“Six Senses Place
London is a living, breathing ecosystem of belonging”
Bringing luxury spa to the African safari
Gongmatic WILDERNESS THE SANCTUARY
Innovating with sound at Sweden’s Hagastrand
“BodyHoliday intends to be a significant global player” EXCLUSIVE
Too many emerging markets have thrived in recent decades through the exploitation of both women and the low-waged. As the wellness economy begins to emerge in Africa, we must guard against making the same mistakes
ay back in 2013, our annual Spa Foresight trends report identified Africa as a future growth market for the sector (Spa Handbook 2013, page 123).
In nominal terms, Africa’s GDP has more than doubled in the last 20 years and although some parts of the continent are still facing challenges that preclude inbound investment, there are signs that in areas of demand, the wellness sector is starting to gain momentum as we anticipated it would.
In this issue we highlight a number of projects that indicate what shape this growth might take, looking firstly at Wilderness, the operator that runs 60 safari locations across Africa (page 78).
With a new spa and wellness concept called The Sanctuary, Wilderness is bringing world-class interior design and architecture to the safari experience, with heated lap pools, contrast therapy circuits, meditation cocoons and curated sensory experiences. For investors, this signals a strategic shift and for consumers, it redefines expectations.
Our interview with Chunxia Gao, global director of development and wellbeing at Discover Collection, also highlights excellence (page 40).
The new company, which requires guests to become members in order to stay at its hotels, is led by Bernhard Bohnenberger, former president of Six Senses. Two things set it apart. Firstly, its commitment to developing in Africa – alongside the well-trodden paths of Europe and the Middle East – with investments planned for Kenya, Zambia and Botswana.
The second is its social mandate, which will see a significant proportion of income committed to the
In areas of demand, the wellness sector in Africa is gaining momentum
Discover Collection Foundation, to promote local conservation and philanthropy and support communities.
We applaud this move, as it signals an intention to see beyond profits, helping to support emerging economies.
As Africa enters a new phase of growth, ethics are vital. In other emerging regions, women and low-waged workers have been undervalued and underpaid. If wellness is to stand for regeneration, it must ensure fair wages and that local people are respectfully treated and local economies are valued and supported. l
Katie Barnes, editor, katiebarnes@spabusiness.com
Contact Spa Business: +44 (0) 1462 431385 theteam@spabusiness.com spabusiness.com @spabusinessmag Facebook.com/spabusiness
5 Editor’s letter Africa rising
Too many emerging markets exploit women and the low-waged. Africa’s burgeoning wellness economy must avoid this, says Katie Barnes
10 SB Forum
It’s time to tackle ‘standards overwhelm’, says Jeremy McCarthy
14 Zeitgeist
Miral Impact Fund targets wellbeing and more resorts go off-grid
18 Spa Business news
Aire Ancient Baths secures investment and MOHG partners with Simone Biles
26 Spa Business buzz
Byron Bay’s Gaia plans AU$37m expansion and Eha retreat is slated to open on a UNESCOprotected Estonian island
34 Spa Business collabs
Anada and Voya launch thermal protocols, Exhale and Salt Fitness join forces and Clinton creates spa ritual with Myndstream
36 Spa Business moves
Tan Boon Khai joins Therme Singapore as CEO and Dawn Mussallem leaves Mayo Clinic to become chief medical officer at Fountain Life
40 Spa people Chunxia Gao
The head of development and wellbeing for new hospitality brand Discover Collection explains the vision
44 Spa people Eric Stephenson
The author of The Six Superpowers
Within talks about leadership, wellbeing and performance
48 Interview Andrew Barnard
The CEO of BodyHoliday St Lucia talks exclusively to Katie Barnes about how the business is gearing up for global growth, with a new top team, a flagship resort in Portugal and plans to launch a management company
58 Everyone’s talking about Contrast therapy
How can spas optimise hydrothermal facilities to deliver effective, enjoyable experiences for all?
66 New opening The place to be
Anna Bjurstam pens her personal reflections ahead of Six Senses’ London launch, when it will unveil its first private members’ club – Six Senses Place
74 Profile Nick Yarnell
On the eve of opening, the GM of Six Senses London shares his insights into the brand’s first major urban property with Liz Terry
78 Safari spa Wild about wellbeing
Safari lodge operator Wilderness pairs high design and thoughtful wellness at its two new sanctuaries in Rwanda and Botswana
86 Jeremy McCarthy
The year of longevity
Is longevity a transformative opportunity or a speculative bubble?
Jeremy McCarthy takes a closer look
88 First person Sound investment
Magali Robathan tries out the Gongmatic experience at Hagastrand, Sweden’s newest and most innovative hotel spa
96 Event report Eudemonia Summit
Ana Ramirez reports from a gathering where Hollywood, neuroscience and wellness hospitality converge
102 First person Stacked for impact
Lisa Starr reveals her impression of the Ammortal Chamber
111 Product innovation
Spa product and equipment launches
120 Spa Business directory
122 Finishing touch Amplifying exercise
ACE study shows the added benefits of staying warm after a workout
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Jeremy McCarthy, industry leader in leisure, wellness, spa and hospitality
Iwas recently ‘professor for a day’ on the Hong Kong Polytechnic University hospitality programme where I met graduate students studying Service and Quality Management for Hospitality and Tourism. They were bright, had experience in the field and asked intelligent questions.
We were discussing service standards when one raised her hand. “In the hotel I work at, some colleagues feel overwhelmed by the standards they have to remember. How do you train standards in a way that’s not so overwhelming?”, she asked.
Her question highlights a challenge hotels and spas face in managing ‘standards inflation’.
This is driven by a number of factors, such as industry transience – as managers move from brand to brand, they take ‘good ideas’ they’ve
learned to their new workplace, adding to the list as they go.
Industry organisations, such as Forbes, drive this too. They help operators benchmark by defining luxury standards and so brands that wish to compete for rankings and awards must also follow these to be successful.
If the culture is there, standards, audits and checklists are no longer overwhelming
The quest for differentiation also drives standards inflation – brands must adopt standards that set them apart – and guest expectations mean luxury brands have to keep raising the bar to surprise and delight them.
There’s no easy solution. ‘Attention to detail’ is a defining aspect of luxury and it would be fair to say that if you’re not able to learn and pay attention to a large number of standards in your service delivery, then maybe a career in luxury is not for you! However, operators need to create an enjoyable working environment and being bombarded with
bureaucratic audits and checklists, or harangued by managers for not following SOPs creates an unpleasant working environment and a robotic service style.
What the best hospitality brands do is create a culture that doesn’t nitpick, but still encourages a high level of service.
Growing a strong culture means building the right team by attracting and promoting people who embody a high level of service and ensuring leaders are role models who inspire by living and breathing a service culture their colleagues can emulate.
A distilled focus is also vital –create a clear vision and mission for your brand that describes the kind of guest interactions you’re aiming for.
Ritz-Carlton’s famous motto: ‘We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen’ communicates a culture of mutual respect and humility that underpins the service standards that made Ritz-Carlton an icon of hospitality. Four Seasons emphasises its Golden Rule: ‘to treat others how we want to be treated,’ distilling hundreds of standards into a nine-word phrase that every employee can remember and embody through their daily actions.
It’s important to nurture your service culture. If the culture is there, standards, audits and checklists are no longer overwhelming. They become a useful tool that helps colleagues be the best they can be in pursuit of an inspiring mission.
Overwhelm checklist
1. Define standards: Employees should know the details that are important in customer interactions
2. Set a benchmarking goal: Find out what the criteria are to rise to the top and then align your standards
3. Establish brand-defining standards: What’s the ‘secret sauce’ that makes you unique?
4. Deliver continuous training: For luxury businesses, training in service is a daily ritual
5. Review and refine: Continually streamline standards to focus on those that are most important
6. Embed it into your culture: Don't build a list of standards. Create an inspiring mission to underpin what you want to deliver.
Dr Cheri D Mah, sleep scientist
As a sleep physician and research scientist, I read your recent feature on sleep in Spa Business magazine* with interest. I work with elite athletes, corporations and executives and recently partnered with Westin and Gwyneth Paltrowʼs Goop to deliver a video-based sleep programme called Sleep Training for Grown-Ups The series highlights the importance of healthy sleep and how to get a restful night while travelling.
By partnering with experts, hotels can give practical tips on enhancing shuteye, including how to manage a racing mind and the importance of a wind-down routine. They can also home in on how nutrition choices and timing, as well as exercise, can be leveraged.
In a spa and hotel context, ensuring rooms are dark, quiet, cool and comfortable, as well as offering customised bedding, can also help. Additionally, access to nap rooms when hotel rooms are not yet available for check-in can be beneficial.
In the future, I see sleep-focused hospitality going even further. Forward-thinking brands will look to enhance sleep for travellers by offering sleep-promoting services, increasing the consistency of the
sleep environment, minimising jet lag and offering opportunities to try sleep tools and technologies.
While sleep duration is a principal factor in sleep health, recent research has suggested the timing of your sleep or the consistency of when you sleep is key. Itʼs not just getting sufficient hours of sleep thatʼs essential; maintaining a regular bedtime and
wake time every day is important. This is something else spas and hotels would be prudent to address.
Data-driven insights from wearables and apps could allow operators to recommend strategies to improve sleep duration, quality of sleep, or timing of sleep – providing access to this guest data is shared. *www.spabusiness.com/sleep425
Westin has a long history of
Cutting-edge science meets indulgent sensoriality with our skincare, bodycare and professional treatments. Unlock unparalleled efficacy, targeted skin solutions and powerful results that you can see and feel.
Helen Andrews distils the essence of the latest Spa Business news to tap the trends driving the direction of the sector
Eco-friendly village resort Desa Potato Head Bali is offering ‘gentle’ plant-based ayurvedic programmes with a twist. The on-site apothecary uses Indonesian herbs and leads a Healing Garden Workshop, while Tanaman restaurant serves a menu that follows the plant lifecycle.
http://lei.sr/q9y4V_B
Potato Head Bali has launched a plant-based ayurvedic programme
Women will get their own longevity advancements, according to the 2026 trend report by the Global Wellness Summit. Mounting evidence that women age differently from men means report authors think women’s healthspan will be top of the agenda and stopping ovarian decline will be the next biotech goal. Other predictions include the growth of neurowellness and how environmental crisis management will become a pillar of wellness.
Lack of investment in women’s health has an economic impact
If treated, four illnesses that affect women or require women-specific approaches could unlock a US$100 billion market opportunity by 2030, says a recent report from the World Economic Forum. The conditions include cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, menopause and Alzheimer’s.
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Children between the ages of five and 12 can receive treatments in a jungle-themed spa at the Grand Velas Riviera Maya resort in Mexico. Glitter, ribbons, scented foot scrubs and ‘de-gunking’ facials are on offer in a space decorated with soft toys and murals featuring the resort’s playful monkey mascot, Pancho. Children can play together and experience relaxation in a fun environment.
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Anthony Geisler’s Sequel Brands has launched a longevity concept in collaboration with Tony Robbins’ company, Lifeforce, and biohacker Gary Brecka. Ultimate Longevity Centre will aim make longevity accessible to everyday Americans.
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Miral, a company that creates immersive destinations and experiences in Abu Dhabi, UAE, has launched the Miral Impact Fund to provide community developments dedicated to health and wellbeing, conservation, art and culture and education.
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Viceroy is gearing up to open an off-grid, self-sustaining resort on the Bocas del Toro peninsula in Panama in late 2026. Its 1,080sq m spa will have a rainforest outdoor bathing circuit, treehouse treatment rooms, a beauty salon, meditation rooms and a fitness centre.
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resort
form
Capitalising on clients’ ambitions for a healthier lifestyle, Four Seasons Hotel London at Park Lane in the UK, has launched annual wellness memberships.
Costing £4,500 (US$5,700, €5,250) per person, guests can access the spa and fitness areas, treatments and also get discounts.
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Welsh music star Charlotte Church has launched an online video series to deliver wellness rituals in nature.
Filmed at her retreat, The Dreaming, in the Elan Valley, Wales. The courses are available to order via a pay-whatyou-can pricing model on the retreat’s website. Activities include crafting, singing, journalling and building grounding rituals.
Basin Glacial Waters at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise o ers shared experiences,
Alix Boulnois, chief digital officer, Accor
Physical activity and counselling for behavioural and lifestyle changes remain a priority when addressing obesity, according to the World Health Organization’s first set of guidelines on the use of GLP-1s. WHO wants population-level health policies to deliver change.
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Travellers increasingly want their holiday search to begin with a ‘mood’ instead of geography alone, says Accor. In response, the operator has created a ‘vibe menu’ of emotional states for its experiences, focusing on joy, surprise and nostalgia.
Intelligent Spas’ latest research finds different categories of spas around the world have varying approaches to programmes that have been designed to boost staff wellbeing. The survey highlights participation rates, challenges, impacts and reasons why some don’t engage.
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The US, China, Germany, Japan and the UK have the top five largest wellness markets in the world, according to a new report by the US-based Global Wellness Institute (GWI).
The Global Wellness Economy: 2026 Rankings Report was presented by Joanne Hopkins, a GWI research fellow, at the Global Wellness Summit’s recent media event in New York City.
The findings, based on data from 218 countries between 2019-2024, show the global wellness economy is concentrated in North America, Asia-Pacific and Europe. The top five wellness markets haven’t changed ranking since 2019
and the latest figures show they represent nearly 58 per cent of the global wellness economy.
The top 25 markets represent 86 per cent and the US alone accounted for almost 32 per cent in 2024 (worth US$2.1 trillion).
Although the top 25 list has not changed dramatically, some countries made significant increases in their rankings, including Saudi Arabia, UAE, India, Australia, Poland and the Netherlands.
Bathing facility operator Aire Ancient Baths has partnered with strategic investor Khemia to accelerate its international expansion plan.
Khemia has become a minority shareholder of Aire Ancient Baths. The funds (details of which remain undisclosed) will
facilitate the progressive opening of new bathing facilities in selected international markets.
Amadeo Serra, CEO of Aire Ancient Baths, said: “Our goal is to accelerate our international growth. We want to take advantage of all the opportunities the market offers us.
“Bringing in Khemia as a shareholder allows us to strengthen our capital structure and face the next growth phase with a solid financial position. Khemia is a business with a long-term vision aligned with ours, which fully supports our strategy and provides a solution totally adapted to our needs.”
Tomás de Heredia, CEO of Khemia, said: “Aire Ancient Baths is a unique asset. It’s the global leader in its sector, has a very solid competitive position and significant growth potential.”
Aire Ancient Baths was founded in 2001, with its first location in Seville, Spain. The concept takes inspiration from Greek, Roman and Ottoman traditions. The company’s network comprises 10 properties in nine cities in Europe and North America. Each one offers hydrotherapy bathing circuits and body treatments.
Mandarin Oriental has appointed Simone Biles, one of the most decorated gymnasts in the world, as its first-ever ambassador for global wellness in a long-term, purpose-driven collaboration.
It’s a strategic step for Mandarin Oriental as it looks to cement its position as a global authority in modern, holistic wellbeing. The group believes wellness is the integration of physical strength, mental health, recovery and balance and is evolving its approach to reflect this.
Speaking publicly for the first time about the news, Emlyn Brown, the group’s global director of wellness, told Spa Business that Biles is an ideal fit because “she embodies the values Mandarin Oriental is seeking to express through a new phase of wellbeing”.
Mandarin Oriental is widely known for its spa heritage and is now developing a broader wellness strategy and creating a board of experts across the pathways of lifestyle performance, meditation, movement, nutrition and sleep, Brown said. in sustainable tourism.
As global wellness ambassador, Biles will partner with the board, sharing her insights and perspectives to help shape future programmes
and experiences. She will also support and participate in global storytelling, campaign activations and the development of wellness initiatives for Mandarin Oriental.
“I’m excited to partner with Mandarin Oriental because we share the same belief that wellness is about more than physical performance – it’s about taking care of your whole self,” said Biles.
Aman’s nine-deck superyacht, Amangati, is taking bookings for its debut season of Mediterranean voyages starting in Q2 2027.
The 180m yacht has been designed by Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design and is currently under construction.
