SaunaTimes recently had the pleasure of connecting with Ingrid G. Motrøen, Chief Marketing Officer at The Well, the largest spa and wellness destination in the Nordic region, located just outside Oslo, Norway.
With the International Sauna Congress coming to Norway in September 2026, and more than 500 sauna enthusiasts expected from around the world, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to offer SaunaTimes readers a look behind the curtain at a hospitality culture where sauna is not an afterthought, but front and center.
In many ways, Norway and the broader Nordic region are miles ahead of North America when it comes to integrating authentic sauna experiences into hotels, spas, and wellness destinations. Our hope is that this conversation serves as both inspiration and encouragement for others in the hospitality industry to recognize sauna not simply as an amenity, but as a meaningful part of the guest experience.
Hi Ingrid. Welcome to SaunaTimes. Please tell us a bit about your role, and The Well, its location, when founded, and who stays at your facility.
Thank you — I’m very happy to be part of this.
I’m the Chief Marketing Officer at The Well, located just outside Oslo, Norway. The Well opened in 2015 and has since grown into the largest spa and wellness destination in the Nordics.
We welcome a very broad mix of guests. Some come for deep relaxation and recovery, some for quality time together, some for wellness travel experiences, and some simply because they need a pause from everyday life. What many of them have in common is that they arrive stressed and leave noticeably calmer. That’s really the core of what we try to create here.
Over the years, we’ve also seen a growing international interest in Nordic wellness culture and thermal bathing traditions, especially connected to sauna and contrast therapy.
Please share more detail about the sauna facilities in particular. How many saunas, their sizes, etc.
Sauna is truly at the heart of The Well. We have more than 15 different saunas and steam rooms, all designed with different temperatures, atmospheres, and experiences in mind.
Some are large ritual saunas built specifically for Aufguss ceremonies and guided sessions, while others are smaller and quieter spaces focused on stillness and recovery. Our saunas are connected to cold plunges, pools, and/or relaxation areas, allowing guests to experience the full contrast cycle between heat, cold and rest.
What’s important to us is that sauna should not feel like just one room or one activity. It should feel like a journey, where guests can explore different thermal experiences throughout their stay.
What percent of guests come for the thermal treatments in particular? Has this met with your plan from the outset or have you changed and “tuned” your offerings over the years?
Thermal bathing experiences are definitely one of the main reasons guests visit us today. Even guests who initially come “just to relax” quickly become curious about sauna rituals, contrast bathing, and the effects these experiences have on both body and mind.
From the beginning, The Well was inspired by continental bathing culture and the idea that wellness is about more than treatments alone. Over the years, we’ve continued to refine and strengthen that direction.
I think there has also been a broader cultural shift. Sauna and contrast therapy are no longer seen as niche wellness experiences. People are increasingly connecting them to recovery, mental wellbeing, stress reduction, sleep, and overall health. We clearly see that reflected in guest behavior and expectations.
Aufguss ceremonies. I sense they play a big part in your programming. Is this true? What other things does the Well offer guests that are aligned to the thermal bathing experiences?
Yes, absolutely. Aufguss has become a very important part of our programming and guest experience. It creates both a sensory and social dimension to sauna, while also helping guests engage more actively with the thermal experience itself.
Many guests discover a completely different relationship to sauna through guided rituals. It becomes less about “sitting in heat” and more about presence, breathing, recovery, and atmosphere.
We’ve also invested heavily in competence and quality within Aufguss. Several of our sauna masters have competed at a very high level, including Norwegian champions and participants in the Aufguss World Championships. That expertise allows us to offer rituals that combine technical skill, storytelling, music, scent, and genuine passion for the craft.
Beyond Aufguss, we offer steam baths, hammam rituals, rhassoul experiences, cold plunges, warm pools, relaxation areas, and various guided sauna experiences throughout the day.
How about you, Ingrid. Are you a sauna person? How about members of your staff?
I definitely am now. Working at The Well has given me a much deeper understanding of sauna culture and the effect these rituals can have on everyday wellbeing. I even have a newly build sauna in my garden at home!
What I personally love is how simple it is. You slow down, disconnect, move between heat and cold, and suddenly your body and mind feel completely different. In a world where most people are overstimulated all the time, that feels increasingly valuable.
And yes, many of our employees are genuinely passionate about sauna culture as well. I think that authenticity matters a lot. Guests can feel when the people behind a concept truly believe in it themselves.
What would be the top 2–3 things you’d advise a hospitality company, CEO, investor who may be looking at bringing sauna into their offerings at their facilities?
First: don’t think of sauna as an add-on. The most successful concepts are the ones where sauna and thermal bathing are integrated into the overall guest journey and identity of the property.
Second: focus on rituals, education, and atmosphere, not just infrastructure. Many guests are unfamiliar with sauna culture, so helping them understand how to use heat, cold, rest, and repetition is incredibly important.
And third: think long-term. I truly believe sauna and contrast therapy will become an increasingly important part of the future wellness and hospitality landscape, especially as more research emerges around stress, recovery, sleep, mental health, and preventative wellbeing.
Lastly, let’s talk about the Sauna Congress coming up this September in Norway. How is The Well involved and what are you most looking forward to surrounding this once every four year gathering?
We’re incredibly proud to be a main sponsor and active contributor to the International Sauna Congress this year. For us, this is about much more than hosting an event, it’s about contributing to the development of sauna culture internationally and helping position sauna as an important part of modern wellness and hospitality.
The Well will host experiences connected to the congress, where participants can experience our approach to sauna culture, rituals, and contrast therapy firsthand.
What I personally find especially exciting is the growing connection between traditional sauna culture and scientific research. Together with OsloMet, we have initiated a research collaboration exploring sauna and health, particularly connected to stress, recovery, sleep, and mental wellbeing. I think this is a very important direction for the industry.
For centuries, people have intuitively understood that sauna makes them feel better. Now we are beginning to see more scientific interest in understanding why.
That combination; tradition, hospitality, wellbeing, and research, is probably what excites me most about where the sauna movement is heading right now.
For more on how Norway is a leader in bringing sauna, and other forms of thermic bathing, into the hospitality forefront, please check out my interview with Lasse Eriksen, from Farris Bad in Norway here.