Nordic spas booming amid 'unlimited' consumer appetite for wellness

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."

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."