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21 SEPTEMBER 2026 ISSUE 510

A SPA BUSINESS PUBLICATION

Yuki Kiyono joins Hyatt's top team

CLICK TO READ

Yuki Kiyono has joined Hyatt Hotels Corporation as corporate vice president of brand effectiveness, luxury, following 13 years with Aman. “After 13 extraordinary years with Aman, a new and exciting chapter is now beginning,” she said. Working under the leadership of Tamara Lohan, Hyatt’s global brand leader – luxury, Kiyono will support wellbeing is brought to life across its luxury brands and guest experiences.

AMAN

the group’s strategic focus how on ■ Yuki Kiyono will support Hyatt's strategic focus on wellbeing

Lohan co-founded luxury hotel platform Mr & Mrs Smith and joined

Kiyono will also work to strengthen

Hyatt’s luxury portfolio includes

Hyatt following its acquisition of

the brands and shape their vision,

Park Hyatt, Alila, Miraval, Impression

the business in 2023. She now

connecting brand strategy with

by Secrets and The Unbound

leads the group’s global luxury

development, operations, residences,

Collection by Hyatt. Miraval

brand strategy, with responsibility

guest experience and commercial

opened its first resort outside

for differentiating its brands and

performance. Her appointment

the US, Miraval The Red Sea in

strengthening consistency and guest

signals a distinct luxury strategy for

Saudi Arabia, in June 2026.

experience across the portfolio.

Hyatt’s wider wellbeing offering.

MORE >>> hhttp://lei.sr/9z8U5_B

The first iteration will debut in Indianapolis, US

p04

NERVOUS SYSTEM

BRIANNA MARIE CROKE

Hilton creates Signia Restore wellness concept

REENA SHETH

HILTON

NEW CONCEPT

EVENT

Spas should be offering more than just indulgence

Industry shifts identified at Wellness Tourism Summit

Reena Sheth focuses on nervous system services

Judy Chapman reports from the event

p08

p17

spa business people Thomas Heatherwick to make the case for healthier buildings at Global Wellness Summit

esigner Thomas

The designer has become an

Heatherwick will take to

increasingly vocal critic of what he

the stage at this year’s

describes as boring and soulless

Global Wellness Summit (GWS) to

architecture through Humanise,

explore the relationship between

a 10-year campaign launched in

the built environment and

2023 to put human emotion back

human health and wellbeing.

at the heart of building design.

Heatherwick, founder and design

The campaign draws on research into the neurological and

has been confirmed as a keynote

physiological effects of the built

speaker at the 20th anniversary

environment, including studies

ELENA HEATHERWICK

director of Heatherwick Studio,

event, which takes place at Angsana Laguna Phuket in Thailand from 10 – 13 November 2026. His appearance will bring

debate, with Heatherwick arguing

Let’s create buildings that are radically more human

that the design of cities should be

Thomas Heatherwick

architecture, urban design and placemaking into the wellness

recognised as a public health issue.

suggesting visually monotonous surroundings can increase stress responses. Heatherwick Studio says the aim is to create places that are more joyful, engaging and human. Heatherwick has previously predicted that neuroscience will increasingly influence real estate and architecture. MORE >>> http://lei.sr/G7Z9j_B

Mikkel Aaland speaks at Scottish sauna festival Soul Gathering

CHRIS MICHEL

he second edition of a

of three sauna locations in the

Scottish sauna and wellbeing

Edinburgh area, founded by sauna

festival called Soul Gathering

master and enthusiast Kirsty Carver.

welcomed photographer, author

Aaland discussed his work

and Sauna Aid charity co-founder

during a fireside conversation at

Mikkel Aaland for a reflective talk on

the festival. He is an award-winning

nearly five decades of documenting

photographer, author of Sweat and

global bathing traditions.

