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The best new spas in Europe,
as featured in European Spa magazine

 

• Pearl of the Ardennes – Les Thermes de Spa, Belgium

• Through the Looking Glass – Le Royal Monceau Raffles, Paris

• Global Vision – Thalgo, France

• Scottish Style – Blythswood Square, Glasgow

• Sea of opportunity – Masseria San Domenico, Italy

• East meets West – Mandara Spa, London

• Chuan Spa – Langham Hotel, London

• Good as gold – Mandarin Oriental, Barcelona

• Life in the slow lane – Six Senses, Paris

• Sanctuary in the city – Sanctuary, Cambridge

• Connect, nourish and inspire – La Hulpe, Brussels

• Spirited away – Ushvani, London

• A very British affair – SPC spa, Baglioni Hotel, London

• Spa with distinction – Diocletian Spa, Le Méridian Lav split, Croatia

• Escape to Verbena – Feversham Arms Hotel, Yorkshire

• Spa Renaissance – SoulSpace, Florence

• Eco Luxury at The Scarlet – Scarlet Spa, Cornwall

• So SPA in the city– So SPA by Sofitel, London St James

• Mountain oasis – Tschuggen Grand Hotel, Switzerland

• A taste of authenticity – Cemberlitas Hammam, Turkey

• Affordable luxury – Aqua Sana Spas, Center Parcs, UK

• What women want – The Sanctuary Spa, UK

In the first of a series looking at the historic thermal towns of Europe, Catherine Lloyd takes a dip into the gently carbonated waters of Spa in Belgium

The word spa is ubiquitous today – attached to anything from an electric footbath to a state-of-the-art hydrotherapy-based medical facility. However, many people are unaware of the town called Spa, which is where many believe the word ‘spa’ came from.

Nestling in a pleasantly forested and hilly corner of Belgium, near the borders of Germany and Luxembourg, Spa was the 18th Century meeting place for Europe’s royalty and nobility enjoying the thermal sprints. Today, tourists still flock to Spa to enjoy the Thermes de Spa, the town’s brand new spa complex, which is connected to the centre by a funicular railway. Spa is also home to a famous water bottling company, Spa Monopole.

Since the middle ages, the source of the waters, which percolate through the rocks of the Ardennes before re-emerging in its springs, have been protected and kept pollution-free. The protection zone of 13,000 hectares is one of the largest in Europe. Visitors to Spa are able to bathe in the mineral-laden, carbonated thermal waters, and follow in the footsteps of the cream of Europe’s famous philosophers, authors, artists, musicians and nobility by drinking from the iron- and mineral-rich springs.

The new wellness and health centre, Les Thermes de Spa, opened in 2004 and was designed by the late Claude Strebelle, architect of the Place Saint-Lambert in Liège. Panoramic views, fresh air and the surrounding forest all combine to add to the feeling of escape. One of the most popular treatments is the Carbonated Bath, where guests immerse themselves in a copper bath filled with warm natural mineral water from the Marie-Henriette Spring. The massaging effect of the bubbles is said to stimulate the micro-circulation and dilate the blood vessels, reducing the guest’s blood pressure and stress levels.
 

The Director of Tourism in Spa, Isabelle Grégoire, explains the decision to close the old spa centre in October 2003. “It no longer met the standards required of a modern health spa. The old centre was dedicated exclusively to cures and funded by the Department of Health. When this funding finished, the centre turned to wellness but the configuration of the building was not suitable for the development of a leisure-based spa.”

Charles Gardier, Spa’s Municipal Magistrate of Tourism, adds: “There was a fear about moving commercial activity away from the town centre. Planning permission was therefore only given on the condition that no other commercial activity took place on the hill.”

The Thermes now welcomes an average of 165,000 people per year, of whom 34,000 come for treatments. Most popular are those based on thermal water, such as hydrotherapy or balneotherapy.

Spa’s grand buildings suffered during a downturn in popularity during the 1980s, when traditional baths fell out of fashion. For the last 10 years, however, visitor numbers have been steadily increasing, and the Thermes, and other new developments, aim to increase Spa’s popularity still further.

For example, the Pouhon Pierre-le-Grand, which was built in 1880 to house a celebrated spring, will re-open in 2012 as the new tourist office. Spa’s Director of Tourism, Grégoire, is excited: “It will be the heart of Spa tourism development. This, we believe, will spark a renewed interest from domestic and international tourists.”

Director of Spa: Séverine Philippin
Size: 800m2 of outdoor baths, plus fitness and relaxation centre and wellness centre
Spa Design: Claude Strebelle
Facilities: Balneotherapy in spa pools, 2 swimming pools, mother and baby institute, hammams and complex, fitness centre, 6 Niagara Bath cabins, 2 Thalaxion Bath cabins, 1 Sub-aqua Bath cabin, 12 Carbonated Bath cabins, 2 Soft-pack relaxation cabins, 3 Jet shower cabins, 4 peat cabins : 2 for applications, 2 for the bath, featuring a circular shower.
Product partners: Sothys

Les Thermes de Spa
www.thermesdespa.com

Le Royal Monceau Raffles is an art lover’s paradise, right in the heart of Paris. Clarins’ Director of Spa Activities Ghislain Waeyaert reflects on the journey to create the first ever Spa My Blend by Clarins. Report by Sarah Camilleri

Stepping off the famous Avenue Hoche and into Le Royal Monceau Raffles (RM) is like walking on to a stage set. This famous hotel’s atmospheric interiors are a celebration of avant-garde art and design. The more you look, the more you see; from La Librairie des Arts, stocked with exquisite art books; to flocks of soaring chandeliers illuminating Le Grand Salon. It’s cocktail hour and Le Salon quietly hums with hotel guests and Parisians, gathering to enjoy this beautiful space peppered with an astonishing array of designer chairs. It makes for an unforgettable first impression.

