Muskoka life - Sanctuary Day Spas

Refreshing water,
invigorating air,
majesticpine trees
and rockfaces ...
there was a tinle when resorts in
Muskoka could attract a regularly
returning clientele simply by being in
Muskoka. At the turn of the century,
Muskoka was regarded as one of the
premier summer destinations in orth
America and attracting guests was the
least of their problems. Cottages were
rugged and few; enjoying the Muskoka
lifestyle, in style, meant staying at a
resort.
Times have changed. Although
National Geographic Traveler has ranked
Muskoka No.1 in the world for summer
trips, it's a world where vacationers
have more choice than ever.
"With the ad vent of cheaper airfare
and easier access to foreign destinations
people just travel a lot differently now,"
said Sue Nickason, marketing consultant
for Windermere Hou e on Lake Rosseau.
"1 don't think 15 years ago you would
see people do a four-night getaway to
Paris; now they are advertised all the
time and at really affordable rates ....
You get people who do a tllree-night to
New York and a two-night to Muskoka
and a one-week to Cuba. That old twoweek family vacation in Muskoka tradition has disappeared."
"That's been the overall stay pattern,"
agreed Barrie McAndrews, sales and
promotions manager for Resorts Ontario.
"Where it used to be people were staying
for a weeklong vacation, now they're
taking their vacations for three or four
days."
The response from resorts has been
twofold: introduce attractions never
before seen at resorts, and open their
doors to locals and cottagers.
Windermere House has been a tourist destination for more than a century.
Though the original hotel burned in
1996, it was rebuilt in its original form
and reopened in time for the 1997 season. While its history remains inlportant
to Windermere House and many of its
guests, the resort has not stagnated.
Just tltis year, Windermere House has
partnered with two branded Toronto
companies that will be familiar to many of
its guests: Oliver & Bonacini Restaurants
and Sanchlary International Day Spas.
But what is truly unique is the addition
of medical director and cosmetic and
plastic surgeon Dr. Cory Goldberg. With
Goldberg on hand, Sanctuary Spa is offering medical esthetic treatments, including botox and filler injections, LipoSonix
and Si]kPeels. All of the medical esthetic
treatments require consultation with a
doctor and can onJy be administered by
a doctor or the spa's full-time registered
practical nurse.
"It is to our knowledge the first medispa at a resort in Canada," said Nickason,
who indicated a growth in medical tomism abroad spurred the move. "We said
wouldn't this be amazing if people could
actually leave tile city, come up, have
their discrete service done - botox injection or whatever - and come back a week
later and say 'Yes, I'm refreshed from
my tinle in Muskoka. Of course, r had
a little bit of help from a doctor on tile
way: but they don't need to mention
that part," laughed Nickason.
The Sanctuary Spa at Windermere
House is also very much a day spa facility, said Sanctuary International Day
Spa president Allan Skok. The company
expects much of its medical esthetic
business to come from local and seasonal
residents, and is offering a discount to
give added incentive to the mid-week
day clients.
"By all means we'd love to get people
to come for the day:' said Skok. "It's
going out to cottagers and residents and
letting them know there's a medi-spa in
town and that we do have those services
available."
Expand ing resort services to surrounding residents is just good business, said
Jesse Hamilton, director of operations at
nearby Clevelands House.
Billed as a family resort that puts tile
children first, Clevelands House partnered Witll Summer Water Sports (SWS)
to add a floating water park in 2010. The
twenty inflatables for all ages to bounce,
jump, slide and play add a "cool factor" for tile kids, explained Hamilton.
While there was a time that resort facilities were reserved for guests, tile water
park is aIso open to the public for a fee.
lt's accessible only by the main dock,
though, as tile Clevelands House beach
MATTRESSES o);.1l2l/Skoka
22 MUSKOKA UFE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
remains a private spot for resort guests
only.
