Given Vancouver's healthy lifestyle, it's no wonder that spas flourish here. The city's day spas - no longer the pampered princess domains of the past - are being swamped with locals (male and female) begging to be wrapped in seaweed, slathered with Moor mud, pummelled by jets of water, and generally exfoliated, kneaded, purified and revitalized. Hotels and spas are responding to the demand by expanding and investing in the newest products and treatments. Among the city's popular spa outlets are:

• Absolute Spa at the Century (Century Plaza Hotel; www.absolutespa.com)
• CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La (Shangri-La Hotel; www.shangri-la.com/vancouver)
• Miraj Hammam Spa (South Granville; www.mirajhammam.com)
• Skoah (Yaletown; www.skoah.com)
• Spa Utopia (Pan Pacific Hotel Vancouver; www.spautopia.ca)
• Spaethos (Kitsilano; www.spaethos.com)
• Spruce Body Lab (Yaletown; www.sprucebodylab.com)
• Vida Wellness Spa (Sheraton Vancouver Wall Centre Hotel; www.vidawellness.com)

Story idea Consider a feature on the trail of Vancouver's leading spas for visitors. Your story could include reviews of the ambiance, treatment and service at three regional spas and you could focus on the various distinctive specialities that each claims to offer (like using local ingredients). Include a sidebar of prices for well-known and unusual treatments.