Chelsea, Que. spa hangs up on cellphone use in saunas, baths, floating pool

Nordik Spa-Nature in Chelsea, Que. Courtesy: Nordik / Photolux

Customers will have to leave their cellphones in lockers and disconnect while visiting Nordik Spa Village in Chelsea, Que.

The popular spa north of Ottawa is now a “phone-free space,” with cellphones prohibited from being in the saunas, baths, the floating pool, rest areas and massage and treatment waiting rooms.

“We invite you to disconnect to reconnect with nature, others and yourself,” Nordik Spa Village said on its website.

“The Mezz Café, including its patio, is the only place where cellphones (with headphones) are fully permitted in the Spa Village. Everywhere else in the Spa Village is phone-free, including but not limited to the saunas, baths, rest areas, Kalla, massage and treatment waiting rooms.”

Cellphone use will be restricted to the lobby, the boutique, the locker-room and the restaurant.

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In its newsletter, Nordik Spa said the new cellphone policy is about disconnecting to reconnecting.

“When you leave your phone in your locker at the Spa Village, time slows to the rhythm of sauna rituals and shared laughter. The glow of the fire replaces the glow of a screen,” Le Nordik said.

“Unplugging isn’t about missing out; it’s about tuning in.”

Officials with Nordik Spa Village say the update to its “Village Code” is intended to “encourage meaningful disconnection from devices during the thermal experience.

“This decision stems from our core mission: offering a true haven of peace where everyone can reconnect with what truly matters,” Alexandre Boileau, senior director of marking and sales at Nordik Spa Village, told CTV News Ottawa in a statement.

“In a hyperconnected world, we believe it is essential to create spaces where guests can genuinely unplug, breathe deeply, and savour the present moment.”

Boileau says the cellphone ban has been “successfully implemented” in Nordik Spa locations in Whitby and Winnipeg.

Visitors are allowed to bring an eReader with them to Nordik Spa.

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