RM still has all the five-star grandeur you might expect from one of Paris’ best hotels, yet there’s a playful edge to every design detail. Naturally, this Palace property has art at its heart, having been a beacon for intellectuals and artists alike since it became a hotel in 1928. Today, the RM shines anew, completely transformed by a two-year refurbishment programme, reopening its doors to guests in October 2010. Owned by the Qatar Investment Company and managed by Raffles, this makeover saw the building stripped back, redesigned and revitalised by none other than France’s very own ‘enfant terrible’, celebrity designer Philippe Starck.

One year later and we see the much-anticipated opening of Spa My Blend by Clarins, the biggest luxury spa in Paris. A global flagship for Clarins and Raffles, it’s a spa looking to bridge the gap between beauty and wellness for a new generation of spa guest. The 1,500sqm spa, billed as a ‘White Paradise’, was designed, in Starck’s words “to explore the architectural possibilities of the female subconscious” – which can be seen in softly curtained walls and low lighting, which give the spa an ethereal ambience and feminine fluidity. But it’s not style over substance. “Our spa is a full concept which delivers expertise through tailored facial treatments, body treatments and skin analysis, as well as wellness therapies, sport and personal coaching. This spa is all about delivering customisation and real expertise,” explains Ghislain Waeyaert, Clarins’ Director of Spa Activities.

At the heart of the spa lies the 28-metre swimming pool surrounded by mirrors and lit by natural light via skylights which offers coaching sessions and classes, including aqua bike and aquagym. Fourteen personal coaches are a key component of the offer. Interestingly, the hydrotherapy-coaching protocols were developed by French swimming gold medallist Camille Lacourt, whose sponsor is Clarins.

Seven treatment rooms are located off a quiet corridor, where guests can indulge in a full menu of Clarins spa treatments, or opt to have a customised My Blend facial. “What My Blend offers is personalised skincare and customised products, exclusively for high-end spas to offer as a complement to the Clarins range,” explains Spa Manager Anna Pierzak.

Looking to the future, Waeyaert hints at a bigger plan for My Blend spa. “This concept is one we would like to roll out to other capitals including New York, London and Singapore,” he reveals. “For hotels it is important that spa makes money and a concept like this works not only to offer guests spa at the highest level, but also to bring in revenue.”

Director of Spa: Ömer Acar
Spa team: 12 x My Beauty Coaches deliver spa treatments; 2 x Pool Coaches teach swimming aqua gym and other water sports; 12 x My Gym coaches offer personal training in fitness, body building, Pilates and yoga.
Size: 1,500sqm
Hotel and spa interior design: Phillippe Starck
Facilities: 23-metre swimming pool and Watsu pool, 7 x treatment rooms with showers, including one double suite. One Vichy Shower room and one Hydrojet bath room, supplied by Hydroconcept. Fitness room equipped with the latest Technogym equipment; four individual training rooms, one dedicated to Pilates and yoga. Exclusive hair salon by Leonor Greyl; Spa Bar. Boutique with Clarins and My Blend products, manicure and pedicure, epilation and make-up services.
Product partners: Exclusively My Blend and Clarins

Spa My Blend by Clarins, Le Royal Monceau Raffles, Paris

www.leroyalmonceau.com

Thalgo Group’s International Director Michel Gras and Brand Director Jean-Marc Sirop reveal their future plans for the seminal French brand.
Interview by Sarah Todd.
 

Founded in 1964, Thalgo’s heritage as a marine spa brand is unrivalled. Led by scientific research from its conception, the brand continues to be inspired by thalassotherapy and is intended to bring together the best results-driven treatments and products that its marine-based spa and beauty formulae can offer.

Purchased by the Sirop family 12 years ago, the Thalgo Group greatly expanded its operation with the launch of its extended and refreshed Villa Thalgo spa concept in 2009 in the esteemed Place du Trocadéro in the heart of Paris’s 16th arrondissement.

An update of the original Villa Thalgo that debuted on the Rue du Faubourg Saint Honoré in 1991, the new site is intended to be a simple but luxurious flagship property.

The CEO of the Thalgo Group Jean-Claude Sirop says the concept was simple: “I wanted to create a place that would be the perfect illustration of Thalgo’s expertise and know-how in terms of marine beauty treatments and total wellbeing. With the creation of Villa Thalgo, Thalgo is turning a new page in its history.”

Welcoming around 5,000 clients each year, plus 170 members, the 3m euro Villa Thalgo houses three core areas covering fitness, recreation and treatment/relaxation. One of the standout features is its soundproofed aqua gym and pool area, covering 60sqm. There is an extensive range of thalassotherapy experiences, including Vichy showers, experience baths and thalassotherapy wraps.

The Place du Trocadéro area holds a lot of businesses. Consequently, Villa Thalgo’s menu includes a range of de-stressing therapies as well as balneotherapy. There is also an exclusive new massage called Aqua Zen, developed by physiotherapists, performed with a water-filled ball, which doubles as a jet lag remedy.

