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27 AUGUST 2026 ISSUE 508
A SPA BUSINESS PUBLICATION
Desa Potato Head eyes Japan
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Ronald Akili, founder of Balinese wellness village operator Desa Potato Head, has revealed the company is in the early stages of planning its next site as part of a wider global expansion In an exclusive interview with Spa Business, Akili shared that the new property would open in phases, with the goal of having the first elements up and running by Q4 of 2028. The proposed site, which is
AM A ZI
NG
Province, Japan, is home to a
■ The beach club at the existing Bali resort welcomes 1,500 guests every day
IS
two hours from Tokyo in Nagano
LL
JACK JOHNS
A
1,000-year-old hot spring village which is still governed by elders.
An architect is drawing up plans
The multi-site property would be
to use the thermal water to create
developed to encourage guests to
a wellbeing experience that goes
venture out into the village and turn
beyond simple hot spring bathing.
it into an all-year-round destination, with the aim of regenerating the
dreaming of having five to 10 'Desa'
village so younger people can find
creative village locations globally.
work, to combat rural decline.
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Ronald Akili
HEIGHTS WELLNESS RETREAT
OBEROI HOTELS & RESORTS
PARTNERSHIP
We want it to become somewhere people come to feel good
In the longer-term, Akili is
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