CRafting exceptional thermal experiences
Aurora Spa Consulting designs exceptional thermal spa experiences inspired by the beauty of the aurora borealis and grounded in Nordic spa traditions. We specialize in creating immersive wellness journeys that integrate thermotherapy, sensory design, ritual, and operational excellence helping spa concepts come to life while driving long-term performance and profitability.
Beyond project-based consulting, we offer Expert Wellness Mentoring to support founders and leaders over time. Through ongoing strategic and operational guidance, we help refine systems, strengthen experiences, and navigate growth with clarity, intention, and confidence.
Service offering
We craft immersive thermal experiences that delight guests and enhance profitability. Rooted in Nordic traditions, sauna culture and thermotherapy,
we combine heat, cold and rest environments with rituals and sensory design to create unforgettable journeys. Below are examples of our core service offerings.
Thermal spa Experience Design
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expert wellness mentorship
SPA PRE-OPENING & LAUNCH SUPPORT
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Quality Assurance & Mystery Guest Program
The Aurora – 5 Step Method
At Aurora Spa Consulting, we craft thermal experiences that captivate the senses and elevate the guest journey.
Through our 5-step method, we transform wellness offerings into unforgettable, profitable experiences.
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We evaluate your spa’s thermal experiences, layout, and operations to uncover opportunities that enhance both the guest journey and revenue potential. By mapping the guest experience and identifying key areas for improvement, we provide a comprehensive report with actionable recommendations.
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Translate ideas into a comprehensive experience proposal, present it to stakeholders, and obtain approval to move forward. This step transforms ideas into a clear, actionable plan.
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Compile brand standards, operational protocols, and training modules into a structured playbook, providing teams with the guidance needed to deliver the experience consistently and flawlessly.
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Guide the seamless introduction of new experiences into your operations, ensuring a smooth, high-impact guest journey. Train employees and support your team to deliver the experience flawlessly.
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Evaluate the experience, gather feedback, and implement improvements to optimize performance, guest satisfaction, and scalability.
expert wellness mentorSHIP
Expert Wellness Mentorship is an ongoing partnership that supports your strategy and day-to-day operations, helping you align your vision, improve how you work, and grow over time. It provides flexible guidance and practical support to implement and refine your operations as needs evolve. This service is ideal for founders and teams who want experienced support to strengthen their systems and move forward with clarity.
Sauna Ritual Development
Aufguss Ritual Experience
We create bespoke sauna rituals that blend sensory immersion, aromatherapy, and the artistry of Aufguss, transforming the sauna from a simple heat experience into a memorable wellness journey.
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Design and concept of sauna rituals
Development of ritual scripts and Aufguss infusion protocols
Seamless integration into daily and seasonal programming
Hands-on employee training and implementation support
Team Building
We offer expert-led training and support, empowering your team to confidently deliver professional and immersive sauna experiences.
Sauna Master Training
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Nordic sauna philosophy and history
Towel-waving techniques and heat distribution
Aromatherapy and infusion mastery
Thermal Workshops
We design and facilitate educational and experiential workshops that help guests and employees understand the health benefits of heat and cold exposure, deepening engagement with your spa’s thermal offering.
Immersive Thermotherapy Workshops
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Extreme Heat Exposure:
Experience the benefits and learn about the techniques of high-temperature sauna bathing sessions safely and effectively.Introduction to Cold-Water Immersion:
Learn the fundamentals of cold-water therapy and ice bathing, including safety practices, to enhance circulation, recovery, and overall wellness.
Thermal Journey Integration
hot – cold – rest balance
Our approach to Thermal Journey Integration combines seamless flow with coherent design, ensuring every transition through heat, cold, and rest feels effortless while serving a clear wellness purpose. Grounded in Nordic philosophy, each phase is intentionally crafted to enhance relaxation, stimulate circulation, and deliver a fully immersive, meaningful guest experience.
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Expert recommendations for designing seamless thermal circuits
Strategic integration of thermal phases into your spa offerings
Comprehensive staff training on guest guidance, safety, and best practices
Curated Wellness Experiences in Collaboration with Visiting Practitioners
Client Strategy & Experience
We collaborate with expert practitioners to create distinctive wellness experiences tailored to your brand. These curated offerings enrich the guest journey, diversify your services, and position your spa as a leader in wellness. We can also develop a yearly or seasonal calendar to structure and showcase your programming throughout the year. Aurora Spa Consulting oversees the entire process from practitioner selection to implementation ensuring consistency, quality, and meaningful impact.
