What Raison d'Etre does

Raison d'Etre is a Stockholm-headquartered wellness consultancy founded in 1998 that provides spa and wellness services to the global luxury hospitality industry, with a stated portfolio of more than 170 projects across 60 countries and 80+ industry awards accumulated over 20+ years. Its service portfolio spans spa and wellness consultancy (concept research, design, pre-opening, project management), spa brand creation and licensing, full or partial spa management contracts including a Spa SOS operational turnaround program, cruise ship spa operations, and CIDESCO-accredited online spa business education. The firm has created nine proprietary or co-owned global spa brands, the most visible being LivNordic (its flagship Nordic-themed sub-brand operating onboard Viking Ocean Cruises since 2014) and named-brand engagements including Auriga (for Capella), Kempinski The Spa and Resense (for Kempinski), Aman Spas (for Aman Resorts), and Regent Spa & Wellness (launched with IHG in 2022).

The core operational methodology is a human-centered design approach adapted for spa and wellness concept development, layered over 20+ years of proprietary sector know-how. The team is small (11–50 employees), distributed across roughly 10 countries and 12 nationalities, and includes CIDESCO-certified examiners, designers, wellness practitioners, and hospitality operators. Revenue is generated through four mechanics: quote-based project fees for consultancy and brand creation engagements (the dominant model); recurring managed services contracts for ongoing operations, notably the LivNordic operations across the Viking Ocean Cruises fleet; licensing and co-creation arrangements with hotel operators; and tuition from the CIDESCO-accredited Spa Business Education platform.

Raison d'Etre remains privately held with no disclosed institutional investors, no parent company, and no public funding rounds in the data. It operates two wholly-owned operating subsidiaries — LivNordic Hotels & Wellbeing (the Nordic lifestyle brand) and Spa Business Education — and serves a concentrated base of premium customers including Viking Cruises, Kempinski, Capella Hotels & Resorts, Aman, IHG/Regent, Hilton Worldwide, Four Seasons, Atlantis Dubai, W Amsterdam, Hard Rock Hotel Davos, and Baglioni Resort Maldives. The business trades on reputation, referral-driven enterprise sales, and thought-leadership presence at industry congresses rather than on scale or technology moats.

Name

Raison d'Etre

Legal name

Raison d'Etre

Website

https://raisondetrespas.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Raison d'Etre is a Stockholm-based spa and wellness consultancy founded in 1998 that serves global luxury hospitality clients with concept creation, brand development, operational management, cruise ship spa operations, and CIDESCO-accredited education. It has delivered 170+ projects across 60 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Spa and Wellness Consulting

akta.pro primary industry

Destination Spas & Spa Resorts (HSALAFAC)

Keywords

• Spa and wellness consultancy
• Spa brand creation
• Spa management services
• Cruise ship spa operations
• Spa business education

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Spa & Wellness Consultancy: Project-based consultancy fees for spa concept creation, design consultancy, pre-opening services, and operational support. Includes research, field work, concept development, and implementation guidance.
2. Spa Management & Operations: Full or partial management contracts for spa operations, including day-to-day management, staff training, quality assurance, and performance optimization. SOS (Spa Operational Services) for underperforming spas with proven track record of increasing revenues 30-125%.
3. Spa Business Education: CIDESCO-accredited online education programs for spa managers, directors, and therapists. Course fees for training programs covering marketing, sales, finance, leadership, HR, and business planning.
4. Cruise Ship Spa Operations: Operating LivNordic Spas onboard Viking Ocean Cruise Ships since 2015, including recruitment, training, and ongoing operational management of spa facilities at sea.
5. Brand Creation & Licensing: Creation and development of proprietary spa brands (LivNordic) and co-creation of spa brands for hotel partners (Regent Spa & Wellness, Kempinski The Spa, Auriga, Resense, Aman Spas). May include licensing arrangements.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Raison d'Etre is a global spa and wellness creative consultancy that designs, brands, and operates spa and fitness facilities for luxury hotels, resorts, and cruise lines. Its end-to-end offerings span concept creation, brand identity development, pre-opening support, full or partial spa management and turnaround services, cruise ship spa operations (notably LivNordic on Viking Ocean Cruises), and CIDESCO-accredited online education programs for spa professionals.