Naked Sweat and a founding member

Soul Gathering, a one-day annual

Sweat is beautiful Mikkel Aaland

www.spabusiness.com

of the Norwegian Sauna Association.

sauna bathing event, took place

He is also the co-founder of Sauna

on 12 September at the cultural,

Aid – the multi-country initiative

community-focused hub called The

bringing mobile sauna facilities

Pitt on the Granton Promenade in

and services to people facing

Edinburgh. The festival was organised

natural and man-made disasters.

by Soul Water Sauna, a network

MORE >>> http://lei.sr/5m6h3_B

©Cybertrek Ltd 2026 Spa Business Issue 510

Live news:

www.spabusiness.com

CONTENTS ISSUE 510 04

Signia Restore

Fivelements

Hilton announces a new integrated wellness concept called Signia Restore

GOCO Hospitality outlines the plans for new Fivelements properties

FLATLIGHT

SPA BUSINESS INSIGHTS

Reetta Ranta to host Sisu retreat at Red Bird House

ed Bird House, the wellness retreat destination in Bethel, New York, US, will

Reena Sheth

Thermal feast

Fire and ice

Wellness Tourism

Supplier news

host a retreat between 11-13 December for

an intimate group of women called Stillness and Sisu: A Finnish-Inspired Women’s Retreat. The different experiences will focus on the Finnish concept of Sisu, which has no direct translation in English but refers to “a quiet and unshakeable courage that carries you through difficulty.” Red Bird House co-founders and co-owners Sallie Fraenkel and Wendy Bosalavage discovered the concept firsthand earlier this year on a visit to Finland. They invited Finnish storyteller, media executive and coach Reetta Ranta to co-facilitate this retreat in the Catskills forest location, which offers a winter landscape and natural surroundings that lend themselves to Finnish wellness traditions of stillness, contrast and restoration – and Sisu. This will be Ranta’s first retreat in the US, where she will lead the group in fireside storytelling, drumming and forest rituals. She lives in Fiskars, Finland’s wellknown artists’ village. In 2025 she published a book called Sacred Trees, which is about stories, rituals and mythological wisdom related to Finnish trees.

MORE >>> http://lei.sr/9e9M4_B

Spa Business Issue 510 ©Cybertrek Ltd 2026

Spas need to invest in nervous system regulation services, says consultant Reena Sheth

MY TAKE

Fine dining and banya bathhouse Sonara prepares to launch in London, UK

A geothermal bathing destination spa Reykjaböð Hot Springs opens in Iceland

Judy Chapman reports on EVENT industry trends in Australia from REPORT the Wellness Tourism Summit

The latest in products and innovation from Gaia Skincare, Myrtha Wellness, 111Skin, Zenoti and Saskia Spa

Sign up to Spa Business insider: Online: www.spabusiness.com/signup Email: subs@leisuremedia.com Tel: +44 (0)1462 471930 Annual subscriptions: International £114, UK £80 and UK students £42. http://lei.sr/c5L9D

@spabusinessmag http://lei.sr/5L8V1

Read Spa Business and Spa Business insider free online: www.spabusiness.com/archive www.spabusiness.com

spa business news NEW CONCEPT

Hilton's Signia brand introduces wellness concept Signia Restore Hilton’s Signia brand will debut an

Cantera Resort and Spa in San

integrated fitness and wellness

Antonio, Texas, US, and Signia

concept called Signia Restore

by Hilton Amman in Jordan.

at Signia Hilton Indianapolis,

Signia Restore has been created

US, which is accepting

to “reimagine the role of wellness

reservations for January 2027.

during travel,” according to Hilton. Fitness, recovery and wellness

introduced to the Hilton portfolio

technologies are combined in an

in 2019, targets business and

integrated experience rather than

leisure travellers and was originally

offering separate fitness or spa

described as a design-forward

amenities. The aim is to provide a

meetings- and events-focused

collection of technologies to reduce

brand offering premium wellness

stress, boost energy and accelerate

experiences. The properties are

recovery while travelling. The space

located in what Hilton calls gateway

is organised around recovery,

cities and resort destinations,

fitness and retail experiences.

such as Signia by Hilton La

MORE >>> http://lei.sr/3x8W4_B

■ Robotic massage will be on offer

HILTON

The Signia brand, which was

We see wellness as an increasingly important part of how guests want to travel Amanda Al-Masri, VP of wellness for Hilton

DEVELOPMENT

A new premium wellness experience has opened at the Kaipātiki Hot BELGRAVIA LEISURE

Springs in the Auckland town of Parakai, New Zealand, as part of a wider programme of renewal at the geothermal facility.

