The relaxation begins as soon as you enter the serene new reception area and hear the chant of its waterfall.

Newly reopened after a $325,000 renovation that makes it a Muskoka lifestyle destination, The Spa at Deerhurst in the Deerhurst Resort in Huntsville is a softly lit haven of treatment areas and rooms, a well-appointed salon, guest lounge, and men’s and women’s change and steam rooms that are both airy and intimate, and promise the privilege of undisturbed time.

Spa director Nicole Verzyden may have been the person most excited by the Dec. 20 opening of the space. Services continued in a hospitality suite plus a few resort rooms after the spa closed Oct. 15 for a complete interior and service menu redesign.

Verzyden, who worked as a sales representative and trainer for spa design specialists Interdesign Spa Consulting Group, designed the spa’s layout last spring. Ashley Bronte of Bronte Design created the spa’s calm interior look. When Verzyden was hired at Deerhurst in July 2006, the resort’s plans to redesign the spa coincided with her belief that changes were needed.

“We basically tore down everything from the door at the treatment rooms onward,” she said, standing beside the spa’s three new manicure stations featuring large, upholstered seats for clients. “It was a great opportunity for me professionally to expand on my abilities. These kinds of opportunity don’t often arise.”

A bright, spacious product area beside reception features elite holistic spa care line Pevonia Botanica. Verzyden chose Pevonia products for The Spa at Deerhurst treatments after she and her staff decided the spa’s mission is to offer services in the most natural and holistic manner possible in a relaxing Muskokan environment.

“I’m very familiar with this line, and it probably has the most natural but results-oriented products you’ll find,” she explained. “It’s all essential oils and plant extracts with no alcohol, added fragrance or fillers like mineral oil or lanolin.”  

Among new services afforded by the Pevonia line are intensive, high-end facials like the Caviar and Pearl skin rejuvenation treatment. The 75-minute service is suited to mature skin types and costs $195. New pedicure services arrived with two high-tech pedicure chairs complete with built-in massage. A separate unit for the 45-minute Ionic & Detox footbath can be added to the chairs or done in another part of the spa.

“Instead of beautification services like pedicure, which does have some therapeutic benefit, services that are purely therapeutic or wellness-oriented are becoming very popular,” said Verzyden.

Future plans include adding Pevonia’s line of men’s products to the menu. About 35 per cent of the Spa’s clients are men, and the interior design’s neutral colour scheme and dark, rich colours in the men’s change room are purposely male-friendly.

“It’s not that we are trying to attract men to our spa – it has become an industry demand,” says Verzyden. “Men are asking for our services and we’ve responded by having services available to book.”

As well as guests from Deerhurst Resort, the Spa regularly welcomes a good number of local residents. Spa staff want these clients to know their patronage is appreciated.

“We would love to see them more often because Deerhurst is open to everybody,” said Verzyden, noting the Spa is open every day all year. “We are very lucky to have a good local following because during the slow times, it’s our residents that let us carry on.”