Spa & wellness
is local as well – we use a lot of the trees that are in the surrounding nature and local area.” It’s no surprise, then, as a hotel with such strong roots in sustainability, that its spa follows suit. “We are really showing that it is possible to have a luxury experience without compensating on nature. Sustainability doesn’t need to take away any of the quality of experience,” Ranggård emphasises. This is obvious if you take one look at Arctic Bath and its offering. Located just south of the Arctic Circle, the natural spa offers two dry saunas, one steam sauna, two outdoor Jacuzzis and an open-air cold pool. They also offer an array of treatments that include
Above: Retreat to one of Arctic Bath’s wood cabins, decorated with natural and local materials.
Below: Guests can warm up and relax with a choice of traditional and innovative spa treatments.
Opening page: Arctic Bath sits under the Northern Lights in winter and the midnight sun in summer.
Keep it local As someone with a long-standing interest in spa and wellness, with a focus on sustainability and personal development, Ranggård feels made to be in her position at Arctic Bath. With sustainability at its core from the very beginning, Arctic Bath stands out as an alternating frozen and floating hotel on the Lule River in northern Sweden that seamlessly integrates with the surrounding nature. “Everything from how they built it to how we’re
creating a concept is always with sustainability and nature in mind, and to keep things as local as possible,” adds Ranggård. “We tried to make all the building material as sustainable as possible, so we used a lot of local [suppliers].
“We are really showing that it is possible to have a luxury experience without compensating on nature. Sustainability doesn’t need to take away any of the quality of experience.”
Klara Ranggård
“A lot of different locals came together to create all of our buildings and structures and a lot of the material
julevädno, a mindful sauna experience that takes the guest through three different moments of cleansing, relaxation and clearness as it combines the warmth of the saunas and a dip in the cold waters of the Lule River. “[The cold bath is] one of the main attractions for the guests to do. A lot of them haven’t tried a cold bath before and we get people that have already and are really into it. So, usually they see the cold bath and say, ‘I’m never going to do that’ and then after their stay they always go in two of three times,” explains Ranggård. “That’s very interesting for us to showcase something completely natural but have it as an attraction that the guests really appreciate.” Combined with its environmental focus, Arctic Bath offers the ultimate natural experience. “Everything we do we try to ask, ‘is this sustainable?’ and if not, ‘how can we do it in a sustainable way?’” Something that Arctic Bath does, that Ranggård points out all companies can get in on too, is look for suppliers and companies that use products that have no chemicals or anything damaging to humans or the environment. One company that Arctic works with for its spa treatments is c/o Gerd, which uses active substances derived from seed oils extracted from blueberries, cloudberries and lingonberries, and aims to have as minimal impact on the environment as possible. “Sustainability has to have a part in everything that we do now as we are getting more and more aware and conscious of our impact on nature,” Ranggård concludes.
Tip of the (melting) iceberg If you ask Brialey about the driving force behind sustainability in the spa and wellness sector, it’s the guests we have to give thanks to. “Sustainability is finding a strong path into all sectors but for spa and wellness it has really been a demand from the consumer that has driven most of the awareness in the past of the need to make changes.” Avoiding single-use packaging and harmful ingredients is only the tip of the problem. For Brialey, at least, the most important thing for helping the environment is realising that it’s up to all to make
48 Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
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