Haven Spa at The Sidney Pier Hotel

Connecting with clients through stellar service and a whole lot of personality

Nestled in the southern coast of Vancouver Island is the serene yet stylish Haven Spa at the Sidney Pier Hotel. Combining elegance with affordability, this community-based spa offers aesthetic and spa services along with a salon and fitness centre to create a full service beauty boutique that will relax, rejuvenate, and refresh.

“I like to say that we’re classic aesthetics with personality. Sidney is a bit of a retirement community, so we have women who come more because of that older lifestyle,” says Alana Delcourt, spa supervisor and manager. “We are community-based because 85 to 90 per cent of our clientele is local.”

Focused on providing key services to their core demographic, Haven Spa uses loyalty programs and special offers as a way to root themselves in the community. “We are the place to be and like to really recognize and appreciate the locals who come and visit us,” explains Delcourt.

Haven Spa shows their appreciation to guests with group rates and reduced costs for those booking more than one treatment. The spa, restaurant, and onsite deli also allow patrons to collect “Pier Points” for every dollar they spend. Collecting 250 points equals $25 to be spent in Haven Spa, Haro’s Restaurant, or Georgia Café.

Quality services with flare
Sidney is a coastal getaway that has a small town atmosphere with big city amenities. Haven’s menu offers a diverse collection of spa specialties including facials, massages, wraps, and scrubs. The Maintenance Boutique takes care of waxing and tinting services from a brow shaping called the ‘Brooke Shields’ to underarm waxing also known as a ‘Janis Joplin.’

“It’s just something a little different to stand out and make it a bit more fun. You see these Brazilian wax bars popping up everywhere. Here, you can still get pampered, but with that little bit of personality,” describes Delcourt.

One of Haven’s most popular services, The Ultimate Two Hour Facial, promotes relaxation and well-being for the entire body. Patrons start with a foot soak in the sanctuary. “That sets the tone. It’s really amazing what a nice foot soak can do on its own,” says Delcourt. From there, they move on to a back, neck, and shoulder massage which is followed by the facial. Extra treatment masks are applied and a complimentary brow shaping is offered. “It’s all about the details. We do two different types of massage so you’re relaxed head to toe.”

Other options include their newly designed Facelift Facial which uses paraffin wax for an old school approach to beautification and the Men’s Hot Towel Facial which is “reminiscent of the barber shop style experience,” says Delcourt. Being located next to a marina in a seaside community guarantees a steady flow of boaters looking for a foot fix-up during the warmer seasons. “Nails are popular again, so we’re doing lots of manicures and selling polishes. And I think it’s pretty typical in most spas, but we do lots of pedicures,” says Delcourt. Haven’s pedicure room brings the outside beauty indoors through the large, wide windows offering guests clear views of the Olympic and Cascade Mountains across the Pacific Ocean.

Choice products to promote the spa brand
The spa continues to emphasize the outdoors in its retail selection by opting for products that are healthy and natural. “We try to get most of our products local and Canadian. We do have some that come from the States, but we are definitely on the natural, organic, petrochemical-free side of things.”

The products featured in the spa are hand-picked options that are praised by spa staff as well as customers. “We have a strong retail presence and our skin care products are huge,” says Delcourt. “We also have a product from Vancouver called i love my muff and we have cute little muff maintenance kits. It’s a little bit cheeky.”

It’s this personality that has linked the hotel and spa with the community to keep clientele coming back for more. Another appeal of the hotel is its canine ambassador and resident food-thief, Dave, the English lab. Dave, who wears his Sidney Pier jacket when on-duty, wanders through the hotel and spa bringing smiles to the faces of patrons and guests. “He is such a love and I can honestly say he’s a bit of an attraction here at the hotel,” says Delcourt.

Focused on relaxing and rejuvenating, Haven Spa understands that it’s all about the experience. By combining classic aesthetics with hints of personality, spa guests balance mind, body, and nature through the holistic approach to beauty and overall wellness.

Opened: 2007
Number of treatment rooms: 5 multipurpose, 4 pedicure stations, 2 manicure stations
Number of staff: 3 hairstylists; 5 aestheticians
Retail: Eminence, LoveFresh, Whish flawless ingrown hair serum, i love my muff, Tokyo Milk, Kobo, Purely Saltspring, OPI, INOA, Pureology