Nordic Hotels and Resort has told Spa Business it's planning to add a spa to its 'At Six' hotel in Stockholm, Sweden, because the property is in direct competition with the city’s Grand Hôtel Stockholm, which has had spa since 2009.

In an exclusive interview with Spa Business, Henrik Berghult, COO for Nordic Hotels and Resorts said the value spas generate at its properties makes up 30 per cent of revenues.

All the spas in the firm’s portfolio are profitable and those with bigger spas generate the most revenue. Berghult added that the hotels without spas are at a disadvantage.

“Our At Six hotel in Stockholm is in heavy competition with the Grand Hôtel and struggling because that has a spa and we don’t,” he said. “We’re looking to add one because guests staying in five-star properties demand spa facilities and they’re key to driving both leisure and weekend business.”

Nordic Hotels and Resorts has 52 hotels and resorts in its portfolio, 17 of which feature spas. The most well-known include Farris Bad near Oslo and Yasuragi near Stockholm. It also operates one of Sweden’s oldest spa resorts, Selma, while one of the newest is Sommerro – one of Norway’s last remaining (and refurbished) public baths.

Nordic Hotels and Resorts is a division of the privately-owned Strawberry Group. The Group, known as Nordic Choice Hotels until 2023, was established by Petter Stordalen in 1990. The name change was inspired by Stordalen’s budding entrepreneurship as a teenager when he was reported as being one of Norway’s best strawberry sellers.

Strawberry Group consists of 10 companies with hotels, restaurants, spas and a 65,000-seat arena in its portfolio. It also holds retail, real estate, art and finance sector investments. According to its latest annual report, Strawberry’s portfolio included 215 hotels at the end of 2022, with another 22 projects in the pipeline. It reached sales of NOK14.3 billion (US$1.33 billion, €1.22 billion, £1.02 billion) and EBITDA sat at NOK1,5 billion (US$143.3 million, €131.5 million, £109.8 million) – both the highest in its history, which Stordalen puts down to strong demand following COVID-19. RevPAR was NOK704 (US$65, €60, £50) and TRevPAR was NOK1,140 (US$106, €97, £81), just above its 2019 recordings.

Though plans are still in development for the new spa for the At Six property, the 343-key hotel, which opened in 2017, already has a gym, with equipment by Eleiko and Technogym. Its exclusive membership wellness club (open to only 35 members) also has a sauna and offers fitness-focused deep tissue and Swedish massages, in addition to personal training sessions.

About the competition – Grand Hôtel Stockholm

Privately-owned by the Wallenberg family, through its company FAM AB, the 368-key Grand Hôtel Stockholm has been in operation since 1874. It's just ten minutes away from the At Six hotel on foot in the city centre.

The Nordic spa at the Grand Hôtel was originally designed by consultancy and management firm Raison d’Etre.

It's been upgraded over the years as the hotel has undergone extensive renovations.

The spa has eight treatment rooms, a dry sauna, cold water pool, experience shower, cold bucket shower, relaxation room, quiet room and fitness bar for healthy food.