Spa activity at the site of the present-day Ikaalinen Spa began in 1955, when the Dairy Workers’ Union (Meijeriväen Liitto) purchased the land and buildings after extensive preparations, establishing a holiday destination for its members.
The property included the Åberg Manor, built in the mid-1800s, a former courthouse building, and a third accommodation structure added later. In the 19th century, Åberg Manor was the only manor in Ikaalinen. At its largest, the estate encompassed approximately 1200 hectares of land. It was purchased in 1863 by district judge Gustaf Wegelius from Seinäjoki.
After the Finnish Civil War in 1918, ownership of the manor was transferred to Judge Björnik. The courthouse hosted local court sessions in Ikaalinen from the 1800s up until the 1920s. This historic manor area is protected and still visible today on the hill just next to the main building of Ikaalinen Spa. The manor house stands on the left, the courthouse in the centre, and the red accommodation building on the right.
Shortly after the holiday centre began operating, a lakeside sauna was also built and opened on Midsummer in 1958. That very same sauna is still available for spa guests today.
Operations Move to a New Spa Building in the 1960s
As the holiday activities expanded, larger and more modern facilities were needed. Inspiration was drawn from Central European spas, and the design was commissioned to Arkkitehtitoimisto Veikko Larkas, where architect Lauri Havasti took the lead on the project. After construction, the new spa was officially opened on 5th July 1965.
The building was expanded several times during the 1970s. In addition to spa and restaurant guests, a significant number of users came through rehabilitation programmes – including war invalids and veterans, who often stayed for up to a month. Later, the spa also became an important location for rehabilitation services organised by Kela (the Finnish Social Insurance Institution).
When a newer, more modern main building was completed in the early 1990s, the spa from the 1960s gradually fell out of use. The final remaining function, rehabilitation services, ended in the early 2020s.
The original spa had been built using innovative construction methods of the 1960s, which later proved to be flawed. Due to these issues, the now-empty building has been deemed beyond repair and must be demolished.
As the spa’s popularity grew, so did the need for more accommodation. To meet this demand, two large buildings were constructed, offering the option to purchase holiday shares. The Spa Hotel was completed in 1973. It includes 138 apartments, as well as a grand, high-ceilinged winter garden with palm trees and cafés.
The second building, a seven-storey property named Terme with 144 shares, was completed in 1975.
On the left-hand side of the road leading into the spa area, there are three three-storey buildings from the 1970s. These were originally built as staff housing but were later sold as holiday shares.
Down by the lake stands a large, striking yellow wooden building called Willa Wegelius. It is currently privately owned, but in the past it housed the spa’s office facilities – and later, the home of Ti-Ti Nalle.
Moving into Grand New Buildings in the Early 1990s
As visitor numbers continued to grow and expectations rose, a brand-new main building was constructed at a cost of 135.000.000 Finnish marks. It opened to guests on 1st March 1990. The very first visitor was President Mauno Koivisto and his wife.
This main building still houses the restaurants, meeting rooms, hotel rooms and spa area. In 2004, the rooms and spa facilities were refurbished with an investment of over 2 million euros. In 2014, the pool area was further updated with a renovation worth approximately 300.000 euros.
Around the same time as the main building was completed, a separate hotel building with 76 rooms was also constructed. It was finished in 1991. Originally known as Ikaalia Hotel, it is now called Ikaalinen Spa Lofts.
The Wild Casino Years, Changing Owners and Operators
The spa remained under the ownership of the Dairy Workers’ Union, along with Valio and the Association of Dairy Managers, who joined as co-owners in 1980. During this period, the spa was developed with ambition and long-term vision.
In 1989, ownership was transferred to Uhvatta Oy, whose shareholders included Kari and Jussi Uoti. The company was declared bankrupt in 1993. When Arsenal took over responsibility in 1994, the bankruptcy process was replaced with a corporate restructuring that lasted 12 years.
After the end of the corporate restructuring in 2006, Restel Oy acquired the spa operations from Arsenal. Under Restel’s ownership, the spa became part of the Rantasipi hotel chain in early 2012, and later briefly part of the Cumulus chain from 2017.
Despite these changes in ownership, the spa continued operating without interruption through the years of economic highs and lows.
At the beginning of 2018, spa operations were transferred from Restel to Scandic Hotels Group, while property ownership was taken over by Investor House Oy / Ikaali Invest Oy. Scandic ceased its operations in Ikaalinen in November 2020.
New Local Owners and an Investment in Renewal
In March 2021, the spa gained new local owners. They carried out renovations and reopened the spa in its renewed form on 21st June 2021.
The new owners aim to make Ikaalinen Spa the most intriguing spa in the Nordics – with the best service in Finland. The journey will be long and will require expertise and commitment from the owners, leadership and staff alike. There are countless steps ahead on this path – and the journey has begun well.
A Proud History and a Commitment to an Even Brighter Future
For many years, Ikaalinen Spa was the largest spa hotel in the Nordics. Its guests have included presidents and prime ministers. Miss Finland Lola Odusoga was crowned here, and the spa has hosted the renowned IskelmäParaati and Sata-Häme Soi festivals. People have come here to compete, relax, dance, dine and celebrate.
Today, Ikaalinen Spa is carrying out an ambitious plan to further develop its operations, introduce new services and elevate the guest experience. The best days of Ikaalinen Spa are still to come.