When it sets sail, it will accommodate 94 guests across its 47 suites. Each suite will have a footprint of 68sq m to 354sq m and its own terrace.
The design for the Amangati’s Aman Spa has been inspired by Japanese ryokan, with full-height windows and private terraces that create an open, light-filled space and connection to the sea.
The 1,190sq m spa will be spread across two decks and it will have eight ocean-facing treatment rooms and a Japanese serenity garden for relaxation.
There will also be open-air hot tubs, a hammam with polished marble benches for Turkish and Moroccaninspired bathing experiences, a banya, showers and relaxation spaces.
Passengers will have access to a medi-spa while they’re on board,
for advanced therapies such as IV infusions and aesthetic treatments.
Spa treatments will be rooted in four guiding pillars: nutrition, movement, psychological health and bodywork.
Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary in Bhutan’s Neyphu Valley has introduced a six-day all-inclusive wellness retreat with programming rooted in cultural traditions.
The agenda for the retreat, called Glimpse of Bhutan, starts with an intentionally quiet arrival ritual, as part of a Buddhist custom to practice being present.
A private consultation with an in-house TBM doctor takes place, with the assessment focusing on guests’ elemental balance and lifestyle patterns.
The sanctuary has curated a series of activations to help guests acclimatise to the Himalayan altitude. These include yoga, meditation, hikes through the Neyphu Valley and herbal walks through the property’s gardens.
Treatments are offered throughout the retreat. The therapies are all
Family-owned Alpine resort Hotel Lürzerhof in Austria’s SalzburgerLand has revealed plans for a €10 million (US$10.9 million, £8.5 million) expansion.
The resort will be closed for four months from April before reopening in July 2026 with two new floors and a redesigned spa.
The new floors will rise from the existing main building, with design by architects Köck and Bachler.
Harald Habersatter, owner, Hotel Lürzerhof, told Spa Business exclusively: “This expansion has been a true collaboration with some of Austria’s finest hospitality specialists.”
The first new floor will house eight units of accommodation – some of which will have
herbal and include massage, hot stone bathing, herbal compression, moxibustion and hot oil compression.
The wellness facilities include steamrooms, a sauna, hot tub, indoor heated infinity pool, sun deck terrace and gym.
Guests at the property can also try out traditional Bhutanese sports, such as darts and archery, or take part in hikes to spiritual locations, cultural landmarks and historic fortresses.
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saunas, terraces, hot tubs, fitness facilities and a private cinema.
The new top floor will be an adultsonly wellness level, measuring 900sq m. It will have a 19m cantilevered heated outdoor infinity pool projecting beyond the building’s footprint.
A cylindrical glass atrium sits in the centre of the new wellness floor and will
feature living plants inside it under a circular skylight. Relaxation lounges are to be located around this focal point.
The thermal experiences planned at the spa consist of a Finnish sauna, an organic sauna, an infrared salt dome and an aroma steambath.
Playlist, parent company of Mindbody, Booker and Classpass, has merged with EGYM, supplier of AI-enabled workout programmes and corporate wellness solutions, to create an expanded entity with a US$7.5 billion (€6.4 billion, £5.6 billion) valuation.
The deal is expected to close in a matter of months.
The transaction will include US$785 million (€668.1 million, £584 million) in new equity investment led by Affinity Partners, with participation from a consortium of existing investors, including Vista Equity Partners, Temasek and L Catterton.
The two businesses already had a number of shared backers.
Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist and Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, CEO of EGYM, will serve as co-founders of the organisation. Roesch-Schlanderer will also join Monti Saroya, co-head of Vista Equity Partners’ Flagship Fund, as co-chair of Playlist.
On completion, Playlist’s brands will operate as they do currently, while EGYM will continue its operations within the Playlist portfolio.
A major driver for the deal is complementary geographies and audiences, with EGYM
dominating in B2B and Playbook largely driving B2C brands.
The deal will enable EGYM to expand its wellness offerings into Playlist’s core markets – including North America and Asia.
The Spa at JW Marriott Scottsdale Camelback Inn Resort and Spa in Arizona, US, has re-opened following a US$25 million (€23.0 million, £19.8 million) transformation of the wellness facilities.
The Sanctuary is one of a range of relaxation areas at the spa
The 453-key resort’s spa has retained its 32,000sq ft footprint, but the design has been reimagined to incorporate elements that reflect the beauty of the surrounding Sonoran Desert, while adhering to the resort’s brand new Arivéa philosophy.
This concept offers guests a holistic approach to wellness that blends personalised rituals with timeless traditions, respect for the preciousness of the location’s water and the significance of stillness in the desert.
Architects DesignOne Studio and EDG have used natural materials to blur the line between indoors and out. Bradford Wellness has designed the 20-treatment room spa’s new immersive indoor wellness circuit. It features a Himalayan salt sauna, aromatherapy steam cavern, experiential cold therapies, limestone infrared
loungers and a sunlit solarium with an 18-person vitality pool. Relaxation areas include the Stillness Lounge – which features Mind-Sync Harmonic Wellness Loungers by Living Earth Crafts. There is also a trio of outdoor hydrotherapy pools of varying temperatures in a zone called Wellness Waters.
31 March – 2 April 2026
ISPA Conference & Expo
The Venetian Las Vegas, Nevada, USA
Three-day conference and expo for decisionmakers across all spa and wellness markets. www.attendispa.com
16-19 April 2026
FIBO Cologne, Germany
One of the world’s largest trade fairs for fitness, wellness and health professionals. Includes speakers, networking and a major trade show. www.fibo.com
27-28 April 2026
Medi Wellness Congress
Geneva Marriott Hotel, Geneva, Switzerland
Two-day conference with networking, workshops, gala dinner and presentations on the latest mediwellness research. www.mwcongress.com
27-30 April 2026
Elevate Spa
Galgorm Resort, N Ireland
Three-day intimate gathering of multi-property spa leaders and industry suppliers for networking, product demonstrations and collaboration. www.thespapeeps.com
12 May 2026
Wellness Real Estate & Communities Symposium
West End Labs, New York City, USA
The Global Wellness Summit’s oneday forum for cross-disciplinary discussions and research presentations on wellness real estate. www.globalwellnesssummit.com
The recently revealed Vault Spa and Suites at Steigenberger Icon Europäischer Hof Baden-Baden, mark the completion of extensive renovations at the German property.
The city centre hotel, dating back to 1930, is a flagship for Steigenberger. It features 126 bedrooms and its refurbishment has taken 10 years.
The reimagined spa spans 1,300sq m across two floors and partially occupies what used to be the safes of a bank.
In addition to six treatment rooms, with beds by Bellezi, there are three suites with their own sauna, steambath and relaxation area.
The main spa facility’s thermal zone has a sauna, steambath, sensory
showers and steam-filled quiet zones. There is also an indoor pool, a tea lounge, barber and a gym.
The Steigenberger brand was acquired by H World, a Chinese-based hotel management company, in 2020. Benjamin Jansen, corporate spa director at H World, oversees 40-plus spas for the group.
Canadian hospitality brand Basecamp Resorts has debuted its Everwild Nordic Spa concept with the launch of its Everwild Nordic Spa and Hotel in Canmore, Canada.
The 99-key property, previously known as MTN House Hotel, has undergone renovations with the addition of the extensive 40,000sq ft spa facility under the Everwild concept. There are four more in the pipeline. Installed at a cost of CA$27 million (US$19.6 million, €16.8 million, £13.8 million), the spa has been designed to create connection and community.
Its key features include a 42-person aufguss sauna, as well as a 55-seat lounge for relaxation, food and beverages. Guests also have access to hot, cold and temperate pools; open-air relaxation zones; plus saunas, steamrooms and salt rooms.
The property will employ 70 people and the aim is to welcome 78,000 visitors a year.
A day pass to access the facility is priced between CA$185 (US$132, €114, £100) and CA$219 (US$154, €136, £119).
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W3Spa North America
17–20 May • Florida
Connecting suppliers with buyers across North America.
W3Spa EMEA
9–12 June • Portugal
Connecting suppliers with buyers across Europe & the Middle East.
A hosted buyer event connecting leaders across the global spa, beauty, and wellness industry through pre-scheduled meetings, interactive education, and intentional networking. Contact Our Team Today! info@weworkwellevents.com www.weworkwellevents.com
W3Spa North America
25-28 October • California
Connecting suppliers with buyers across North America.
The owners of Gaia Retreat and Spa in Byron Bay, Australia, have submitted a planning application to the local government authority for an AU$37 million (US$24.2 million, €21.0 million, £10.3 million) expansion of the facility.
The wellness retreat was originally co-founded by the late Olivia Newton-John, her close friend Gregg Cave and two other investors in 2005 (see p28). It was then purchased in 2021 by Fiveight, the property development arm of an investment company called Tattarang, owned by Andrew and Nicola Forrest. They bought it for AU$30 million (US$19.8 million, €17.7 million, £9.9 million).
The design for the upgrades across the 8-hectare site is by Troppo Architects.
When asked about the planning application, a spokesperson from the retreat told Spa Business: “Gaia Retreat and Spa has been a sanctuary of healing and connection on Bundjalung Country for more than 20 years. The proposed redevelopment
is a thoughtful investment in its future, enhancing sustainability, supporting local jobs and strengthening the region’s wellness reputation.
“True to Gaia’s values of healing, gratitude and health, the plans are sensitive to the site’s natural and cultural significance.”
The property’s expansion will include the creation of a new spa complex and a number of treatment rooms –replacing the existing facility. This will include a refresh of the current pool area, as well as the addition of plunge pools, relaxation areas and a recovery programming zone.
The development will also see the construction of an arrivals hub building, with a reception, restaurant, guest lounge and shop.
The existing social relaxation and welcome area called Kukura House will be refurbished, with new back-of-house facilities for laundry, housekeeping, staff rooms, education spaces, an office and a kitchen.
The late Olivia NewtonJohn was a co-founder of Gaia Retreat and Spa
True to Gaia’s values, the plans are sensitive to the site’s natural and cultural significance
Four more luxury suites and villas will be added to the site, taking the total accommodation to 26 keys. A new restaurant pavilion will also be built.
If the plans are approved, the refurbishments and expansions would be completed in stages to keep parts of the retreat operating throughout construction.
Olivia Newton-John
Actress, singer and long-term wellness advocate Newton-John died in 2022 following a 30-year fight against breast cancer. In an interview with Spa Business in 2010, she spoke about how her initial diagnosis reframed her views on health and wellbeing (see www.spabusiness.com/10_3gaia).
Although she never planned on opening a spa retreat, she became a brand ambassador for Gaia, describing it as a humble place compared to other facilities. “It’s the place I love to go the most,” she said.
At the time, Gaia was one of the first facilities to offer esoteric breast massage. The technique incorporates gentle strokes around the breast and is intended to help treat the side effects of painful periods, endometriosis and menopausal symptoms.
“We are known for our care and that’s what we want people to go away with,” Newton-John told Spa Business ●
CAPSICUM
NATURALLY
AND COMFORTING
ARNICA
SOOTHES TIRED, OVERWORKED MUSCLES
GLYCERIN
HYDRATES AND REPLENISHES SKIN
ALGAE EXTRACT
NOURISHES, HYDRATES AND CONDITIONS
Hiiumaa Island in Estonia will be home to Eha, a new wellness destination that’s due to open in Q3 of 2026 with views of a UNESCO-protected biosphere reserve.
Located on the Baltic Sea with sandy beaches and rare biodiversity, two-thirds of the island’s terrain is forested.
Co-founders Eva Maran and Sonni Aswani have created the retreat with support from global experts Think Hospitality Consulting. The ethos of the retreat will be rooted in sustainability, seasonality and community.
The intimate destination will have only eight suites and three forest cabins for accommodation, housing up to 22 guests at a time. The minimalist Nordic-style buildings have been designed by architect Tiit Trummal, with interiors by Studio Argus, UNT+Co and Vaikla Studio.
“Choosing Hiiumaa was never a strategic decision on a map – it was a homecoming,” Maran told Spa Business. “My grandfather was born on this island and its forests, storms and long horizons have shaped my sense of what true restoration feels like.”
She explained that Eha has been kept intentionally small because they want every guest to feel ‘held’
by the land, not crowded by it. “In a place this quiet, with skies this dark and nature this present, intimacy isn’t a luxury detail; it’s the condition that allows real transformation to happen,” she said.
The holistic spa will have treatment rooms as well as indoor and outdoor pools with views of nature.
Thermal suites will include multiple saunas (both indoors and outdoors) and there will be a mindfulness and yoga studio for group and individual sessions.
The spa will also have technology-free zones to support digital detoxification and promote rest.
The wellness philosophy for the distinct retreat programmes incorporates nature and the rhythm of the island’s five seasons: summer, spring, autumn, winter and springrise.
Springrise is described as “a hidden hinge in the year” and the programming is designed to be gentle yet transformative – recognising a transition period for recalibration and looking forward to the next season.
Guests will be guided through season-related activations and rituals for movement, nutrition,
rest and reflection, with wellness director Kai Laus, from Estonia, leading the programmes.
During the autumn retreat, for example, activities will include thermal rituals, breathwork workshops, aerial yoga, t’ai chi and functional nutrition classes exploring fermentation, medicinal mushrooms and mindful eating.
Treatments will be inspired by Estonian healing traditions, with rituals such as whole-body peat wraps from the island’s mineral-rich wetlands, birch sauna ceremonies, wild herb foraging and dawn mist walks. Sound bathing, journalling and meditation will also be on offer.
The sound journey at the retreat has been curated by a company specialising in immersive audio experiences called Olo. The bespoke soundscapes will reflect the nature of the island.
The culinary programme will be guided by Green Michelin Star chef Peeter Pihel – a Green Michelin Star is awarded to those specialising in sustainable gastronomy (www.spabusiness.com/greenstar).
The organic kitchen garden’s seasonal food will be accompanied by ingredients produced and foraged locally, such as seaweed and fermented forest berries.
Eha gives us the opportunity to design a guest experience built around presence, clarity and genuine personal support
Amber Gauci-Ward, GM, Eha
Amber Gauci-Ward, a wellness professional known for her experience in transformational wellness retreats, has been appointed as general manager for Eha.
She has international experience in operational innovation, neuroscience, somatic practice, biophilic design and the management of community-centred wellness destinations. Most recently, she oversaw the launch of Verdala Wellness Hotel in Malta.
As GM, Gauci-Ward will lead Eha’s operational launch and curate the strategy for guest experiences.
Gauci-Ward told Spa Business: “Eha gives us the opportunity to design a guest experience built around presence, clarity and genuine personal support. The opportunity to steward a retreat so intentionally designed, from its architecture to its rituals to its relationship with the local community, is incredibly meaningful to me.”
Five-night retreats cost €5,850 (US$6,350, £5,000) per person, based on double occupancy. This price includes all dining experiences and a curated programme of holistic wellness treatments.
The entire retreat will also be available for exclusive use on request. l
Elevate your offering with a high-impact wellness solution.
Boutique wellness brand, has partnered with performance and recovery brand Salt Fitness at the Loews Atlanta Hotel in Georgia, US.
The Exhale Atlanta location, within the 414-key hotel, is now a co-branded partnership described as a wellness club with membership plans.
The renovated facility now offers Exhale’s new menu of spa treatments and its signature barre and yoga classes. There is also a gym with Technogym equipment.
The new services Salt will provide include a coach-led strength and conditioning programme of classes called Train by Salt. Modern Pilates by Salt is another series, providing reformer-based training.
A fresh space has been dedicated to therapies to support training,
The new facility has been described as a wellness club with membership plans
called Recover by Salt. This area features contrast therapy, red light therapy, compression and percussive experiences. Sessions have been designed to improve circulation and reduce fatigue.
There are three types of monthly rolling memberships: Fitness US$189
(€173, £150), Spa US$159 (€146, £126) and Salt US$294 (€269, £232). Fitness offers access to Exhale classes, Spa is for treatments and use of the facilities, while Salt offers a combination of these plus the new Salt Fitness classes.
Thermal sauna and wellness training company Anada has collaborated with Irish seaweed skincare company Voya to create two thermal ritual protocols inspired by the ocean.
