If you want to deliver a hot and cold experience as part of your wellness programme, adding a snowroom will introduce a delightful and more gentle form of cold therapy, as Sara Brenninger explains
Real snow is a magnet,” says Sara Brenninger, product manager at snow specialist, TechnoAlpin. “Our beautiful and dramatic snowrooms are typically used in combination with a sauna to create ‘contrast therapy’ which stimulates the body with extreme temperatures, going from up to +90°C in the Finnish sauna, down to -10°C in the snowroom.
“Operators who install snowrooms benefit from a new and attractive treatment. Moreover, the snowroom not only makes guests feel great, it also looks amazing,” she explains.
“Hydrotherapy has been practiced over the centuries, enabling people to benefit from the effects of hot and cold, but being immersed in cold water after a sauna can be uncomfortable and for some it cannot be practiced due to the risk of thermal shock,” says Brenninger.
“Nevertheless, the cool-down phase is essential to achieve the benefits of hot and cold contrast therapy, so we set out to create a way to deliver the cold element that’s more pleasurable – the result is the TechnoAlpin snowroom.
“The most revolutionary aspect of the snowroom is the delivery of ‘dry cold’,” she says, “even if the temperature drops 100°C, from +90°C to -10°C, there’s no temperature shock but simply a gradual cooling down.
“Deep breaths refresh the lungs and over a few minutes the body cools down step by step and from head to toe,” she says.
“The TechnoAlpin snowroom delivers a very healthy, comfortable cold,” says Brenninger, “although people who desire a more intense effect can grab some snow and massage it to the skin to intensify the effect.”
With cold treatments gaining in popularity, how does the TechnoAlpin snowroom compare with other options, such as cryotherapy, where the body is exposed to extreme temperatures of -110°C and less?
“Cryotherapy offers a rather medical approach, with specific therapeutic goals and should always be supervised,” says Brenninger, “whereas the TechnoAlpin snowroom is a spa application, used to deliver an immediate feeling of wellbeing and relaxation.
“In addition to the health benefits it creates a playful experience with snow for guests,” she continues.
Health benefits Being exposed alternately to heat and cold helps to train blood vessels and the cardiovascular system, as blood vessels dilate with heat and contract with cold. The repetition of hot and cold cycles also has a similar effect as physical exercise in boosting metabolism.
Cold strengthens the immune system and reduces inflammation and pain meaning aching muscles and joints can be cooled with snow to relieve pain.
“As sporty people know, the body recovers much more quickly from intense exercise when exposed to cold,” says Brenninger, “so 10 minutes in the snowroom and a short and vigorous rubbing with snow will help this process by decreasing lactate levels in the body.
“When it comes to operations, snowrooms are easy to manage,” explains Brenninger. “Snowrooms come in a choice of attractive interior designs and are easy and cost-effective to maintain. There are no issues with hygiene, due to the low temperatures, and the system runs an automatic programme to create snow and defrost, making them easy to use.”
Why TechnoAlpin? “We’ve been the industry leader in the snowmaking business for 30 years,” explains Brenninger, “and even after all these years, we’re still constantly improving our technology to stay at the leading edge.
“We’re operating in more than 50 countries and offer worldwide service, which is crucial for our customers.
“We’ve installed more than 100 snowrooms to date, which proves the concept is working and customers trust in our quality and service. We offer a 360° solution, from planning from installation to after-sales service.
“Snowrooms are the most appealing cold treatment a spa can offer, boosting the sauna experience to its maximum.”
Markus Fuchs
"We decided to install two snowrooms, because we want to offer our guests something special.
With this attraction we’re able to differentiate from other facilities. We now have snow throughout the whole year!" - Markus Fuchs, general manager, Fitnesspark National, Lucerne, Switzerland
Erika and Bruno Moser
"We wish to delight our customers with extraordinary experiences. The snowroom is something special and fits perfectly into our spa" - Erika and Bruno Moser, owners, Hotel Weinegg, Italy
George Fares
"One of our highlights in the resort is the state-of-the-art, iconic snowroom which gives our guests a valuable and memorable experience – a feeling like a dream coming true. Guests enjoy the beautiful snow crystals. The design is very classy and entering into the snowroom feels like being in a magical world that’s kaleidoscopic and picturesque, which surely boosted our business" - George Fares, director of engineering, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, UAE
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 1
Editor's letter: Time to shine
As spas reach peak revenues, now’s the time for our industry to act as a catalyst in working out how we measure the impact of an experience and the ‘return on wellness’ says Spa Business' editor Katie Barnes
Promotional feature: TechnoAlpin
If you want to deliver a hot and cold experience as part of your wellness programme, adding a snowroom will introduce a delightful and more gentle form of cold therapy, as Sara Brenninger explains
Trends: Spa Foresight™
Climate emergency, gen alpha and brain optimisation are among Spa Business’ latest trend predictions
Promotional feature: The Wellness
Investing in children’s facilities gives a spa and wellness offering a competitive edge, as well as helping the next generation achieve their potential, explains Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO of industry design and consultancy practice, The Wellness
Promotional feature: RKF Luxury Linen
As a symbol of luxury, innovation and quality in the world of spa and hospitality, much of RKF Luxury Linen’s success comes from its highly client-centric design process, says CEO Riadh Bouaziz
Design: Heat of the moment
From giant golden eggs and converted ski lifts to rustic, hand-crafted huts, we showcase the latest in heat experience design and innovations
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
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If you want to deliver a hot and cold experience as part of your wellness programme, adding a snowroom will introduce a delightful and more gentle form of cold therapy, as Sara Brenninger explains
Real snow is a magnet,” says Sara Brenninger, product manager at snow specialist, TechnoAlpin. “Our beautiful and dramatic snowrooms are typically used in combination with a sauna to create ‘contrast therapy’ which stimulates the body with extreme temperatures, going from up to +90°C in the Finnish sauna, down to -10°C in the snowroom.
