The Launch of Red Door's Evening Pampering at Che Bella Spa in Upper Forest Hill Village

By Kortney L. Shapiro
Photos by Kathy Thomas
On a warm summer evening, along with a number of Toronto’s powerful women (think magazine editors, PR mavens, and fashion industry namesakes), I attended the launch of Red Door at the Che Bella Spa in Toronto. As I sat back in the modern-meets-antique sofa among a sea of plush pillows, champagne in hand, with both my pedicured feet being massaged by a charming Russian (who looked like he could have fought in the UFC championships), I realized: THIS is something I could get used to. No. This is something I HAVE to get used to.

Che Bella is a cozy and sophisticated spa tucked away in the Upper Village, nestled amid one of Toronto’s elite communities and run by Lucy Demma and Laira Thomas. The space is illuminated by natural light, and only one flight of stairs up; you are truly climbing the stairway to heaven upon entering. During it’s daytime hours, Che Bella operates as a neighborhood spa, and recently has opened its doors every Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 7 and 11pm as ‘Red Door’, offering exclusive foot massages for anyone from the exhausted working female, to the girlfriend who wants to surprise her man with a relaxing treat, to the gentleman who wishes to be pampered after a long day in the boardroom. I experienced a taste of Red Door’s post-dinner foot massages, and I can say that it was as blissful as was promised to me.

After experiencing Red Door’s signature nighttime foot massage, we snacked on mini lobster grilled cheese (thank you JDelson for the sensual bites and exquisite finger food) and petite red velvet cupcakes, perfectly nestled under a thick layer of cream cheese icing. With jazz music oozing through the speakers, the attendees were in blissful paradise, as the space itself is as inviting as it is chic, with deep colored floors to the inn-like feel of the massage and nail parlors respectively.

Che Bella’s Red Door is the perfect addition to the spa’s pampering options. It is the perfect getaway (while still remaining city bound) for much-needed post-work “me time” or for a twist on a traditional bachelorette party. Those seeking a relaxing recluse, can receive a 45-minute treatment provided by massage therapists that includes a hot foot soak along with a tranquilizing therapeutic massage of the feet and legs. ($55 per person, $100 per couple and $185 for a group of four).

As I stepped out of the Red Door at the end of the evening, my legs felt like Jello while my sugar high slowly receded. All I really wanted was to run as fast as my legs would carry me, through the red door, up the stairs, down the hall, and back to my perch where my feet could soak in pure pleasure, and all I would have to worry about was my Russian….