10 Best Local Spas in Vancouver

Wouldn't it be fabulous to do something for yourself—say, go for a pampering massage? Here are 12 of the Best Local Spas in Vancouver for you to do just that.

Stripped Wax Bar's professional ‘strippers' focus solely on waxing and, as a result, they're fast and efficient, making the experience as painless as possible. A standard bikini wax appointment will take no more than 15 minutes, leaving you with more ‘me-time.'

Forget fighting traffic, hiring a sitter or scheduling an appointment during office hours—Luxe Mobile Spa (sister company to Luxe Beauty Lounge in Yaletown) will bring the gift of relaxation to your home, on your time. They offer organic facials, full-body massages, scrubs, wraps, manis and pedis, so you'll be feeling revitalized in no time.

A great spa in Kitsilano which specializes in waxing. With a first-timer's rate of $24 for a Brazilian ($28 for the repeat visit if you come back in the standard five-week window), it's an affordable way to get cleaned up for bikini season.

Chances are you've heard of Spa Utopia, which has three locations in Greater Vancouver and is beyond sumptuous. Its school offers full-body Swedish massages, therapeutic sessions for sports injuries and joint complaints, and pregnancy massages. A 60-minute massage goes for $38.

This boutique eco-salon offers organic pedicures, manicures, waxing, threading, lash extensions and blow-outs. We love that they thought of everything, from low-VOC paint and recycled glass countertops, to 100% bamboo clothes, vegan nail polishes and amazing organic sugar scrubs from Hawaii. Make it a mother/daughter day and treat your little lady to their Princess Mani/Pedi.

Cutie Pie Wax Bar on the North Shore tops our list for waxing spots. You'll love their ceiling mounted TVs to keep your mind focused on other things, their one-of-a-kind numbing cream to keep the pain to a minimum and their Merben Bikini Brushes to keep your skin looking good until your next appointment.

Le Petit Spa on Vancouver's west side is the place to go to treat your toes. It's a full-service spa with soothing, rural French-inspired decor that relaxes you the moment you walk through the door. The pedis (and manis) are among the best in town and the lavender tea, yummy Belgian chocolate and French petits fours pair so beautifully together that it would be rude to leave them behind.

For a quick nail fix, the hands-down winner is Pure Nail Bar. With nine locations spanning the Lower Mainland, from Coquitlam to Surrey, throughout the city and on the North Shore, there will always be a shop close at hand.

This school aims to give students a chance to put their skills to use in a simulated professional environment. The student clinic runs most Thursdays from 2 pm to 8 pm, with treatments including shiatsu, Ayurvedic and hot-stone massages (our favourite!). Some students can also do a one hour deep-tissue and joint-release massage for no more than $45.

Reflexology is centred on the idea that the body consists of many microsystems, and stimulating different reflex areas of the hands, feet or ears produces tension-relieving effects on other parts of the body. This training facility runs a student clinic every Tuesday evening and charges $20 for a therapeutic session lasting at least 35 minutes.