■ Kaipātiki Ora is an adults-only wellness experience

The development of the Kaipātiki

Kaipātiki Hot Springs is a place for whānau, wellbeing and connection Zubran Nabi, Belgravia Leisure

www.spabusiness.com

Ora is the result of a partnership

year, following the end of a previous

between the operator, Belgravia

long-term lease that ended in

Leisure; the kaitiaki (community

December 2025. The new adults-

stewards) and owners of the hot

only Kaipātiki Ora area has been

springs, Te Poari o Kaipātiki ki

designed to sit alongside the wider

Kaipara; as well as the venue’s team.

recreational hot pools experience

Belgravia joined the management

for families, rather than replacing it.

team for the site at the start of this

MORE >>> http://lei.sr/s7k2j_B

©Cybertrek Ltd 2026 Spa Business Issue 510

JAY FARNWORTH, BRAND AND CHANNEL DESIGN STUDIO

Geothermal wellness facility opens at Kaipātiki Hot Springs

Live news:

www.spabusiness.com

insider

PROGRAMMING

MEET THE TEAM

Equinox Hotels offers hypnotherapy The Spa by Equinox Hotel Hudson

True wellness isn't only physical

by a cognitive wellness coach, hypnotherapist and psycho-spiritual

ANITA HODOSI

Yards in New York, US, has introduced hypnotherapy sessions

For email use: fullname@ leisuremedia.com Editorial director

Liz Terry

Anita Hodosi

+44 (0)1462 431385

coach called Anita Hodosi. The 90-minute session is called

Spa Business editor

Hypnotherapy for High Performers.

Katie Barnes

The US$350 (€301, £264) experience

Spa Business: “What makes this work

is designed to help the participant

at The Spa by Equinox Hotels special

reset their nervous system and

is that it meets people where they

release mental overload. This

already are – investing in their bodies

is achieved through guided

– and invites them to bring that

subconscious work, deep meditation

same intention to their inner world.”

and reframing. Hodosi told

MORE >>> http://lei.sr/d6W8u_B

+44 (0)1462 471925

Publisher

Astrid Ros +44 (0)1462 471911

Head of news

Helen Andrews +44 (0)1462 431385

EXPANSION Head of digital

GOCO reveals rollout plans for Fivelements

Tim Nash

+44 (0)1462 471917

■ Fivelements Samui will open in early 2027

Fivelements in Bali, has revealed plans for new properties around the

We want to create destinations that inspire healthier ways of living

healing sanctuary’s philosophy and form part of its new global wellness hospitality brand. Fivelements’ expansion is

GOCO HOSPITALITY

world that will share the Balinese

supported by GOCO’s investment

Ingo Schweder, GOCO founder

partnership with Fullerton Fund Management, a wholly owned subsidiary of Singapore’s sovereign

GOCO’s ambition for the

GOCO HOSPITALITY

GOCO Hospitality, which owns

Head of design

Ed Gallagher +44 (0)1462 431385

Spa Business insider is published fortnightly by The Leisure Media Company Ltd, PO Box 424, Hitchin, SG5 9GF, UK. The views expressed in this publication are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of the publisher The Leisure Media Company Ltd. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recorded or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright holder, Cybertrek Ltd. Printed by Preview Cromatic Ltd. Distributed by Royal Mail Group Ltd and Whistl Ltd in the UK and Total Mail Ltd globally.

wealth fund. Established in

Fivelements brand is to create

2023, the partnership focuses

a connected global ecosystem

©Cybertrek Ltd 2026.

on accelerating investment in

where hospitality can support

wellness real estate and longevity

healthier choices.

hospitality around the world.

MORE >>> http://lei.sr/m4Q7K_B

ISSN: Print: 1753-3430 Digital: 2397-2408 Subscribe to Spa Business and Spa Business insider at to www.leisuresubs.com, email: subs@leisuremedia.com or call +44 1462 471930.

