Raison d’Etre has entered into a strategic partnership with Cayan Group, a Middle Eastern real estate developer, to create a spa on the sixth floor of the Cayan Tower in Dubai Marina under the spa consultancy’s LivNordic concept.

Located within the existing residential tower and designed by Italian architecture firm M+N architecture, the project will see Raison d’Etre working with interior specialist Blue Camel Design to complete the spa in time for Q3 2015.

Ian Bell, one of six project managers for Raison d’Etre, spoke exclusively to Spa Opportunities detailing the LivNordic concept and this Dubai spa’s features.

“The spa will include a six treatment rooms, a steamroom, sauna, plunge pool, gym, beauty salon, spa café, outdoor pool and we are currently working with the designers to find out if the proposed yoga area can have an indoor section and an outdoor one,” said Bell. "Products will be supplied by Organic Pharmacy."

Measuring an estimated 1,000sq m (10,764sq ft), this site is one of many that Raison d’Etre plans to launch under the LivNordic brand – most of which will be standalone spas and not located in hotels. More details of these spas are to follow shortly, with an in-depth analysis of the LivNordic concept. But in the meantime, Bell highlighted a few important features.

“LivNordic is a Nordic concept, celebrating the extreme contrasts in Scandinavian countries – for example the darkness in winter and the never-ending sunshine in summer,” added Bell. “Another of these contrasts is that while Nordic people are good at keeping fit and staying mobile, they also know how to relax. The LivNordic brand is about the balance between these contrasts, so our hot and cold bathing spa rituals will be included in all of our spas."

The only other LivNordic spa in the world is in Stockholm.

In other news, Bell said Raison d’Etre was contracted to recreate the spa menu at another property – the London Beaumont Hotel, owned by the famous restaurateurs Chris Corbin and Jeremy King.

“I worked to create a spa menu that fits on an A4 page now, rather than an exhaustive list of possible massages for clients to wade through,” said Bell. “We also brought in spa furniture, supplied by Gharieni.”

Known for its online spa management education programme, Raison d’Etre is in the process of creating supplementary courses for people looking to brush up on certain skills such as finance or leadership. More details of these courses will be announced later this year.

“I think the next big thing will be the overhaul of the spa manager role,” continued Bell. “Spa managers need to become life coaches or guides for clients – making the road to wellness a journey over a period of time, rather than the occasional fleeting massage.”