Product overview

Raison d'Etre is a spa and wellness consultancy company offering a comprehensive portfolio of services including spa creation and consultancy, brand development, operational management, and education. The company's core offerings span Spa & Wellness Consultancy (research, design, project management), Spa & Wellness Brand Creation (human-centered design approach), Spa Management & SOS (full management and turnaround services), Cruise Ship Spa & Wellness (specialized cruise ship services including LivNordic operations), and Spa Business Education (CIDESCO-accredited online programs). Raison d'Etre has also created several distinct spa brands including LivNordic Hotels & Wellbeing (Nordic lifestyle sub-brand), Regent Spa & Wellness (for IHG), Resense Spa and Kempinski The Spa (for Kempinski Hotels), Auriga Spa (for Capella Hotels), and Aman Resorts Spa Brand. The company operates with a network of global suppliers and partners while maintaining independence from any specific product brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• LivNordic Hotels & Wellbeing: A Nordic Lifestyle & Hospitality brand. Scandinavian designed wellness hotels and spas aiming to enhance quality of life inspired by the Nordic way of living. Since launch in 2010, found on Viking Ocean Cruise Ships and expanding to LivNordic Oaks in Prague.
• Spa Business Education

Products and services

• Spa & Wellness Consultancy Full-service spa and wellness consultancy covering research, design, pre-opening support, and project management for creating or renovating spa facilities, delivered to luxury hotel and resort clients.
• Spa & Wellness Brand Creation Creative human-centered design approach to develop unique wellness brands with strong identities, including concept development, brand identity and signature experiences, for hotel chains, resorts and cruise operators.
• Spa Management & SOS Full or partial spa management services and operational support (SOS), including staff training, spa audits, and turnaround solutions for underperforming spas delivered to luxury hospitality clients.
• Cruise Ship Spa & Wellness Spa consultancy, brand creation, operational support, recruitment and training services specifically for cruise ship environments, including the operation of LivNordic spas onboard Viking Ocean Cruise Ships.
• Spa Business Education CIDESCO-accredited online spa business education programs for spa managers, directors and owners, covering marketing, sales, finance, leadership and business planning.
• Regent Spa & Wellness Brand Luxury spa brand created for IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group) featuring sensory elevation experiences with unexpected design and transformative wellness journeys, licensed for implementation across the Regent portfolio.
• Resense Spa Brand European-style spa brand created for Kempinski Hotels, offering independent spa consulting services with a distinctive European sense of service, licensed to Kempinski properties.
• Kempinski The Spa Brand Season-inspired signature spa brand created for Kempinski Hotels, implemented across 30+ spas worldwide with a European focus.
• Auriga Spa Brand Moon phase-based wellness philosophy spa brand created for Capella Hotels & Resorts, featuring treatments reflecting lunar cycle energies, licensed across all Capella properties.
• Aman Resorts Spa Brand High-touch spa brand developed for Aman Hotels and Resorts, reflecting deeply personal connections and the Aman lifestyle with healing culture of each location.
• LivNordic Hotels & Wellbeing Sub-Brand Proprietary Nordic lifestyle and hospitality sub-brand offering Scandinavian-designed wellness hotels and spas featuring Nordic bathing traditions, snow grotto, and curated Nordic treatments, licensed and operated by Raison d'Etre.