“We didn’t just want to be a leisure spa,” Jean-Marc Sirop explains. “Instead, we want to be experts in beauty and getting results. Villa Thalgo is almost like our luxurious laboratory – we try out lots of new treatments and massage protocols out and receive instant, great feedback.”

As Thalgo continues to expand, the possibility of Villa Thalgo becoming a partnership franchise in selected global locations is one that both Sirop and Gras are keen to explore: “It’s not our objective to manage a franchise but instead we would like to be the best partners we can be and bring the best ideas to like-minded businesses,” Sirop explains.

There are three core priorities for Thalgo’s future. Firstly, the duo intend to develop and maintain established markets in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Australia, Russia and Poland. The next priority will be to look at other developing markets around the world, including China – where the brand launched five years ago and which remains a very promising growth area. Lastly, they intend to further develop Thalgo’s position in the US within its cosmetic market.

As Jean-Marc Sirop says, long-term stability is key for the family-owned business and the future of the brand: “My father was a financial man before he invested in wellbeing with Thalgo and it was very important for him to make beauty, wellbeing and wellness accessible to all. This continues today and will be our guiding principle for the future.”

Director of Spa: Karen Gallo
Size: 1,000sqm
Interior design: Thierry Hazard of THPS and Alexia Sarkis of TSM with consultancy provided by Thalgo Spa Management
Facilities: Aquatic centre, hammam, lounge, fitness centre, ‘daydream quarters’, sensory rooms
Product partners: Exclusively Thalgo

Villa Thalgo, Paris

www.thalgo.co.uk

Director of Spa: Leon Trayling
Spa team: 28
Size: 930sqm
Interior design: Private Spa Corporation for MS renovations
Hotel and spa interior design: Jim Hamilton of Graven Images
Facilities: nine treatment rooms including a double suite; Champagne Nail Bar
Product partners: ila, Anne Semonin and Leighton Denny

The Spa at Blythswood Square

www.blythswoodsquare.com

It’s hard not to get swept away with Puglia. Nestled in the ‘heel’ of Italy’s south-eastern coast, it boasts more than 800km of coastline on the Adriatic and Ionian seas, two UNESCO World Heritage Sites and is the producer of 40 per cent of the country’s olive oil and 17 per cent of its wine.

In recent years the region’s appeal has been bolstered further, with more people saying si to spa breaks. In particular, domestic guests from Italy’s northern cities from Rome upwards are sweeping south to experience the unique synergy between the spa and the sea.

That’s why I’m here in Puglia. As the popularity of the concept of taking the natural sea waters rides high, I’ve come to sample one of the pioneers of thalassotherapy in Italy’s sun-soaked south. With its whitewashed walls, 60 hectares of ancient olive trees and citrus orchards, private beach and golf course, it’s fair to say Masseria San Domenico is easy on the eye. In fact the hotel, which dates back to the 13th Century when it was used by the Knights of Malta as a watchtower against Saracen attacks, is picture postcard perfect.

The boutique 47-room, five-star property is a member of the Leading Spas of the World, an accolade bestowed on the property thanks to the entrepreneurial Melpignano family, operators of four luxury properties in Italy and the UK, who turned their ancestral home into a chic hotel in 1996.

A longtime fan of thalassotherapy, General Manager Viola Melpignano was the ideal candidate to put this philosophy on the map.

“When we launched the spa in 2001, there was no thalasso spa in the south of Italy,” she confirms. “It was a big investment and remains extremely expensive to maintain, but we are delivering a concept that has a positive effect on people’s health and wellbeing.” Thalassotherapy, in its original form, involves exploiting the immeasurable nutrients found in seawater that are believed to be absorbed through the skin, and it’s evident that Melpignano is a staunch supporter of thalassotherapy in its ‘true’ form. “Being only 800m from the Adriatic Sea we could follow the original values of thalassotherapy,” she reveals. “The water used in the hotel spa is drawn from a deep underground stratum, which sits at approximately 400m below sea level. This is then pumped into our spa, untreated with either chlorine or salt, to yield spa therapies that are wholly natural. This water is also completely purified by filters, and is heated as it moves around the entire thalassotherapy centre by means of the most up-to-date equipment.”

Inside the spa are 22 rooms, many of which are dedicated solely to the administering of thalassotherapy treatments. Compared to the number of guest rooms, the impressive spa is a statement of intent: don’t expect any half-hearted measures here. “To be certified as a Leading Spa of the World, the property is required to provide a certain number of spa rooms per guest room – and our ratio is particularly high,” adds Melpignano. “For us, it adds to our drive to ensure that Masseria San Domenico serves as one of the most exclusive properties in the area.”

Date opened: 2001
General Manager: Viola Melpignano
Global Spa Director: Marisa Melpignano
Spa team: Eight full time staff plus 10 extra staff
Size: 800sqm
Hotel and spa interior design: Simos Fermanouglou and Marisa Melpignano
Facilities: 14 massage rooms and eight thalasso rooms, café, yoga studio, two relaxation rooms and tea room
Product partners: Thalgo, Carita, Masseria San Domenico Olive Oil (own brand)
Fitness: Technogym
Signature Treatments: San Domenico Indocean Ritual

Masseria San Domenico - Spa-Thalasso & Golf

www.masseriasandomenico.com

The first Mandara Spa to be launched in Europe has finally arrived. Located at the substantial 1,019-room Park Plaza Westminster Bridge, opposite the glinting spires of Westminster Palace, this spa promises Mandara’s authentic Asian treatments and exacting spa standards. A flagship for the Balinese spa management company behind it and for Park Plaza Hotels, Mandara Spa ticks all the boxes when it comes to location: looking onto Big Ben and just a short walk from other iconic attractions such as the London Eye, London Aquarium and Royal Festival Hall.

