International spa and wellness awards may not garner the prestige or attention like the Oscars, Grammys or Junos but for those in the spa industry it is a recognition of their standards and practices and popularity amongst spa enthusiasts worldwide.   

Some of the winners are surprises and others are veterans in the winner's circle.   There are numerous spa awards both from various organizations as well as high circulation magazines like Conde Nast and Travel & Leisure.   For the purposes of this column I will be focusing on two organizations  - one international and one Canadian.

CANADIAN FIRST

This was the first year for the Canadian Spa & Wellness Awards organized by the Spa Industry Association of Canada (SIAC) and Spa Inc., a national spa industry magazine.   I was one of four judges - all who are intimately knowledgeable about the spa industry in Canada.  The spa industry was invited to submit nominations from spas across Canada.  

The nomination forms were very detailed in describing their standards and practices, health regulations, key factors as what made them a great spa, services offered and many other categories.   It was up to the judges to allocate points for the information submitted and count up the various points and then submit the final nominees list and then decide the winner.

It was a laborious process - hundreds of pages of information but it gave a real sense of the standards the spa uses in its day to day operations.

And the winners are…

Top Destination Spa - Ste. Anne's Spa located in Grafton, Ontario, a 75-minute drive east of Toronto.    I have written about Ste. Anne's in this spa column on a couple of occasions and have been there about five times over the years - sometimes alone and sometimes with a companion.

It is well deserved.  They have been innovators in the spa industry and what started as a small country inn and offering a few treatments has expanded into a much larger inn and now offering a vast array of accommodation styles from intimate rooms at the inn to their spacious spa cottages.   The thing that sets Ste. Anne's Spa apart is its comprehensive list of wellness related programmes from culinary and nutrition classes, meditation, yoga, hiking, horseback riding and many more activities.

The Best New Spa went to iwa Spa, a Japanese inspired spa located in Blue Mountain village in Collingwood, Ontario.   They have introduced the Gan-Ban (Yoku) where spa enthusiasts lie on stone beds - basically a rock sauna.  They have an innovative design and have already gained a loyal following.   

The top Day Spa in Canada was awarded to the Hammam Spa located in Toronto.   Hammams, which you can find especially in Turkey, other parts of Europe and the Middle East, are gaining popularity in Canada the past few years.  Hammam Spa has been operating for more than 10 years and was the first hammam spa in Eastern Canada.  Check it out - it's a Turkish delight!

There were other awards - Body and Soul Day Spa won the Top Medi Spa; the Top Sanitas Spa went to Scandinave Spa Blue Mountain and the Consumer's Choice award went to the Spa Rousseau located in Muskoka, Ontario.  

INTERNATIONALLY SPEAKING

One of the most prestigious spa awards are handed out by Spafinder Wellness365 based in the United States.  They recently announced the winners of the 2015 Wellness Travel Awards at WTM in London.

Awards are given to the top properties on six continents, in 43 countries/regions and in 20 special categories.  There is a judging panel of 33 wellness travel experts from around the world (I am a judge) which nominated 509 spas for the awards with 273 named finalists.   More than 10,000 consumers from numerous countries determine the winners.  

Crystal Awards are given to the top spas, hotels/resorts and retreats that offer exceptional wellness experiences on six continents - the best of the best!

Here are the Crystal Award winners:

Best in Africa - Thalaspa Henri Chenot at Lion in the Sun - Malindi, Kenya

Best in Asia - COMO Shambhala Estate - Bali, Indonesia

Best in Australia/New Zealand - Gwiganna Lifestyle Retreat - Queensland, Australia

Best in Europe - SHA Wellness Clinic - Alicante, Spain

Best in North America - Canyon Ranch - Tucson, Arizona

Best in South & Central America - Kurotel Longevity Medical Centre and Spa - Gramado, Brazil.

They also handed out individual country awards .   

Spa Eastman located in Quebec won the Best Spa In Canada.   This was a new winner - Ste. Anne's Spa had been a previous multiple winner.   Like Ste. Anne's, Spa Eastman was one of the first spas in Canada and continues to remain popular not only with Quebeckers but all Canadians and international guests.  It also has a strong focus on programming with activities focusing on both healthy eating and exercising.   

The full list of Spafinder Wellness awards can be found on their website.  It is a useful and fast reference tool for agents to see what the top spas are in various countries around the world and where you can access their website and information.