How long do you want to live well?

Eight years ago in May 2018, when Hotel St. George opened on Yrjönkatu, Hintsa Performance was already part of the picture, built into the same thinking that shaped the hotel from the start: that a good life is not a matter of luck, but of choices.

The collaboration is now deepening, as St. George and Hintsa Performance launch The Healthspan Stay — a hotel and wellbeing experience that gives guests a science-based picture of where their health is heading. And what to do about it, if they want to have a say.

Years to life, life to years

Longevity is everywhere right now. Cold plunges, NAD infusions, monthly blood panels, handfuls of supplements. Nora Rosendahl, COO of Hintsa Performance, takes a measured view.

"Most of what's being sold as longevity today is optimisation before the foundation is in place. It's like putting F1 tyres on a car with a broken engine."

Hintsa has been working on healthspan since 2010, and Rosendahl has had plenty of practice explaining what the word actually means.

"Lifespan is how long you live. Healthspan is how long you live well — healthy, with a sharp mind."

The goal is not to add years to life but to add life to the years already in front of you. In practice, that means being able to do the things that matter most at 75: to move, to think clearly, to be present for the people who are important to you.

The research, Rosendahl points out, is surprisingly straightforward. People who are doing well in later life have generally been doing a handful of things consistently for decades: moving regularly, sleeping enough, keeping relationships close, eating mostly real food, and holding on to some sense of purpose that pulls them forward.

"No special longevity tricks. The basics, done well, for a long time."

Three decades, one question

Hintsa's method grew out of the work of F1 physician Aki Hintsa, developed and tested over more than thirty years with the world's best athletes. Drivers coached by Hintsa have won 19 Formula 1 World Championships. "Many people assume that F1 coaching is about fine-tuning performance. Few realise that health is the foundation of everything, even for an F1 driver," Rosendahl says.

It's easy to assume that elite athletes are a special case — genetic outliers whose bodies can take anything, but the reality is the opposite. "A driver's body and mind operate under the same rules as yours and mine," Rosendahl says. "If you sleep badly, your reaction time slows. At 300 kilometres an hour, that's the difference between the podium and the wall." Perfection is not required, but consistency is. "You can't optimise health only on race weekend. A coach's job is to make sure it's being worked on continuously, thinking about the career and what comes after."

At the hotel, Hintsa leaves the pressure and competition at the door. What remains is a single question: how could you live a little better, right now — and in five, ten, thirty years from now?

Wellbeing doesn't happen in a vacuum

Kati Jousimies, General Manager of Hotel St. George, speaks from personal experience when she recommends the programme.

"Having gone through it myself, I can recommend it wholeheartedly. I came away with genuinely useful insights and I've been motivated to follow my own progress since."

For Jousimies, the collaboration is a natural extension of what the hotel has been building since it opened. The elements of wellbeing – sleep, beautiful surroundings, food, movement, rest – have been part of the St. George experience for eight years, while Hintsa brings structure and professional depth to all of it.

"In a world that moves this fast, calm and balance matter more than ever. Everyone wants to find their own path to better health but the media, the apps, social media, are all pulling in different directions. Hintsa looks carefully at every dimension, specifically for you."

Every guest's expectations are their own, Jousimies adds.

"We want to create an experience that leaves people feeling balanced, calm, and good. What that looks like is different for everyone — it might be an afternoon in the steam sauna, or it might be a very good cocktail."

The best feedback arrives later

When Rosendahl is asked what she hopes a guest feels on their way out, her answer is precise.

"Not overwhelmed. Not faced with a new to-do list. We want them to leave thinking: this is something I can actually do, and it matters to me personally."

The best feedback a Hintsa coach can receive is simple. Someone gets in touch months or years later to say: that one thing I took with me — I'm still doing it.

The Healthspan Stay is available exclusively at Hotel St. George in May-June 2026. The programme includes a Healthspan Readiness Review with a Hintsa coach and an overnight stay. Availability is limited.