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Seasonal and themed experiences led by expert visiting practionners:
Aromatherapy & Sound Rituals
Holistic Movement Classes
Mindfulness & Meditation Workshops
Through our customized Quality Assurance program, we ensure every operational detail aligns with your brand standards and expectations.
Our Mystery Guest program provides an objective guest perspective, highlighting areas for improvement and opportunities to elevate the overall experience.
Quality Assurance & Mystery Guest Programs
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Tailored Quality Assurance Program – 5 Steps
1. Identify Standards: Gather your brand standards and protocols.
2. Define Audit Areas : Cover all key touchpoints: reception, treatments, saunas, baths, retail, F&B and more.
3. Create Audit Questions: Turn standards into measurable, actionable questions.
4. Train Your Team: Equip leaders and auditors to use the online platform and analyze results.
5. Audit & Optimize: Conduct audits, review insights, and refine standards as needed to elevate the guest experience.
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→ Sense of Arrival & Guest Services
→ Treatments & Experiences
→ Baths and Saunas
→ Exterior Site
→ Restaurants and Retail Boutique
Other Services
Spa Concept and Wellness Offering Development
Treatment Menu Engineering & Signature Experience Creation
Operational Advisory & Team Training
Annie Simpson
Spa & Wellness Consultant
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Driven from an early age by a love of art, nature, and harmony, Annie was naturally drawn to the world of wellness. Her first job in the natural products industry marked the beginning of a journey that would take her around the world.
After formative experiences in Australia, where she studied naturopathy and launched her career in the spa industry, Annie quickly rose through the ranks to become a spa director and later a pre-opening coordinator for Jurlique Spas. She contributed to several spa openings across Australia before continuing her journey in the luxury spa sector in the Maldives and Sri Lanka.
Upon returning to Canada, she became the director of one of the country’s largest urban spas and went on to collaborate with renowned brands such as Four Seasons and Groupe Nordik / Thermea Spa Village.
It was at Groupe Nordik that Annie developed deep expertise in ‘‘sweat culture’’ and wellness rituals, creating experiences inspired by traditions from around the world. She now consistently practices contrast therapy as a central part of her wellness routine to boost vitality and well-being
Today, with several decades of hands-on experience, Annie partners with spa operators to design and elevate exceptional wellness experiences, guided by a clear mission: to share the profound benefits of thermal therapy through ritual, heat, and cold.
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With over 25 years of international spa experience across Canada, the Maldives, and Australia, Annie Simpson specializes in spa management, treatment menu engineering, Nordic-style wellness experiences and sauna rituals. She excels in designing immersive spa programs, developing training modules, and crafting brand standards, treatment protocols, and operational playbooks to ensure consistent, high-quality guest experiences.
Annie has contributed to the pre- and post-opening of the award-winning Thermëa Spa Village Whitby (Canada) and has participated in the spa pre-openings of the Four Seasons Montreal spa. In asia, she has also opened spas in Maldives, Sri Lanka, and throughout Australia.
With extensive expertise in quality assurance program development and mystery shopping audits, Annie combines operational precision, strategic leadership, and intuitive guidance to help spa teams deliver transformative, authentic, and memorable wellness experiences.
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Pre-opening team Thermea Spa Village Whitby, ON, Canada
Spa Village in Ontario | Saunas and Baths | Thermea Spa Village Whitby
Involved in spa pre and post-opening, supporting setup, staff training, and service protocols, then monitoring operations and implementing improvements to ensure consistent, high-quality guest experiences.
Product Manager – Product and Innovation: Groupe Nordik – QC, Canada
Wellness Creators | Groupe Nordik
Defining the vision, strategy, and roadmap for the products across the group’s three spas — specializing in Nordic spas, thermotherapy and sauna culture — while guiding operational teams to bring this vision to life. Designing innovative thermal and wellness experiences, developing brand standards, and overseeing quality assurance programs to ensure consistent and memorable service. Monitoring product performance and collaborating with cross-departmental teams to enhance guest experiences and drive business success. Overseeing Groupe Nordik’s portfolio, which comprises three spa locations:
Nordik Spa Village – Chelsea
Spa Village in Quebec | Nordic spa | Nordik Spa Village Chelsea
The largest spa in North America with the widest selection of experiences dedicated to the well-being of body and mind.
