We're excited to announce the launch of the Swell Room, the UK’s First Sound Wellness Room, at Kimpton's Charlotte Square hotel in Edinburgh.

Open Ear Music and Swell founder Brian d’Souza spent two years developing a new methodology which harnessed the therapeutic nature of sound - bringing together biophilia, music composition and sound therapy to create the Swell Room, the Kimpton Charlotte Square Hotel’s first dedicated sound treatment offering.

To create the novel sound wellness composition, Brian explored beautiful locations, including a trip to the Hebrides, Lake Geneva, Cape Verde and Lofoten in the Arctic Circle, to record sounds of the sea, fields, and natural wildlife.

These nature sounds were then combined with traditional sound treatment instruments including gongs and singing bowls, as well as violins, the Gaelic harp, bagpipes and vocalists – all of which were brought together in a custom-built Swell studio in London.

Reflecting on this project, Brian commented:

I’ve always been fascinated by how music has the ability to affect our emotional state. Whether it brings people together and takes them to a euphoric state at a festival or keeps the drinks flowing in a bar; or it works to reduce heart rate and create a sense of calm – it has a direct correlation with our mood. So, to create The Swell Room, in collaboration with Kimpton Charlotte Square is a real privilege.

I’ve loved the process of creating this sound treatment, from recording around the world to bringing all the sounds together in my studio. It’s been a really rewarding experience and I’m excited for it to take guests on an immersive journey to a deeply relaxed state.

Charlotte Square's visitors will be invited to recline in an Italian armchair with sinuous lines, which features an anatomic mattress covered in stain-resistant hypoallergenic marine eco-leather. With the equipment’s vibroacoustic delivery, guests will not only be able to hear the sound, but also feel it.

The tailored therapeutic sound techniques are designed to lower the heart rate, blood pressure and stress, while promoting positive biochemical responses that bring equilibrium to the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system, harnessing the power of sound to affect the listener in a positive sense.

Finlay Anderson, Area Spa and Leisure Director said:

As we merged out of lockdown, it was clear that our guests craved more of a multi-sensory wellness experience than ever before. Evidence shows that more and more people used music for relief and to help improve their mood during lockdowns, so it made perfect sense to collaborate with Brian on the Swell Room to ensure our guests can have a 360 degrees therapeutic experience when visiting Spa at Kimpton Charlotte Square.

After working with Brian on La Chambre Verte at Kimpton Blythswood Square last year, we are excited to delve deeper into the benefits of sound therapy with our guests at Kimpton Charlotte Square this year.

The sound wellness treatment at the Swell Room can be added onto the existing treatment menu to create a multi-sensory experience at Spa at Charlotte Square or can be booked as a stand-alone experience.