Quantifiable outcome

• Revenue increase of 30-125% through Spa SOS program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Sauna from FinlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Sauna from Finland is a membership organization with over 200 companies working to promote Finnish sauna culture globally. Raison d'Etre is a long-term member and collaborator, working together on spa projects to include authentic Finnish sauna experiences. They collaborate on the annual World Sauna Forum and hope to have certified saunas included in Raison d'Etre projects.
• CIDESCO InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDESCO (Comité International d'Esthétique et de Cosmétology) is the global standard setter for beauty and spa therapy. Raison d'Etre's Spa Business Education program is CIDESCO accredited, providing internationally recognized certification for spa professionals.
• Six Senses Hotels, Resorts & SpasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRaison d'Etre conducted comprehensive mystery shopper visits to all Six Senses global spa locations and provided concept development and management support. Two key Raison d'Etre team members were subsequently co-hired by Six Senses to implement their recommendations and rejuvenate the spa brand.
• Bill Bensley (Architect)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWorld-renowned landscape architect Bill Bensley designed InterContinental Sun Peninsula Danang. Raison d'Etre worked closely with his team on spa concept and design integration for the resort.
• Global Wellness DayminorOthersTeam members are involved as ambassadors and contributors to Global Wellness Day initiative, promoting wellness awareness globally.
• World Wellness WeekendminorOthersTeam members contribute as volunteers and ambassadors for World Wellness Weekend wellness initiative.
• One Well World FoundationminorOthersRaison d'Etre team members serve as ambassadors and charity directors for One Well World Foundation, a nonprofit focused on global well-being through local action. The foundation addresses mental wellbeing, loneliness, and societal health challenges.
• Global Wellness SummitminorOthersRaison d'Etre founder Anna Bjurstam is a founding board member of the Global Wellness Summit, a premier industry conference.
• Dr. Mark HymanminorOthersRenowned functional medicine expert Dr. Mark Hyman collaborated with Six Senses (client) on wellness programming including food as medicine initiatives and Sleep with Six Senses program.
• Dr. Michael BreusminorOthersSleep expert Dr. Michael Breus helped develop Sleep with Six Senses wellness screening program, contributing to guest wellness evaluation protocols.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Canyon Ranch: Pioneer destination spa and wellness brand offering resort, residential, and cruise wellness experiences — comparable as a vertically integrated wellness operator with brand and operational scope overlapping Raison d'Etre's offerings.
• Aman Resorts: Ultra-luxury resort brand whose Aman Spa concept was originally developed by Raison d'Etre; serves both as a flagship reference client and a benchmark incumbent for integrated wellness hospitality design.
• Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas: Iconic luxury wellness hotel brand and operator; a former Raison d'Etre client that has built strong in-house wellness capability, representing both a buyer and an emerging internal competitor for high-end wellness concept work.

Direct peers

• Resense Spa: Spa consultancy created as a joint venture between Raison d'Etre and Kempinski — operates as a direct peer in hotel spa brand creation, management, and operations across the EMEA luxury hospitality market.
• WTS International: US-based wellness consultancy providing spa design, management, and operations services to hotels, resorts, and corporate clients — a directly comparable wellness consultancy serving similar enterprise customers.
• Trilogy Spa Holdings: Spa management company operating hotel, resort, and casino spas across the US — directly comparable as a managed-services spa operator serving enterprise hospitality clients.
• GOCO Hospitality: UK-based spa and wellness consultancy that designs, develops, and manages hotel spas, wellness resorts, and mixed-use developments globally — directly overlapping Raison d'Etre's core consultancy and management offering for luxury hospitality.
• DelCor Technology Solutions: Hospitality and spa management consultancy offering operational, technology, and brand support to spa operators — closely comparable in delivering combined operational/consultancy services to the same buyer persona.

Others

• CIDESCO International: Global standards body for beauty and spa therapy whose accreditation powers Raison d'Etre's education platform — adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, but central to the firm's credentialing moat.

Emerging players

• Spatality: Hospitality wellness consultancy serving boutique and lifestyle hotels with spa concept and operational services — comparable emerging peer focused on a slightly more accessible luxury tier than Raison d'Etre's core.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/raison-d-etre
• Facebookfacebook.com/raisondetrespas

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Raison d'Etre