Spa Experience at Bota Bota

Bota Bota is a floating spa located in the Old Port of Montreal. The location is unique as it’s located on a boat and has beautiful views of Old Montreal.

We started off our trip to Montreal by coming here and it really set the tone. You can get a: massage, facial treatment, mani/pedi or even relax in the sauna. We decided to take advantage of their outdoor whirlpool baths, called water circuits.

Cost for the water circuit + what it includes:

Cost for the water circuit: $60 CAD | ~$53.50 USD

The process is simple, after purchasing your ticket at the front desk you receive a:

• Fob wristband with your locker number
• Robe
• Towel

Since we purchased a ticket for the water circuit, we had three hours to relax and enjoy. Going over three hours means having to pay extra, which is added to your overall total at the end.

What is the water circuit process:

First, head to the bathroom to change, then follow these steps for the water circuit:

• 10-15 minute session in the dry sauna or steam bath
• Dip into a cold bath/shower
• Relax in one of the many relaxation areas

The dry sauna or steam bath raises your body temperature and flushes out toxins. A dip in a cold bath/shower gets the heart pumping and closes pores. Relaxing after both steps helps the heart rate return to normal. I might’ve stayed in the steam bath a little longer than 10-15 minutes, but you get the point.

Additional amenities at Bota Bota

• Relaxation areas: There are many relaxation areas, from: swings, bean bag chairs, padded window seats and more.
• La Traversée Restaurant: There’s a restaurant inside that opens at 11am. Whatever orders from the restaurant can be added to your total afterwards.
• Locker room: The women’s locker room includes: hair dryers, brushes, flat iron, shampoo, shower gel and more.

Suggestions/advice

• Go early as it gets fairly crowded as the day goes on. Also, I’d suggest going on a weekday to avoid the weekend crowd.
• Bring your own flip flops. They don’t provide any and you’ll have to walk barefoot if you don’t have any. Or, you could buy pricey flip flops in their gift shop ??.
• Bota Bota recommends not storing anything in the pockets of your robe, as everyone has the same robe color/style. I still brought my phone with me and since I was with my friend, we just hung our robes/towels on one rack.
• Bring a water bottle if you want. You’ll be able to refill it with one of the many water fountains around.

Have you done a spa day in another country? What spa was it and how was the experience?