TOURISM

Bathed in Luxury

The Nordic spa at Alyeska Resort

By Amy Newman

Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort A s if mountain slopes, mystic rainforest, and magnificent restaurants weren’t enough to attract visitors to Girdwood, Alyeska Resort proffered another reason this year. Alyeska Nordic Spa is the first of its kind in the United States: an adults-only wellness spa with hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms, relaxation and massage spaces, an exfoliation cabin, and an on-site restaurant.

Pomeroy Lodging, the Alberta, Canada-based company that purchased the resort in December 2018, had no plans to add a Nordic spa when it took over, says CEO Ryan Pomeroy. But after witnessing the success of the Kananaskis Nordic Spa at its Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge west of Calgary, the company decided the experience was a good fit for Alyeska.

“The [Canadian spa] has been very successful, and it’s really helped sort of reposition the resort and stabilize it,” Pomeroy says. “[The Alyeska Nordic Spa] wasn’t really in our initial plans, but I would say in early 2019, it became sort of evident that it would make a lot of sense in Alyeska, and we started planning then.”

Covering 50,000 square feet of indoor space and 1.5 acres outdoors, the spa is the largest addition to Alyeska Resort since 1994, when both the Alyeska Prince Hotel and the Aerial Tram opened. The spa opened in phases throughout 2022, starting with massage offerings in January and the hydrotherapy pools in the summer, with all amenities fully opened in October.

The combined effect is enthralling, according to Pomeroy. “People who’ve never been to a wellness spa say, ‘I’ll be there for an hour,’” he says. “It’s very easy to spend many, many hours there, especially if you go for a massage and take a break to eat. Once you go and experience it, you just sort of get it.”

Rooted in Wellness

Nordic spas are based on the European spa tradition, which focuses more on wellness than aesthetics and incorporates hydrotherapy elements, Pomeroy says. That’s in contrast to the typical American spa, where the primary focus is on indulgent pampering and self-care; although steam rooms and saunas are sometimes part of the American experience, they’re more of a secondary element.

“When you think of a spa in North America, you think of a facility where you get your nails done, a pedicure, maybe a massage,” Pomeroy says. “A Nordic spa is based on the practice of hydrotherapy cycles, which are going from hot to cold to rest. The heart of this concept is centered not around treatment, but wellness.”

Nordic spas combine Finnish sauna culture, which is rooted in nature and utilizes saunas and cold plunges in outdoor facilities, with the practice of hydrotherapy cycles, which have been used in European and Asian cultures for many years, Pomeroy says.

“The thing that makes the Nordic spa unique [compared to] other hydrotherapy spas in the industry is that the Nordic spa is traditionally based in nature, so they’re outdoors,” he explains. “It’s an outdoor hydrotherapy experience.”

The Scandinavian tradition of wellness spas requires that guests remain silent throughout the experience, but Pomeroy says the Alyeska Nordic Spa isn’t that strict. Guests must store cell phones in lockers while utilizing any facilities other than Two Trees Bistro, but there are otherwise no restrictions on guest interactions.

“We believe that while there are definitely wellness benefits to being silent, there’s also tremendous wellness benefits to social connections,” he

“A Nordic spa is based on the practice of hydrotherapy cycles, which are going from hot to cold to rest. The heart of this concept is centered not around treatment, but wellness.”

Ryan Pomeroy CEO Pomeroy Lodging

Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort says. “By and large, people usually follow general spa etiquette. There’s something about being in nature that’s awe-inspiring and just doesn’t make you break out into party volume.”

Though the Nordic Spa focuses on hydrotherapy, spa guests still have the option to book a single or couple’s massage, Pomeroy says. Massages are booked separately and are not included in the cost of hydrotherapy access, but every massage booking includes access to the hydrotherapy amenities.

Hot, Cold, Rest, Repeat

The Nordic spa experience is centered around hydrotherapy cycles that take the body through extreme temperature changes followed by a brief period of rest. The belief is that these temperature changes stimulate blood flow which, in turn, helps to repair muscles, decrease stress and inflammation, improve the immune system, and even promote better sleep.

“The idea in a hydrotherapy cycle is you go from hot to cold to rest, and that cycle usually takes about an hour,” Pomeroy says. “The cycles are detoxifying, stress relieving, [and] they help with inflammation. And what really happens when you get through the hydrotherapy cycle, you just start to get more and more chill and relaxed.”

