We had the opportunity to meet Christine Mailloux, Director of Sales, Business Development and Partnerships at Strøm spa nordique, our featured partner offering over 25 varied packages in our gift boxes.
Can you introduce yourself?
I've been with Strøm for nearly 14 years. I've witnessed Strøm's expansion from one spa to five today. I'm responsible for corporate and tourism agreements, including hotel packages, relations with incoming agencies and corporate offers. I also work with the human resources departments of various companies to add Strøm to their employee benefits packages.
Can you tell us about Strøm Nordic Spa?
Strøm spa nordique opened its doors in 2009 with its first spa on Nuns' Island. We're celebrating our 15th anniversary in June this year and have grown to over 1,000 members, including employees and massage therapists. Since then, we've opened spas in Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Sherbrooke, Vieux-Québec and Saint-Sauveur.
Our mission is to be the place of balance for every individual and their community in the city where we operate. With this in mind, the Strøm Foundation is committed to making this balance accessible to caregivers through l'Appui. Our mandate is to support caregivers.
What characterizes your spas? What makes them unique?
What sets our spas apart is the overall experience they offer. Each day of relaxation takes place in an exceptional natural setting, whether lakeside, in the mountains or by the river, all in a modern, uncluttered architectural style.
What's the most popular experience you offer?
The most popular experience is our Thermal Experience, a wellness ritual that uses water for therapeutic purposes. This experience is based on alternating hot and cold, followed by a period of deep relaxation.
In our Nordic spa in Old Quebec, we offer unique experiences such as the Strøm river and the floating bath. This immersive space stimulates all five senses, where you can let yourself drift away, blurring the boundaries between indoors and outdoors, light and dark.
What's your personal favorite spa experience?
Each spa offers a unique experience. At Mont-Saint-Hilaire, I particularly appreciate the panorama room, with its breathtaking mountain views. In Sherbrooke, the Nat relaxation room, with its heated black granite beds, is a true haven of peace. On Nuns' Island, being at the end of the dock makes you feel like you're far away on vacation, especially during massages on stilts, surrounded by nature and birdsong. In Saint-Sauveur, diving into the Rivière à Simon is an invigorating experience. And in Old Quebec, I like to relax in the Strøm River and enjoy the infinity pool overlooking the St. Lawrence River.
But if I have to choose, my preference is for Balance Day. At Strøm, employees are given a paid day once a year to relax at the spa of their choice. We've taken inspiration from this day to set up an equivalent program for all companies that care about their employees' well-being. It's called Disconnect Day, and we encourage companies to offer their employees a day off work and admission to the spa experience.
Why do your customers come back?
Our customers come back for the sense of disconnection and mental and physical well-being they feel during and after their experience at Strøm spa nordique.
What makes your company so well known?
Our strong brand image and the sense of belonging we cultivate. At Strøm, we're one big family where work-life balance is valued.
We put the customer experience at the center of our concerns, with active marketing and an abundance of relaxing content for the home. We communicate regularly with our customers through marketing campaigns, articles and podcasts. We've also created a great community of people who want to relax at home.
Do you have any anecdotes or fond memories to share?
I have two anecdotes to share:
1. We had an extreme thermal experience during a team activity with all the Strøm managers. Colleagues experimented with the Wim Hof method, staying for two minutes in cold water at 4 degrees. To give you an idea, cold baths at Strøm are usually around 12 degrees. We learned a breathing and control technique to better cope with the cold, and the endorphins activated were impressive.
2. Before joining Strøm, I worked for La Ronde. For my daughter's birthday, we always organized a party with all her friends there. When I changed jobs, my daughter was sad that she couldn't celebrate her birthday at La Ronde anymore. So we came up with the idea of creating family brunches at Strøm, where employees' children could have brunch and access to the spa. Thus was born the idea of parent-child relaxation activities (from age five) at Strøm. Børn will be back in the summer and at spring break, so subscribe to our newsletter for details.
What would Strøm spa nordique be in three words?
Experience, relaxation and nature.
You're one of Coffrets Prestige's featured partners. What's in it for you?
Offering our packages through Coffrets Prestige allows us to be known and discovered by a new clientele. We want to make relaxation and its benefits accessible to everyone.