Questions, answered

Vellum is a modern bathhouse and recovery spa in Toronto. We offer heat, cold, red light, bodywork, compression, breathwork, sound, and a tea lounge — designed as a recurring ritual, not a one-off appointment. Both locations are adult, quiet-by-design spaces for people who want recovery to become a habit.

Start with our Free Intro Ritual — a 45-minute guided experience that includes orientation, a short contrast cycle (sauna and cold plunge), and access to the tea lounge. Arrive 10 minutes early to complete intake and tour the space. No commitment, no credit card required to book.

Just yourself and any personal toiletries you prefer. We provide cream robes, sandals, towels, showers with full amenities (Graydon bath gel, Marie Veronique hair and body products), and lockers. Bring a swimsuit if you prefer — change rooms are private, but the pool deck is shared.

We have two houses in Toronto: Queen West at 100 Ossington Avenue (M6J 2Z4) for evening rituals and a more social atmosphere, and North York at 5075 Yonge Street (M2N 6C6) for calmer, routine-focused sessions. Both are steps from the TTC subway and streetcar.

Queen West has limited metered street parking on Ossington and Dundas, plus a Green P lot at Queen and Lisgar (3 min walk). North York has a dedicated Green P lot attached to 5075 Yonge, and the building is directly connected to North York Centre subway station. Both locations are fully bike-accessible with Bike Share Toronto stations within 200 metres.

Yes. Both locations have step-free entries with power-assist doors, accessible washrooms, and a pool lift available at the cold plunge on request. See our full Accessibility page for AODA details. Email access@vellumritual.com at least 24 hours before your visit and a staff lead will prepare the space.

All front-of-house staff speak English. We have team members who also speak Mandarin, Cantonese, French, Farsi, Punjabi, and Korean — note your language preference in the booking notes and we will do our best to match you with a staff member fluent in it.

Yes. Memberships can be cancelled anytime with 30 days notice. No long-term contracts, no cancellation fees. We want you to stay because the ritual works, not because of fine print.

Yes. Members can freeze their membership for up to 2 months per year at no charge. Submit a freeze at least 7 days before your next billing date through your member portal or by emailing members@vellumritual.com.

Absolutely. One membership, two houses. Book at Queen West one day and North York the next — your session caps, guest passes, and booking window all travel with you.

Yes, at any time through your member portal. Upgrades take effect immediately; downgrades take effect on your next billing date. We do not prorate partial months.

Ritual members get 1 guest pass per month, House members get 2, and additional guest passes can be purchased for $35 CAD each. Guest passes include a full contrast ritual and tea lounge access. They expire at the end of each billing period.

Yes. Teams of 5 or more receive 15% off the Ritual tier; teams of 15 or more receive 25% off and quarterly on-site breathwork programming. Contact corporate@vellumritual.com for a tailored quote.

Yes. We sell 1-month and 3-month membership gift certificates in any tier. They are delivered by email with a physical copy mailed anywhere in Canada. Gift memberships do not auto-renew.

Members receive one month of membership credit for every friend who joins on a Ritual or House tier and remains a member for 60 days. Referral codes are available in the member portal.

Our plunge pools are maintained between 3–6°C (37–43°F), filtered through a 10-micron sand and UV system and cycled every 45 minutes. Staff are always nearby. Beginners can start with 30-second immersions and build up over time.

Our dry saunas are set between 80–95°C (176–203°F). Infrared cabins are gentler, typically 50–65°C (122–149°F). Both are designed for comfort and safety and use low-VOC Finnish spruce panelling.

Single sessions range from 25 minutes (cold plunge, red light) to 90 minutes (Deep Bodywork Ritual, Date Night Drift). Most guests arrive 15 minutes early and stay 30 minutes after in the tea lounge — plan for roughly 90 minutes per visit.

Yes. Private Suite Rituals ($120 CAD / 75 min) include a self-contained heat, cold, and light sequence in our private suite at Queen West. Couples Rituals ($220 CAD) are also available. Our Date Night Drift package pairs a private suite with tea service.

Vellum bodywork is a luxury wellness experience, not a registered massage therapy (RMT) service. We do not issue insurance receipts. If you need insured massage, we recommend consulting a licensed RMT through the College of Massage Therapists of Ontario.

Slow, full-body bodywork rooted in Swedish and myofascial traditions, paired with warm oils and heated surfaces. We do not offer deep tissue work that targets specific pathologies — for that, see an RMT.

Most guests find 2–4 sessions per week of 15–25 minutes each strikes a good balance. Eye protection is provided and required. If you are photosensitive or taking photosensitizing medication, consult your healthcare provider first.

Tea lounge access is included with every session and membership. We also offer a standalone tea lounge pass for $18 CAD / 60 minutes — ideal for a quiet afternoon or meeting someone after their ritual.

Packages stack multiple services into a guided sequence. For example, Deep Recovery bundles a contrast ritual, compression, and red light into a 2-hour flow. Single services are great for specific targeted recovery; packages are great for a mood or occasion.

Use our online booking form to request your preferred date, time, location, and service. We confirm within a few hours during business hours. Members can book directly through the member portal without manual confirmation.

Cancel or reschedule up to 12 hours before your session for a full refund. Cancellations between 4 and 12 hours receive a 50% account credit. Cancellations under 4 hours and no-shows are non-refundable. First-time Free Intro Ritual no-shows are subject to a $25 CAD rebooking fee.

Call the location directly. Arrivals more than 15 minutes late may mean a shortened or cancelled session at staff discretion without refund, because we build in dedicated transition time between guests to protect the atmosphere.

Yes — digital and physical, in any Canadian-dollar denomination from $50 to $500. Under Ontario’s Consumer Protection Act, our gift cards do not expire. They are redeemable at either location for any service.

All prices shown on the site are in Canadian dollars (CAD) and exclude HST at 13%. Gratuity is never expected and is not accepted at reception — we pay our staff a living wage. If you’d like to acknowledge your practitioner, leave a note with reception and they’ll pass it along.

Groups of 3–8 can book our Group Ritual package by emailing groups@vellumritual.com. We also offer private buyouts of a full floor for birthdays, bachelor/bachelorette parties, team offsites, and milestone celebrations.

Some services may not be suitable for everyone. If you have cardiovascular conditions, are pregnant, have blood pressure concerns, or take medications that affect heat/cold tolerance, consult your healthcare provider before visiting. See our Safety page for detailed guidance per service.

Sauna, cold plunge, and red light are not recommended during pregnancy. Bodywork can be suitable with prenatal certification and a doctor’s note in the second and third trimesters — we will confirm practitioner availability at booking. The tea lounge is always welcome.

No. We do not permit sauna, cold plunge, or red light use within 48 hours of meaningful alcohol consumption or any recreational substance use. Heat and cold exposure while impaired is genuinely dangerous. We will gently ask you to reschedule.

Yes. Every shift at both locations has at least two Canadian Red Cross Standard First Aid + CPR-C certified team members on the floor. We also maintain an AED at the reception of each location and a trained lifeguard-on-deck during peak cold plunge hours.

Sauna benches are wiped with an EWG-verified, low-VOC cleaner between every session. The cold plunge water is filtered continuously and fully replaced every 72 hours. Towels and robes are laundered at 82°C. Locker surfaces are sanitized between each use.

Leave the room and flag a staff member immediately. We will guide you to our quiet room and, if needed, connect you with a first-aid-certified staff lead. Every incident is logged per our insurance requirements and reviewed weekly.