Less than a year after adding a brand-new 13,000-square-foot location to its lineup, Hammam Spa has renovated its original King Street West location.
Despite the recent COVID-19 closures, Hammam Spa went ahead with its scheduled refurbishments — totally overhauling the King and Portland hotspot.
The 7,000-square-foot spa has been in business for almost 15 years and, pre-COVID, serviced roughly 900 guests a week. The spa sits just below ground level on the busy downtown Toronto corner. Upon entering, you are greeted with a staircase that leads you down to the front desk and the spa retail offerings. The area is warm and cozy — a not-so-subtle hint for what’s to come.
Hammam Spa is designed to be a modern interpretation of traditional Turkish bath. It seamlessly transports you to Eastern Europe with soft music, aromatic smells, a cozy tea room (with treats such as baklava, Turkish delight, and dried fruit), and full-service, Turkish-inspired treatments. Guests are given robes and sandals to enjoy while they spend time relaxing in the various parts of the spa. Under normal circumstances the steam room would be available, however, due to COVID-19, it is closed temporarily.
Hammam’s website invites you to “discover a place where ancient traditions create a modern retreat, where nature’s beauty works in harmony with your own, and where renewal and growth are elementary”. Hammam is designed to host and indulge guests in a range of transformative treatments inspired by age-old rituals, with services ranging from intensive facials — many of which use the SkinCeutical skincare line — to luxury massages, high-end manicures and pedicures, a variety of detoxifying wraps, and lavish Turkish baths.
Hammam uses its own, in-house brand, Céla, in many of its treatments. Céla — which launched in 2017 — was born of Hammam Founder, Celine Tadrissi’s, love of skincare and natural ingredients. Céla came to be in the back room of the King Street spa and was largely a product of trial and error — created with Hammam clients in mind and perfected due to their feedback. “I played around with ingredients and guests would give me feedback on the different concoctions. Finally I developed the perfect blend of ingredients to service my clients’ needs,” says Tadrissi. The range of oils, creams, and scrubs pays homage to Canada and the extensive abundance of northern botanicals housed within its borders. Today Céla is available for purchase in both Hammam locations.
In addition to Hammam’s traditional services, the newly renovated King Street location will be offering its full Hammam Medical Aesthetics menu. In partnership with SkinCeuticals, Hammam will offer medical-grade facials, potent chemical peels, and injectable options, all with the gilded polish that has become synonymous with Hammam Spa.
The Hammam tea room provides an opportunity for the relaxation to perpetuate after a treatment. Designed with hand-painted murals on the walls and intricate wooden bucket chairs that envelop you as you sit, Hammam’s tea room is always stocked with tea and Turkish treats. The colour palette of deep greens, navy blues, greys, and burnt oranges create a tranquil space to lounge in. Hammam’s tea room was created to provide a space for people to rest either before or after their treatment and it is the perfect space for silent reflection or group interaction, says Tadrissi.
The space — similarly to Hammam Spa in Bayview Village — was designed by Antonio Tadrissi, Celine’s husband and the President of Prototype Design Lab. Antonio is an internationally celebrated artist, recognized for his work in architecture, interior design, and industrial designs. Prototype Design Lab is a multi-platform design studio and workshop based in Toronto.
Hammam has navigated the COVID-19 pandemic to the best of its ability and was more than ready to be reunited with clients once Ontario spas were allowed to reopen to the public. With all mandated rules and regulations being followed diligently within the spa, Hammam is a safe space for those who wish to relieve some of the inevitable 2020 stress.