Walking across Westminster Bridge, the significance of being the first spa in London to provide genuine Balinese treatments strikes me: a bold concept for a city where just about every kind of spa experience you can imagine is now on tap. It’s a first in other ways too: the first Mandara Spa for Park Plaza Hotels; the first Mandara Spa in the UK and also the first Mandara Spa to be launched anywhere in Europe.

Inside it’s a sleek, urbane affair. Sympathetically designed along cosmopolitan lines, there are clever Balinese accents throughout to give guests that all-important Mandara connection. The unique treatment offer has been carefully designed to transport you to another place, explains Mandara’s visionary President and Chief Operating Officer Jeff Matthews. “It’s all about detail,” he says, as he checks the essential oil levels of the infuser in spa reception.
Heading up Mandara on behalf of Steiner Leisure, which acquired the company in 2002, Matthews has a proven track record in luxury spa and hospitality services with a business management degree and more than 20 years experience with international chains such as Four Seasons and Hilton Hotels. Joining Mandara Spa back in 1996, he has played a pivotal role in shaping what’s billed as the world’s largest resort spa management company, with a portfolio of more than 100 luxury spas worldwide.

Not one to rest on his laurels, Matthews is currently leading the brand’s strategic global expansion worldwide – coinciding with the ambitious UK launch of a new range of Mandara home spa products, developed to meet increasing consumer demand for take-home spa products and to be distributed in the UK through retail giant Sainsbury’s.

Mandara Spa in London will operate as a day spa, serving Park Plaza hotel guests as well as visitors from outside the hotel. According to Matthews this is just the beginning, as Mandara taps into a global demand for authentic Balinese therapies. As the company celebrates 15 years in business this May, it is now looking at new opportunities in the Middle East, India and Europe, to add to it’s significant spa portfolio throughout Asia.  

General Manager: Andrew Swindells
Spa Manager: Renata Jachna
Spa team 13: one manager, two receptionists and 10 therapists

Size: over 700sqm
Interior design: Private Spa Corporation for MS renovations
Facilities: nine treatment rooms, one double with a shower and eight singles, three with showers; two pedicure stations with Shiatsu massage chairs; three manicure stations; spa reception and boutique; 15m pool; sauna and steamroom; gym (only available to hotel guests).
Full daily capacity (total number of treatments possible per day): up to 150 hourly treatments a day
Treatment prices: from £12 to £140
Product partners: Mandara Spa, Elemis, Bliss

Mandara Spa Park Plaza Westminster Bridge London

Park Plaza www.parkplaza.com

www.mandaraspa.com

The iconic Langham Hotel in London is the flagship property for owner Great Eagle Holdings, and home to Europe’s first Chuan Spa offering.

Rich in history, the hotel was built in 1865 and was reportedly the first ‘grand’ hotel to be built any distance from the River Thames. This gave it a certain cachet during Victorian times, as it was built on higher ground and, therefore, even more desirable due to a lower risk of flooding.

When it came to adding the Chuan Spa to the historic property, certain challenges were presented. Situated in a listed building, there was scarce opportunity to change the existing layout of the spa. But innovative workarounds were plenty. For example, given that the original building had also once been a grandiose branch of Barclays Bank, the old bank vault was transformed into a beautiful, subterranean swimming space.

As Spa Director Katie Henry explains, creating the spa challenged the developers on many levels. “Dealing with such an historic building, we had very little ability to change the layout of the structure and the journey,” she says, “so we had to create an interesting guest journey within the very fixed boundaries that we had – even down to what we could fit structurally onto the walls.”

Fashioned from the skeleton of the Langham’s previous spa, Chuan Spa has been created more as a high-end rebranding exercise than a total reconstruction and reinvention. Additional facilities include a salt sauna and heated loungers supplied by Schletterer Wellness & Spa Design, while interior designer Richmond International created many of the spa’s unique fittings as well as continuing the historical feel of the iconic hotel through to the spa.

Further suppliers in Hong Kong are used across the brand for all of its sites, and provided many of the bespoke Chuan fittings within this spa. With six treatment rooms including a VIP Couple’s Spa Suite, other facilities include a Technogym-equipped cardio and resistance fitness centre and a vitality pool, as well as herbal steam rooms and saunas.