The training, which will launch internationally in March, has been developed to help spa teams capitalise on the global resurgence of sauna bathing culture and desire for immersive wellness experiences.
The two rituals combine Voya’s rich marine heritage creating marine products and operating seawater baths and Anada’s contemporary thermotherapy ceremonies.
The Voya Thermal Rituals course will be supported by certified professional training in technical, sensory and performance skills to ensure consistent standards.
Both rituals last 15-17 minutes each. The Tides of Renewal is a group sauna ceremony that’s described as deeply restorative. It combines a seaweed infusion, guided breathwork and choreographed saunamaster towel artistry. Designed to harmonise the nervous system, the ritual is said to stimulate circulation and reconnect guests with the rhythm of the sea.
The Ocean Replenish steam ritual incorporates Voya’s seaweed products in a skin exfoliation protocol, followed by a cooling compress that’s used to rebalance the body.
Deborah Carr, founder of Anada, said: “We’re making these immersive experiences more accessible and structured for spa partners.”
Grand Hotel des Bains
Kempinski St Moritz, Switzerland, has partnered with regenerative medicine provider Image Regenerative Institute (IRI) to enhance its spa and wellness offering.
The IRI is run by professor Carlo Tremolada, whose specialism is regenerative medicine.
The IRI in St Moritz is a sister location to Tremolada’s Image Regenerative Clinic in Milan, Italy.
Tremolada is known for inventing his Lipogems system; a concept that uses fat as though it is a regenerative organ.
Lipogems takes a patient’s own fat tissue, processing it in a closed sterile device and injecting this tissue back into an injured or damaged area to heal it. The treatment is often used for patients with sports injuries, osteoarthritis, chronic non-healing wounds and reconstructive plastic surgery.
The IRI has opened in a dedicated wing of a neighbouring private hospital called Klinik Gut, a fourminute walk from the hotel. The hotel is the primary hospitality partner for the medical destination.
While the properties are part of the same architectural complex, there
are plans to create direct internal access for guests in the future. Norman Zweyer, marketing manager for the hotel told Spa Business: “We are creating a unique destination for longevity in the heart of the Alps.”
Spa industry trainer and wellness educator Christine Clinton has worked with health and wellness music provider Myndstream to create a self-guided treatment training protocol called Energy Revive.
Delivered as either a 60-minute standalone therapy or a 30-minute treatment, the protocol combines breathwork, heat, aromatherapy and energy techniques with speciallycomposed functional music.
The Energy Revive soundscape has been developed by Myndstream to match the energy and rhythm of the treatment.
The protocol will teach therapists how to use music to enhance
guest relaxation and provide nervous system regulation. It is also said to promote a sense of clarity, vitality and balance for both the guest and the therapist.
The ritual draws inspiration from the yellow quartz crystal called citrine, which is supposed to have uplifting qualities and is associated with positive energy.
Clinton, who has more than 35 years’ experience in the health and wellness sector, said: “Energy Revive is about creating space for guests and therapists to reconnect, recharge and deliver an experience that feels effortless yet transformative.”
Therme Group has appointed Tan Boon Khai as CEO of Therme Group Singapore.
He will lead the development of the group’s urban wellbeing destination at the city’s Marina South Coastal site, which is due to open in 2030.
Therme Singapore will be an SG$1 billion (US$768 million, €664 million, £507 million) wellness attraction with a 4-hectare footprint on the waterfront.
A lawyer by training, Boon Khai has more than 30 years’ experience working in Singapore’s public
Therme Singapore will enhance the quality of life for both locals and visitors
Tan Boon Khai
and private sectors across project development and operations.
Prior to joining Therme Group, he was CEO of JTC Corporation, a Singaporean government agency that develops sustainable infrastructure.
Boon Khai said:
“I’m honoured to join Therme Group at such a pivotal moment in its global journey.”
Spa design consultancy TLee Spas and Wellness has appointed Jeanine Allpress-Cliffe as vice president.
Allpress-Cliffe will lead the firm’s strategic growth, develop client partnerships and guide its global wellness vision as the industry continues to evolve beyond traditional spa models.
Allpress-Cliffe has more than 20 years’ experience with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts in sales leadership and experience strategy. She has represented more than 150 Four Seasons hotels worldwide, working with teams across cultures and destinations to create commercially successful and emotionally resonant guest experiences.
As part of her new role, she will strengthen client relationships and support the expanding portfolio of clients seeking advice on wellness programming, experience design and integrated hospitality strategy.
Allpress-Cliffe said: “I’m deeply excited to leverage my love of beautiful
TLee’s ethos deeply resonates with how I’ve always approached hospitality
Jeanine Allpress-Cliffe
spaces with my passion for curated, experience-led wellness. TLee’s ethos, designing wellness as a journey and not a checklist, deeply resonates with how I’ve always approached hospitality.”
The company believes Allpress-Cliffe will satisfy demand from clients seeking concepts that are culturally grounded and operationally viable.
Beyond her corporate leadership background, she is a trained mindful health and wellness practitioner. She has experience in meditation, hypnotherapy, visualisation and energy-based practices.
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After 25 years at non-profit academic medical group practice, Mayo Clinic, Dr Dawn Mussallem has become chief medical officer at US longevity clinic company, Fountain Life. Mussallem is a specialist in oncology and haematology and an assistant professor of medicine.
She has also been a diagnostic breast specialist at Mayo Clinic’s Robert and Monica Jacoby Centre for Breast Health and she founded the institution’s Integrative Medicine and Breast Health Programme in 2015.
Her work in breast medicine, lifestyle medicine, integrative oncology and cancer survivorship is informed by her own lived experience of cancer. Mussallem received a diagnosis of stage 4 cancer after three months of medical school
Actor and wellness entrepreneur, Hugh Jackman, has become a global ambassador for nutrition supplement company AG1, formerly known as Athletic Greens.
He will front the company’s global campaign called Good Morning, Hugh, to market the use of the brand’s supplements in the mornings as part of a wellbeing ritual that ‘sets the tone for the day’.
Jackman has been a strategic investor in AG1 since 2021 and has incorporated AG1’s Daily Health
I’ve been drinking AG1 for years because it’s an easy way to take care of myself
Hugh Jackman
Drink into his diet for more than five years. His doctor recommended he take the product, which has a blend of vitamins, probiotics, antioxidants and superfoods. It has since become a part of his routine to support his energy, gut health and immune system.
Jackman said: “I’ve been drinking AG1 for years because it’s an easy way to take care of myself. It fits into my life wherever I am and it’s become part of my morning that I don’t really have to think about.”
The campaign will include a 30-second video of Jackman waking early and tap dancing – due to a surge in energy after drinking AG1’s formula – annoying his downstairs neighbours.
Jackman is also a shareholder at Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat in Australia (find out more at www.spabusiness.com/ 16_3jackman).
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and later, in 2021, she became a heart transplant recipient.
She told Spa Business, “In my role as chief medical officer at Fountain Life, I have the opportunity to build the longevity clinic at scale, make world-class prevention accessible and ultimately democratise wellness.”
http://lei.sr/5s2y8_B
The future of healthcare must move upstream towards prevention, with the same intensity we bring to cure
Dawn Mussallem
At Elemental Herbology, our philosophy is rooted in the Five Elements of Traditional Chinese Medicine - wood, fire, earth, metal and water. We believe true wellbeing comes from harmony, and our mission is to help every guest achieve balance in skin, body and mind.
Our expertly crafted treatments blend the power of natural actives with therapeutic techniques to deliver transformative spa experiences. From revitalising body rituals to tailored facial therapies, each treatment is designed to restore energy, nurture the senses and reveal healthy, radiant skin.
Partnered with leading luxury hotels, wellness retreats and spas around the world, we bring a holistic approach to modern wellbeing- one treatment at a time.
Discover Our Spas at elementalherbology.com/spas
We’re not a typical hotel management company. We’re building a global community
Chunxia Gao, global director of development and wellbeing, Discover Collection
Properties across the world – from Albania and Bhutan to Oman and Zambia – will form part of a new hospitality membership brand for consumers looking to travel with purpose and mindful luxury.
Discover Collection is backed by Bernhard Bohnenberger, former president of Six Senses, who is CEO, owner and co-founder, alongside private investors. It has plans to operate a selection of wellness-infused boutique hotels that celebrate the spirit of their locale, helping to preserve the ecosystems, habitats and cultural identities that make them unique.
The properties, with a maximum of 50 rooms, will be managed by Discover Collection in equal partnership with capital partners and guests will need to become members of the brand – at a starting cost of US$3,600 (€3,320, £2,850) a year – in order to stay.
“I was attracted to join Discover Collection because of its team and the vision,” Chunxia Gao, global director of development and wellbeing, tells Spa Business. “We’re not a typical hotel management company, we’re building a
global community of like-minded people who want to ‘unearth the uncommon’ by exploring the unique destinations we have. As part of that, we perceive human health to be inseparable from planetary and cultural health.”
As an economics major from Hainan University in China, Gao’s first job just happened to be at the largest indoor hot spring spa in the province.
She now has 25 years spa experience with brands such as Hilton, Minor and Six Senses.
Gao says the wellbeing philosophy of Discover Collection is anchored in Body, Mind, Soul and Heart and that the wellbeing centre will be called The Sanctuary. “We will not be a traditional spa; what we offer goes beyond that,” she states.
“Having time is a luxury and as an antidote to our fast-paced, ‘always on’ lifestyles, we’ll offer guests chances to breathe deeply and slow down. They can expect mindful moments and healing rituals at The Sanctuary, along with art therapies and creative workshops.”
Bespoke wellbeing is another key element. “There will be no standardised menu and the journey will be personalised,”
says Gao, explaining that a consultation addressing members’ concerns will determine holistic treatment options that therapists can customise using local ingredients and essential oils.
“I don’t see a lack of standards in five-star hotels; I see standards being too prescriptive and therapists being trained to follow them too rigidly. We won’t be giving our members a long list of treatments, as wellbeing shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all. It starts with intention and a creative approach and is executed with a lot of attention to detail.
“And we’ll never follow trends. We’ll do the right thing rather than the popular thing,” she says. Discover Collection members will also have access to the brand’s wellbeing practitioners’ services beyond the duration of their stay, which Gao sees as a big advantage.
“The membership model means we follow up with guests after their stay and they remain in our ecosystem. We want them to get results by being consistent, rather than coming back to us and having to start from square one again.”
The first of a dozen properties will open in the Middle East in September. Discover Collection Ras Amud, Oman – a 32-villa site, will be located on the Musandam Peninsula, overlooking the Hajar Mountains and the Sea of Oman.
“It’s a unique site with very special energy,” says Gao.
“The Sanctuary is carved out of the rocks, nestled 5m below the ground, while still offering unobstructed sea views.”
The collection will feature small properties with low impact on the regions they serve
There will be five standalone treatment suites, individually styled like private villas, says Gao. Each will have its own relaxation area and a different combination of thermal facilities, such as a sauna and steamroom, an infrared sauna and Epsom ice bath, or a Russian banya.
All Discover Collection properties will either be restored or newbuilds, but the company is not planning to take over properties in need of major refurbishment.
The collection will be varied, from tented camps to historic chateaux. Some will also offer residential properties for purchase.
Next to open, following Ras Amud, Oman in September, will
A joining fee will be entirely donated to a philanthropic foundation
be Discover Collection Lemomo in Kenya, which will open in December, offering immersive Maasai cultural experiences, access to the wildlife of Amboseli National Park and views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Discover Collection Château de Pommard in Burgundy, France, is set follow in Q3 2027. Then in Q4 2027, both Discover Collection Catoche on Holbox Island, at the top of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and Discover Collection Il Ngwesi in Kenya will open.
Other properties are planned in Ireland, Greece, Albania, Zambia, Botswana and Bhutan.
Sustainability will be a hallmark of the brand’s offerings, with environmentally responsible principles followed and alignment with local agriculture, architecture, water and waste management systems.
A membership joining fee of US$650 (€560, £490) will be entirely donated to the Discover Collection
Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting local conservancy and philanthropic efforts. One per cent of global membership dues, as well as revenue and royalties from the sale of residential properties will also be used to fund the foundation.
“Discover Collection consists of individuals who are passionate about mindful travel, authentic hospitality and making a positive impact in the world,” says Gao, saying sustainability comes naturally to her thanks to 17 years at Six Senses. “I learned that everything we do matters, even if it may seem insignificant – from avoiding singleuse plastic or protecting nature to eating local seasonal vegetables and choosing to walk or cycle rather than drive. These also have positive health benefits in return.”
She concludes: “My long-term ambition is that we will truly make a difference to the health and wellbeing of our members, our team and each local community we’re part of.” l
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This book is for individuals
“All the drama in your life begins and ends with you,” says Eric Stephenson, in a line that quietly underpins his approach to leadership, wellbeing and business.
He’s just published a new book, The Six Superpowers Within, drawing on decades advising iconic global hospitality and wellness brands.
In it, he explores the inner strengths that support sustainable performance – from nervous system regulation to psychological safety. But what’s the story behind the book and what are the takeaways for spas?
What was the inspiration for The Six Superpowers Within?
In November of 2021, I lost my father – the only hero I ever had – to COVID-19. As you can imagine, I felt numb for weeks. In the following months, a deep reflection haunted me: ‘now what?’ I made a commitment: ‘I’m going to finally write this book before it’s my turn to ride in that hearse.’ And so, I did.
The inspiration also came from teaching over 600 live events in 15 countries, working with brands such as Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton and Marriott. During this time, I recognised patterns in behaviour, as well as core competencies for personal and business success.
These form the six superpowers I present in the book.
Stephenson is developing practical strategies to help teams thrive
What does it focus on?
Each chapter explores an inner strength – the Autonomic Nervous System, Safety and Trust, Vision and Values, Self-Care, Life Design and Contentment – offering tools and practices to tap into them.
These are natural, powerful internal resources that are already within you, waiting to be remembered.
This book isn’t about forcing growth. It’s about aligning with our own rhythms so we can thrive.
You describe ‘kindness’ as an ‘uberpower’. What do you mean by that?
I view drama as a negative, voluntary action or behaviour which drains our most precious resources – time, money, health and harmonious relationships –creating unnecessary stress. The opposite to this negativity – its kryptonite if you like – is kindness.
Not the watered-down, soft-spoken kind. Not the ‘be nice’ variety that avoids conflict at all costs. I’m talking about the kind that takes courage and guts: the conscious choice to demonstrate empathy, accountability and resilience. This is the uberpower that connects the six core strengths I explore in the book.
What can people in the spa and wellness industry learn from your book?
Overall, it’s for individuals seeking transformation. People who recognise that doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results is illogical.
In my observation, nervous system regulation and psychological safety are pillars for the success of any spa because they’re so badly needed. Lack of safety and trust, paired with a dysregulated nervous system has negative downstream effects. Sadly, a
significant portion of our population lives this reality daily. Even those at the highest levels of society.
Beyond the book, how are you working with people around these ideas?
My mission is to help leaders and teams create world-class, drama-free workplaces. My battle cry is ‘kindness means business’.
I’m working with businesses and organisations to provide keynotes and workshops. In addition, I’m hosting retreats in the US and internationally and offering private coaching.
Have you already begun thinking about your next book?
Indeed, I have. I’m currently working with an industrial psychologist to expand on my signature Kindness KPIs to turn kindness, accountability and resilience into practical strategies to enable teams to thrive.
Author
1. Autonomic Nervous System (The Seed)
Our nervous system shapes how we experience stress and safety. Without awareness, we default to fight or flight mode, fuelling burnout and anxiety. Simple practices, such as the physiological sigh – two quick inhales followed by a slow exhale – calm the body in minutes, creating a real-time reset.
Safety is the bedrock of thriving. When we feel emotionally and physically secure, we take bolder, more authentic steps. Teams flourish when psychological safety is prioritised – even over intelligence and skill. When accompanied with clearly defined goals, it allows risk-taking without fear.
3. Vision & Values (The Trunk)
Our values and vision give structure to our lives. Like a tree’s trunk, they support everything else.
Sleep, rest, nourishment and joy are not indulgences, they’re essential
Identify five to seven core values and use them as a compass for decisions. When facing challenges, ask: ‘Does this align with what matters most?’