Spa Business Issue 510 ©Cybertrek Ltd 2026

22 OCTOBER 2026

Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London

GLOBA L EVENT

Fitness, health, wellness Excitement is building for the new all-keynote HCM Summit 2026 from Spa Business magazine and HCM magazine. The event will bring together a powerful lineup of speakers to share insights and experience, with a focus on business success and innovation. You’ll go away inspired and informed, with ideas to implement in your professional life, as well as valuable contacts and access to best practice to drive your success as we head into 2027.

Liz Terry HCM editor and CEO of Leisure Media

In addition to the summit talks, a carefully curated exhibition will showcase the latest innovations, while summit networking events, including the After Party, hosted by Les Mills, will give the opportunity to make new contacts and do business. All this, along with product sampling, book signings and activations make the summit a powerful and useful event for the sector.

Platinum Partner

Gold Partner

Innovation Partner

Silver Partner

Bronze Partner

MEET THE SPEAKERS Chair Humphrey Cobbold

Alex Perry

Sondre Gravir

Chair, PureGym

CEO, Nuﬃeld Health

CEO, SATS

Oliver Patrick

Anna Milani

Jonathan Fisher

CEO, Pillar Wellbeing

CEO, Brain & Fitness

CEO, Tribute Brands

Marc Diaper

John Oxley

Duncan Jeﬀord

CEO, Fitness First UK

CEO, Life Leisure

MD, Everyone Active

Steﬀen Gausselmann

Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi

Gaëtan De Smet

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey

Senior Manager, Strategy, Risk and Transactions, Deloitte GmbH

Lifestyle and TV doctor

MD, Jims

GB sprinter, TV personality and You+ ambassador

CONTACT JAN WILLIAMS TO EXPLORE PARTNERSHIPS E: janwilliams@leisuremedia.com T: +44 (0)1462 471909

Book your tickets at www.HCMsummit.live/register

spa business opinion

MY TAKE

Technology can enhance recovery, but it can't replace the power of skilled hands and therapist presence REENA SHETH

Reena Sheth, founder and chief wellness strategist, Gaiia

Beyond indulgence Reena Sheth explores how spas are the new hubs for nervous system hacking

or decades, spas were designed

state of chronic sympathetic activation. The

as spaces of escape. Today,

consequences are increasingly visible: disrupted

they are being redefined as

sleep, emotional volatility, inflammation, fatigue,

spaces of regulation.

hormonal imbalance, and burnout. This is where

Modern life has placed the human nervous

the role of the spa is beginning to evolve.

system under sustained load. Constant digital

Forward-thinking operators are moving

exposure, performance pressure, irregular

beyond aesthetic treatments and into autonomic

sleep and metabolic stress have created a

recalibration. Infrared therapy, contrast SHA

hydrotherapy, breathwork, neuro-sensory sound immersion and circadian lighting are no longer fringe additions. They are interventions designed to shift the body from survival physiology into parasympathetic repair.

Restorative programming Clinics such as Lanserhof and SHA Wellness Clinic have demonstrated that structured recovery environments can influence inflammation, sleep quality, metabolic resilience and stress markers. Their programmes combine diagnostics, nutrition therapy, hydrothermal circuits and recovery protocols to address the ■ SHA Wellness Clinic's

programmes oﬀer holistic 8 www.spabusiness.com nervous system protocools

nervous system as the foundation of health. ©Cybertrek Ltd 2026 Spa Business Issue 510

SHUTTERSTOCK_SVITLANA HULKO

Live intentional news: www.spabusiness.com ■ Slow, human touch activates specific neural pathways

Even hospitality brands are beginning to respond. Six Senses has introduced integrated sleep programmes, longevity diagnostics and recovery-focused spa environments across

Modern life has placed the human nervous system under sustained load

several properties. The shift is subtle but important: the spa is no longer positioned purely

The spas that will stand apart will be those

as indulgence, but as physiological restoration.

that understand this balance. Technology can enhance recovery, but it can't replace the power

Manual versus machine At the same time, another shift is emerging. As wellness becomes increasingly devicedriven – with wearables, AI diagnostics,

of skilled hands and therapist presence. Spas that remain in the “pampering” category will gradually commoditise. Spas that design environments specifically for

red-light panels, cryotherapy chambers and

nervous system recovery, combining intelligent

compression technologies – the industry

technology with deeply skilled human touch,

risks drifting towards mechanical recovery.

will become something far more valuable:

Yet the nervous system does not regulate through technology alone. Slow, intentional

essential recovery infrastructure for modern life. In an increasingly automated, device-

human touch activates neural pathways

led wellness world, the next premium

associated with safety and emotional regulation.

will be intentional human touch.

