A generous feeling of stillness
– in the heart of Gothenburg It has been less than a decade since Sankt Jörgen Park opened its doors to welcome city dwellers, business people, spa lovers and golf enthusiasts to an oasis of calm in the heart of the city. Yet the resort is far from a rookie. Its spa ritual concept has been copied widely and showered with awards, and next year it is set to get even better. By Linnea Dunne | Photos: Knut Koivisto
“We always envisaged that the spa ritual would be our thing, our uniqueness – but it obviously hasn’t quite worked out that way,” says director Kia Andersson. “But now that the concept has spread, it’s making us even more determined to keep developing what we do and show that we’re leading the way.” While last year’s Africa-themed ritual sent a total of 100,000 SEK to the school Great Andoh in Ghana, this year’s Rio ritual flirts with the main event of this summer while helping 52 | Issue 92 | September 2016
to fund a project supporting young mothers in Rio de Janeiro. “The spa ritual for 2017 is still a work in progress, but it’s going to be really swell,” the director reveals. Naturally, the spa was built with the rituals in mind, offering tailor-made stations including everything from marble washrooms to saunas with a range of temperatures and fragrances. Guests who sign up for the ritual are
given a little bag with all their products and information and then they enter what is simply referred to as heaven, and relaxation resumes. “We’re constantly trying to improve what we do by thinking about the experience from the customer’s perspective. It has to be easy and straightforward, no strange doors or confusing corridors; there’s meant to be a flow and a welcoming environment,” Andersson explains. “A generous feeling.”
Renewing and improving But while countless awards and titles have the team confident that the spa ritual concept is a winner, the urge to renew and improve adds a certain humility to the place. In many ways, the main objective has been to refine what the resort already