"We do that because we would like
more exposure for the resort. We want
people who are cottagers or local people
to get to know the resort a bit more
again," said Hamilton. "But we want to
make sure that we have some balance
between tile guests that are paying to
stay at Clevelands House and guests that
are just day visitors."
Though Clevelands House guests pay
a preferred rate for use of the water park,
it is an extra charge. However, a stay at
Clevelands House does include plenty of
added benefits such as three meals a day,
unlimited non-alcoholic beverages, full
access to tile daily children's program,
adult social program and use of canoes,
kayaks, paddleboats and paddleboards.
"The whole mentality out tllere right
now is everybody wants the deal. Witll
the Groupons and WagJags everybody feels like they need to be getting
something more for their money:' said
McAndrews. "When they see it packaged together, they feel like tlley're getting a good deal on their package ... it's
not the exact same extreme discount that
you're going to get with a WagJag or a
Groupon, but it's still the perceived deal
tllat customers are asking for."
AUTHORIZED
To attract overnight guests and day visitors,
Windermere House is offers medical treatment like
LipoSonix (opposite) and botox injections. Deerhurst
(left) provides Hummer rides and Clevelands House
has an over-the-top floating water park (next page),
while offerings at The Rosseau (previous page) range
from astronomy lessons to cooking classes.
"I think value for the dollar is more
important now than ever before,"
agreed Gary Don, social director at the
Delawana Inn in Honey Harbour. "For
me it's just empathy, putting myself in
all of our guests' shoes and saying this
is what they're spending to be here.
How much can I do to give them value
for their dollar? Whether it be everything we don't charge for, or just the
quallty of our children's program, or
the prizes that we give away for daily
competitions and tournaments, even
Little things Ilke that."
The Delawana Inn has recently added
even more value. It is the only resort so
far to take advantage of changes in the
Ontario liquor laws that allow resorts
to offer aJl-inclusive alcohol packages.
The law changed tllis past spring, and
more resoJ'ts are expected to follow
su it next year.
"We were the first property in
Ontario to do it," acknowledged Don.
"! know that there are some resorts
that are skeptical about doing it, but
for us it's just the natural progression
... to not do it you're sort of living in
the da rk ages."
The decision to aLlow all-inclusive
vacation packages in Ontario is recognition of the role that tourism has
in the province's economy, contributing more than $22 billion annually
and supporting approximately 300,000
direct and ind:irect jobs. The new law
removes a restriction tha t, in the past,
may have limited the tourism dollars
spent here.
"We don't necessarily think that
we're competing against other Ontario
resorts," explained Don. "j think
most resorts are competing with the
Caribbean and Mexico and all those
places. So anything we can do to
enhance the draw here ... for sure."
The Delawana Inn has a very friendly, close-knit family atmosphere, often
compared to the resort portrayed in
the movie Dirty Dancing, said Don,
who sees no contrad.iction between
the family destination and the allinclusive stay.
'The most important thing for us is
that people understand the differences
between our Muskoka all-inclusive
package versus when you go to the
Caribbean or Cuba," he explained.
"Because when you're there, you don't
have your car or your boat. Whereas
people drive here, people boat here, so
as mUdl as yes, it is all inclusive, we
just have very stringent steps to make
sure that we're not over-serving.... It's
MUSKOKA LrFE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011 23
an all-inclusive without getting drunk,
basicaUy."
The Delawana has seen an increase
in bookings this summer, which Don
suspects is in part due to the new a11inclusive packages, which began June l.
"People are quite happy about it," he
said. "They like the idea when they're
here not having to charge additionaJ
stuff to their room or pull out their credit
card. All-inclusive is all-inclusive."
Another way of increasing the value for
the dollar is in the programming. Many
resorts in Muskoka offer themed weekend stays, including scrapbooking, yoga,
watercolour, photography or heaJth and
wellness weekends, particularly in the
shoulder seasons of spring and fall.
"In the surruner you don't have to
work very hard to attract to people to
Muskoka because there's just so much
to do here naturally," said Leah Leslie,
eli rector of saJes and marketing for The
Rosseau, a JW Maniott Resort and Spa.