Therapeutic bodywork stimulates C-tactile afferent fibres, influences vagal tone and reduces cortisol levels – mechanisms that remain difficult to replicate through devices alone. Spa Business Issue 510 ©Cybertrek Ltd 2026

Spas that invest in therapist presence, slower rituals and deep manual skill will stand apart. High-tech may attract attention, but high-touch will restore regulation. ● www.spabusiness.com

spa business insights

Feast for the senses

new model of social wellness is coming to London later this year, with Sonara integrating dining, thermal bathing, wellness treatments and socialising into a single extended experience. Describing itself as London’s first ‘Fine Bathing and Dining Club’, Sonara will open on King’s Road in Chelsea with a concept that makes food and social connection integral to the bathing journey, rather than ancillary services added to a spa or bathhouse. After changing into swimwear and robes, guests will be allocated a table in Sonara’s 80-cover dining room, which will remain their base throughout the visit. They will then move between their table, thermal experiences, treatments and relaxation areas – eating light dishes between

A 1,500sq m bathing and dining club called Sonara will open later this year in London bathing cycles or settling down for longer meals before returning to the bathhouse.

Guest journey The aim is to create an uninterrupted, multi-hour wellness experience in which eating, bathing, resting and socialising become part of the same ritual. The thermal journey will centre on a 30-person oaklined banya chamber, where traditional whisk-steaming rituals known as parenie will be carried out using handcrafted veniki made from birch, oak or fir.

The facilities will occupy two floors at the mixed use development One Twenty King’s Road

www.spabusiness.com

A 30-person oaklined banya chamber will sit at the heart of the bathhouse

The veniki are swept and pressed rhythmically against the body during the heat ritual, with each cycle followed by cold contrast experiences and periods of rest. Other facilities will include a snow room, red salt grotto, hammam, cold plunge, shower buckets, flotation room and hyperbaric oxygen chamber, with further experiences due to be revealed ahead of opening. Four private suites of around 90sq m each will take the integrated model a stage further. Accommodating up to 10 people, Spa Business Issue 510 ©Cybertrek Ltd 2026

www.spabusiness.com

ALL CREDITS SONARA

The 80-cover restaurant will serve European cuisine throughout the bathing experience

spa business insights

Sonara will operate as both a membership club and a destination for day guests

each will have its own banya chamber, cold plunge, dining area and relaxation space, enabling groups to experience an entire bathing and dining journey privately.

Fine dining

www.spabusiness.com

ALL CREDITS SONARA

The 80-cover restaurant will serve European cuisine, with dishes designed around different stages of the bathing experience. Guests will dine in their robes, allowing them to return repeatedly to the thermal areas without formally ending either the dining or wellness element of the visit. Sonara will operate as both a membership club and a destination for day guests. The 1,500sq m club will occupy two floors at One Twenty King’s Road, the 7,800sq m redevelopment of the former King’s Walk shopping centre by Crosstree Real Estate, designed by Squire and Partners. ●

organized by

patron partner

spa business insights

Fire and Ice Reykjaböð Hot Springs is now open in Iceland, with a geothermal lagoon and premium adults-only bathhouse experience

n 8,000sq m geothermal destination spa, Reykjaböð Hot Springs, has opened at the base of the Valley in Hveragerði in Iceland, a 40 minute drive from Reykjavik. Three companies own an equal share in the development company Reykjaböð ehf, which was established to construct the bathhouse, lagoon and own the real estate. Those are Hveraberg, a tourism-focused development and investment company that also owns the nearby Greenhouse Hotel; an investment company called Dionysus; and tour operator Icelandia. These three companies also own a separate operating company, Reykjaböð Hot Springs ehf, which has been set up to manage the property. International spa and wellness consultant Katherine Connolly worked on the project

with architects Reykjavik Arkitektar, interior designer Hálfdán Pedersen and lighting designer Þórður Orri Pétursson. Connolly told Spa Business, “Together, the owners bring development experience, investment capability and a genuine understanding of Icelandic tourism. That combination has been important in creating something intended to become a lasting part of the region, rather than simply another visitor attraction.”