The spa launched in February 2011 and completes the entire £100m (114.6m euro) refurbishment of The Langham and itself cost around £2.1m (2.4m euro) to create. Open for day guests as well as residents and members, the spa’s concept and philosophy is comprehensively based upon Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Each of the 18 signature treatments were developed by working closely with TCM professionals, including the internationally renowned TCM expert Dr Ke. The Chuan’s signature Harmony Massage is based on acupressure points and is already one of the most popular choices on the menu.
It has been a long journey from the closure of the old spa in September 2007 to the rebranding and reopening of the beautiful Chuan Spa. But it’s one that Henry has clearly enjoyed. Passionate, deeply committed and ambitious for her thriving new spa, this is all summed up neatly when she is asked what the most memorable moment has been during her current role. “The day when the spa doors reopened, to experience the customers come through the door, was absolutely amazing,” she says. “For me, to be involved with such a fantastic product and company, it really has been a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”

Managing Director of The Langham, London: Katie Benson
Director of Communications: Brian Gore
Hotel and Spa Interior Design: Richmond International
Global Spa Director: Barry White
Spa Director: Katie Henry

Hotel Investment: £2.1m (Chuan Spa)
Spa area: 778sqm (spa), 1,017sqm (spa wet facilities)

Spa Team: 12
Treatment facilities: Six private treatment rooms, including a Couple’s Spa Suite and a pre- and post- treatment relaxation area Wet spa: A vitality pool; separate herbal steam rooms and saunas in the male and female changing areas; two heated tiled loungers; a salt sauna; and a 16m swimming pool

Special facilities: Lifestyle facilities include a fully-equipped fitness centre with state-of-the-art Technogym cardio and resistance equipment and free weights

Product Partners: Babor, Thalgo and Essie

Chuan Spa, London

www.chuanspa.com

Celebrating its first birthday this December, Mandarin Oriental Barcelona is housed in an austere former bank, transformed into a welcoming city escape by celebrated designer Patricia Urquiola. The minimalist white facade of the building is bathed in light, broken only by a vivid slash of plum silk that drops a full eight storeys from the roof. Ending precisely at eye level outside the lobby entrance and embellished with the Mandarin’s iconic gold fan, the fabric confirms that precision and detail are the things that set Mandarin Oriental apart.

Elegant design, impeccable service and a raft of deluxe spa services are just some of the attributes to have gained the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group its global reputation. The golden fan has come to symbolise aspirational spa standards and is an integral pillar of the brand offer. Under the watchful eye of MOHG’s Global Spa Director Andrew Gibson, the Group’s 21 spa properties worldwide are thriving despite the crisis. With an ever-growing portfolio, Gibson’s unrelenting quest is to ensure that this luxurious stable continues to push the envelope.

“Patricia Urquiola conceived The Spa at Mandarin Oriental Barcelona as an intimate and minimalist space, markedly modern in style with Oriental touches,” explains Spa Director Virginia Lara. “Our spa is a unique space in the centre of Barcelona, offering our guests such a sensory experience. It’s very contemporary in style yet combines the elements of fire, water and metal in the structure to complement the wood- and earth-based treatments and materials in the treatment rooms.”

Barcelona’s spa menu has been designed with the help of trusted product partners Aromatherapy Associates and ESPA International. It offers a comprehensive range of facials, body treatments and spa journeys including aromatherapy, Swedish, Thai and hot stone massage, specialist face work and even lymphatic stimulation, pregnancy care and male grooming services. Highlights include signature spa therapies newly devised to “address guests’ increasing desire for simple, effective and authentic spa experiences”. Developed in consultation with specialists in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and master aromatherapists at Aromatherapy Associates, each signature therapy consists of a relaxing body ritual that combines the powerful effects of Oriental ‘meridian’ massage with the therapeutic benefits of custom-blended essential oils, created exclusively for Mandarin Oriental.

General Manager: Gerard Sintès
Hotel and spa interior designer: Patricia Urquiola
Group Spa Director: Andrew Gibson
Director of Spa: Virginia Lara

Hotel Investment: €150 million
Spa area: 1,000sqm
Spa team: 14
Full Capacity: 42 treatments a day
Treatment facilities: 8 x private treatment rooms; 2 x multi-functional rooms; 2 x Mandarin Suites (couples’ suites); 2 x Oriental Rooms with Thai futon and vitality bath; Relaxation area
Wet Spa: Oriental herbal steam room; Rainforest experience showers; 12m pool
Special facilities: Pedi:Mani:Cure Studio by Bastien González; fitness and wellness centre featuring Technogym equipment

 
www.mandarinoriental.com

To call the new Six Senses spa in Paris a ‘high street’ spa is somewhat missing the mark. While it is a small urban hideaway that serves the metropolitan market, this city escape is a step up from the norm. Even the location – steps away from the Louvre with Place Vendome in the distance – demands special attention. Like many urban spas it’s tight on space, but that’s where the similarities end. Six Senses Rue de Castiglione is a lesson in spa design that says size doesn’t matter.

It may even be a model spa of the future: the spaceship-like treatment rooms or ‘cocoons’ (two double and four single) are made from light oak and lined inside with back-lit paper to glow like a Japanese lantern. But it doesn’t fall into the trap of placing style over substance. According to Clare West it embodies everything the Six Senses brand stands for. Experienced in the art of wellbeing having worked as a specialist for Marriott A&C and TUI, West joined Six Senses in 2006 serving as Managing Director for Europe, Middle East and Africa. She was instrumental in the development of the Paris spa as Holistic Operations Manager before a change that now sees her in a consultant role for the group. It was West’s duty to implement Six Senses’ forward-thinking philosophy dubbed SLOW LIFE.

The acronym stands for Sustainable, Local, Organic, Wholesome… Learning, Inspiring, Fun, Experiences, a concept applied to all treatments. “In fact SLOW LIFE is carried through to all aspects of the spa experience,” confirms West. “Our attitude is that wellbeing should embrace these values and we have created a sanctuary in Paris that reflects this through French ingredients and expertise. The design itself encapsulates SLOW LIFE and is environmentally respectful.”

