We Tried It: Inside Cedar + Stone’s Sauna Experience at Four Seasons
BY EMMA GEARY - DECEMBER 6, 2023
Photo courtesy of Cedar + Stone and Jon Kreye
Inhale the snowy cedar air, and exhale your holiday stress.
This November, the LAB team was honored to attend a preview experience of the new Cedar + Stone Nordic Saunas at Four Seasons Minneapolis, and we think it's the ideal experience to embrace the winter season for the holidays and beyond.
On a chilly November evening after a day packed with meetings, our team arrived at Four Seasons Minneapolis for an experience unlike anything we’ve tried before. Upon arrival, we were whisked to the hotel’s five-star spa and slipped into plush, white robes. We waited in the stunning indoor pool area sipping cranberry-infused water until our guide arrived - it was time for a good old-fashioned sweat, Four Seasons style.
The Experience
Picture this: a 75-minute guided sauna experience crafted by sauna experts, Cedar & Stone. Whether you're a sauna aficionado or a newbie to the ritual, this experience is a must-try. And the best part? It's personalized! Each session is tailored to your wellness goals, making it a unique experience for everyone, embracing both hot and cold.
The Saunas
The saunas are nestled around the corner from the Nordic Village cabins on the Riva Terrace rooftop. Each has expansive windows to provide a city-wide view and two levels of seating so you can choose your level of heat. Kate and I immediately went for the top row - ready for as much warmth as we could handle, while Mollie found herself on the lower bench, knowing she likes the lower temps.
Photos courtesy of Cedar + Stone and Jon Kreye
As our guide settled us in with a short meditation and breathing exercise, my muscles melted into the cedar bench. It felt like we were perched in a nest above the city, watching the glow of the Hennepin + Washington Avenues intersection along the river. I felt lucky to be away from my daily tasks, sweating out the day, able to destress and detach from my usual routine.
The Ritual: Hot, Cold, Rest, Repeat.
The Nordic philosophy is simple yet profound – a cycle of hot, cold, rest, rehydrating, and repeat. This practice, as Cedar & Stone's founder, Justin Juntunen, puts it, is the Nordic path to happiness and resilience. Trust me, it's a ritual that soothes both mind and body in the most delightful way.
In between our sweats in the sauna, we donned our robes and sat around a private fire, sipping tea and listening to the hum of the evening buzz settling in across Minneapolis.
We won’t ruin the surprise, but there are also a few sights, smells, and chilly features that made our experience even more delightful (including snowball exfoliators!) that our guide provided throughout our 75 minute session.
A Gift Like No Other
We can’t think of anything more luxurious and Minnesotan than an outdoor sauna experience at Four Seasons Minneapolis, which is why it makes the perfect winter activity (or experience gift!) to help brave the winter ahead. We’re always blown away by the level of service and kindness we receive in every Four Seasons experience, and this collaboration with our friends at Cedar + Stone was no exception. When we arrived our sauna guide warmly shared that this space was ours to enjoy for the next 75 minutes. Even just hearing those words felt incredibly special.
Special thanks to our amazing guide for making a truly memorable evening for us–we are already counting the days until we can return!
To learn more and book your experience, click here.
Emma Geary
Emma is the one writing it all down. She's been with LAB since 2021 and is finishing her MFA in Creative Writing in her spare time. Her favorite color right now is cobalt blue.