“Operators who install snowrooms benefit from a new and attractive treatment. Moreover, the snowroom not only makes guests feel great, it also looks amazing,” she explains.
“Hydrotherapy has been practiced over the centuries, enabling people to benefit from the effects of hot and cold, but being immersed in cold water after a sauna can be uncomfortable and for some it cannot be practiced due to the risk of thermal shock,” says Brenninger.
“Nevertheless, the cool-down phase is essential to achieve the benefits of hot and cold contrast therapy, so we set out to create a way to deliver the cold element that’s more pleasurable – the result is the TechnoAlpin snowroom.
“The most revolutionary aspect of the snowroom is the delivery of ‘dry cold’,” she says, “even if the temperature drops 100°C, from +90°C to -10°C, there’s no temperature shock but simply a gradual cooling down.
“Deep breaths refresh the lungs and over a few minutes the body cools down step by step and from head to toe,” she says.
“The TechnoAlpin snowroom delivers a very healthy, comfortable cold,” says Brenninger, “although people who desire a more intense effect can grab some snow and massage it to the skin to intensify the effect.”
With cold treatments gaining in popularity, how does the TechnoAlpin snowroom compare with other options, such as cryotherapy, where the body is exposed to extreme temperatures of -110°C and less?
“Cryotherapy offers a rather medical approach, with specific therapeutic goals and should always be supervised,” says Brenninger, “whereas the TechnoAlpin snowroom is a spa application, used to deliver an immediate feeling of wellbeing and relaxation.
“In addition to the health benefits it creates a playful experience with snow for guests,” she continues.
Health benefits Being exposed alternately to heat and cold helps to train blood vessels and the cardiovascular system, as blood vessels dilate with heat and contract with cold. The repetition of hot and cold cycles also has a similar effect as physical exercise in boosting metabolism.
Cold strengthens the immune system and reduces inflammation and pain meaning aching muscles and joints can be cooled with snow to relieve pain.
“As sporty people know, the body recovers much more quickly from intense exercise when exposed to cold,” says Brenninger, “so 10 minutes in the snowroom and a short and vigorous rubbing with snow will help this process by decreasing lactate levels in the body.
“When it comes to operations, snowrooms are easy to manage,” explains Brenninger. “Snowrooms come in a choice of attractive interior designs and are easy and cost-effective to maintain. There are no issues with hygiene, due to the low temperatures, and the system runs an automatic programme to create snow and defrost, making them easy to use.”
Why TechnoAlpin? “We’ve been the industry leader in the snowmaking business for 30 years,” explains Brenninger, “and even after all these years, we’re still constantly improving our technology to stay at the leading edge.
“We’re operating in more than 50 countries and offer worldwide service, which is crucial for our customers.
“We’ve installed more than 100 snowrooms to date, which proves the concept is working and customers trust in our quality and service. We offer a 360° solution, from planning from installation to after-sales service.
“Snowrooms are the most appealing cold treatment a spa can offer, boosting the sauna experience to its maximum.”
Markus Fuchs
"We decided to install two snowrooms, because we want to offer our guests something special.
With this attraction we’re able to differentiate from other facilities. We now have snow throughout the whole year!" - Markus Fuchs, general manager, Fitnesspark National, Lucerne, Switzerland
Erika and Bruno Moser
"We wish to delight our customers with extraordinary experiences. The snowroom is something special and fits perfectly into our spa" - Erika and Bruno Moser, owners, Hotel Weinegg, Italy
George Fares
"One of our highlights in the resort is the state-of-the-art, iconic snowroom which gives our guests a valuable and memorable experience – a feeling like a dream coming true. Guests enjoy the beautiful snow crystals. The design is very classy and entering into the snowroom feels like being in a magical world that’s kaleidoscopic and picturesque, which surely boosted our business" - George Fares, director of engineering, Jumeirah Zabeel Saray, UAE
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 1
Editor's letter: Time to shine
As spas reach peak revenues, now’s the time for our industry to act as a catalyst in working out how we measure the impact of an experience and the ‘return on wellness’ says Spa Business' editor Katie Barnes
Promotional feature: TechnoAlpin
If you want to deliver a hot and cold experience as part of your wellness programme, adding a snowroom will introduce a delightful and more gentle form of cold therapy, as Sara Brenninger explains
Trends: Spa Foresight™
Climate emergency, gen alpha and brain optimisation are among Spa Business’ latest trend predictions
Promotional feature: The Wellness
Investing in children’s facilities gives a spa and wellness offering a competitive edge, as well as helping the next generation achieve their potential, explains Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO of industry design and consultancy practice, The Wellness
Promotional feature: RKF Luxury Linen
As a symbol of luxury, innovation and quality in the world of spa and hospitality, much of RKF Luxury Linen’s success comes from its highly client-centric design process, says CEO Riadh Bouaziz
Design: Heat of the moment
From giant golden eggs and converted ski lifts to rustic, hand-crafted huts, we showcase the latest in heat experience design and innovations
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the
most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers
COMPANY PROFILES
Borghese Roma Borghese is an Italian luxury skincare brand founded in 1957 by Princess Marcella Borghese. [more...]