The guest journey She also said that Reykjaböð’s bathhouse is the first concept of its kind in Iceland. “It gives the development a very different dimension, taking the experience beyond the geothermal lagoon and into a more layered journey through heat, cold, water and rest.”

KATHERINE CONNOLLY

The geothermal heat, cold air, stone, mist, snow and open space became the language 12consultant www.spabusiness.com Spa Katherine Connolly worked on the project

There is a large geothermal lagoon

REYKJABÖÐ

There is no sense in having to complete a prescribed circuit

REYKJABÖÐ

Quia verit vel mostrum ullenim fugiam ipsunt ad mo nemquia vitatempelit qui am

www.spabusiness.com

REYKJABÖÐ

Reykjaböð combines a large geothermal lagoon with a smaller, “more elevated” indoor bathhouse experience. The facilities include the lagoon, a natural herbal pool and a float pool where guests can wear a head flotation support that provides a zero-gravity feel by Flothetta Cap. There is also a steamroom, infusion sauna, event sauna, experience showers by Aquaform, cold plunge, snowroom by TechnoAlpin Indoor, Kneipp pool, fire-pit relaxation area, and changing and shower facilities. Klafs supplied the sauna and steam facilities. There are three treatment rooms, including a couples’ room for massages, though the offering doesn’t revolve around spa treatments. Reykjaböð also features a restaurant, where seasonal dishes and drinks inspired by Icelandic ingredients are served. To protect the quality of the guest experience, the geothermal lagoon welcomes

www.spabusiness.com

a larger number of visitors and provides a more social experience in comparison to the bathhouse – where capacity is limited – allowing guests to move at their own pace. Children over the age of 10 can visit the hot springs but the bathhouse is only accessible to over-18s. The price of a day pass to the facility starts from ISK 7,900 (US$62, €53, £46).

The vision Connolly described the vision for the destination, “The lagoon and bathhouse have very different emotional qualities. The lagoon opens the guest outwards

Three Icelandic tourismfocused companies own the destination spa

The bathhouse contains treatment rooms and other thermal experiences

towards the landscape, the weather and the enormous Icelandic sky. The bathhouse draws them inward, into a quieter and more intimate journey through temperature, scent, sound and ritual. “From the beginning, I did not want Reykjaböð to feel like a collection of facilities. I wanted every experience to lead naturally into the next. Guests might move from geothermal warmth into steam, from steam Spa Business Issue 510 ©Cybertrek Ltd 2026

REYKJABÖÐ

The lagoon and bathhouse have very different emotional qualities into snow or cold water and then return to warmth and rest. Some will choose a more intense contrast journey. There is no sense in having to complete a prescribed circuit. That freedom matters. The experience should invite people in, not challenge TAP OR SCAN them to prove something. “Most importantly, the concept has remained deeply rooted in Iceland.” ● http://lei.sr/K2L7k

www.spabusiness.com

spa business opinion

EVENT REPORT

RICHARD LUDBROOK/ LUDBROOK AGENCY

The next evolution of wellness may be about creating space for people to reconnect with themselves Judy Chapman, industry author and consultant

Deep transformation Judy Chapman finds Australian wellness is adopting a 'less is more' approach

ellness travel is entering a

A consistent theme emerged: the future of

new phase, according to

wellness may not be about doing more, but

speakers at the recent Wellness

about going deeper — and, in many cases,

Tourism Summit in Byron

simplifying. More than 100 wellness and travel

Bay, Australia. Guests are no longer satisfied

professionals attended the event, which was

with surface-level relaxation; increasingly,

opened by founder Katherine Droga of wellness

they want meaningful outcomes, deeper

travel platform Well Traveller. “Wellness is what

experiences and a stronger connection, both

we do, wellbeing is how we want to be, and

with themselves and the natural world.

wellness travel connects the two,” she said, highlighting Australia’s growing position as one TANYA HAZLEWOOD

■ The summit is an industry networking event

of the world’s leading wellness economies.