Features include: 33 treatment rooms, aromatic sauna, Finish sauna, intense heat sauna, meditative sauna, ritual sauna, steam sauna, telluric sauna, barrel sauna, cold bath with waterfall, cold plunges, jet bath, panoramic bath, temperate bath, Kalla, an underground salt water pool reminiscent of the Dead Sea, rest areas, camp fires, seasonal spaces, yurts, Aufguss rituals, exfoliation stations, yoga, meditation, sound bath rituals, 3 restaurants and F&B seasonal outlets.
Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg
Spa Village in Manitoba | Thermotherapy | Thermea Spa Village Winnipeg
Features include: 12 treatment rooms, Finish sauna, barrel sauna, Steam Sauna, Cold bath, cold bath with waterfall, hot baths, temperate bath, rest areas, beach, patios, garden, outdoor campfires, rest areas with music, rest areas with fireplaces, Aufguss rituals, exfoliation station, yoga, meditation, sound bath rituals and 2 restaurants.
Thermea Spa Village Whitby
Spa Village | Wellness Experiences | Thermea Spa Village Whitby
Features include: 25 treatment rooms, aromatic sauna, Himalayan salt sauna, meditative
sauna, Finish sauna, intense heat sauna, Logga, the largest event sauna in North America,
steam sauna, Rhassoul treatment, cold baths, plunge pools, cold bath with waterfall, jet bath,
temperate bath, beaches, patios, gardens, outdoor camp fires, rest areas with fireplaces,
seasonal spaces, Aufguss rituals, exfoliation station, yoga, meditation, sound bath, Kalla, an
underground salt water pool reminiscent of the Dead Sea and 3 restaurants.
Spa Consultant & Spa Management - Republic of Maldives and Canada
Dec 2006 – Mar 2020
Extensive experience in both spa management and spa consulting, with a strong background in pre-opening and post-opening operations, employee training, and coaching. Proficient in conducting mystery shopping and quality audits, optimizing business performance, enhancing guest experiences, developing high-performing teams, and driving continuous improvement through KPI analysis and client feedback.
Four Seasons Montréal Spa / Pre-Opening Team:
Spa Montreal | Guerlain Spa | Four Seasons Montreal
Involved in the early stages of the spa’s development, contributing to the creation of
treatment protocols, the planning of initial staff training, and the coordination of pre-opening operations to ensure a seamless and high-quality guest experience.
Per Aquum Hotels & Resorts / Spa Manager / Pre-Opening Team
Maldives Wellness Resort | Kurumba Maldives
Employed by Per Aquum Resorts and Spas as a spa manager. My mission was to manage the daily operations of Kurumba Spa by maximizing revenue and achieving total guest satisfaction.
Pre-opening team :
During my tenure, I was also involved with the pre-opening of the spa of other properties such as Baros Maldives, and the Fortress in Sri Lanka.
Kurumba spa - Maldives :Maldives Resorts | Kurumba Maldives Official Site
8 treatment rooms, retail, yoga pavilion, relaxation lounge, gym, juice bar, nail studio, hydrothermal experiences. The Spa at Kurumba, North Male Atoll, Maldives opened in 2004. Upon opening it was one of the largest spas in the Maldives. A larger space allowed for an expanded wellness concept and spa menu that brought a more integrated approach to health.
Baros Spa – Maldives : Maldives Resorts | Baros Maldives Luxury Resort Official Site
4 Spa suites with private steam room, private relaxation gardens, retail, nail studio, experience shower and soaking tub.
Fortress Spa – Sri Lanka : Best Hotel in Galle | Fortress Resort & Spa | Official site
6 double treatment rooms with outdoor showers and gardens, 2 ayurvedic rooms, ayurvedic doctors consultation office, sauna, steam, vitality pool, experience showers, nail studio, retail, relaxation lounge, gym.
Jurlique Australia / Spa management, pre-opening coordinator
Jul 2001- Feb 2005
Natural Skin Care Australia – Jurlique Australia
Held Spa Manager roles at spas in Melbourne and Brisbane, before joining the pre-opening team for Jurlique Spas across Australia. Played a key role in successful openings, ensuring each spa met the brand’s holistic wellness standards. Jurlique is both a premium natural skincare brand and an operator of high-end day spas, with a global reputation for purity, luxury, and holistic wellness rooted in botanical science.
Experience and Projects
Member of the following associations
