Toronto’s new Ritz passes my spa test

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto is modern but cozy.

Thank you Ritz-Carlton - for finally giving Toronto a world class spa.

We’ve been waiting a long time and putting up with inferior spas in this city that charge high prices but deliver low quality service and amenities.

No need to mention names – you “pretend” Toronto spas know who you are.

I don’t mean to be a snob, either, but after experiencing some of the best spas in the world, including the planet’s top-rated pleasure palace – Bangkok’s Mandarin Oriental – I think I’m qualified to speak on the subject.

So I put the new Ritz spa to the test this past weekend and it passed my rigged grading process with flying colours.

The staff was welcoming and accommodating; the facility so new you can still smell the wet paint; the amenities, like showers, steam rooms, saunas and lounges were state-of-the-art but comfy; the treatment rooms were cozy and the treatment beds were the best I’ve ever experienced at a Canadian spa.

The most important part of any spa treatment, though, is the therapist. Sarah, the young woman who rubbed away my aches and pains, is a student of the art – she actually studied in Thailand; the Mecca of spa learning.

Sarah’s technique was first class and her approach to the treatment – first asking my daily routine and then progressing to what my major aches were on that particular day – was totally professional.

I know what you’re thinking – what else would you expect from the ritzy Ritz-Carlton?

Trust me, I’ve been in other 5-star hotel spas who failed to impress.

The Ritz-Carlton Toronto didn’t disappoint, though – I rate this Canada’s No. 1 spa. But maybe I should say “for now” because the Ritz will be getting competition from the new Four Seasons and Shangri La properties that are still under construction in downtown Toronto and will be opening with their own world class spas next summer.

But the new properties will have to be pretty good to unseat the Ritz-Carlton on my “My Favourite Toronto Spa List” which currently has only one member.

It’s not cheap – treatments begin well north of $150 but Torontonians have been paying those prices for years and getting little satisfaction.

NOTE: The Ritz- Carlton is also home to a new favourite dining spot of mine – TOCA. The chic room - TOCA is the shortened form of Toronto-Canada – offers up a fish and chips which features lobster instead of regular fish. Simply delicious!