The Late Summer Update from Sisu + Löyly
It has been a wonderful summer in Grand Marais and signs of fall are all around us - fireweed flowers are down to their last few blooms on top, the crisp evening air has a more noticeable chill to it and back to school prep is in full swing. We are gearing up for our busiest month of the year and reservations are quickly filling up.
Our team has continued to innovate this year—upgrading our facilities, introducing new experiences, expanding outdoor relaxation areas and attending the invite only Culture of Bathing Conference in New York. On top of that, we recently closed on an exciting acquisition that brings us one step closer to realizing our vision for the ultimate thermal bathing experience.
There is a new double rinse shower with a salt scrub station in the sauna lounge
This has been a big hit with our guests! Next time you visit make sure to pop inside the lounge after a round in the hot room to give it a whirl - your skin will feel fantastic! Veteran S+L staff member, Tabitha, picked out the gorgeous tile combination for this new space.
Massage services are now available
in the upstairs space in the dark grey sauna lounge building. Therapists Christine and Natalie both have over 15 years of industry experience. Our massage offerings are deep tissue, hot stone, relaxation and prenatal. Massage reservations are currently open out through September and October availability will be coming online in early September.
The Lakeside Yard with Wood Fired Sauna.
We moved our mobile sauna to the yard alongside the lake in the spring and it is great to have this additional wood-fire sauna capacity on our busier days.
Seating options include the original bonfire area, 4 new chaise lounge chairs, 2 new hammocks, and 4 additional Loll Adirondack chairs on the property for guests to enjoy.
Native shoreline plantings - more than 1,000 plant plugs were planted in June to combat soil erosion behind the sea wall. We look forward to watching them grow!
Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.
Starting in May, we transitioned away from the private session format at our year round location in town. Guests are now able to enjoy the facility for an hour longer (up to 2.5 hours total) at a reduced price.
Towels and bathrobes are still provided. Guests now need to bring their own sandals and water-bottles. Change is hard and we know we can’t make everyone happy, however the vast majority of feedback to these changes has been positive.
This spring, we closed on the property right next door to our original sauna grounds—opening the door to some incredibly exciting opportunities. We can’t share all the details just yet, but let’s just say the vision is growing bigger (and warmer) than ever. Stay tuned for our fall newsletter, where we’ll share what’s coming next.
The lot with the tan house is not currently sauna customer facing. It has made an immediate positive impact on our sauna operations as we now have additional laundry capacity, more storage space, and a staff break room all in the lower level. The upper level of the tan house is a spacious one bedroom rental.
Fun Fact!
Every S+L staff member was first a community sauna guest! Our team continues to grow and we now have a wonderful staff of 9.
The floating sauna is in its third season at Skyport Lodge
This continues to be a great partnership and a lot of fun. The sauna boat will be in the water through the end of September.
Spots are filling up fast but you can still find some openings during peak fall colors if you book soon.
Thank you for your support, patronage and amazing vibes. We hope to see you at the saunas in the next year!
Best,
Katie Usem | Founder & CEO | Sisu + Löyly