"In the spring and fall when you don't
really do water sports and you don't do
the snow sports, Ulere is still a lot to do,
but we just need to educate people about
that."
Besides housing the largest spa, at
13,000 square feet, and the on ly indoor /
outdoor all-season swim-through
pool in Muskoka, The Rosseau is well
known for its special events and programming offered Uuoughout the year.
From astronomy to hiking, canoeing and
culinary forays, each is designed around
Muskoka and is led by an expert who
curates the experience for the guest,
explained Leslie.
"Anyone can go for a hike in Muskoka,"
she said. '1t's a wonderfuJ thing to do
and it's something you should do while
you're here, but it adds another element
of enjoyment and learning when you
go with a naturaJist who takes you and
shows you things you can't see with
your own eyes without a little assistance
from someone who knows what they are
doing out there."
Leslie pointed out that all of the activities at The Rosseau are also offered to
local community members, except for
the pools and fitness centre. Of course
there is a fee for activities that include a
guide. The faU sclledule is avaiJable on
its website at therosseau.com.
In today's economy, competition for
the tourist dollar means not just offering
a clean and comfortable night stay, it
means standing out from the crowd with
package deals, interesting activities, fun
for kids and unique facilities. Muskoka's
resorts are no exception. They haven't
sat bac.k on their pine trees, so to speak;
instead they continue to crea te and
enhance some of Ule finest, most attractive and enjoyable resorts in the world.
"People need to have a reason to come
and they have a lot of choice," said Leslie.
"So you take your beautiful natural destination and then you add something
really interesting for them to do while
Uley're here and that brings them."
~
FUN FOR NON-GUESTS TOO
Hotel and resort spas, golf courses and restaurants are often open to the
public; in fact, many of Muskoka's resorts also offer season or day passes
for locals to make use of their pool and waterfront facilities. Here are some
other programs and activities available for a fee to guests and non-guests
alike.
Deerhurst Resort, Huntsville, Peninsula Lake
Day pass for waterfront and indoor pools
Many of the activities at Deerhurst are also available to the public, including the stables, Rock buggies, Hummer rides, paintball and the Decades live
stage show. For a complete list visit deerhurstresort.com and click activities.
Call 705-789-6411 ext. 4653 to book.
Clevelands House, Minett, Lake Rosseau
Summer Water Sports (SWS) Water Park
SWS also offers pontoon tours, waters ports lessons and paddleboat, canoe,
kayak, paddleboards and Sea-Doo rentals. SummerWaterSports.com
Windermere House, Windermere, Lake Rosseau
Sanctuary International Day Spa's medi-spa services include LipoSonix, a
non-invasive ultrasound therapy to reduce unwanted fat; botox injections
to relax muscles that cause Wrinkles; filler injections, including Restylane,
Perlane, and Teosyal; and SilkPeel Dermalinfusion, microdermabrasion that
simultaneously infuses specialized treatment serums deep within the skin.
Windermerehouse. com
Delawana Inn, Honey Harbour, Georgian Bay
Day pass includes use of beaches, the pool, pontoon boat rides, the adventure course, canoes and kayaks, Royal Island, access to full social itinerary
of events and use of all facilities (i.e.: mini golf, playgrounds, sports equipment, etc.). De/awana.com
440 Ecclestone Drive
Bracebridge, ON P1L 1Z6
-MU5KOKA-
PH: 705-645·8613
www.hottubwarehouse.ca
24 MUSKOKA UFE SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2011
The Rosseau, A JW Marriott Resort and Spa,
Minett, Lake Rosseau
Recreation activities are all available to the public, including the culinary
workshops, special occasion events, art workshops, guided hikes and canoe
outings, astronomy, boat cruises and nature shows. For a complete list of
activities visit therosseau.com and click on 'recreation'.
Delta Grandview, Huntsville, Peninsula Lake
Recreation membership available. De/tahote/s.com, 705-789-4417