The world’s first ‘energy-positive’ hotel, Svart, in Norway, will feature a wellness concept incorporating sound healing, cryotherapy and wearable tech. Jenny Southan reports

Located in the Norwegian Arctic Circle, the Svart Spa, Health and Wellness Clinic is set to pioneer a new kind of responsible “wellness adventure” travel.

The solar-powered property, which harvest more energy than it consumes over its lifetime (making it “energy positive”) will open in 2022. It will be built at the foot of the Svartisen glacier, on stilts over the waters of the Holandsfjorden fjord.

The Svart Spa and Wellness Clinic will occupy a 1,000 sqm indoor-outdoor wellness hub, where there will be treatment rooms with outdoor bathing facilities, a relaxation lounge, swimming pool, yoga and sound-healing studio, steam rooms and gym.SVART hotel, Norway by SnøhettaGuests will be able to sign up for personalised, “outcome-focused” wellness plans. “Climatise, Condition and Evolve” programmes will target the mind, body and skin, with treatments using 100 per cent locally-sourced, sustainable herbs and marine ingredients.

As well as reflexology and nutrition coaching, there will also be sessions involving sound-healing, cryotherapy and cutting-edge wearable technology (if coronavirus is still a threat, then treatments like these will allow for social distancing).

Upon arrival, guests will have a one-to-one consultation with a resident health concierge to determine the best programme and course of treatments, which will be designed to “support and enhance the outdoor activities guests wish to pursue during their stay”.

These range from ice climbing on the glacier and yoga under the midnight sun, to diving, cycling, kayaking and fishing and foraging.Svart hotel, Norway by SnøhettaEach bespoke programme will formulate a three-part conditioning series:

  • Climatise: The purpose of this stage will be to prepare the skin for the external conditions ahead, ready the body for the adventure that awaits and adjust the individual’s mental state to the current surroundings and environment.
  • Condition: The second stage will aim to monitor and aid skin changes with additional sustenance, relieve the body of new tensions resulting from the chosen adventures and enhance the guest’s mental wellbeing.
  • Evolve: The final stage will focus on energising the skin to boost optimum condition, reward the body for its exertions and encapsulate the mind in the present achievements.

SVART hotel, Norway by SnøhettaSvart wants to give travellers a new means of “conscious escapism”.

Felicity Leahy, Svart’s appointed spa and wellness consultant and co-founder of iMPACT-Business Health, a leading management consultancy to the medical aesthetics and private healthcare sectors, says: “Our aim was to create a truly immersive and purpose driven experience for guests, enabling them to become more in tune with themselves as they take in the natural wonders of Norway’s incredible Svartisen.”

A Powerhouse-approved collaboration between property firm MIRIS, Arctic Adventure of Norway and Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta, Svart will be fully off-grid, carbon neutral and zero waste within the first five years of its operation.

To add to its sustainability, the project will be funded by Green Bond, a sustainable investment fund recently launched by MIRIS. Green Bond provides an opportunity for investors to build wealth responsibly, investing in the future of travel, property and technology while safeguarding the planet for generations to come.

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