On a recent trip to Montreal, we discovered the beautiful Bota Bota spa docked on the St. Lawrence River and designed by Sid Lee Architects. Built on a repurposed 1950's ferry, the spa draws on the traditional Scandinavian water circuit of hot saunas and cold pools to invigorate and heal the body. The five-floor structure has 360-degree views of Montreal's Old Port waterfront promenade allowing "passengers" to enjoy stunning city views from any of the hundreds of prefabricated portholes while embarking on a journey of massage therapy, body treatments, facials or the sauna circuit. Geothermal energy is employed to heat and power the interiors of the space and a team of engineers considered the many challenges associated with building a massive structure on a boat: load-bearing walls that are both light and flexible, anchoring stability and capacity for this floating world. The spa opened in the dead of the frigid Quebec winter so now is the perfect time to take a stay-cation on this river showboat.

Body treatment "cabins"

View from the upperdeck pool

View from inside the sauna

Passengers can curl up in one of these golden portholes with views of Habitat 67, Moshe Safdie's project for Expo '67

Cafe and Waiting Area

Manicures and cocktails in the Lounge

Kvadrat Clouds by Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec greet visitors at the door

Cold pool on the Scandinavian Water Circuit

View of the Grain Terminals from the upperdeck