Rest & Relaxation (Win! A $500 Stay at Nita Lake Lodge!)

Honestly, it starts with the drive. If you’re lucky, as we were, to leave Vancouver for two nights of rest-focused bliss via Nita Lake Lodge‘s new Sleep Therapy package on a so-called "bluebird" day, the relaxation starts as soon as you hit the road. With B.C.’s winding Sea-to-Sky Highway providing unreal ocean and mountain views the whole way up, you can actually feel yourself decompressing the moment you hit the road. The best news: there’s plenty more R&R waiting for you in Whistler. —Noa Nichol

stay. Gorgeous, lakeside Nita Lake Lodge has long been one of our favourite places to stay (and to celebrate a stellar wedding, like that of our very own creative director last winter), particularly when it comes to maximizing all of the great outdoor activities the area has to offer—think oversized suites, king beds, double soaker tubs and an open-year-round pool perfect for après relaxing, plus complimentary shuttle services that make mountain access a breeze. But, when lodge management recently sat down to create a new offering to add to its roster, the focus shifted from the go-go-go Whistler is so well-known for to stop-stop-stop, with wellness—and, particularly, better zzzs—named the hero of its new Sleep Therapy package, which includes a number of perks to ensure you leave rested, revived and re-energized.

spa. At the heart of the package is Nita’s signature, harmonizing, 75-minute Kundalini massage, which uses chakra and sound healing to realign the body’s rhythms and restore balance. A far cry from the deep-tissue, muscle-prodding procedures we’re generally used to booking, this was an epically relaxing late-afternoon experience (we actually fell asleep at some point between the foot exfoliation, ancient massage techniques and warmed sea-salt poultices set in a row along our spine). It all ends with a lovely, light facial, and can be made even more restful by taking some time after you’re done to duck into the spa’s eucalyptus steam room, pause in the relaxation lounge and sip (slowly) a cup of chamomile tea.

savour. When it’s time to eat, float down to Nita Lake’s newly renovated and decorated (look for artist Rachel Denny’s crochet deers—a colourful play on usual mountain-lodge game décor—on the wall) Aura Restaurant, where an open-concept kitchen creates mouthwatering food that combine traditional French cooking techniques with a love of West Coast ingredients. When it comes to dishes that could best set you up for a great night’s sleep, consider a warming bowl of vegan smoked tomato soup laced with basil oil, a Farmcrest free-range chicken breast with a smoked-corn and potato ratatouille and, for dessert, white chocolate crème brûlée (although, you really can’t go wrong order whatever you like off this stellar menu).

sleep. Bedtime—but, before you tuck in for the night, it’s highly recommended you maximize your state of stillness by making use of your room’s deep-soaker tub (be sure to fill it with North Vancouver-made Carina Organics lavender bubble bath—the bottle is your gift to take home. Then, flick on the basalt gas fireplace, fold into your plush bed and snuggle up with your very own (also to keep) Zirbenherz sleep therapy pillow, infused with pine oil to promote restorative and natural sleep by boosting mood and relieving mental and physical fatigue. After what ought to rank among the top sleeps of your life, enjoy a leisurely late checkout of 12 noon—the perfect opportunity to take advantage of the resort’s many wellness amenities, including newly renovated spa-style hot tubs with mountain views, classes at Loka Yoga, complimentary bikes, stand-up paddle boards, kayaks and canoes in summer and snowshoes and fat bikes in winter.

For Sleep Therapy package availability and rates, visit nitalakelodge.com or call 1-888-755-6482.

Win! A $500 Sta at Nita Lake Lodge!

We have a winner! Congratulations Diane R. of Vancouver, who won a $500 Nita Lake Lodge prize pack!