4. Self-Care (The Branches)
Self-care is the extension of our values into everyday life. Sleep, rest, nourishment and joy aren’t indulgences – they’re essential. Start by carving out 2–4 hours of me time in your calendar each week for something that recharges you, whether it’s a hike, a movie, or a massage. Guard that block of time with your life!
5. Life Design (The Leaves)
Life design is conscious habit-shaping. Focus on who you want to become and don’t just strive for instant outcomes. Small daily practices – such as re-framing setbacks as lessons –create the neural pathways that make growth automatic and sustainable.
6. Contentment (The Fruit)
Contentment is living in alignment, not chasing fleeting pleasure. It comes from accepting life’s imperfections while finding joy in everyday moments. When your nervous system, safety, values, self-care and life design align, contentment naturally grows. ●
In a Spa Business exclusive, the CEO of BodyHoliday tells Katie Barnes how its first international move signals the start of a new chapter for the brand
W“e’re aiming to make the new BodyHoliday Algarve the best wellness holiday destination in the world,” says Andrew Barnard, CEO of BodyHoliday St Lucia. Since opening in 1988, the resort has offered guests the opportunity to reboot their physical and mental health and wellbeing, while training with professional athletes including Randy Moss and Julien Alfred. It’s also renowned for its high-end spa and wellness treatments and activities.
After devising a rollout strategy over the last decade, Barnard is ready to reveal details of growth plans for the iconic all-inclusive wellness brand.
Its first new destination, due to open in Portugal in late 2029, will mark the start of what he believes will be an exciting period of innovation for the business.
But this expansion isn’t simply about geography. In preparation for growth, BodyHoliday has formalised its operating structure, assembling both a senior executive team and non-executive board, with deep experience across global hospitality, finance, wellness and large-scale development. The move also signals a shift for the founder-led operation to being a business that’s engineered to scale.
Portugal will be funded and operated by Barnard and his team, with the aim of creating a management company capable of running multiple BodyHolidays. If the property in Portugal is well received, and Barnard says he feels in his bones that it will be, the plan is to open a further 10-15 BodyHoliday resorts globally in the next 15 years.
I’ve never worked this hard – it’s as terrifying as it is fun, says Barnard
LOOKING
INTEND
BodyHoliday values lifestyle and fun over full-on diagnostics
It’s been going through our minds for about 10 years. Other operators are enjoying growth – SHA has moved to ‘our side’ of the world and now we’re coming to Europe. You realise you’re not bound by geography.
As an island nation that relies on international guests, St Lucia is also very vulnerable to small changes in the market. With aviation fuel costs rising, prices have shot up and now only British Airways flies direct from the UK.
A few years ago, an ash cloud from Iceland shut down transatlantic air space for weeks – what if it had lasted a year? You also have to consider the future of aviation with climate concerns.
All these factors were tipping the scales and we thought we can’t just sit here and wait to be killed.
I realised early on how formulaic the financial structure in the European hotel and leisure industry is. Deals between developers, operators and equity providers are all agreed on a spreadsheet – the brand, the ratios, the financing – making it incredibly difficult for an operator with 250-rooms in St Lucia to break through [BodyHoliday and sister resort, StolenTime combined].
Daily spa treatments are part of the all-inclusive wellness holidays
The promise has always been: ‘Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind’
We wanted to do something different and realised the complexity of it demanded a really powerful leadership team.
For years, the business has lived in my father’s head and in mine. We’ve run it and lived it. At the same time, I’ve seen other operators grow quickly and then find their systems and processes were completely inadequate. We were determined that wouldn’t happen to us. Our leadership team and non-executive board bring us discipline and rigour that will stand up to any auditor in the world.
It’s a huge cultural shift. We have opposing views sometimes and we’re all forceful characters. They’re beginning to see that the founder-led approach is what truly creates the magic and helping to refine and standardise it, while keeping a clear focus on what makes a BodyHoliday a BodyHoliday.
The team includes Jeremy Plummer, a six-time returning guest. He’s been fundamental to pulling the team together and his energy is unbelievable.
I KNOW IT WILL WORK – I KNOW IT IN MY BONES
Indu Brar, COO: Over 30 years in luxury hotels, including GM roles at Fairmont. Most recently, she led the Accor technology strategy across North and Central America
Jean-Charles Denis, CFO: Seasoned finance leader with more than a decade at IHG, contributing to the growth and strategic management of its global portfolio
Kevin Bundy, project director: 20-plus years in property development, including the redevelopment of London’s Battersea Power Station and projects for Soho House
Jeremy Plummer, chair: Retired global chief investment officer of CBRE Investment Management, overseeing US$120 billion in real estate and infrastructure assets
Alice Avis MBE, non-executive director: Former CEO of The Sanctuary Spa Group, with prior senior roles at Marks and Spencer, Diageo and Bain and Company
Mia Kyricos, non-executive director: Former global head of wellbeing at Hyatt, and global director of spa brands for Starwood; founding board member of the Global Wellness Institute
Jean-Charles Denis brings massive experience in hotel finance and governance and Indu Brar is incredibly meticulous, insistent on changing processes now because it will cost us in the future if we don’t.
I’ve never worked like this in my life. It’s go, go, go and it’s as terrifying as it is fun.
Many of our counterparts, such as Lanserhof and Canyon Ranch, take a different approach with the programmes they offer. Guests don’t visit us to get diagnosed to the nth degree – we’re more about lifestyle.
We have a beautiful location and pride ourselves on personalisation, but focus on the tried-and-tested modalities of simply staying fit, eating well and feeling emotionally balanced, while also enjoying unpredictability and the fun things in life. It also comes down to the primary reason for travel. Wellness is now ubiquitous in hospitality, but in consumers’ minds, brands have known values. People visit Aman for status and Four Seasons for its undisputed standards. In our case, it’s for transformative, emotional, physical and spiritual experience.
We’ve evolved over the years, but fundamentally we still cater for stressed-out executives. The difference today is that they have less time than ever. This doesn’t mean shorter stays, it means people are combining their leisure time with wellness.
We have a high repeat visit rate –50 per cent annually and up to 80 per cent in high season. The UK has traditionally been our biggest market, accounting for 80 per cent of visitors. However, since Virgin Atlantic stopped direct flights from London, it makes up 45 per cent of business, with the rest coming mostly from the US.
Because we’ve always had such a big British clientele. You can get a return flight from the UK for under £200 (US$273, €232) in high season. That’s a game-changer for us.
It’s also in the EU, so its easy to do business and accessible to 350 million people. Parts of Europe bake at 45˚C in the summer, but in Portugal, the average is 30˚C and we get the Atlantic breeze.
The food, the culture, the landscapes and the people also add so much magic.
My father, Craig, and I searched Europe for the right location. When we stepped onto the land in Portugal, we knew immediately it was unique.
It’s a 26-acre site in the Eastern Algarve with 100,000sq m of beautiful, white, cotton-soft sandy beach – pretty much the last plot of its size on that coast. The development occupies a rare and tranquil setting next to Ria Formosa, a protected marshland and nature reserve.
WHEN WE STEPPED ONTO THE LAND, WE KNEW IMMEDIATELY IT WAS UNIQUE
Gensler are the architects and Clodagh will lead the spa design. There will be 175 accommodation units and – in a first for us – a residential component of 30 one-, two- and three-bedroom apartments to reduce the risk.
Kevin Bundy is a brilliant project director and we’re due to start building in early 2027, with an estimated opening of late 2029.
It’s going to be a different kind of experience. Ikos/Sani has subdivided the all-inclusive market to become the best for families in the Mediterranean. We aim to do that for all-inclusive wellness and intend to be disruptors in that space.
We’ll offer our signature BodyHoliday sports programmes, cutting-edge fitness facilities and multiple pools. The 40,000sq ft wellness centre will feature more than 40 treatment
rooms and a 50-minute daily treatment –such as a facial, massage, scrub or wrap – is included in each holiday programme.
Ayurveda is core to who we are and we’ll also absorb the local wellness culture because that’s the fun stuff and it’s something you can offer wherever you are – from the saunas of Finland and Sweden and the thalassotherapy of France and Greece, to the hammams of the Middle East and temazcals of Mexico.
Mia Kyricos, one of our non-exec directors, will bring a massive depth to our wellness offering, ensuring it’s relevant, up-to-date and well-structured. She’s bigger than life and full of love and that aligns beautifully with who we are. Alice Avis, with her business acumen and beauty industry expertise, is fantastic and brings huge knowledge from a product and standardisation point of view.
While BodyHoliday’s next chapter is focused on scale, systems and international growth, its origins are deeply rooted in St Lucia and a pioneering approach to wellness long before the sector existed as it does today
What’s the link with St Lucia?
It goes back 350 years, over multiple generations, with ties to the military, church, education and coal exports. I’m half English and half West Indian and feel very rooted here.
How did your family get into hospitality?
When the government built an airport next to our holiday house in the 1960s, my grandfather created Malabar Beach Resort to start tourism on the island.
Over a period of 60 years, Malabar grew into StolenTime, an all-inclusive relaxation, rejuvenation and spiritual wellbeing brand, in 2022.
So how did BodyHoliday come about?
By the mid-1980s, all-inclusives were thriving. My father bought a former Steigenberger hotel in the north of St Lucia and started brainstorming other approaches with George Whitfield and Harry Yates. They were the brilliant brand development guys behind the first all-inclusive resorts in Jamaica –Couples and Hedonism, with its tag line ʻBe wicked for a week’.
George said: ʻYou know, there’s this new thing happening. Jane Fonda’s on TV, people are realising smoking is bad and exercising and looking good is becoming important’. They decided to play to that crowd: stressed-out baby boomer executives.
LeSport (now BodyHoliday) opened in 1988. Its promise was: ʻGive us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind’.
You say it was the first wellness holiday destination in the world?
It preceded both Chiva-Som and Six Senses. Golden Door and Rancho La Puerta were already open and there were the spas of Europe, but they were either centred around weight loss or felt very medical.
We had a 100-key hotel and a huge spa – thalassotherapy, hot and cold plunges, 36 treatment rooms and eight outdoor therapy areas – because two 30-minute modalities were included each day. We certainly had the first serious fitness facilities and gym in a hotel.
We had a French chef preparing nouvelle cuisine meals, plus all the fitness and even yoga and meditation for mental wellness.
But it wasn’t instantly popular?
It was groundbreaking, but travel agencies didn’t understand why wellness would be a motivation to travel. This was before the internet, when brochures showed a hotel room, restaurant and beach – and we used a picture of a woman doing yoga in an archway.
What gave you your break?
In 1991, Vogue sent a model, journalist and photographer to BodyHoliday and we ended up with 12 pages, which was like gold dust. We realised the power of direct consumer connection, stopped relying on the travel trade and started advertising in publications such as The Sunday Times and Condé Nast Traveller. Only a couple of years ago, I met a woman in her 60s at BodyHoliday who was visiting because of that same Vogue article 35 years ago!
When did you get involved?
I grew up working in our hotels every school holiday. I officially joined the business in 2001, in my mid-20s. Like my father, I went to EHL and became general manager in 2006.
INTERVIEW: ANDREW BARNARD
Fitness and adventure programmes are core to the BodyHoliday offering
What’s the rollout strategy?
We’re looking to open 10–15 properties in the next 15 years and intend to be a significant global player through our management company.
BodyHoliday Algarve will be our ‘showroom’ because we need proof of concept and once we’ve proven the model, finding our future partners will be a lot easier.
What world regions will you target?
We’re looking at further sites across Europe, as well as considering areas of the Middle East, while Costa Rica and Belize are also possibilities.
Any other ambitions for brand expansion?
I’m keenly watching what Six Senses is doing with its urban Six Senses Place clubs (see p66). That’s an exciting move.
What will you look for in future sites?
There has to be an attachment to nature and a body of water because the human spirit feels that blue-green connection. But the location doesn’t have to be coastal – I could see it working by a lake in the Alps.
In some ways, the advantage of a destination spa is that it’s difficult to copy within an existing hotel footprint, so we’ll focus on new-builds and only consider taking over properties where there’s flexibility and potential for expansion.
Is the ultimate goal to sell?
I won’t know until I get there. My family has been in hospitality for 60 years and now our son – who’s grown up with BodyHoliday and is super healthy and fitness-orientated – is showing interest. There’s too much love in this right now to call it. l
BodyHoliday will bring its fresh food culture to the property in Portugal
BodyHoliday
As the contrast therapy trend skyrockets, how can operators optimise existing facilities and ensure guests have an enjoyable and e ective experience, rather than feeling shamed because they can’t tolerate freezing temperatures? Kath Hudson reports
While contrast therapy isn’t new to the spa and wellness sector, consumer awareness about it and the rise in popularity of recovery means alternating hot and cold experiences have swiftly become a must-have.
This therapy can offer massive benefits for recovery and the nervous system, however, without instruction there’s the potential things such as cold plunge to provoke competitive behaviour and become confusing to use or even dangerous to end users – in a previous issue of Spa Business, we highlighted the potential risk of cold water immersion (www.spabusiness.com/cwi).
As most research on contrast bathing has been conducted on men, less is known about how things such as cold plunging affects women’s hormones and stress response, but it is known that they respond differently from men.
Men can generate more metabolic heat through shivering and their muscle mass, meaning they can tolerate and benefit from colder, longer plunges. Women rely on vasoconstriction, cool faster at rest and find extreme cold more stressful, so often benefit less.
Stakeholders heading up the Cryotherapy Initiative of the Global Wellness Institute have just released a white paper outlining the health impact of whole-body cryotherapy experiences compares to short (3-8 minute) and long (15-minute plus) cold water immersion sessions (see www.spabusiness.com/gwi_cryotherapy).
It’s important to note that the types of heat and cold experiences available have different impacts – whether it’s a mix of cold and hot plunges, showers, steam/ snow rooms or even cryotherapy.
Recent studies suggest warm water bathing could yield better health benefits than saunas (www.spabusiness.com/liquidassets), while research by the American Council of Exercise shows immersion in warm water after exercise amplifies the effect of a strength training session (see p122), so post cold plunges should be avoided if muscle growth is the aim.
Ultimately, nothing to do with contrast therapy is self-explanatory, so what are the dos and don’ts of offering a safe, effective and enjoyable experience, to ensure operators make the most of these areas and guests receive the optimum health benefits? We ask the experts...
As most research on contrast bathing has been conducted on men, less is known about how women respond
Some women find extreme cold more stressful than men, due to their physiology
Lasse Eriksen, development manager, Farris Bad
The key principle of contrast therapy is balance. It’s not about testing limits or proving toughness, but about creating harmony between heat, cold and recovery, so the body feels refreshed rather than depleted.
Preparation is essential. Guests should come well-hydrated for training and sweats – ideally two to three hours before, sipping water with electrolytes. A well-prepared body adapts more smoothly to changes in temperature and manages the intensity of the cold more effectively. The experience itself should be kept safe, simple and supportive. Short dips in the cold, even just for a few seconds, are often enough when followed by warming and rest. Multiple rounds can be beneficial, but the focus should always be on quality over quantity. What matters most is not how long someone spends in the water, but how they feel during and afterwards. Recovery is especially important, it’s during the resting phase that the body recalibrates and the mind and body return to balance. From a physiological perspective, this rhythm of heat, cold and rest has
deeper effects than just relaxation. Time in the sauna stimulates heat shock proteins, which protect cells from stress and support faster recovery. Cold immersion is known to reduce inflammation and can trigger short bursts of growth hormone release as the body reheats, as well as supporting tissue repair and resilience.
The alternation of heat and cold, therefore, acts not just as a ritual, but as a biological reset sharpening circulation, reducing soreness and helping the body adapt to future stress. However, contrast therapy should never be turned into a competition and staff should avoid prescribing strict timings. Guests should also avoid contrast therapy when unwell. Like training, it’s most effective when the body is healthy and resilient.
Everyone’s tolerance is unique. The best approach is to provide options: offering plunge pools or showers at different temperatures, along with education that encourages guests to self-regulate. Many spas do this by creating a spectrum of experiences, from very cold plunges to softer cooling showers, so each person can find their own level.
