Swedish Massage in Stockholm?

As a Concierge, I have noticed many misconceptions that visitors have concerning Stockholm and Sweden over the years. For example, there are no dog sledding tours of Stockholm in the winter (not enough snow) nor can one "see the archipelago" during a spare hour in the afternoon (it is large and you need at least 3 hours to glimpse just the inner archipelago). Then there is something else that I am slowly realizing may also be a misconception about Sweden. Over the years I have always been surprised by the amount of guests who want to have a massage when visiting Stockholm. While I do often visit spas myself when I travel abroad, it is mainly because treatments are about half the price they are back in Sweden (a 50 minute massage here will cost you between 600 and 1200 SEK). So why would a visitor to Sweden want to pay double the price they would pay back home for a massage? It was when a guest told me that when he was in Sweden he had to, of course, try a "Swedish Massage" that I realized the reason. Visitors think that they are immersing themselves in Swedish culture by having a massage, much like one might when visiting a hamam in Turkey.

Turn-of-the-century Stockholm spa? By Eugene Jansson

Sadly, having a Swedish Massage in Stockholm is like ordering French Toast when in Paris. Swedish Massage is actually not really Swedish... and comes from it being mistakenly(?) attributed to Peter Henry Ling, a Swede. Here in Sweden, and most parts of the world, it is simply called a classic massage. I take no pleasure in bursting this bubble and I don't mean to anger the Swedish Spa Industry (no angry e-mails please), but I feel visitors should have a massage in Stockholm for the right reasons (relaxing, great spas, pampering yourself, etc;) instead of mistakenly thinking that they are partaking in the local culture! Ironically enough, if you really want to act like a Swede then you should have a Thai massage when in Sweden. Thailand is a top vacation destination for Swedes and because of this you will find a plethora of Thai massage parlors and restaurants in the city. That all being said, there are many great spas in Stockholm that offer a myriad of face and body treatments, including the classic massage. Sturebadet, Yasuragi and Centralbadet are some favorites when it comes to large, luxury spas. There are also many wonderful, smaller spas. If you are going to be staying at the Rival Hotel, contact me for help in booking treatments. And remember to do this a couple of weeks in advance... booking a massage at the last minute is often very difficult!

Shopping and more at Sturegallerian

Entrance on Stureplan square

Sturegallerian is really more of an upscale lifestyle center than a shopping center. It occupies one of the best addresses in the city... located right on Stureplan square in the posh Östermalm district. There are plenty of smaller boutiques and even a few larger stores like Zara, but here you will also find one of Stockholm's best spas: Sturebadet. The spa is quite large and offers, besides treatments and massages, a pool, first rate gym, steam and sauna, relax area as well as a restaurant... all in beautiful surroundings. A great way to pamper yourself for the day! And speaking of restaurants, there are a few nice options located inside Sturegallerian. Sturehof is a personal favorite! There is also a newish French restaurant called Grand Escalier Brasserie and a good place to stop for a drink or bite to eat and do some great people watching is Tures. And, if you really feel like kicking up your heels, the nightclubs Sturecompagniet, V, Suite and Hell's Kitchen are all to be found here later in the evening. The Stureplan district is, after all, the center of nightlife in Stockholm!

Hell's Kitchen stureplansgruppen.se 

To be honest, I am seldom here to shop. More often than not I am here visiting Sturebadet, one of the restaurants or just passing through. Sturegallerian connects the Stureplan square with the shopping street Grev Turegatan (where the back entrance of the shopping center is located), and it is a wonderful place to walk through and browse, soaking up the atmosphere. Sturegallerian is easy to reach from the Rival Hotel... just four stations away on the red line (Östermalmstorg station).

Interior atrium

If you are wondering about all of the names starting with "Sture-", it is the name of a family that was very influential in Swedish history.

Unni Spa

I have already written about the new high end shopping center Mood Stockholm, and now I have had the opportunity to try Unni Spa located within Mood. This is their third location in Stockholm, though their first one in the downtown area. The spa is a small oasis tucked away on the third floor of the shopping center; entrance from the street Norrlandsgatan.
They offer a wide variety of treatments for the face & body as well as massage and waxing. Unni uses several different product lines with their treatments, but primarily Carita, Decléor, Dermalogica and MD Formulations. I opted for the Classic Man facial... really nice! The whole experience was very relaxing with a great & knowledgeable staff. The location in Mood means that you can combine high-end shopping and dining with your spa visit.

Spa in the City: Select Collection

Today I visited a relatively new spa in Stockholm called Select Collection. I was intrigued with their concept of combining a travel agency, boutique and spa all in the same locale... a "lifestyle concept", which is very trendy these days. The travel agency concentrates on luxury destinations of the exotic variety and the spa benefits from this as they import both therapists and beauty treatments from exotic places like Thailand, Mauritius and the Maldives. Select Connection is a partner of the famous Six Senses Resorts & Spas. The spa features over 50 beauty treatments ranging from massage to facials to hand & foot therapies and is the only spa in Sweden to use Daniela Steiner beauty products. I tried, and thouroughly enjoyed, a massage and really felt the stress melt away.

One great advantage of this spa is its location, just in between the NK department store and the exclusive shopping districts of Biblioteksgatan & Stureplan. A perfect way to combine a day of shopping with a beauty treatment or massage.
One important note to remember when planning on visiting a spa while in Stockholm... one should book treatments in advance! Spas are often fully booked and it may be hard to find a desired spa, treatment or time slot if you wait until the last minute. If you are interested in booking a treatment at Select Collection, you can contact them at info@selcectcollection.se or call 0046 (0)8 678 1515. If you are staying at the Rival Hotel then you can contact me directly and I will make the necessary arrangements.