“It’s like night and day compared to regular text messages”
Himmelsby Spa & Conference has become a destination that guests actively choose to visit. Visitors come here from all over southern Sweden, from Stockholm to Gothenburg, and some travel up to 70 mil one way for a spa weekend.
Corporate guests can visit Himmelsby for a variety of reasons. They may hold small meetings—such as with management teams—or organize larger conferences, kickoffs, trade shows, and corporate events.
The combination of conference facilities, a restaurant, activities, a spa, and lodging allows companies to hold the entire event at a single destination, which makes it especially popular.
The Philosophy Behind Himmelsby
The philosophy is simple: guests should stay on the premises for the entire duration of their stay instead of heading into town in the evening.
“I don’t want it to become a business. My goal is for guests, when they leave Himmelsby, to feel that their stay has exceeded their expectations,” says Rakel, owner of Himmelsby Spa & Conference.
When Himmelsby wanted to test the next generation of mobile marketing, they became one of the first in the industry to implement RCS, and the results encouraged them to send out more messages right away.
Your Own Channels, Your Own Terms
Himmelsby has based its marketing almost entirely on its own content, meaning it does not appear on booking sites such as Booking or Expedia.
“We promoted our business on our website, through Google Ads, and on Meta. Over the past year, we’ve switched to purely digital marketing. We’ve also sent text messages as part of our marketing efforts from time to time,” says Rakel.
The Solution: An Early Investment in RCS
The initiative to test RCS came from within Himmelsby. Jonny Edepil, the hotel manager at Himmelsby, was a shareholder in Generic and had been following the development closely.
“I thought it was a really great company, so I did my due diligence and read up on RCS and how it works. I figured this would be perfect for the hotel industry,” says Jonny. “I made sure we’d be the first to move in this area.”
We got in touch with Generic early on, and after a thorough discussion, Himmelsby sent out its first mailing. Getting started was easy.
“After spending half an hour figuring out how it works, it takes no more than a quarter of an hour to create the mailing itself, if you have the images and text ready,” says Jonny.
The Result: Better Than Expected, with Strong Results
Himmelsby has sent out three RCS mailings so far, including a Mother's Day campaign featuring gift cards.
“We’re really happy with all three messages we’ve sent out so far,” says Rakel. “It’s like night and day compared to a regular text message. It’s like the difference between before the internet and after the internet.”
Jonny points out what makes this format so much more powerful than a regular text message:
“You can include images—it feels absolutely fantastic. You’re not limited by the number of characters like in a text message, and you can include booking buttons, so it’s like sending a little mini-website.”
The RCS email campaign for Mother's Day yielded results just as good as a Meta campaign with the same offer, even though many of the recipients had already been reached by the offer and made their purchase.
Himmelsby also points out that RCS feels more secure for the recipient.
“I think it feels more reassuring. The contact information is there—the phone number, email, and our policy. Everything is included, along with the logo,” says Rakel.
Optimistic About the Future
Right now, Himmelsby is planning its next mailing, scheduled for September—their slowest month—and the impact is already visible even before the campaign has been fully sent out.
“It’s already really hot out there; a lot of people are calling to make reservations,” says Rakel.
And when the conversation turns to what RCS might mean outside the hospitality industry, Jonny doesn't hesitate:
“It doesn’t matter whether you’re selling experiences or products. The sky’s the limit when it comes to what we can do with this.”
About Himmelsby Spa
Himmelsby Spa & Konferens has grown from a small farm hotel on the Östergötland Plain into a destination covering approximately 7,500 square meters and is still run by the family that owns it. On weekends, the facility attracts private guests from across much of Sweden for spa treatments, dinner, and overnight stays, while weekdays are largely devoted to conferences, meetings, kickoffs, trade shows, and corporate events.
The spa facility includes, among other things, a Roman-style swimming area, a 20-meter-long heated swimming pool, hot springs, hot tubs, and a wide selection of saunas. For businesses, there are conference rooms of various sizes, including the Crystal Hall, which can accommodate up to 150 people and is equipped with a stage, sound, and lighting. Outdoors, there is also a Western-themed area for team-building activities, featuring archery, axe throwing, and a hunting simulator.
In 2027, an additional 40 hotel rooms will be built, bringing Himmelsby’s total capacity to approximately 160 beds, which will further enhance its ability to host larger conferences and corporate events that include overnight stays.
Learn more about Himmelsby Spa
