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.
“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.
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Pomeroy Lodging
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 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.
Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort
Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort
“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-two-minute 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 hot-cold 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.
Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort
Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort
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.”
“The menu is centered around, I’ll say healthier, sort of lighter fare type options,” Pomeroy says.
Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort
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.”
Kristian Irey | Alyeska Resort
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.”
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.”