Time in the sauna stimulates heat shock proteins, while cold immersion can trigger short bursts of growth hormone release as the body reheats
The snow shower feels natural and gentle, transforming the cool-down phase into an enjoyable, multi-sensory experience
INSIGHT
TechnoAlpin offers a more gentle cooling experience
Snowsky by TechnoAlpin Indoor involves soft, real snowflakes falling continuously to cool the body quickly while using little water (11 litres an hour).
Unlike some other cold solutions, the snow shower feels natural and gentle, transforming the cooldown phase into an enjoyable and multi-sensory experience.
The benefits of cooling with snow are similar to other cold therapies – from improved circulation and muscle recovery to enhanced relaxation – but being gentle makes it more accessible and appealing for a wider range of people, especially first-time users, women, or anyone who prefers a softer cold experience.
As snow is natural it interacts with the body and creates a harmonious, biophilic experience, without the shock that can come with a cold plunge.
Snowsky can be integrated into a spa or health club, ideally after a hot experience.
How women experience the cold fluctuates through the month … The best experience serves the individual
The temperature of cold plunge pools must be calibrated with the needs of users
Personalisation matters when it comes to contrast therapy. There are physiological differences between men and women: men tend to have more muscle mass and higher heat production, while women have more insulation, temperature sensitivity and noticeable hormonal cycles.
This means how women experience the cold naturally fluctuates through the month. On some days, a gentler immersion might feel right; on others, the full cold can feel invigorating. The best experience isn’t about colder or longer, it’s about tuning in and meeting the cold in a way that serves the individual.
When starting out, going into water that’s around 7-10°C for about a minute is a great place to begin. As the body and mind adapts there can be progression to colder and longer immersions.
Multiple ice bath units give the flexibility to serve different experience levels at the same time.
As guests become more experienced in cold immersion, demand naturally shifts toward colder temperatures, but there will always be newcomers just starting their journey. The key is matching your infrastructure to your audience.
Intention shapes the experience of cold immersion: ‘why’ is more important than
‘how cold’ or ‘how long’. Some days are about building resilience and leaning into controlled stress; other days are about calming the system and recovery.
Cold immersion is no longer only a wellness trend. We’re working with some of the UK’s leading wellness and health and fitness operators, including David Lloyd Leisure and Village Hotels, which have integrated cold as core infrastructure rather than a nice-to-have. It drives acquisition and retention.
The operators doing it best are treating contrast therapy like any other training pillar: with intention, consistency and specialist equipment.
Colin Grant, founder, Re:set by Pure
Recovery is still new for many consumers, so our job is to make it safe, inspiring and accessible. We want people to enjoy it as part of their lifestyle, not just try it once, because that’s how recovery will become mainstream.
There are a number of important considerations when it comes to providing an effective and enjoyable contrast therapy experience. A range of modalities should be offered so people can combine heat, cold, compression, red light and more in a way that works for them. Fully trained staff and clear protocols are also essential to make sessions safe and purposeful.
Re:set by Pure in Hong Kong offers unique progressive cold showers with four stages, plus individual cold plunges. This gives people the choice of gradual adaptation or an instant full immersion, depending on their goals and comfort level.
Our progressive cold shower sequence has an exit after the second stage, so anyone can finish their journey in a way that’s right for their physiology. It’s about inclusion and flexibility, not one-size-fits-all.
We use a body meter which asks questions about customers’ physical and mental health, sleep quality and nutrition in order to smartly recommend which protocols they should undertake on that day to get the best results without over-stressing their body.
Every newcomer does a coached trial first before going solo. We want
them to understand why each modality matters and how to combine them.
Guidance is key. Individuals get more benefit when they understand the science and the sequencing.
We also offer a selection of group Re:set classes for various needs, such as pre- and post-workout, better sleep, jet lag and evening relaxation.
We use a body meter which asks questions about physical and mental health, sleep quality and nutrition to recommend protocols
To maintain hygiene, Third Space has plumbed in pools and filters the water for cold plunge
Clare
Asuccessful contrast therapy offering is built on safety, structure and expert guidance. Users must be made aware of any health considerations, such as cardiovascular conditions, before participating and should be advised on timing and hydration. Our instructors encourage members to listen to their bodies, pace themselves and prioritise comfort over ego.
Third Space offers two cold therapy experiences in London, UK. The Wimbledon club has a cold plunge pool within the wet spa, positioned next to the saunas. Comfortably accommodating up to eight people, it has a sociable, community-driven atmosphere.
The recovery spa at our Canary Wharf club features whole-body cryotherapy – a quick, dry and highlycontrolled cold exposure. In just 2-4 minutes, the chamber surrounds the body with extremely cold, dry air (-110 °C to -140 °C), rapidly cooling the skin to trigger vasoconstriction,
reduce inflammation and prompt the release of endorphins. Many find the dry cold more tolerable than water immersion, making it particularly accessible for newcomers. Due to factors such as body composition, hormonal cycles and circulation, women experience cold exposure differently, so it might be appropriate to start with shorter immersions or gradual entry. For cryotherapy, we adjust session times to deliver maximum benefit without unnecessary discomfort. Our staff actively monitor each participant, provide clear guidance and teach controlled breathing techniques to manage the body’s response.
Following the success of our pilot series, we launched guided sauna and cold plunge classes recently. Tailored for newcomers, these sessions provide expert coaching through two sauna rounds and at least two cold plunges. Users are introduced to breathwork to adapt to the cold, activate the parasympathetic nervous system
and experience calming benefits. Instructors share insights, lead guided stretches and adjust plunge durations to suit individual comfort. Many members enjoy the community aspect, creating connection and camaraderie. Alcohol is not recommended during or after sessions. It is dehydrating, a vasodilator and can interfere with the cardiovascular response to contrast therapy. If serving refreshments, electrolytes or decaffeinated herbal teas are preferable. For hygiene, Third Space has plumbed in all the baths and filters the water. ●
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Cleaner / conditioner for sauna, spa and wellness facilities. Disinfectant and cleaner for whirlpools and Jacuzzis
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Cleaner / conditioner for sauna, spa and wellness facilities. Disinfectant and cleaner for whirlpools and Jacuzzis
Kemitron , is manufacturer of high-quality products for the spa-, sauna-, and wellness market (technology, fragrances, cleaners, cosmetic). The company’s focus is on best quality and workmanship. All items are “made in Germany”.
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There’s been laughter, tension, inspiration, and yes, a few tears along the way
On the eve of Six Senses’ London debut, the brand’s strategic advisor, Anna Bjurstam, pens her personal reflections – revealing why Six Senses Place, its first members’ club, represents a pivotal evolution
Opening Six Senses Place London in March is a moment that feels both deeply personal and globally significant. It’s not just a new destination. It’s the expression of a concept that’s been evolving for over a decade. A response to the way our lives are shifting. A space where joy, wellness, culture and connection come together.
I first met Nick Yarnell years ago when Six Senses opened in Portugal’s picturesque Douro Valley. Even then, I could see his gift for creating spaces that feel alive. Now, as general manager of Six Senses London, he’s bringing that same presence and depth to the city (see p74).
Having him lead this opening feels like the right constellation of talent at the right moment.
We started, quite simply, by asking: ‘How do people want to live now?’ The answer was clear – life today is no longer compartmentalised. We used to work in one place, train in another, socialise somewhere else and retreat home to rest. But now, the lines have blurred. We work, move, connect and recharge all within the same few spaces.
Six Senses Place is our answer to that reality. A concept built not around a single function, but around the whole human experience. A place that allows for movement and stillness, celebration and solitude, inspiration and reflection. And the beauty is you choose how much of each you want.
This wasn’t about creating something shiny and new. It was about listening. We asked people how they spend their day. How they want to feel. What they crave and what they’re missing. And what emerged was something that doesn’t exist today: a truly integrated club that makes space for both social life and serious wellness.
A lot of traditional social clubs have tried to bolt on wellness, but it rarely works. True wellness takes infrastructure, expertise and deep commitment. On the other side, we’ve seen wellness clubs try to become more social, but they tend to snap back into being wellness-only. No one’s truly managed to integrate both – until now.
At Six Senses, we already had the wellness foundation. So we flipped the model. What we’ve created is a space of belonging, culture, sustainability and connection enriched by a robust and advanced wellness offering. And crucially, it’s voluntary. You can be fully social and never enter Six Senses Spa. Or you can spend your days immersed in biohacking and breathwork, with just the occasional social touchpoint.
The process of getting here has been anything but linear. We’ve been working on developing this concept since 2016, when the idea first took shape. We asked ourselves, what if we extended the Six Senses experience beyond hotel stays? What if we created hubs where people could come on a daily or weekly basis, weaving wellness and connection into the fabric of their everyday lives?
It’s involved deep dives, endless brainstorming and courageous conversations. And I’ve been incredibly fortunate to work with visionaries who helped shape this idea into something real. This was not created in a vacuum. It was co-created, debated and refined through honest dialogue and diverse perspectives. There’s been laughter, tension, inspiration, and yes, a few tears along the way. Because when you’re creating something that doesn’t yet exist, there’s no playbook. You feel your way forward and you keep asking: ‘What would make this truly matter in people’s lives?’
Six Senses London will officially open on 1 March 2026, marking the brand’s arrival in the UK and a significant step in its urban evolution. Located in The Whiteley, a department store dating back to 1883, the hotel is part of a £1 billion (US$1.4 billion, €1.2 billion) mixed-use redevelopment featuring 125 residences with architecture by Foster + Partners.
Designed by AvroKO, Six Senses London will have 109 rooms and suites, 14 branded residences (in addition to The Whiteley residencies), multiple dining venues, a 2,300sq m Six Senses Spa and – central to the proposition – the brand’s first members' club: Six Senses Place.
On entering Six Senses London, a grand staircase in the lobby leads up to Six Senses Place.
Separate from the spa, this is a social/work/wellbeing club with a bar and lounge, restaurant, private dining rooms and co-working and meeting spaces. The standout feature is the Longevity Medical Clinic operated by Hum2n, which boasts in-depth diagnostics and personalised protocols (see p71).
Annual memberships range from £3,000 (US$4,073, €3,440) to £37,000 (US$50,239, €42,433). (see p75).
Spread across one expansive floor beneath the hotel, the Six Senses Spa is anchored by a 20m lap pool and hydrothermal experiences by Barr+Wray, including a cold plunge and magnesium pool, a steamroom, Finnish sauna and bio sauna. These form the basis of its thermal journey.
Corridors lead past reflecting pools to the Recovery Lounge.
Another first for Six Senses, the lounge offers interventions such as a vibroacoustic bed to reset the nervous system, compression boots and a vibration roller for stiff muscles.
A 325sq m fitness centre includes a light-filled studio for aerial yoga as well as a biohacking lounge featuring high-tech devices such as Vasper – the cooling, compression and training system – a HIIT Carol bike, a spine inversion table and a Juvent vibration platform.
Body and face therapies by UK skincare specialist Annee de Mamiel, Dr Burgener Switzerland and CBD product brand Kloris are
offered in one of 13 treatment rooms. A selection of services for children, including ‘foot mapping’ (reflexology) and funky nail art, is offered as part of the Grow with Six Senses programme.
Another area boasts a hammam, an infrared sauna, a red light bed, a floatation pod, a cryotherapy chamber and a relaxation room with projections by Louie Schwartzberg.
The experience concludes in the Alchemy Bar, where British seasonal herbs become blends to take home.
The opening of Six Senses London is led by GM Nick Yarnell (see p74), who has more than 30 years’ luxury hospitality experience.
Wellbeing and rituals are guided by director of wellness, Taffryn Kinsey-Ellis and head alchemist Charlotte Pulver.
Six Senses Place will be overseen by director Nico Eden and director of programming Ailsa Kerr.
This is not a club in the traditional sense. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem of belonging
There will be 109 rooms and suites as well as 14 Six Senses residences
Six Senses Place London is housed in the historic Whiteley building – a place that already held memory and grandeur before we arrived. Now it’s the most expansive club environment we’ve ever built. Members enjoy their own restaurant, two private bars and lounges that shift between delivering creative energy and being spaces for quiet contemplation.
The spa itself boasts one of the most sophisticated wellness areas across the Six Senses portfolio. And yes – we have the magnesium pool everyone keeps asking about. It’s one of those details that sounds small but it transforms the experience entirely. Floating in mineral-rich water after a long day is its own form of meditation.
We’ve also added a dimension in Six Senses Place we’re incredibly excited about: a medical longevity clinic in partnership with Hum2n. It offers diagnostic services, concierge medicine and personalised longevity protocols that go far beyond the typical wellness offering.
Testing can look at epigenetics, the microbiome, toxin levels and metabolics, for example, while protocols might include circadian alignment, NAD+ therapy, stem cell support and bespoke mental wellness plans.
This is a future-focused layer of care, rooted in science and made accessible to both members and outside guests.
The programmatic layer in the spa is just as rich. Inspired by the ancient Celtic calendar, we’ve developed a seasonal framework
that connects members and guests to the rhythms of the land and the wisdom of place. From solstice rituals to story circles, breathwork to botanical walks, everything is infused with nuance and meaning. Together, in the club and spa, we offer wellness that honours both the cutting edge and the ancient – the kind of integration I’ve spent my entire career working toward.
One of the most unique aspects of this club is how it connects with the hotel. Guests become temporary members, giving them access to the programming, facilities and energy of the club. Likewise, members can enjoy the full suite of hotel amenities. They can invite friends and family to stay and also move between the private and public areas with ease.
For members, the hotel becomes an extension of home. For guests, it becomes a gateway into a community of wellness, culture and joy – something they can’t find anywhere else. This reciprocity between hotel and club is rare and it allows us to offer something more layered, more human and more resonant than either could be alone.
The next Six Senses Place will open in Tel Aviv, a very different city with its own rhythm, needs and culture. Unlike London’s established club scene, Tel Aviv is still discovering what club culture can be. And so we’ll adapt. We’ll listen to the psychographics of the place, the culture of belonging there and we’ll shape something unique – but always grounded in the same DNA: social connection and deep wellness. The goal is for members to feel at home not just in one place, but wherever they are. Whether they’re living, visiting, or just pausing in a new city, Six Senses Place will be their anchor.
We’re not just launching a new club. We’re inviting people into a new way of living
Six Senses Place is not a club in the traditional sense. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem of belonging. A place where wellness and joy can be part of your everyday rhythm. Where you can show up as you are – curious, tired, inspired, evolving – and be met with care and possibility.
In March, when those doors open, we’re not just launching a new club. We’re inviting people into a new way of living – one that integrates rather than separates, that honours both the body and the soul, that makes space for both the ancient wisdom and the cutting edge.
So, while it’s starting out as a ‘club’ for now, that's only just the beginning. l
Created by architect Alberto Apostoli for Myrtha Wellness, WellGate blends refined materials, luminous surfaces and precision-engineered structure into a sculptural, above-ground thermal system. Available in exquisite finishes and fully customisable to the project and the architect’s vision, it transforms wellness into true contemporary architecture. WellGate. Tailored wellbeing. Redefined.
www.myrthawellness.com
As Six Senses prepares to open in London, the general manager shares his insights into the company’s first major urban property with Liz Terry
makes Six Senses London special?
It offers a different rhythm for the city – a place designed around human wellbeing rather than excess. Set in the beautifully restored Whiteley building, it blends heritage architecture with a deeply holistic sense of modern luxury.
At its heart is the 2,300sq m Six Senses Spa with the thermal journey, Recovery Lounge and Alchemy Bar, there’s a sustainability-focused Earth Lab and also Six Senses Place, our first private members’ club, with a longevity medical clinic – all purposebuilt to help people feel and live better (see p70).
innovations have you built in?
This is Six Senses’ first major urban hotel and every detail of it has been developed to translate our resort DNA into a city context.
The layout encourages natural flow and calm – from biophilic design, to a focus on light, tactility, and tranquility. The materials are sustainable and sensory and our service model revolves around genuine human connection.
It’s a hotel that lives and breathes wellness rather than simply offering it as an amenity.
How have you met the urban brief?
Wellness and sustainability are universal values and are perhaps even more vital in the heart of a metropolis. We set out to create a sanctuary that allows Londoners and city visitors alike to disconnect, reset and reconnect.
