During a special preview of Calgary’s newly opened Clear Nordic Spa, Albert Banahene pulls a rope and empties a bucket of freezing cold water on himself.
“It’s refreshing, especially when you’re just coming out of the sauna,” said 27-year-old Banahene, who runs a social media agency.
The spa, sandwiched between a Brick mattress store and a Pet Valu, markets itself as a spot for busy city people to relax between commitments. Customers move between hot, cold and environments (for example, a hot tub, a cold plunge and a “relaxation” zone) in hopes of releasing stress and improving circulation.
This type of hot-cold treatment has long been popular in countries like Sweden (and practised in a low-key way by anyone with a sauna and a snow pile) but has been gaining momentum in Canada.
The first batch of Canadian Nordic spas opened in Quebec in the early 2000s, with the trend spreading more recently in other parts of the country. Six new destination spas opened in 2022 alone, according to the online directory SpasofAmerica.com, and there are plenty more in the works.
Interest is growing among both consumers and prospective business owners, said spa consultant Jennifer Findlay, who sees it as an extension of the overall “wellness” trend that’s fuelling demand for everything from skincare to non-alcoholic beer to running clubs. At Clear Nordic Spa, for example, owner Bryce Weeks envisions people using it as an alternative to socializing at the bar.
(Compared to a quick drink at the pub, though, the experience isn’t cheap. A guest pass at Clear is $79 for two hours, and many spas start closer to $100 for the day.)
“The demand [for wellness] is nearly unlimited,” said Findlay, founder and CEO of the Core Essence spa consultancy.
“It is one of the top consumer priorities. There is simply not enough quality supply to meet the demand.”
The business case
While Nordic spas in major cities try to court customers in between commitments, some farther-away iterations act as full-blown tourist destinations.
The Kananaskis Nordic Spa opened in 2018, about an hour west of Calgary. The owners have already added onto the spa once and an additional expansion is set to open next year.
“We didn’t expect the demand that it had,” said Ryan Pomeroy, CEO of Pomeroy Lodging, which owns the spa and its attached resort.
On a busy weekend day, his spa might draw between 300 and 400 visitors.
“It’s outstripped our initial expectations, that’s for certain.”
A key part of the spa’s appeal, Pomeroy said, is that it gives customers a front-row view of the mountains. He said this allows people to experience nature in a more low-key way, compared to going skiing or mountain biking.
“[It’s a] literal experience of immersing yourself in sort of nature and tranquillity.”
His hospitality company has since opened a similar spa in Alaska and has two more projects in the works in Connecticut and Colorado, he said.
A resort owner, Pomeroy said the spa also helps drive demand during the shoulder season. On a weekday morning in November, the space was filling up with a steady stream of customers dipping their toes into the hot tubs.
Among them was first-time visitor Sam Pedlar, who was coaxed into a visit by a group of his friends.
“We’ve been here for, what, 15 minutes, I think, so far? And I’m already convinced,” he said. “So we’ll be back.”
Another benefit for businesses: Once built, a Nordic spa can, in some ways, be more cost-effective than a traditional spa.
While energy and water costs can be high, consultant Findlay said the model allows businesses to save on one of the most expensive line items on a spa’s balance sheet: labour. Unlike a traditional spa focused on manicures and facials, a Nordic spa doesn’t need quite as many staff to deliver services.
“You don’t necessarily need the employees to pamper people,” said Peter Gaudet, vice-president of Horwath HTL Consultants.
“You have a physical product that allows them to pamper themselves.”
‘Is it a fad?’
But business owners trying to get a piece of “pampering” property can face pushback.
Perhaps one of the most well-known in-development spas in Canada today is at Ontario Place, a piece of waterfront property in Toronto owned by the province of Ontario and a small part by the city.
The advocacy group Ontario Place for All has opposed the project, which includes a spa and other amenities, for a number of reasons. Among other things, the group said it’s concerned about the project’s environmental impact, and worries the trend won’t last the full 95 years of the spa’s lease.
“Is this a fad?” said spokesperson Norm Di Pasquale, who is also the federal New Democratic Party candidate for the Spadina-Fort York area.
“I am extremely skeptical of the long-term viability of this business.”
Therme Canada, the company behind the plan, said in a statement there’s plenty of market research to support its business model, and that the overall development is expected to draw 2.6 million visitors a year.
Other business owners have also encountered planning hurdles and public opposition in their attempts to nail down real estate for a Nordic spa.
And while there can be money saved in staffing costs, there are also additional expenses, said Findlay. For example: the up-front capital needed to build all those saunas and pools — and the costs of towels and linens can add up, she said.
Still, experts believe the Nordic spa trend has a long runway, and it’s likely we’ll see more open up in the years ahead.
“I think it’s going to continue on the upswing,” said Gaudet, with HTL.