Swedish-based spa consultancy Raison d’Etre has made a splash in the cruise ship sector by launching the first of three LivNordic spas as part of a deal with Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Star will cruise around Europe and is one of three ships to have a LivNordic spa
LivNodic, Raison d’Etre’s spa concept, opened on board the new Viking Star cruise ship in May and features one of the first snow rooms at sea.
Anna-Cari Gund, managing director at Raison d’Etre, says: “This is a relationship with a like-minded brand. Given Viking’s Scandinavian heritage is was a natural fit and it’s an opportunity for us to expand our spa concept at sea for the first time.”
Although Gund won’t reveal details of the deal, she does confirm that Raison d’Etre will be managing the spa and its 10 staff. The new cruise ship can hold up to 930 passengers and will travel around Europe.
LivNordic at sea spas are also planned for two further Viking cruise ships which are due to launch in 2016 and 2017.
The LivNordic spa concept has been inspired by Nordic wellness principles – especially its bathing rituals. Group spa manager Nora Forsberg explains: “In Scandinavian countries, we like to sit in the sauna for as long as we can before rolling around in the snow or making a hole in an ice-covered lake and pouring water over ourselves”. It’s then customary to complete the journey with a Swedish massage.
As such, the new spa on Viking Star has comprehensive hydrothermal area including heat experiences by Effegibi, plunge pools, hot tub and a saltwater pool. The snow room was installed by TechnoAplin which supplies snowmaking equipment to ski resorts around the world. The minimalist menu includes three types of Swedish massage, with a number of upgrades, and treatments by HydraFacial and The Organic Pharmacy.
The overall feel of the spa is light and airy, with a contemporary, natural design running throughout the rest of the facilities which include eight treatment rooms, a hair salon and barber’s shop.
Raison d’Etre launched the LivNordic concept in 2012 and can be franchised or licensed. Aside from the flagship spa at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden (see SB10/2 p54), another is due to open at the Cayan Tower in Dubai Marina towards the end of this year.
Raison d’Etre is owned by US investment firm Pegasus Capital Advisors, which also owns Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. See p46 for our interview with Pegasus’ Craig Cogut.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2015 issue 3
Letters:
Investors better placed to make profits in spas than operators, says Roger Allen
News report: LivNordic
Raison d’Etre signs a deal with Viking Cruise Lines for its LivNordic spa brand
Trends: Spa Foresight™ 2015
The team behind Spa Business share their insights on what the world of wellness will look like in the future
Interview – Craig Cogut:
The founding partner of Six Senses’ investment firm Pegasus Capital Advisors reveals his vision for the spa operator. Rhianon Howells reports
Promotional feature: RKF Linen
Founder and CEO Riadh Bouaziz talks about the development of the linen company’s revolutionary
new Dreamsoft product and its uptake in leading hotels and spas worldwide
Thought Leaders: Expert predictions
Thought leaders from around the world, working in different industry sectors, talk about spa trends, challenges and growth opportunities
Promotional feature: Thalgo
After 50 successful years in the professional spa and beauty industry, the Thalgo brand is as strong and as innovative
as ever
Promotional feature: ManageMySpa
CEO Sudheer Koneru explains how a move from enterprise technology into spa
software resulted in the creation of a powerful system
Swedish-based spa consultancy Raison d’Etre has made a splash in the cruise ship sector by launching the first of three LivNordic spas as part of a deal with Viking Ocean Cruises
Viking Star will cruise around Europe and is one of three ships to have a LivNordic spa
LivNodic, Raison d’Etre’s spa concept, opened on board the new Viking Star cruise ship in May and features one of the first snow rooms at sea.
Anna-Cari Gund, managing director at Raison d’Etre, says: “This is a relationship with a like-minded brand. Given Viking’s Scandinavian heritage is was a natural fit and it’s an opportunity for us to expand our spa concept at sea for the first time.”
Although Gund won’t reveal details of the deal, she does confirm that Raison d’Etre will be managing the spa and its 10 staff. The new cruise ship can hold up to 930 passengers and will travel around Europe.
LivNordic at sea spas are also planned for two further Viking cruise ships which are due to launch in 2016 and 2017.
The LivNordic spa concept has been inspired by Nordic wellness principles – especially its bathing rituals. Group spa manager Nora Forsberg explains: “In Scandinavian countries, we like to sit in the sauna for as long as we can before rolling around in the snow or making a hole in an ice-covered lake and pouring water over ourselves”. It’s then customary to complete the journey with a Swedish massage.
As such, the new spa on Viking Star has comprehensive hydrothermal area including heat experiences by Effegibi, plunge pools, hot tub and a saltwater pool. The snow room was installed by TechnoAplin which supplies snowmaking equipment to ski resorts around the world. The minimalist menu includes three types of Swedish massage, with a number of upgrades, and treatments by HydraFacial and The Organic Pharmacy.
The overall feel of the spa is light and airy, with a contemporary, natural design running throughout the rest of the facilities which include eight treatment rooms, a hair salon and barber’s shop.
Raison d’Etre launched the LivNordic concept in 2012 and can be franchised or licensed. Aside from the flagship spa at the Grand Hotel in Stockholm, Sweden (see SB10/2 p54), another is due to open at the Cayan Tower in Dubai Marina towards the end of this year.
Raison d’Etre is owned by US investment firm Pegasus Capital Advisors, which also owns Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. See p46 for our interview with Pegasus’ Craig Cogut.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2015 issue 3
Letters:
Investors better placed to make profits in spas than operators, says Roger Allen
News report: LivNordic
Raison d’Etre signs a deal with Viking Cruise Lines for its LivNordic spa brand
Trends: Spa Foresight™ 2015
The team behind Spa Business share their insights on what the world of wellness will look like in the future
Interview – Craig Cogut:
The founding partner of Six Senses’ investment firm Pegasus Capital Advisors reveals his vision for the spa operator. Rhianon Howells reports
Promotional feature: RKF Linen
Founder and CEO Riadh Bouaziz talks about the development of the linen company’s revolutionary
new Dreamsoft product and its uptake in leading hotels and spas worldwide
Thought Leaders: Expert predictions
Thought leaders from around the world, working in different industry sectors, talk about spa trends, challenges and growth opportunities
Promotional feature: Thalgo
After 50 successful years in the professional spa and beauty industry, the Thalgo brand is as strong and as innovative
as ever
Promotional feature: ManageMySpa
CEO Sudheer Koneru explains how a move from enterprise technology into spa
software resulted in the creation of a powerful system
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