Alongside best-in-class wellness facilities and destination dining, everything – from air quality to acoustics to social interactions – has been designed to enhance wellbeing.
detail has been developed to translate
The spa is one of Six Senses’ most sophisticated wellness areas
Spa and wellness is a focal point of the hotel, anchored by a 22m pool and comprehensive biohacking interventions such as a vibroacoustic bed, Vasper and ARX machines, PEMF therapy, inversion tables and a full array of diagnostic tools.
There are 13 generously-sized treatment suites and services include hammam rituals, floatation, contrast therapy, red light stimulation, cryotherapy and crystal and sound healing. We also offer a yoga studio with aerial yoga, reformer Pilates and group exercise bikes, alongside a gym equipped with the latest functional technology, VO₂ Max testing and CellGym for intermittent hypoxia hyperoxia training. Even hydration is elevated with hydrogen water stations.
Who oversees wellness and medical elements?
Everything wellness-related is led by wellness director, Taffryn Kinsey-Ellis, who heads up a team of more than 30 therapists, trainers and specialists. We also draw on London’s leading independent practitioners, integrating them with the Six Senses global network of visiting practitioners.
Hum2n, one of London’s most respected functional medicine practices, operates our Longevity Medical Clinic, which offers IV therapy and hyperbaric oxygen treatments.
Our audience is naturally diverse – sophisticated Londoners seeking an urban retreat, wellnessdriven travellers, predominantly from the US, Europe and Asia and residents of The Whiteley.
We’re part of a mixed-use community of 139 residences, where the hotel forms an extension of daily life rather than a destination apart.
Hotel guests become honorary members of Six Senses Place during their stay and have full access to all areas. Membership tiers range from Social to Beyond, priced from £3,000 (US$4,073, €3,440) to £37,000 (US$50,239, €42,433) annually, with a limited number of founder memberships.
We’re building a carefully curated community – vibrant, not overcrowded – where wellbeing, sustainability, and social connection come first.
Earth Lab delivers workshops on topics including composting and recycling
How do the residences connect to the hotel?
There are 139 residences, 14 are Six Sensesbranded and 125 are Whiteley-branded – with more than 80 per cent already sold. Prices range from £1.5 million (UU$2.04 million, €1.72 million) to £49 million (US$66.5 million, €56.2 million).
Residents enjoy perpetual access to the spa, pool and fitness spaces, plus two years of complimentary membership to Six Senses Place. For many, this is the future of urban living: a home that nurtures wellbeing and community.
How is your community responding to the upcoming opening?
The anticipation has been overwhelming so far. Many loyal Six Senses guests are based in or around London and we’ve been offering private tours and preview stays. Demand has exceeded expectations. That said, the plan is to open gradually. We’ll intentionally limit capacity at first in order to give our teams the space to dial up operations progressively.
What are you most looking forward to?
Seeing it come to life. This project has been three years in the making for me and many more for the wider team and we’ve poured our hearts into aligning craftsmanship, community and wellness. If guests feel happier leaving than when they arrived, we’ve done our job.
How are you preparing for opening?
Our focus is immersive learning, ensuring every team member not only understands the Six Senses ethos, but also lives it. We're building a culture of empathy, awareness and joy.
Tell us about your background
I began my career at the Savoy Group, which gave me a deep appreciation for craftsmanship and service excellence. After 15 years with international luxury brands, I joined Six Senses in 2014, finally finding a place where my passion for wellness, sustainability and genuine connection could unite with the knowledge and skills I'd acquired. l
African safari operator, Wilderness, is redefining safari spas with The Sanctuary, a concept pairing design and wellness with raw, restorative landscapes
The spa lounge at Bisate primes guests with curated soundscapes and scents
Wilderness, which operates 60 safari camps across eight African countries, has revealed a new wellness concept – The Sanctuary – which elevates the spa elements to a new level. The first locations are Wilderness Mombo which is set in the heart of Botswana’s wildlife-rich Okavango Delta and Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda’s dramatic volcanic highlands. The design-led wellbeing spaces introduce heated lap pools, contrast therapy circuits, meditation cocoons and curated sensory experiences to the safari model. For investors and operators, they signal a strategic shift: embedding sophisticated spa infrastructure into ultra-remote, conservation-led luxury – and redefining expectations of what a wilderness lodge can deliver. l
n www.spabusiness.com/25_3wilderness
Mombo's 820sq m spa has four treatment rooms, including one for couples
The Sanctuary has been created to offer guests a way to balance energy and rest
Treatments use Africa's TheraNaka brand and have been inspired by local rituals
Longevity is the most powerful and polarising force shaping investment in hospitality. Jeremy McCarthy asks if it's a transformative opportunity or speculative bubble
At the end of 2024, I wrote an article for Spa Business describing it as The Year of Wellness in hospitality. Never before had we seen such a consensus on the importance of wellness among hotels and resorts (www.spabusiness.com/yearofwellness).
If 2024 was The Year of Wellness, then we must designate 2025 as The Year of Longevity. As owners, investors and brands strive to create the latest, most cutting-edge wellness offerings, ‘longevity’ has bubbled to the surface as the quintessential driver for wellness innovation.
In 30 years of sitting at the intersection of wellness and hospitality, watching trends rise and fall, I’ve never seen a topic spread so quickly and capture the imagination (and investment dollars) of the industry with such fervour.
It may simply be timing. We came out of the pandemic with not only a renewed interest and respect for wellness, but a commitment to
I've never seen a topic spread so quickly and capture the imagination (and investment dollars) of the industry with such fervour
rebuild the luxury travel segment and deliver more meaningful experiences. Hospitality investors looked to technology for new solutions to deliver enhanced wellness experiences for guests. What they found was a perfect storm:
1
2
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Better diagnostic tools that allow us to predict future health outcomes
New devices and equipment that promise to impact health at a cellular level
A rising frustration with the ‘illness model’ of traditional healthcare
Longevity promises to keep us out of the healthcare system altogether by helping to better evaluate the inherent risks in our current lifestyle and genetic profile and then prescribing the personalised interventions to build health in a sustainable and future-oriented way. It’s a compelling vision that’s captured the attention of investors, journalists and affluent consumers. But not everyone’s convinced. Unlike 2024, when the industry found a consensus around wellness, 2025 was a year of debate. On one side, there are people who believe that longevity is the future and that hospitality will be the industry to usher it in. On the other side, there are people who feel it’s a media-hyped bubble that’s driving speculative investment with no possibility of returns. So who’s right? The most likely scenario is that there’s truth on both sides. On one hand, the hospitality industry has struggled to market and sell wellness. Longevity is even harder to sell. Hospitality brands investing in expensive equipment and high labour-cost medical oversight for their longevity offerings will struggle to make a profit if they don’t find new ways of
Peter Attia-backed diagnostics clinic Biograph offers services such as MRI
connecting with their wellness customers. And the pace of innovation in this area is so fast that the expensive equipment being installed today will likely be approaching obsolescence long before a profitable ROI is achieved.
On the other hand, the new discussion around longevity is planting a seed in consumers’ minds and changing their expectations for how health should be managed. Hospitality brands will give consumers an opportunity to try new tools, and some of those tools will stick and become a larger part of a healthy lifestyle. Consumers will come to expect more scientific approaches to wellness with more evidence-based methodologies and a more forward-reaching time perspective. Both consumers and brands will need to become more future-oriented and consider the impact of their experiences not only on health, but also on healthspan.
The discussion around longevity in 2025 culminated at the Global Wellness Summit in Dubai (see www.spabusiness.com/gws25). At the summit, event chair and CEO, Susie Ellis reminded us that ‘spa’ and ‘wellness’ also went through a period of upheaval before they were
accepted and ultimately embedded in hospitality. The overwhelming rise of wellness in hospitality has been more than a decade in the making. Longevity may be on a similar journey, but if its rapid rise in 2025 is any indication, the ideas will be tested and proven (or not) at breakneck speed. l
l Spa Business columnist, Jeremy McCarthy, has worked at the intersection of wellness and hospitality for over 30 years for brands such as Four Seasons, KSL Resorts, Starwood Hotels and most recently, Mandarin Oriental. Contact him with your views on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jeremymcc
A hydrotherapy journey in Sweden's Hagastrand – with a self-playing gong – attracts close to 100 people a day, only months after opening. Magali Robathan sees what the noise is all about
A Gongmatic session runs automatically every 15 minutes
Gongmatic is automated, continuous and experiential, combining art and ancient craft with new technologies
The room is dark and womb-like.
Opened in Stockholm in November 2025, Hagastrand, Autograph Collection is situated in Haga royal park and boasts one of Sweden's largest spas.
The 2,500sq m facility – with 60-person event sauna, 20m pool and thermal bathing circuit – has been designed around the concept of social wellness and creativity, with sound and music an integral part of the offer.
Stepping into the lounge, a beautiful steel gong at the end of the pool immediately captures my attention. Framed by a wooden screen, the 1.5m instrument features concentric circles of blue, red, bronze and gold, acting as a focal point, as well as a gathering place for the start of a three-hour hydrothermal journey.
The gong was handcrafted in a 3,000-year-old Etruscan cave in northern
A snowroom by TechnoAlpin is part of the thermal circuit
Italy by musicians and artisans Madhava Carrara and Margherita Cioffi, founders of Grotta Sonora. The pair – together with art technologist Simon Morris – are also responsible for the art installation and sound healing experience that marks the end of the spa journey at Hagastrand.
Called Gongmatic, this 15-minute session takes place in a dimly-lit 70sq m room, where a second gong has been hand-tuned to resonate on its own, offering deep nervous system recalibration and relaxation without the need for a human player.
The power of sound is a key theme at Hagastrand, according to Nobis’ wellness expert Alla Sokolova. “When we discovered Gongmatic, it was clear it matched our ambition to offer innovative, restorative therapies that are both artistic and meaningful, combining ancient wisdom with modern science and creative application of technology,” she explains.
The pool, which has underwater music, is a place to swim or float
As the spa journey begins, our saunamaster gently hits the gong and its deep, resonant notes call guests to the entrance to the 100sq m event sauna. All of Hagastrand’s saunamasters are also local artists, musicians or performers and the unique creative disciplines they bring to the aufguss rituals are a particular highlight. Afterwards, we're free to explore the thermal wellness area at our own pace – this includes a hammam, Nordic sauna and herbal sauna by Klafs, a snowroom by TechnoAlpin, a frequency room combined with red light therapy and several relaxation areas.
Towards the end of my three-hour spa journey, I make my way to the Gongmatic room to try the 15-minute experience. There’s a five-minute window to enter the room between sessions before the door automatically locks to prevent interruptions. Unfortunately, I just miss the window and have to wait for 20 minutes before getting to lie on one of the seven ceramic heated loungers by Sommerhuber.
is a
and
The room is dark and womb-like and I feel the sounds of the gong resonating deep inside my body, as I drift away and allow myself to fully relax.
Afterwards, I get in touch with Grotta Sonora to learn about their vision for Gongmatic.
“The aim is to restore balance and presence in modern life using sound and vibration, one of humanity’s oldest languages,” says Cioffi. “Unlike performances or sound baths, Gongmatic is automated, continuous and experiential, combining art and ancient craft with new technologies.
“The vision is to make resonance a quiet, everyday resource for nervous system regulation around the world. Gongmatic aims to establish sound-based installations as common infrastructure for wellbeing, much like lighting or architecture.”
The team is currently raising money via Kickstarter to establish a permanent Gongmatic installation in New York. “Site discussions are underway and a working prototype is complete,” says Cioffi. “We’re seeking a quiet, architecturally intentional space – such as a spa, cultural venue, or wellness-focused building – where sound can be treated as a spatial medium.”
Operated by Nobis Hospitality, Hagastrand, Autograph Collection is a 215-room hotel designed by Wingårdhs Architects.
Alla Sokolova
Entry to its spa is booked as a three-hour journey and priced at SEK995 (US$111, €94, £80) in the week and SEK1395 (U$155, €132, £113) at weekends.
According to Nobis’ wellness expert Alla Sokolova, who developed the concept for Hagastrand, the spa journey is proving popular, with around 2,500 visits per month. For the first two months after launching, access was only offered to hotel guests. Since offering access to day visitors, they make up around 30 per cent of visits, although the percentage of outside guests is growing. Currently, around 60 per cent of visitors to the spa are Swedish, says Sokolova, with the remaining 40 per cent being international guests.
Sokolova reports that feedback about the Gongmatic experience has been very positive. Guests have commented that the vibrations "brought a sense of calm” and “connected me to the cosmos and the earth at the same time.”
Gongs are handmade in a 3,000-year-old cave
Local artists and musicians lead aufguss sessions in the event
She sees it as ideal for other major cities such as Los Angeles, London and Berlin where opportunities for rest are increasingly rare.
“Long-term, we envision a global network of Gongmatic spaces offering accessible moments of recalibration in daily life,” she explains. l
l More on Hagastrand www.spabusiness/oct_25hagastrand
l About Alla Sokolova www.spabusiness.com/24_2 sokolova.
We envision a global network of Gongmatic spaces for recalibration in daily life
Quiet spaces allow time to relax and reflect at Hagastrand
Rebalance and calm the body & mind • For low-energy, lack of sleep, anxiety & stress states • Support behavioral change including weight reduction & addiction recovery • Evidence-based
Ana Ramirez shares her highlights from the Eudemonia Summit, where a Hollywood A-lister, neuroscience, connection and the future of wellness hospitality converged
Aconversation on midlife health
captivated the audience at this year’s Eudemonia Summit – not only because it underscored the growing importance of programmes that integrate nutrition, movement, recovery, emotional wellbeing and learning, but because it was actor Halle Berry speaking with striking candour about her own experience.
On stage with functional medicine expert Dr Mark Hyman, the celebrity addressed hormonal transitions, metabolic health and identity shifts. Her insights emphasised how the future guest is informed and engaged, seeking partnership rather than prescriptions. And her openness set the tone for deeply human conversations about vitality, agency and longevity across three days.
Now in its second year, Eudemonia is quickly establishing itself as one of the most intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant gatherings in the global wellness space. It brought together 5,000 attendees –nearly double the turnout for the debut event – including physicians, neuroscientists, wellness pioneers and cultural leaders. All were looking to explore the intersection of biology, behaviour, environment and connection. And for those of us working in spa and wellness, it offered something rare: not trend forecasting, but a science-backed reframing of how spaces, communities and experiences actively influence health outcomes.
A central theme was nervous system regulation and its implications for wellness programming and spatial design. Sessions led by neuroscientist Andrew Huberman and movement
Dr Mark Hyman and Halle Berry set the tone for conversations about vitality and longevity
Delegates could book treatments and activities on the event app
Launched in 2024 by Sean Hoess, founder of the Wanderlust lifestyle festival, Eudemonia Summit has been created to put a new spin on wellbeing events.
Its name means ‘human flourishing’ in ancient Greek and its tagline ‘where science meets soul’ indicates how it's positioning itself as a medical conference slash spiritual retreat.
Held in Palm Beach, USA, in November, Eudemonia 2025 featured more than 270
sessions covering everything from biometric testing, cold-morning plunges and hyperbaric experiences to movement classes, a health tech expo and talks by experts such as Dave Asprey, Andrew Huberman and Mark Hyman.
It’s designed for leaders across health, hospitality, longevity and human performance, all of whom can use an app to secure their seat for keynotes or try out treatments and workouts of their choosing.
coach Aaron Alexander reinforced that peak performance, emotional resilience and long-term health are deeply tied to how environments influence stress, recovery and neuroplasticity.
From breathwork and somatic movement to light exposure, sound, and rhythm, the message was clear: wellness experiences must support the parasympathetic nervous system, not overstimulate it.
For spa operators and hospitality developers, this translates into quieter transitions, intentional sequencing of modalities and environments that allow guests to downshift into safety and support deep rest and sleep repair. Rather than stacking activities, curated
programmes should gently guide the body from activation to restoration.
The need to create spaces that support psychological safety and emotional openness, regardless of modality, was another core topic.
