I got a first look inside Bota Bota’s stunning new floating spa—and it’s unlike anything in Montreal

Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau has officially opened a second floating building in Montréal’s Old Port, and I got a sneak peek. 

Designed by Sid Lee Architecture and moored perpendicular to the original vessel, this striking 20,000-square-foot addition dramatically expands the spa’s footprint on the St. Lawrence River.

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What is Bota Bota in Montreal?

Set on the St. Lawrence River, Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau offers a wellness retreat in the heart of Montréal’s Old Port.

It's a one-of-a-kind floating spa that provides its visitors with a relaxing and invigorating water circuit, spa treatments, and a restaurant—all in a spectacular setting.

The new Pavillion is brighter, greener and more airy than the original boat, expanding the spa’s capacity by 35%, so that they can now host a total of 500 people at once among their three spaces: the original Boat, the Garden, and this new Pavillion. 

It also suggests Montréal’s spa scene is entering its social era.

The sauna is now a stage

One of the main attractions of the Pavillion is a vast dry sauna designed for Aufguss, a German sauna tradition combining aromatherapy, music, meditation, movement and dramatic towel work. In other words, sweating quietly is no longer the only item on the agenda.

The experience tracks with a growing Montréal spa trend: transforming spaces once reserved for solitary reflection into communal happenings. 

Guided ceremonies, performances and wellness events are making the thermal circuit feel a little more like a cultural program, only everyone is wearing a bathrobe.

Sound baths, but make them tropical

On the middle level, a lush room kept at greenhouse temperatures offers lounge seating, tropical plants and an immersive indoor pool. 

It also hosts events such as crystal bowl sound baths, which I experienced first hand: it was transportive. 

The sound reverberations in that room are visceral. As the vibrations moved through the room, my post-sauna and cold plunge body sank deep into a meditative relaxation. The only downside is that my regular morning ritual is now sure to feel underproduced.

A floating arboretum

While the original boat is dressed in charcoal and moody black, the Pavillion embraces white surfaces, natural light and plant life in practically every room. Some showers even have living green walls.

On the top deck, an outdoor pool faces the Lachine Canal’s Lock 3 waterfall head-on, delivering what may be the best spa view in Montréal. 

With the whooshing water at your feet, the open water on your left and the gorgeous Old Montréal view Bota Bota, spa-sur-l’eau is known for on your right, it’s really the complete package.

Even the change rooms are a revelation: spacious, intuitive and designed with personal space in mind, and including a universally accessible, non-gendered section.

The Pavillion isn’t just an expansion: it’s a brighter, greener and fresher version of Bota Bota. A must-see spot you need to check out whether you're a Montreal visitor or local.