Informed consumers Melanie James, GM of Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, told delegates that guests are increasingly willing to undertake "deep, deep work" – including somatic recovery, trauma-informed approaches and meaningful transformation – rather than simply seeking a restorative escape. The modern traveller, she suggested, is also highly articulate about their own needs. That shift is changing how people search for retreats. Janine Cottle, founder of destinations

18 12

www.spabusiness.com

■ L-R Katherine Droga, Melanie James and Janine Cottle shared their thoughts

TANYA HAZLEWOOD

Live news:

Escape Haven and Mana in Bali, said guests increasingly search by outcome rather than modality, looking for "sleep" or "burnout recovery" rather than "yoga retreat". Consumers are buying the feeling and the outcome, not necessarily the activity.

Feeling more The idea of stripping back rather than adding

Melanie James, GM of Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat, told delegates guests are increasingly willing to undertake "deep, deep work" we move, eat, sleep and begin our mornings. The business of wellness travel is changing too,

more also ran through the summit. On a

with retreat operators reporting more last-minute

nature-as-medicine panel, Tim Jack Adams,

bookings and responding with greater flexibility,

founder of employee wellbeing consultancy

inclusions and payment options. For me, this was

Green X7, suggested wellness is about removing

one of the Summit's biggest takeaways: less may

infrastructure to allow guests to feel more.

be more. Rather than adding more technology, the

Paul Tribe, founder of leadership business Tribe

next evolution of wellness may be about creating

Journeys, described time in nature as a "gentle

space for people to reconnect with themselves –

catharsis," arguing that landscapes, oceans and

without prescribing what that journey looks like.

silence offer something no facility can replicate.

Perhaps this is where Australia has

Brain health expert Ellice De Giovanni, founder of

something important to contribute to the

brain training methodology Eligned, challenged our

global wellness conversation: a reminder

reliance on wearables and data, reminding us that

that some of the most powerful experiences

we already have a sophisticated internal feedback

don't need to be complicated. Sometimes

system. "Our bodies are our best GPS," she said,

they simply require nature, space, time

encouraging a return to the fundamentals of how

and the opportunity to reconnect. ●

www.spabusiness.com

SUPPLIER NEWS

For the latest supplier news and company information, visit

spa-kit.net

Suppliers tell Spa Business insider about their latest product, design and technology launches

GAIA SKINCARE

Gaia Skincare creates Gaia Lymphatic Sculpt treatment using wooden tools

aia Skincare has created

tools, which are used to help

a new results-driven

reduce feelings of fluid retention

body treatment called

and heaviness during rhythmic and

Gaia Lymphatic Sculpt, which

sculpting movements. The tools are

combines lymphatic drainage

also said to support circulation and

techniques with the use of

improve the appearance of skin tone.

expertly crafted wooden tools.

GAIA SKINCARE

■ The treatment incorporates four specialist tools: a body brush and roller, lymphatic cups and shaping tools

■ Diane Nettleton

The therapy has been developed

Described by the company as

as either a 60-minute treatment

has always been at the heart of

a deeply nurturing treatment, the

(costing £140) or an extended

everything we do. We wanted to

therapy is designed to support the

90-minute experience (costing

create a treatment that delivers

body’s natural detoxification process

£160). The 90-minute version

exceptional, visible results while

and help guests feel lighter, more

includes an additional facial

remaining true to our philosophy

energised and deeply restored.

drainage ritual to define facial

of nurturing both body and mind.”

The treatment incorporates four

contours and reduce puffiness.

specialist tools: a body brush and

Diane Nettleton, founder of Gaia

roller, lymphatic cups and shaping

Skincare, said: “At Gaia, wellbeing