September 2022 marks the grand opening of Alyeska Nordic Spa at Girdwood’s Alyeska Resort, located 40 miles from Anchorage. Alaska’s first-ever Nordic Spa will be a year-round opportunity to disconnect to reconnect and enjoy a 50,000 sq. ft series of outdoor hot and cold Hydrotherapy pools, massage treatments and wellness offerings. The experience will include cold water plunges and waterfalls, aromatherapy infused steam rooms, a Halotherapy Signature sauna, Finnish sauna and an exfoliation cabin featuring Alaskan sea salt, all connected by a heated pathway.
In time for Alaska’s Aurora Borealis season, the Nordic Spa will debut a forest loop including an elevated boardwalk through the Chugach Forest, North America’s northernmost rainforest. It will incorporate six outdoor hot and cold wooden tubs, two large barrel saunas and two Banya saunas, nestled throughout the forest allowing for a unique moment to relax and connect with nature. Indoors, guests will find digital-free cozy nooks to unwind, 10 treatment rooms, wellness classes and spacious and beautifully appointed locker rooms. They will also find the new Two Trees Bistro highlighting local artisans and unique regional selections in a seasonal menu to allow guests to refuel and recharge. Visitors can rehydrate from a selection of juices, teas and coffee or enjoy a carefully crafted wine and cocktail selection.
The traditions of Nordic spas provide great health benefits which include soothing sore muscles, creating a stronger immune system, reducing inflammation, and releasing endorphins.
Spa General Manager, Gena Lopez shares, “The Nordic Spa experience gives guests an opportunity to experience the Nordic tradition of hydrotherapy, a health ritual Nordic people have practiced for thousands of years. Guests can cycle through stages of submersion in hot and cold water at their leisure, moving between the initial hot pools to stimulate blood flow and relax muscles, to cold, utilizing the cold plunge waterfall to flush the body of toxins.”
Guests can book Hydrotherapy Access for $119, which provides full-day access (9 AM-9 PM). The experience can be upgraded with 60-minute customized massage treatments including aromatherapy, CBD, couples treatments and more. With full-day access, guests can rest by the fire pits or fire cauldrons and recharge at the Two Trees Bistro. The Alyeska Forest Therapy Massage includes aromatherapy designed to maintain balance and promote wellness, a wonderful complement to a day in the hydrotherapy pools. The Nordic Signature Massage is a next-level spa service inspired by the sensory experience of the outdoor hydrotherapy, playing on hot and cold sensations, scents
of the outdoor pine, natural sounds of rain and light touches of a morning mist. Specialized tartan robes have been designed to keep guests warm with a polar fleece lining and are adorned with their signature tartan. This iconic pattern unifies the brand and signifies that each guest is part of the wellness experience at the Alyeska Nordic Spa community.
Unique to the spa world, but rooted in Alaskan hospitality is the inclusive nature of the Nordic Spa experience, which was designed to make all guests feel welcomed from its communal layout to friendly staff.
“We aim to provide a world-class spa experience in an inclusive and relaxed environment for locals and guests from afar. The Nordic Spa is where nature and community come together to create a sense of well-being that impacts guests long after they return home. As a spa destination, we want guests to feel comfortable and at ease in our digital-free space,” shares Émilie Pageau-Bisson, Director of Brand Marketing for Pomeroy Lodging.
The Nordic Spa is a 1.5-acre footprint at the Alyeska Resort, surrounded by the forest, and will be the largest addition to the resort since the 304-room hotel was built in 1994. It provides a harmonizing experience that balances the cadence of the modern world with the guest’s desire to relax in nature. The spa was created by Holland Design and local Alaskan firm Z Architecture. It is the second destination spa opened by Pomeroy Lodging after Kananaskis Nordic Spa in Canada.
“Alyeska’s Nordic Spa in Girdwood will be the first of its kind in the U.S. We are thrilled to bring the unique hydrotherapy wellness concept to Alaska that our guests will be able to enjoy after a day on the slopes, or exploring Alaska’s great outdoors, or on a day that inhibits guests from going out on an Alaskan adventure,” said Ryan Pomeroy, CEO of Pomeroy Lodging.
Alyeska Resort, acquired by Pomeroy Lodging in 2018, is Alaska’s premier year-round destination featuring 304 guest rooms, world-class dining and impeccable mountain views and adventures. Whether in summer or winter, Alyeska Resort is the perfect base camp for endless adventure and relaxation. In the winter, guests have access to 1,610 skiable acres including the longest double black diamond run in North America. In the summer there are various outdoor experiences from the resort which include the Alyeska Bike Park for lift-accessed downhill mountain biking and 2.2 miles of intermediate to advanced hiking trails. The resort is conveniently accessible to the Kenai Peninsula, Whittier and Anchorage for day trips.
Alaska's First Nordic Spa Opens at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood
Located just 40 miles south of Anchorage in the town of Girdwood, the spa can easily be reached by a scenic 45-minute drive on the Seward Highway or the twice-daily Coastal Classic Train from Anchorage to Girdwood. Its proximity and access to Anchorage make the Nordic Spa an ideal day experience for guests before their evening flights back to the lower 48.