It was West whose uncompromising position on green technology sought unique methods to bring the spa’s energy consumption right down. “It’s a very small space with no wasteful thermal water or water treatment areas,” she says. “Despite being located in a Paris basement, the design maximises the available daylight with floor-to-ceiling, clear, street-level windows. Heating and showering water comes direct from the city’s hot water supply and our underfloor heating and cooling is more effective than air conditioning. Together with independent metering the spa comfortably meets Six Senses’ Green Globe sustainable certification programme.”

Alongside VOYA’s seaweed treatments, Aromatherapy Associates was chosen as a complementary partner for Six Senses’ progressively pure outlook. “We’re delighted to be working with one of Europe’s leading spas,” enthuses Geraldine Howard, founder and President of Aromatherapy Associates, “which captures everything that’s great about our industry. The Six Senses in Paris is a stunning and quite revolutionary spa environment, with a real ‘wow’ factor and superb treatment offering.”

Indeed such dedication to the delivery of five-star treatments that work with the environment takes some beating. Again the SLOW LIFE thinking comes into play, encouraging the spa to be almost self-sufficient. This is notably demonstrated in the signature Opera de Paris Honey Facial, using honey harvested from hives on top of the roof and other buildings nearby, which is then graciously collected by city bees. “As well as serving as an effective anti-ager, the honey is part of a wider initiative in the city to counter the disappearance of the bee in the last few decades and to promote bio-diversity in the city of Paris,” says West.

Six Senses is at the forefront of this shift in consumer thinking, and with new developments in Thailand, Vietnam at Phu Quoc, Brazil and Turkey, the eco-wellness and travel community will have even greater choice of spa with a clear conscience in the near future.

Founder and CEO: PZ Cussons
Managing Director of Six Senses Spas: Ann Murray
Consultant: Clare West
Interior Design: David Pierre
Vertical garden: Patrick Blanc
Treatment Rooms: Six

Signature treatments: Rejuvenating Asian-based treatments; half-day sensory journeys including Organic Detoxifier Journey; Opera de Paris Honey Facial
Visiting practitioner disciplines: Chi kung, reiki, shiatsu, traditional Chinese medicine, kinesietherapy, fasciatherapy

 
www.sixsenses.com

Sanctuary has come a long way since it opened the doors of its luxurious and exclusively female spa in 1977. Since those pioneering days, Sanctuary’s celebrated day spa in the heart of London has spawned a multi-faceted brand boasting household recognition. By 2005 Sanctuary Spa Holdings had grown to offer two distinct elements: a premium range of beauty and body care products sold under the Sanctuary brand through Boots the Chemists, representing some 70% of revenue; and London’s largest day spa. The story continues today, as yet another development milestone is announced to reach new audiences and further develop the brand. This year sees the long-anticipated rollout of a completely new city spa concept, steered by Sanctuary’s Group Spa Director Debi Green. The first site opened its doors in August 2009 in The Grand Arcade in the centre of Cambridge, closely followed by the opening of a refurbished Body Experience spa acquired by Sanctuary in Richmond and a third site in Bristol. These new spas will serve as test beds for a further nine or even 12 new sites to be opened over the next three years.

The design of all the new city spas balances space between a well-designed retail area and an inner sanctum, typically offering five treatment rooms, changing areas, a relaxation area and a manicure/pedicure area. A select menu offers holistic face and body rituals alongside a notable range of medi-spa treatments, take-home spa products and expert consultation – all of which have be tried, tested and fine-tuned by the Sanctuary therapist team back in Covent Garden.

Green points out the main differences from London. “Unlike Covent Garden, which is all about ‘the spa experience’, our city spas are not about coming for the whole day,” she reveals. “The experience they will deliver is driven by a growing demand for spa take-home products and advice, as well as first-class maintenance, results-driven and medi-spa treatments,” she reveals. “This ‘boutique’ city spa model does offer a range of traditional holistic treatments, like Covent Garden, but also includes our new Skin Spa – which incorporates results-driven treatments such as facials, Cellu M6, IPL and doctor treatments including Botox and fillers. We’ve applied our learning from the success of the Skin Spa opened in Covent Garden in 2007, which highlighted the growing demand for a more results-driven offering. We’ve also appointed our own consultant Medical Director Liz Wilkinson, to develop our expertise further in the medi-spa arena.”

Cambridge customers will find a selection of premium spa products as well Sanctuary’s own brand. “We’ve teamed up with some fantastic third-party brands,” says Head of Spa Marketing Emma Keyworth, “such as Environ and Carita skincare brands as well as Bare Escentuals’ natural mineral make-up and Jessica nailcare.”

“We wanted products that were not only results-driven but also complementary to our ‘boutique’ city spa values,” adds Green, explaining the rationale behind the choice of product partners, “especially in bringing expertise and training that we can pass on to our customer. We went through an in-depth selection process using feedback from our therapists, our customers and the wider team.”

 
www.thesanctuary.co.uk

First-class spa services top the menu at Brussels’ La Hulpe Cinq Mondes Spa, a new flagship facility in Dolce Hotels & Resorts’ expanding portfolio. Situated in leafy, sun-dappled Sonian Forest, 15km south of Brussels, this low-slung, sprawling white structure seems somewhat at odds with a tranquil forest setting – like something dropped from another time and place. A former IBM training centre, the interiors were converted into a 264-bedroom, four-star hotel in 2006 by global hotel management company Dolce Hotels & Resorts, becoming one of most sought-after conferencing and meeting destinations in Europe.

