Thermal spa operator, Groupe Nordik, will unveil one of the biggest day spas in the world in Whitby, Canada, once construction is completed in December 2020.

The CA$50m (US$37.7m, €34.4m, £29.4m) Nordik Spa-Nature Whitby will accommodate up to 1,100 visitors a day, and is billed as an ‘avant-garde, innovative and multisensory rejuvenation experience’. It will be part of a major rollout that will see its portfolio grow to 10 nature spas in North America by 2027.

Located in Cullen Central Park, the development covers just under nine acres and was created by Montreal-based architecture and design firm LemayMichaud, along with Groupe Nordik’s own internal projects and design team.

The property will include five outdoor pools, 25 treatment rooms, and a 120-seat sauna, along with indoor and outdoor relaxation areas.

Highlights will include a 1,200 cubic feet Källa saltwater flotation pool, big enough for 40 people, carved out of a rock filled with 12 tonnes of Epsom salts and is one of the only of its kind in the world.

Nordik Spa-Nature Whitby will become the blueprint for Groupe Nordik’s nationwide rollout plan which will see the brand open eight more spas in the next seven years, with Edmonton and Calgary already confirmed as future projects.

Founded by Martin Paquette and Daniel Gingras, Groupe Nordik has two Nordic-inspired spas in Canada and focuses on bathing and thermal cycles.

The brand’s two existing spas in Canada draw 415,000 visitors a year.

“Nordik Spa-Nature started small and grew organically and if we were to redo it, we would build it differently and that’s what the Whitby spa is,” said Alexandre Cantin, Groupe Nordik’s corporate development director.

“We’re addressing all the little details and operational inefficiencies and it’s designed to be phased out. For example, water is our main component and instead of having three or four mechanical rooms with multiple staff to handle this, we’ll be able to have one big plant which will support the site as it expands and the pipes will already be in place for when we add new pools. We’re overbuilding at the beginning, because we’re confident that it’s going to be worth the investment.

“The rollout comes down to the fact that the company is healthy and able to sustain growth. The reason we’re aiming to grow so fast is because we have the vision and the capacity to do it and the potential is there. When you go to the US, there’s nothing like our offering. It’s a land of opportunity.”

To find out more, read the full interview in Spa Business.