (scenic lake tours, fishing, boating, water skiing, more).
Photos copyright 2001,
Julie Register
Licensed to About.com
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