Ownership: Banimmo
Managing Company: MDolce Hotels & Resorts
Dolce SVP Development: EMEA Philippe Attia
Spa Manager: Florence Schaeffer
Treatment rooms: 14 plus Hammam suite, 15m indoor swimming pool with sauna, steam room and rain showers, relaxation terrace overlooking the forest.
Health Facilities: Fitness room equipped by Technogym, including Kinesis, group classes studio, an outdoor trim trial, two tennis courts and jogging and mountain bikes
Exclusive Product House: Cinq Mondes

Holistic therapies Exclusively by Cinq Mondes, aromas and flowers Japanese bath, aromatic scrub with spices, ayurvedic massage, ‘Crème de Café’ Brazilian Ritual slimming massage

 
www.dolcelahulpe.com

Ushvani might not have space on its side, but what the urban spa lacks in size it makes up for in service. A few steps away from the hustle of Sloane Street in Kensington, West London, an elegant hotel-style spa reception mixes Edwardian features with intricate, dark woodcarvings and contrasting, exotic flavours of Asia.

Ushvani’s greatest asset is authenticity, which forms the bedrock of the concept. While we’ve seen Asian spas rehashed time and time again on Western shores, founder Usha Arumugam believes Ushvani gives a tired tradition a fresh new lease of life.

Ushvani (Usha’ means dawn or fresh in Hindi in Indian dialect and ‘Avani’ means earth in Sanskrit), is built on its founder’s lifelong connection with Malaysia, breathing a sense of true, honest understanding of the country’s wellness culture into the treatments, training, décor, practice and products. Arumugam has developed an urban sanctuary where the customer is truly king: “I am so diametrically opposed to the ‘conveyor belt’ type of spas that churn out treatments without really paying attention to the individual,” she says. “I feel that everyone visiting a spa should be treated as a VIP regardless of who they are. And that is the underlying reason why I created Ushvani.”

Arumugam is keen to point out that, like the treatments, the design has strong roots in Asia. “I have travelled frequently to Malaysia to source fabrics, art works, sculptures, carvings. Sculptures were specially commissioned from local tribesmen and the hibiscus carvings you see throughout the spa were commissioned from local craftsmen in the East Coast area of Malaysia. I coordinated every step of the process and even oversaw the loading of our first cargo departure from the docks.”

Another of the spa’s defining elements is its inclusion of wet facilities, an uncommon sight in the capital’s myriad high street spas where space comes at a premium. A wet area dedicated to delivering the very best hydro treatments is situated in the basement where guests can submerge themselves in a spa pool while relaxing next to a cascading waterfall. Surrounding the pool is a steam room, a private room housing an experience shower and a peaceful relaxation area where spa goers can sip tea, read magazines and sleep soundly after their treatment. On the same floor five treatment rooms, each furnished in their individual colours, are the staging grounds for Ushvani’s exotic selection of Eastern style services. “I wanted to go back to basics and provide good therapeutic treatments without gimmicks,” Arumugam states. “Our focus at Ushvani is the client and our primary aim is to make the client feel relaxed as quickly as possible, we therefore keep our treatment menu straightforward and simple.”
 

Founder and Owner: Usha Arumugam
Spa Development Manager: Susanne Cawrey
Facilities: spa tea room, sentenso studio for yoga, pilates and meditation, relaxation room, Asmara couple’s suite Wet facilities steam room, spa pool, waterfall feature, experience showers (all ladies only), couple’s bath

Treatment rooms: five

Treatments: a comprehensive choice of body massages, scrubs, wraps and a signature facial using Balinese, Thai and Malay techniques and formulations.

 
www.ushvani.com

It’s turning out to be a vintage year for SPC. Having recently launched a line of indulgent spa formulations into select destinations around the UK and Ireland, the company that bills itself as “an aspirational British skincare line” has gone one step further by launching the first SPC-branded spa.

The spa’s raison d’etre is to deliver a service that mirrors the high standards seen at the Stoke Park Club, where the brand originated, and an ambitious team steered by experienced marketing expert Kathy McConnell has found the ideal launchpad: one of London’s most iconic hotels.

The venue is the 67-room Baglioni Hotel, opened in March 2004. It’s a name that commands attention and richly deserves its five-star rating. It also marks a turning point in the design concept for the parent hotel group, re-hauling the brand’s overall image and perfecting its ability to create memorable guest experiences.

The Stoke Park Club and The Baglioni have exploited their close relationship by introducing a cross-selling approach, with the latest promotional package mixing a taste of the rolling English countryside with the buzz of London town. “To maximise our relationship with Stoke we’ve introduced a 2-night package with stays at both properties, including spa treatments,” confirms Adriano Quarra, part of the sales and marketing team at The Baglioni.

This gives guests a chance to experience two very different SPC spa models: an urban day spa and a rural retreat. According to Spa Manager Cateriona Cormack it also provides both spas with a unique working practice. “To understand where the brand originated we send the girls on training to Stoke Park,” she says. “It serves as a fantastic incentive tool, too, giving our girls a night’s stay at Stoke Park for meeting targets or excelling at their tasks.”
 