A recurring insight at the summit was that while biomarkers, wearables and health technologies provide valuable data, the most powerful barometer remains how we feel on a daily basis. Speakers emphasised that modern wellness culture has, in many ways, lost touch with intuition, outsourcing self-awareness to data dashboards rather than cultivating an
Andrew Huberman said long-term health is deeply tied to stress management
Wellness spaces must support community to deliver positive impacts
embodied understanding of energy, mood, sleep quality, emotional balance and vitality. The message was clear: technology can support longevity, but it cannot replace the fundamentals. Without getting the basics right – nutrition, movement, sleep, stress management, social connection and purpose – no amount of advanced monitoring will deliver meaningful health outcomes.
For wellness real estate and destination spas, this reframes longevity as an experiential and environmental responsibility. Spaces must be designed to support daily rhythms, intuitive self-check-ins and low-tech, highimpact interventions. Nature immersion, walking, grounding practices and access to natural light were repeatedly highlighted as powerful, accessible tools to counter 'inflammaging' – the chronic, low-grade inflammation increasingly linked to many age-related diseases and accelerated ageing. One of the most compelling reminders was that some of the most effective longevity strategies are also the most accessible. Practices such as earthing – reconnecting the body with the earth to rebalance electrons – are not only biologically meaningful but also free. In a world increasingly driven by optimisation and devices, Eudemonia offered a timely recalibration: longevity is not achieved by doing more, but by returning to what the human body has always needed.
The idea that community itself is therapeutic surfaced repeatedly. Tony Cho, co-founder of the ChoZen Center for Regenerative Living, emphasised that nature, food and community form an inseparable triad of healing, particularly relevant for regenerative hospitality models. Dr Molly Maloof’s work further illuminated the biological impact of connection.
Her research links social relationships directly to mitochondrial health, immune function and genetic expression, showing that loneliness can be as damaging as smoking, while healthy relationships offer a measurable survival advantage.
For spa and hotel operators, this re-frames social spaces not as optional add-ons, but as core wellness infrastructure.
Eudemonia offered a clear lens showing where the wellness industry is heading. Across science, medicine and lived experience, it reinforced a powerful truth: health is not created in isolation, but shaped daily by the environments we inhabit, the rhythms we follow and the quality of our connections.
For investors, developers, owners and operators in the spa and wellness sector, this represents both a responsibility and an opportunity. The future of wellness will not be defined by how many interventions we offer, but by how thoughtfully we design spaces that support nervous system regulation, intuitive self-awareness, restorative sleep and social connection.
Eudemonia reframed wellness as something quieter, deeper and more human – less about optimisation, more about alignment. I left with renewed clarity on how science, design and experience must converge to support true longevity and vitality and I’m genuinely excited to say that I’m already registered for the next summit in November 2026. l
Longevity in wellness is not about reversing ageing, it’s about preserving function, elasticity and vitality. It’s about healthspan
Gianluca
Cavalletti,
founder and CEO of Fenix Group
Compressive Microvibration delivered by Endospheres can support healthspan by improving the tone, circulation and structure of the tissues, explains Gianluca Cavalletti, founder and CEO of patent-holder, Fenix Group
In luxury spas, every choice reflects a philosophy. Not just of beauty, but of quality, credibility and long-term value. In this scenario, technology cannot be generic. It must be original, engineered and protected. Endospheres®* embodies that standard.
Created and manufactured in Italy by Fenix Group, Endospheres is the only technology based on Compressive Microvibration®*. It is not inspired by a method. It is the method. Protected by eight international patents and registered designs, it represents over twenty years’ research, mechanical engineering and clinical collaboration.
For luxury spas, originality is not a marketing claim. It’s a safeguard and in a market increasingly populated by imitations, the difference between an authentic patented system and a copy is substantial.
The configuration of the rotating spheres, the calibrated pressure, the frequency and amplitude of the microvibrations are all engineered to interact precisely with the body. These elements are protected by intellectual property and cannot be replicated.
Every Endospheres device is designed and produced in Italy under direct company control. This ensures that traceability, consistency and quality standards are aligned with those demanded by operators of premium spa environments. Italian engineering isn’t only a heritage value, it’s also a guarantee of manufacturing excellence and scientific integrity.
“Endospheres was born from a fundamental concept,” explains Gianluca Cavalletti, founder and CEO of Fenix Group. “If we want to preserve the quality of the tissues of the body over time, we must stimulate the physiology in a controlled way, using Compressive Microvibration, which was developed to support circulation, tone and connective tissue structure without stressing the body.” This approach places Endospheres at the intersection of aesthetics and longevity.
Today, luxury spas are evolving beyond delivering visible ‘correction’. Clients are seeking programmes that maintain optimal tissue condition and longevity in wellness is not about reversing age, it’s about preserving function, elasticity and vitality. It’s about healthspan.
The technology can also be applied to the face
Endospheres by Fenix Group supports circulation and connective tissue
Compressive Microvibration acts on key areas, such as microcirculation, oxygenation, muscle tone and connective tissue quality. Clinical observations following the use of Endospheres show increased perfusion and progressive improvement in tissue elasticity and compactness following repeated sessions, as the technology supports restructuring. In balanced tissues, it acts preventively, helping maintain equilibrium and reducing the likelihood of fibrosis, laxity and fluid stagnation. This preventative dimension is crucial for spas that want to build long-term body and face programmes.
The Endospheres Microvibration treatment is non-invasive and requires no downtime. It’s comfortable and suitable for delivery through structured cycles over three, six or twelve months. Results are cumulative, making it ideal for curated longevity pathways within resort spas and urban wellness destinations.
More than a device, Endospheres has eight patents protecting not only mechanical components, but also a specific therapeutic concept: ‘rhythmic compressive stimulation designed to reset tissues toward optimal condition’. For spa directors, this delivers three strategic advantages. First, scientific credibility grounded in proprietary engineering. Second, differentiation from copycat technologies. Third, the ability to offer structured, premium programmes aligned with the growing global focus on healthy ageing. In a sector where luxury is defined by authenticity and depth, Endospheres delivers both.
Made in Italy. Protected by eight patents. Designed to support tissue vitality over time. It is not simply a treatment on the menu. It is a statement about quality, originality and the future of longevity in wellness. l More: www.endospheres.com
* Endospheres and Compressive Microvibration are registered trademarks of Fenix Group
With the current focus on longevity and healthspan, the global spa and wellness market is being bombarded with equipment that promises rejuvenation.
Ammortal Chamber, available in more than 40 locations across the US – and with a European rollout planned later this year – claims to deliver 10 proven, non-invasive technologies in one go.
It’s been designed to “deliver hours of restorative modalities in just one session”, with the layered offering combing near-infrared and red light therapy, PEMF, molecular hydrogen inhalation, vibroacoustic sound, oxygen and ozone therapy, with voice-guided breathwork and meditation to deliver a greater effect than they would individually.
As it's been billed as “the ultimate mind-body experience”, I was keen to see if it could make a difference in such a short amount of time – and if it’s worth the US$159,500 (€137,426, £121,234) price tag.
I experienced Ammortal Chamber at very different facilities in Pennsylvania: firstly, Modern Behaviour, a psychiatrist-owned health centre and then Revive Hive, a touchless wellness business.
A receptionist shows me how to operate the chamber, which is quite simple, with a touch screen for use before and during the treatment. There’s a range of seven pre-programmed calming and awakening ‘journeys’ and a printout detailing what they entail to help me choose.
The Ammortal Chamber costs around US$160,000
Ammortal recommends wearing underwear or a swimsuit so skin is exposed to the LED lights and there’s a nasal cannula to deliver the molecular hydrogen.
Users can pick from two male or female voices to guide the experience, which can last 15-, 20- or 25-minutes.
At 6 ft (180cm) long, Ammortal would take up a treatment room. From the side, the NASA-inspired design looks like a lightning bolt, but its neutral colouring and silvery finish make it less intimidating
After making sure everything’s clear, I’m left to de-robe, put on the cannula and press start. The session begins with a detailed explanation of what will happen – a nice touch, which gave me a moment to acclimatise. Bright lights come on below and above me (I’m grateful goggles are provided) and the top section slowly lowers while embedded speakers surround me with sound.
I find it’s fairly comfortable and not claustrophobic, although I did have some awkwardness trying to position my elbows.
I kept waiting for the surfaces to warm, but they never did (although they weren't cold either).
I’ve chosen the 25-minute Expand journey, which promises a combination of calming and awakening effects and is described as using “ancient and futuristic elements to rejuvenate the spirit”.
Some of the journeys include spoken meditation, but this one didn’t. I did, however, enjoy the music and the very gentle vibrations made me feel as though I was floating.
It’s definitely a relaxing experience and in both cases, I just got dressed and headed to reception when the lights went off and the top raised itself.
At the moment, pricing for Ammortal sessions vary widely based on location and business type. At Revive Hive, a 50-minute Ammortal session costs US$90 (€77, £67), while Fairmont Austin charges US$200 (€172, £150) for the same time and at Modern Behavioral it goes up to US$250 (€212, £184).
Revive Hive, which offered a range of other touchless modalities, such as lymphatic drainage boots, a sauna, a cold plunge and an LED pod, sold Ammortal as a standalone treatment rather than in a package.
At Modern Behavioral, Ammortal is available on its own as well, as with Ketamine therapy, on the basis that the combination promotes deeper emotional processing, enhances neuroplasticity, and accelerates recovery and post-session grounding.
In comparison, Fairmont Austin, which just bought a chamber has a wealth of ideas to leverage the equipment. Spa director Alison Kirsten shares more details overleaf (page 106).
I enjoyed both of my relaxing Ammortal experiences. Walking out, I can’t say I immediately felt different. However, later in the day, back at my desk, I definitely had a great mood and lots of energy. Stacking all of these technologies together has the potential to confuse consumers, but there’s so much detail to share about each modality, there's an argument for outlining overall goals, rather than getting too technical. I can see the Ammortal Chamber being better suited to regular use than one-off treatments, while it could also be a useful lure when it comes to selling memberships or series' of programmes. Ultimately, it’s exciting to see such new developments in wellness, as consumers widen their search for interventions to help them keep healthier for longer.
At 6ft long, Ammortal takes up most of a standard treatment room
Alison Kirsten , spa director
Austin, explains the rationale behind investment in the Ammortal Chamber
Why did you invest in an Ammortal Chamber?
It aligns with three core objectives. Firstly, our guests are increasingly seeking solutions that combine performance, recovery and mental recalibration and Ammortal fills a gap between massage, cryotherapy and light-based modalities, offering a 'complete reset' in just 30-60 minutes. Secondly, it generates premium revenue with minimal labour dependency and thirdly, it gives us a point of differentiation. Austin is the first Fairmont globally to offer the service and only the third property in Texas, positioning us as pioneers in next-generation wellness.
What are your ROI expectations?
We soft-launched Ammortal to VIPs in October 2025 during the F1 Grand Prix in Austin and sold five treatments that weekend. We’re looking to deliver six to 12 a week, with higher numbers on event weekends.
We charge US$100 (€86, £74) for 15 minutes, US$150 (€129, £111) for 25 minutes and US$200 (€172, £148) for 50 minutes. The experience can also be added on to thermal circuit access for US$50 (€43, £37).
Based on Ammortal’s published projections and our first months of data, we believe that ROI within 12–18 months is realistic.
How are you positioning it on your menu?
It’s described as 'a sensory-elevated reset' which is designed to recalibrate stress, mindset and physical recovery. We’re also seeing guests pair it with massage and lymphatic compression services.
How well has it been received?
The early adopters are skewing towards athletes, executives and high-stress travellers, and those seeking a mental reset.
We’ve got a phased and deliberate marketing plan, but business has mostly come from organic word-of-mouth and we’re confident its immersive ‘wow factor’ will drive more custom.
Our team’s reaction has been overwhelmingly positive as well. The staff love having an unusual, memorable tool to elevate guest journeys.
Tell us about the training and maintenance
Training is included with the purchase and the company has been very responsive to any questions.
So far, the chamber has only needed light upkeep – primarily cleaning, filter checks and periodic system refreshes. We haven't needed a specialised technician onsite and remote diagnostics are available. ●
Ammortal's ROI is expected to be between 12 and 18 months
Set against the breathtaking Irish countryside, Galgorm provides an immersive backdrop of world-class spa facilities, natural thermal experiences, and serene, understated luxury.
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An intimate gathering of spa leaders, buyers, and decision-makers, Elevate Spa creates space for purposeful dialogue, strategic alignment, and long-term industry advancement.
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Denise Dente, general manager, outlines how Comfort Zone is evolving into a powerful partner for the global spa industry
What were your immediate priorities as GM?
When I joined, I saw a brand with strong scientific credibility and global recognition. My priority was to sharpen our strategic focus and align the organisation around a clear professional-first vision. That meant reinforcing our commitment to spa partners and the therapists whose expertise transforms science into meaningful guest results.
We refined how we communicate clinical validation and performance credentials, while expanding beyond topical skincare into advanced skin-tech devices and a structured hospitality platform. These steps reposition us as a longterm partner that supports treatment excellence, guest satisfaction and commercial performance.
How are you shaping innovation?
Leadership, for me, is about clarity, alignment and empowerment. With a presence in over 40 countries, we must balance global consistency with local sensitivity.
Innovation at Comfort Zone is purposeful and measurable. Our in-house R&D facility and scientific committee ensure that every formulation and protocol is grounded in credible research. At the same time, we’re scaling our Made-in-Italy skin-tech devices internationally. These technologies give professionals deeper diagnostic capabilities and enhanced treatment
Comfort Zone serves 7,000 partners globally, including the B Corp Pennyhill Park
We’re building Comfort
Zone
into a fully-integrated regenerative wellness and longevity partner
Denise
Dente, GM, Comfort Zone
precision, while also helping spas navigate staffing challenges by offering high-quality, self-directed services that extend menus and optimise space. Technology doesn’t replace touch. The human element remains central to our philosophy and is a defining aspect of the Comfort Zone experience.
How do you see the brand evolving?
We’re building Comfort Zone into a fully integrated, regenerative wellness partner. Our ambition is to offer a cohesive ecosystem that combines science, advanced devices, professional education, rituals, lifestyle products and resort amenities. Operators increasingly seek partners who can deliver performance and purpose. Our approach supports skin, body and mind health while helping them create distinctive, results-driven guest experiences that translate into loyalty and long-term value.
Which trends will most influence your strategy?
Regeneration and longevity are key drivers. Consumers are moving from quick fixes toward daily practices that support long-term skin health and overall wellbeing, while expecting visible results.
Advances in clinical testing, circadian rhythm research and skin adaptability are shaping how products and rituals are developed. At the same time, spas are rethinking how they use space. Our Face SPAce concept, for example, offers a business solution beyond the traditional treatment room, delivering fitness-style facial services in accessible formats that appeal to younger guests and male audiences, while creating incremental revenue opportunities.
Scaling its Made-in-Italy skin tech devices is a current focus for Comfort Zone
What differentiates Comfort Zone?
We combine four core pillars – advanced skin-tech devices, clinically validated professional protocols, high-performance homecare and hospitality solutions – into what we call The Comfort Zone Way. This model is supported by comprehensive education that goes beyond product training to include the art of touch, effective use of technology and business development skills. By equipping therapists and operators with both technical and commercial tools, we help elevate guest outcomes and strengthen spa profitability.
How does your heritage inform the future?
For three decades, we’ve championed a conscious approach to skincare rooted in science, sustainability and holistic wellbeing. As a B Corp, these values remain central to how we innovate and operate. Our heritage provides the credibility to evolve confidently – translating our founding principles into next-generation formulations, advanced devices and professional solutions aligned with modern longevity and lifestyle expectations.
Why is Body skinification a growth opportunity?
Body is the next frontier in skin longevity. Guests now expect the same level of actives, efficacy and ritual experience for the body as they do for the face. Our Body Strategist range, formulated to significantly boost collagen in both professional treatments and homecare, enables spas to deliver visible results while strengthening retail attachment and repeat visits. It’s a clear opportunity to increase treatment revenue and build long-term guest loyalty.
What excites you about leading Comfort Zone?
The opportunity to create lasting value for our partners and their guests.