Each cycle begins with 15 to 20 minutes in a steam room, sauna, or hot pool, followed by a one-to-twominute plunge—or as long as the guest can handle—in one of three cold plunge pools. The cold plunges are as low as 30°F, with the saunas as high as 167°F. Each steam room and sauna incorporate different elements, including aromatherapy and halotherapy (i.e., inhaled salt). The hotcold cycle ends with 20 to 30 minutes in either the relaxation pool or one of two relaxation spaces, which are set up in front of large fire pits. The spa recommends completing three to four cycles per visit, trying each of the different hot and cold options.

“We have many different ways you can experience a hydrotherapy cycle,” Pomeroy says. “The first time you can do a sauna for your hot, the second time you do a hot tub, then a steam room. It is like a Choose Your Own Adventure out in nature; you just keep trying out the different amenities and

relaxing, and the more relaxed you get the better you feel.”

Adjacent to the main spa area is the Forest Loop, which connects two barrel saunas, two Banya saunas (based on Russian steam rooms), and six cedar soaking tubs—five hot and one cold plunge—via an elevated wooden walkway. The saunas and tubs were designed by Kachemak Cooperage and use no glue, screws, or other material to hold the pieces together.

“There are tongue and groove molds in the wood, and he puts them together like a puzzle,” Pomeroy explains. “Then he puts these big metal clamps around the outside and tightens them up. It’s an art.”

Where the design of the main spa ties into the resort’s overall architecture, Pomeroy says the Forest Loop and cooperage structures mesh with the spa’s surroundings.

“It’s really rustic and authentic and looks sort of like an Ewok village,” Pomeroy says, referring to the fuzzy, forest-dwelling creatures in Return of the Jedi. “Super cool, super unique. You’re tucked into this spruce and hemlock forest. There are no other facilities in North America that have that. We wanted the spa to sort of represent traditional elements of Girdwood and Alaska.”

Pomeroy also views the Nordic Spa, particularly the Forest Loop, as a way for people to connect and engage with nature in a no-stress, relaxing atmosphere.

“It’s a way to connect with yourself and connect with others,” he says. “It’s something you can do in nature that isn’t dependent on the weather, that requires no specific skill set and no special equipment. That’s really the concept: giving people a way to experience nature, no skill set required.”

Alaskan Spa Fare

Guests at Alyeska Nordic Spa have full-day access, but it doesn’t come with in-and-out privileges. For those who spend a good portion of their day there, the spa offers exclusive, on-site dining at the Two Trees Bistro.

“The menu is centered around, I’ll say healthier, sort of lighter fare type options,” Pomeroy says. “It’s something you can do in nature that isn’t dependent on the weather, that requires no specific skill set and no special equipment. That’s really the concept: giving people a way to experience nature, no skill set required.”

Ryan Pomeroy, CEO, Pomeroy Lodging

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The menu features Alaskan-grown products from local vendors, including Kahiltna Birchworks, Indian Valley Meats, Arctic Organics, Europa Wholesale Bakery, Alaska Flour Company, and Frosty Meadow Farms. Salmon and meat charcuterie plates are offered alongside soups, salads, and sandwiches, with several vegan and gluten-free options available. The bistro also offers a selection of beer, wine, cocktails, and non-alcoholic beverages.

Like the hydrotherapy cycles, guests can customize their dining experience, whether a sit-down meal or just a drink in front of the fire.

“The main bistro area is set up fairly like a restaurant, with lounge tables and chairs, lots of cozy tables and chairs, and there’s a nice little area where you can sit in front of the fireplace and look out onto the spa,” Pomeroy says. “There’s an area that we call the cozy room, which has sofas, wingback chairs, things like that. And then there’s another little, I’ll say café area, where we have a bar set up where you grab a cappuccino or something.”

Future Alyeska Enhancements

Though it has the acreage available, Pomeroy says there are currently no plans to expand the spa. Instead, renovations are focused on updating the overall resort.

“We plan to fully renovate the entire resort property, the rooms, the meeting space, the lobby, all of that stuff,” he says. “We’ve just started those renovations on the 8th floor. That will turn into a club floor, so kind of like a hotel inside of a hotel, a 5-star experience inside the 4-star hotel. All those renovations will be ongoing for the next couple of years.”

The resort recently completed a full renovation and rebrand of the Pond restaurant; it is now the Italian restaurant Forte. Pomeroy says he sees the renovations as a way to cement the resort’s reputation as a tourist destination.

“There’s tremendous potential for Girdwood and Alyeska itself,” he says. “Tourism in Alaska is going to continue to grow, and I just think we have a wonderful foundation to provide a first-in-class experience within the state in terms of tourism and adventure.”