By -Magee Walker
Scandinave Spa—is it awesome? This is a question I have asked myself for a long time. I’ve met so many people who have been super keen on the spa, but it just never sounded that magical to me. I decided that the only way to determine the awesomeness of the Scandinave Spa was to experience it for myself. With special pricing for locals throughout May ($39.20 with tax), now seemed like a good time to try it out.
The concept is to cycle between “body warming” areas (hot baths, steam rooms, saunas), “refreshing rinse stations” (cold baths or cold showers) and “relaxation areas” (chilling in lawn chairs or hammocks). Picture the sensation of enjoying a hot tub and then jumping out to roll around in the snow.
Here’s the lowdown: the hot bath (which is fancy talk for pool) feels like a large hot tub. This is probably lovely in the winter, but I couldn’t get through the full recommended 15 minute set with the sun beating down on me. The cold baths (again, pool) are dope. You’re meant to hop in and out for 30 seconds or so, but on a sunny day, it felt awesome and I wanted to stay for ages. If the pool had been bigger, I probably would’ve embarked on some Marco Polo and not left all day. The relaxation areas are cool if you’re into just chilling. The hammock station was my favourite and is a prime spot for a nap.
If you’re thinking that just repeating this cycle over and over sounds kind of boring… well, you’re sort of right. I think the Scandinave Spa would be awesome if you wanted to chill out, rest your sore muscles and enjoy some uninterrupted peace and quiet. (Did I mention you’re not allowed to talk? That killed me.)
If you’re the kind of person who can’t sit still for too long and has trouble staying quiet for more than five minutes at a time, you may not love the Scandinave Spa as much as other people seem to love it. I am this kind of person. I can appreciate the relaxation factor and it certainly didn’t suck, but I certainly wouldn’t be convinced to pay the full price (around $65 including tax) for access to the baths.
Here is my idea for DIY Scandinave Spa: Go for a run in the sunshine and get super hot. Jump into one of the lakes. Get out, roll out your towel and take a nap. And you can talk as much as you want.