Our promise for the next 30 years is to advance conscious skin science through professional expertise, rituals and technologies that support longevity and elevated living. l More: www.comfortzoneskin.com
For more insight, or to get in touch with the companies featured, visit www.spa-kit.net and type in their keyword
Spa and wellness industry suppliers tell us about their latest product, treatment and equipment launches
Overtone brings a modern twist to soundbathing, says MindFidelity’s Liam Paton
Creative audio consultancy MindFidelity has unveiled a wellness soundscape installation called Overtone, offering a sonic immersion of gongs, singing bowls and chimes using high fidelity speakers.
A sculptural suspended circular speaker called The Aureole is the visual and sonic focal point. Bespoke Overtone soundscapes, ranging from 15, 30 and 40 minutes, emanate from this speaker and are designed to provide top-quality, original recordings of instruments in a contemporary composition.
It’s been created as a selfcontained product that can be integrated into various spa and hospitality settings.
“Our intention is to simultaneously pay homage to and deliver the benefits of a gong bath, while sonically reimagining it,” the founder, Liam Paton, tells Spa Business. “We have multiple configurations across single, triple and five-speaker arrays, built to flex to the size of a given space… and to enhance the sense of immersion and directionality.”
“We deliver the benefits of a gong bath, while sonically reimagining it”
Liam Paton
http://lei.sr/U8a4o
spa-kit.net keyword: MindFidelity
“It’s exciting to bring medical clinic technologies into a luxury spa environment”
Dr
Yannis Alexandrides
We’ve created an exosome face lift for spas, says 111Skin’s Yannis Alexandrides
“Exosomes are at the forefront of regenerative skincare,” says 111Skin founder Dr Yannis Alexandrides on introducing the Exosome Face Lift range, which has been created to support skin repair and encourage cell turnover.
The duo, consisting of the Exosome Shot Serum and the Overnight Mask, has been
Reducing queues, paperwork and cash handling are at the heart of software company Trybe’s latest innovations – a self-service check-in kiosk and reusable RFID wristbands, designed to streamline the spa journey from arrival to departure.
Guests scan a QR code on arrival to verify reservations, then receive a wristband that acts as a digital key and enables cashless payments throughout the facility. The system has been created to free guests from phones and belongings, while giving operators real-time insights on usage and spend. It’s been piloted at Ffolkespa, an Ibizainspired destination in the UK.
“The launch marks a significant step toward the future of spa and leisure management” says
formulated to combine bacterial exosomes with microspicules, which mimic aspects of professional microneedling and support collagen production.
They’ve been created to complement a four-week at-home protocol or for use in a new 90-minute Exosome Regeneration Facial. The treatment incorporates
“It streamlines the spa journey from start to finish”
Ricky Daniels
co-founder Ricky Daniels, revealing that the group has recently secured US$30 million (€26.9 million, £21.6 million) from Five Elms Capital to support global expansion and platform development.
radiofrequency microcurrent technology and triple masking.
“It’s exciting to bring the advanced technologies developed at the 111 Harley Street [medical clinic] to a luxury spa environment,” says Alexandrides.
spa-kit.net keyword: 111Skin
http://lei.sr/j3q6I
http://lei.sr/5j4M4
spa-kit.net keyword: Trybe
At the heart of every ESPA treatment is a sensory ritual designed to ignite the senses, calm the mind and restore balance. With our new, recrafted collection of aromatherapy candles, the spa experience can be recreated to continue your journey at home.
WDrink, from Italian beverage specialists Sigroup, is a new aromatic perfume range which can be used to flavour drinks and dishes or incorporated into spa treatments.
“It
offers authenticity, wellbeing and quality without compromise”
Simona Berger
Made for luxury spa and wellness operators for versatile sensory experiences, all WDrink products are designed to be natural, alcohol- and additive-free. Sigroup also says they’re made from organically-sourced Italian plants via an artisanal steam-distillation process.
Founder Simona Berger says: “WDrink is designed for those who want authenticity, wellbeing and quality without compromise.” Spas and hotels can use the sprays and beverages to enhance wellness rituals and delight guests with unique aromas.
http://lei.sr/R0y1r
spa-kit.net keyword: Sigroup
“Saade was born from my sauna heritage but designed for modern wellness”
Victoria Arnold
spa-kit.net keyword: Saade
Made from 88 per cent lyocell and 12 per cent recycled elastane, Saade’s new swimsuit has been created specially for sauna and spa use. The plant-based, naturally antibacterial fabric has been created to be soft, breathable, quick-drying and self-lined, while offering a hygienic and comfortable alternative to synthetic swimwear.
“I grew up in a family where weekly sauna visits were sacred – even my 86-year-old grandmother still goes,” says founder Victoria Arnold about her Estonian-German heritage. “Saade was born from that culture but designed for modern wellness.”
The minimalist black design is available in XS–XL at €165 (US$181, £140) and joins a capsule collection of lyocell, cotton and elastane clothing, including sweatpants, sweaters and a headscarf crafted for post-sauna comfort and style.
The
BC SoftWear’s goal has always been to become the unrivalled provider of exceptional textiles to the world’s most respected spas.
The last few months has seen the brand striving towards that goal with a series of prestigious new hotel and spa partnerships, reflecting its commitment to quality, innovation and global reach.
“We’re pushing BC SoftWear’s boundaries by expanding the business into some of the world’s stand-out new properties in the Middle East and UAE,” says founder and CEO, Barbara Cooke. “We’re already the towels, linens and robes company of choice for many of the world’s most prominent spas and we’re thrilled to be adding some of 2026’s most significant openings to that list.
“There are exciting developments coming which will help us strengthen our presence in the UAE and Middle East even further, and ensure we provide the five-star customer service our partners have come to expect.”
supplies One&Only
The wellness market in the Middle East is experiencing rapid growth –the UAE’s wellness economy grew by 58 per cent between 2019 and 2023, for example, outpacing most global markets, while Saudi Arabia has become the second-largest wellness market in the MENA region.
BC SoftWear is working with The Ritz-Carlton Abu Dhabi, Grand Canal, as well as the Hyatt Miraval Red Sea, which is the first Miraval property outside the US.
“We’re also working with One&Only Reethi Rah, in the Maldives – the first international property to feature the SilkSoft* range – and Kampala Marriott Hotel, a landmark destination in Nsambya, Uganda,” says Cooke.
Closer to home, new partners for 2026 in the UK include the newlyrefurbished Irene Forte Spa at The
“We’ve also begun working with One&Only Reethi Rah, on North Malé Atoll in the Maldives.”
Barbara Cooke, founder and CEO
Balmoral in Edinburgh, as well as two newly re-opened spas – the Salus Spa at Aldwark Manor and SubRosa at The Grand in York. More: www.bcsoftwear.com
spa-kit.net keyword: BC SoftWear
A new cooling waterfall massage jet shower by Werner Dosiertechnik (WDT) will enable operators to deliver invigorating cold therapy or contrast bathing experiences.
The German wet-area specialist has launched Cryo-Fall as a ceiling-mounted system that rinses before use and fills with cold water, while a pneumatic valve releases a short, adjustable jet at the push of a button. After use, the tank empties to maintain hygiene. Cryo-Fall can be combined with mist or rain showers of various temperatures to create layered, multisensory experiences. Or offered on its own.
“Cold wellness treatments are a mega trend,” says managing director Rainer Rieger. “The positive effect of cold water treatments is
“Cryo-Fall offers cold therapy in a convenient and hygienic way”
Rainer Rieger
medically undisputed and has a long tradition.” Rieger adds that Cryo-Fall was inspired by traditional bucket showers and has been designed to offer a cold therapy in a convenient and hygienic way.
Steve Kuzara unveils Am-Finn’s milder
US heat experience supplier Am-Finn Sauna and Steam has developed Frost Locker, a controlled contrast therapy room delivering mild cold exposure at approximately -1.6°C.
Designed for safety and repeat use, Frost Locker avoids extreme temperatures. “Any lower [temperature], it would discourage a large percentage of the population from using it on a regular basis,” explains director of engineering Steve Kuzara. “Extreme temperatures also create stress rather than promote wellness.”
He says “many spas are phasing out traditional cold plunges”, due to hygiene, liability and maintenance burdens and – perhaps most telling –because of very low long-term usage.
At the same time, he cites many studies which support
The ceiling-mounted system rinses before use and refills with fresh water each time spa-kit.net keywords: Werner Dosiertechnik
The target temperature of Frost Locker is -1.6˚C
the effectiveness of mild cold exposure over shock therapy.
Frost Locker is modular, accommodating two to 15 people, with prices starting at US$18,000 (€16,600, £14,200).
“Lower
temperatures discourage use on a regular basis”
http://lei.sr/Y0r6h
spa-kit.net keyword: Am-Finn
Steve Kuzara
Dry flotation has long been valued for its ability to induce deep relaxation without immersion and today, a new generation of dry float technology is expanding the category beyond passive rest. While traditional systems rely on stillness and sensory withdrawal, Zestós DryFloat combines zero-gravity flotation with hydro-vibroacoustic stimulation and jet massage. The result is a bed that’s not only restorative, but also actively therapeutic.
At the core of the experience is Zestós’ vibroacoustic technology, where sound is not only heard, but felt. Sound waves are transmitted through water and into the body, supporting nervous system regulation, muscular release and stress reduction.
Bluetooth pairing allows spas to curate or personalise sound journeys with ease and when
https://www. saints-stars.com/ en/concepts/holy-recovery CLICK TO PLAY
used alongside targeted hydro jet massage (separately rather than simultaneously), the system delivers a dynamic, fully touchless treatment that can be adapted for mental wellbeing, recovery or pain relief, without therapist intervention.
With creativity, the system can be integrated into existing menus and workflows, functioning as a standalone touchless experience, a preparatory or closing ritual, or a recovery enhancement alongside massage or Watsu-inspired approaches.
Zestós is also suitable for guests with water-related anxieties or touch sensitivity, expanding accessibility without compromising depth of experience.
The plug-and-play unit fits into a standard treatment room, requires minimal setup and can operate continuously throughout the day.
Because guests remain clothed, the experience is time-efficient.
The integration of technology drives ROI
For spas navigating the balance between experience and efficiency, wellness technologies such as Zestós DryFloat offer a practical way forward – supporting wellbeing outcomes alongside sustainable business performance.
More: www.gharieni.com
spa-kit.net keyword: Gharieni
“True innovation in wellness is not about complexity, it’s about creating therapeutic depth that is accessible, adaptable and commercially viable”
Sound waves are transmitted through water and into the body
“It’s one of aromatherapy’s most understated yet transformative applications”
Luke Taylor
Aromatherapy Associates has expanded its Support Breathe collection with a steam-activated shower mist which has been devised to transform everyday showers into restorative rituals. The vegan formula blends eucalyptus, lavender and peppermint essential oils to create a cooling, clarifying experience that’s particularly suited to colder months.
Designed for ease of use, two to three pumps are sprayed in the shower, allowing the steam
to diffuse the oils for inhalation. The brand says the ritual has been created to support clearer breathing, inner calm and a moment of reset within a busy day.
Master blender Luke Taylor describes the mist as “one of aromatherapy’s most understated yet transformative applications,” with impact felt through simplicity rather than complexity.
Thomas Heatherwick and Tala launch
Heatherwick Studio and British lighting brand Tala have developed Wake, a smart sleep light combining ceramic and pressed glass with curated soundscapes to enhance rest and circadian rhythms.
The rotating tactile dial adjusts sunrise- and sunset-inspired lighting, while nature-based sounds guide users into relaxation. “Light is the strongest cue for our circadian clock,” says Tala co-founder Josh Ward.
Thomas Heatherwick adds: “Wake is our attempt to re-establish the sacredness of sleep and bring back analogue calm into the digital age.”
Designed to replace harsh alarms, Wake can be integrated into spa relaxation rooms, hotel suites, or sleep-focused wellness programmes to support restorative experiences.
http://lei.sr/f0x4K
http://lei.sr/5M2p0
spa-kit.net keywords: Aromatherapy Associates
“Wake is our attempt to re-establish the sacredness of sleep”
Thomas Heatherwick
Wake combines sunriseand sunset-inspired lighting and naturebased soundscapes spa-kit.net keyword: Tala
Iyashi Dôme is more than a device, it’s a philosophy of wellbeing, says founder Shogoro Uemura
In the world of wellbeing, many technologies emerge, seduce for a time, then disappear according to trends. But some innovations make a lasting impression, not just for their performance, but for what they profoundly embody. Iyashi Dôme is one of these.
Much more than a simple treatment device, Iyashi Dôme is the fruit of an authentic vision and a Japanese history rooted in the quest for global wellbeing. Its design is based on a sincere desire to offer an effective, tried-and-tested tool designed to bring real benefit to its users, far removed from the frantic race to catch up with trends.
The story of Iyashi Dôme began not with a marketing idea, but with the observation of an ancestral Japanese ritual: Suna Ryoho. For centuries, the inhabitants of certain regions of Japan have been practicing this therapeutic art, which involves burying oneself in sand naturally heated by the sun and volcanic springs. The ritual, recognised for its detoxifying and revitalising benefits, served as the foundation for Iyashi Dome technology.
“Those who use Iyashi Dôme know we’re not just a supplier, we’re a partner” Shogoro Uemura
Every detail of our devices is meticulously thought through, respecting the principles of quality, longevity and efficiency that are at the heart of Japanese culture. Here you will find, no compromises on manufacturing and no programmed obsolescence, but a clear commitment: to offer reliable, longlasting, high-performance technology.
In a market where much equipment is designed with a purely commercial logic in mind, Iyashi Dôme stands out for its sincere commitment to health and wellbeing. Every
innovation, improvement and study carried out has been guided to help professionals support customers towards deep, lasting wellbeing.
Our difference is based on a human and ethical vision of innovation. Our products are not developed to satisfy a passing fad, but to become part of the daily routine of establishments that make wellbeing their mission.
When professionals choose Iyashi Dôme, they’re not just choosing a device, they’re investing in know-how and a philosophy that puts people at the heart of every treatment.
Those who use Iyashi Dôme know we’re not just a supplier, we’re a partner. Working with us means benefiting from support, shared expertise and a genuine exchange of ideas, where each professional is listened to and supported.
It’s this relationship of trust, built over years with renowned spas, institutes and hotels, that makes Iyashi Dôme a signature of excellence and authenticity. l More: www.iyashidome.com
spa-kit.net keyword: Iyashi Dôme
Operators can provide facilities for warm immersion post-workout
Staying warm after a workout can boost the effects of exercise, according to a study from The American Council on Exercise
Being submerged in warm water after a workout can significantly amplify the effects according to scientists.
In research sponsored by the American Council on Exercise (ACE) and published in the International Journal of Research in Exercise Physiology*, the team focused on three groups who had all completed an endurance workout – a control group, another that spent 30 minutes in warm water and a further group where people wore sauna suits.
The workout consisted of a running economy protocol of three consecutive five-minute stages at 4.6mph, 5mph and 5.4mph. All participants completed a standardised three-week training programme three days a week on a Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Both of the passive heating strategies were equally sufficient to raise core temperatures and both stayed below temperatures that might increase the risk of heat illness (39°C).
After three weeks, the mean VO2max and lactate threshold changes in both the warm water immersion and the sauna suit groups were “statistically significantly greater” when compared to the control group, although when it came to changes in running economy, only the people in the immersion group showed a significant improvement.
Researchers said these post-exercise heat interventions allow people to “augment their
Post-exercise heat interventions allow people to augment their training
training without adding volume and/or intensity, meaning they can achieve performance gains without increasing the risk of over-training or injury.”
Post-exercise passive warming can also be used to “preserve training adaptations if a client is travelling or trying to preserve fitness during an off-season programme”.
Researchers suggest not going beyond the 30 minutes immersion or above the temperatures used (39°C) and encouraged the adoption of good hydration practices and the advice of an expert if there are any doubts about safety.
As spa and wellness operators integrate fitness further into their offerings, these relatively straightforward-to-apply interventions offer new opportunities to improve outcomes and services.
We expect spas to better exploit facilities that enable the delivery of post-workout heat treatments and to ensure their teams are trained to deliver them safely and effectively. l
* Journal of International Research in Exercise Physiology. How Post-Exercise Heating Strategies Affect Endurance Performance. Dalleck, LC et al.
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