A new sauna at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel offers visitors a chance to relax while watching seals play, rain fall or stars sparkle.
Custom-built by Island-based Wildwood Saunas, the Stargazing Sauna stands next to the hotel’s mineral pool, overlooking the Salish Sea.
With a 180-degree ocean view and a glass ceiling, it was designed to offer the warmth and comfort of traditional saunas, all while bringing guests closer to the outdoors.
Kerry Hittinger, Oak Bay Beach Hotel’s marketing and public relations specialist, is one of the folks lucky enough to try the sauna since it opened in mid-April.
“The space is spectacular,” she said. “During the day, it’s filled with natural light and panoramic views of the Pacific. At night, it transforms into something truly magical, where you can lie back and observe a sky full of stars. It’s both grounding and awe-inspiring.”
Guests have expressed a similar sentiment, with one calling it “the most magical way to start or end a day.”
Together with two cold plunge pools slated for completion this summer, the sauna makes up part of the hotel’s new Nordic-style hydrotherapy circuit.
“The decision to introduce these amenities was inspired by a growing desire among our guests for restorative, immersive experiences that go beyond the typical hotel stay,” said Hittinger. "Guests are increasingly seeking travel experiences that support rest, recovery and reconnection with themselves and with nature."
Access to the sauna is available to registered hotel guests, spa clients and pool pass guests, depending on daily capacity.
For more information, visit: oakbaybeachhotel.com.
