Sweat drips off my face as I sit inside the heat lodge sauna at the Everwild hotel and spa in Canmore, Alberta, where sweeping mountain views fill the floor-to-ceiling windows.
I have come to sample an aufguss session—a German guided spa ritual during which essential oil–infused water or ice is placed onto hot sauna stones and a towel is used to fan and circulate the fragrant steam. Here, that blend of breathwork, meditation, and aromatherapy is offered through the “Melt and Flow Chinook Sauna,” meant to mimic a weather phenomenon in the Canadian Rockies that is known as a chinook: warm, dry air that blows down the eastern slopes of the mountains during a long, cold winter. And like a chinook, the spa ritual is intended to heat the body and melt stress away.
It works. When I step outside the sauna and breathe in the cool mountain air, I feel great.
The treatment, offered at the new Everwild Canmore, is one part of the always-evolving wellness scene in Alberta and the Banff area, which goes way back. The discovery of hot springs in 1883 and a dispute over their ownership sparked the Canadian government to establish the province’s Banff National Park as Canada’s first national park in 1885, ensuring public access to the waters. The first tourists soon arrived to soak in the healing hot spring waters, and they haven’t stopped since. Today, in addition to new treatments at longtime favorite wellness spots, the Banff region has recently unveiled two brand-new luxury spas. All of them are too soul-nourishing to miss.
Canmore is a charming small city right outside Banff National Park, with all the great views of the area. The Nordic-style spa at the new Everwild Canmore features outdoor pools to take advantage of the natural beauty.
Photo by Geoff McLean
Everwild Canmore
“Everwild was born from a simple belief: We feel better when we’re connected to nature,” says Geoff McLean, chief marketing officer and cofounder of Basecamp Resorts, which operates the hotel and spa.
Opened on November 20, Everwild has more than 40,000 square feet of indoor and outdoor space. The alfresco thermal pools, relaxation areas, and saunas have panoramic mountain views, including of the iconic Three Sisters peaks. The property comprises a 99-room boutique hotel and a restaurant, both of which have a fun mountain-casual vibe and run on advanced sustainability systems that reduce energy consumption.
Spa guests can choose from several multisensory wellness experiences throughout the day, including three different aufguss sauna rituals, a guided relaxation treatment that uses hot palm stones, an herbal steam cleanse and exfoliation scrub, traditional facials and massages, and a guided fire circle—during which guests sit around a fire pit and communally set intentions at the start and end of each day.
Spa staff received extensive training from two Belgian sauna masters who will continue to mentor them in the months to come “to really understand the tradition of sauna and help establish the philosophy behind the rituals,” says consultant Benoit De Bock, born in Belgium and wellness-trained in Latvia and Switzerland. “It’s a very intensive job, and it’s important to know what you’re doing and why you’re doing it.”
For the guest, the experience can be a little less intensive and more indulgent: The Elements Lounge offers an herbal tea menu, mocktails, and seasonal small bites, and the full-service restaurant at the attached hotel serves everything from wood-fired pizzas and flatbreads to roasted cauliflower and poke bowls.
Spa day passes from about US$131; packages with overnight accommodations and spa access are also available.
Basin Glacial Waters spa is at the historic Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise inside Banff National Park.
Photo by Chris Amat/Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Basin Glacial Waters
Basin Glacial Waters at the Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise was one of the most buzzed-about North American wellness facility openings of 2025 when it arrived on September 15. The 19,000-square-foot spa is the first of its kind within Banff National Park, with a series of hot and cold pools, as well as the requisite saunas, steam rooms, relaxation areas, and healthy spa-food offerings.
I got a preview just before its official opening and was greeted with a delicious fruity ginger drink and some advice from wellness director Sioux Lees. “We have created five Basin trails to guide you as you explore the spa,” she explained. “Decide what you want to achieve today, then choose the trail that fits your goal.”
The trails, which are simply suggested ways to approach the facility to achieve particular wellness goals, were listed on laminated cards and included intentions like “stress relief and relaxation,” “deep muscle relief,” “detox and renewal,” and “emotional reset.” I headed out on the Stillness Trail (“stress relief”).
It took me first to the outdoor vitality pool, a large, heated lagoon with massaging jets and views of the Victoria Glacier. As I soaked and gazed at the mountains, I felt connected to something ancient—and, sure enough, a sense of calm began settling in.
Next, I tried Basin’s version of an aufguss sauna ritual, called “Rebirth,” which was led by sauna master Patrick Munkholm. He soaked me in steam permeated with the scents of rose petals, the fragrant wood of Peruvian palo santo, and lavender, leaving me both refreshed and increasingly relaxed.
My wellness journey concluded near a blazing fire on the outdoor deck as I gazed at the glacier and sipped hot chocolate—something Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise executive chef Nicholas Issel spent extra time considering, eventually opting for luxury Valrhona. “It was important to get the chocolate right,” he says.
Makes sense, as, for me, good chocolate has powerful healing properties. And I’m here to report that he got it right.
Basin Glacial Waters access is currently available only to hotel guests, and it can be added to any booking. The Basin Signature Retreat package starts at about US$627 for two people, includes accommodation at the hotel, plus three hours of access to Basin Glacial Waters, in-room wellness amenities, a mixology class, and curated wellness experiences.
The Willow Stream Spa mineral pool at Fairmont Spa
Courtesy of Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel
Other Alberta wellness highlights
Fairmont Spa
The historic and prestigious 1888 Fairmont Banff Springs is the grande dame hotel in Banff, known as “the Castle in the Rockies.” And the on-site Fairmont Spa is worthy of a castle. The 40,000-square-foot facility—which is known for its therapeutic mineral pools, indoor waterfall whirlpools, mountain views, and diverse treatment options—recently added a new signature body treatment, Nature’s Renewal, based on Indigenous wisdom and sacred medicines. It consists of a purifying and exfoliating sage and peppermint salt scrub, a massage with wild rose and cranberry-infused oil, and a nourishing berry seed oil facial treatment.
Cedar + Sage Co.
Located in the heart of Banff, Cedar + Sage Co., offers massage therapy, infrared sauna, facials, energy healing, and yoga classes. One of its creative treatments combines massage with sound bathing, a meditative practice that uses the vibrations of singing crystal bowls to promote relaxation and reduce stress.
Banff Upper Hot Springs
The Banff Upper Hot Springs have been drawing fans to their all-natural mineral waters since 1886. Located inside the national park, they are available on a first-come, first-served basis (no reservation required) and look out over the wondrous peaks of Rundle and Cascade mountains. Note that these historic thermal baths are closed for maintenance until early 2026.