Baglioni Hotels Chairman & Managing Director: Roberto Polito
Baglioni Hotels Worldwide Director of Sales & Marketing: Manuela Rampado
SPC Operations Manager: Kathy McConnell
Spa Manager: Cateriona Cormack
Treatment rooms: 4
Facilities: Male and female changing rooms incorporating aromatic steam rooms
On the menu: SPC rejuvenating and anti-ageing facials; hot stone massages; detoxifying scrubs and nourishing wraps; pregnancy services; men’s grooming; Jessica manicures and pedicures
Product ranges: SPC, Jessica
Fitness supplier: Technogym

 
www.baglionihotels.com

The story goes that in 295AD Emperor Diocletian was considering retirement from governing the Roman Empire. His search for a retreat was fruitless, leading him to build a city he would be proud to call home: a place they now call Split. It comes as no surprise that one or two locals carry on the Roman wellness tradition today.

 
Take the city’s Le Méridien hotel. The property, whose Diocletian Spa pays homage to the ancient spa rituals, is a reminder of those roots: an enduring heritage that modern spa goers enjoy today. With a prestigious reputation across the country, the hotel is held in unique regard – with a spa service to match.

The new Croatian Spa Association aims to provide support to a number of new properties seeking to serve the country’s growing spa-speculative crowd. Le Méridien Lav Split, opened in 2006, is at the forefront of this charge and hopes its 3,000sqm spa is a standard bearer for wider spa developments.
Spa Manager Boris Odak has been pivotal in establishing the reputation commanded by the spa industry in Croatia today. He believes that, with the right exposure and education, consumers will become accustomed to the idea of regular spa going. “Our spa association in Croatia is not big but they work hard,” he says. “We need to regulate spas and provide people with a definitive meaning as there are no strict boundaries to the usage of the word and it dilutes the real essence.”

The entire resort has been carefully crafted to serve a new type of high-flying clientèle in Croatia. Standout features include 800m of beach frontage, gardens landscaped by award-winning designer Jim Nicolay, a hotel casino designed by Christophe Herbert of Principal Concepts, a sports bar and nightclub. “Most of our guests are here for leisure, but our well-regarded reputation means business is an important side to our concept too,” Odak observes.

Having undergone a four-year, $150 million renovation in 2006, the hotel was proudly designated the first Le Méridien hotel in Croatia when it launched. “With its array of resort attractions, prestigious accommodation and stunning vistas, Le Méridien Lav is the perfect locale for visitors from across the world to come and experience Croatia,” adds Le Méridien Lav co-owner Jim Bosnjak.

Co-owner: Jim Bosnjak
Spa & Recreation Manager: Boris Odak
Size: 3,000sqm
Treatment rooms: 8
Pools: circular indoor water pool (240sqm), outdoor heated water pool (230sqm)
Roman baths: Finnish sauna 90°C, caldarium, laconium, tepidarium, aroma grotto, whirlpool, plunge pool, adventure shower, separate male and female sauna and steam bath
Wet and heat supplier: Tylo
Product houses: Decléor, Thalgo, Jessica, Hvar (100% natural Croatian lavender oil) for sports and therapeutic massages
Fitness supplier: Life Fitness
Therapies and services: vinotherapy, chocolate massages, signature 4-hands Diocletian massage, gold face and body therapies, ayurvedic and shiatsu treatments, reflexology, pedicures and manicures
Therapists: 6 low season, 18 high seasong

 
www.lemeridianlavsplit.com

When Simon and Jill Rhatigan bought Feversham back in 2003 it was little more than a comfortable pub with a brassiere and 17 guest rooms, which turned over around £700K. Now it’s on track to achieve an estimated turnover of £3m at the end of this financial year – a success story that shows no sign of abating.
“We started with about 16 staff, now we employ around 65,” reveals Simon Rhatigan. “There’s barely an inch of this place that has not been transformed. Creating Verbena Spa was always part of our vision, integral to where we wanted to take the business.”

Connected to the hotel via a glass walkway, Verbena spa feels comfortable, warm and unpretentious. A welcoming reception and retail area opens out into a spacious, south-facing, airy spa lounge featuring oak floors and country chic décor, overlooking an attractive spa terrace. Quintessentially English, spa garden wraps around this terrace offering just the right level of privacy for spa guests in robes using the outside area.

It was very important to Rhatigan that the Verbena had a strong sense of belonging. Together with spa consultant Neil Howard, he planned out the best mix of facilities for the available space. “The spa had to have lots of light, to feel natural and in keeping with Yorkshire,” he confirms. “We had to fit what we could into the limited space we had available so we knew we could not have indoor pools or all the bells and whistles. However, working with Dalesauna we knew we could achieve some great spa experiences to give Verbena a real sense of journey. On the treatment side, our chosen product houses Elemis, Anne Sémonin and Jessica allow us to provide first class spa treatments in keeping with our spa philosophy.”
 

 
www.verbenaspa.co.uk

SoulSpace is an exclusive day spa in the heart of the heritage city of Florence, an independent facility and the brainchild of seasoned spa operator Zelal Elbistan. The theme is sanctuary and relaxation, with water at its heart and a meaningful blend of holistic treatments using [comfort zone] spa products on the menu.

Since opening in May 2007, SoulSpace’s reputation for luxurious, high-quality spa treatments and therapies has attracted outsiders and Florentines alike. Just two minutes’ walk from the bustling Piazza del Duomo, the ambience provides a memorable respite for all those looking to tick the spa box on their Florence itinerary. In total, SoulSpace offers 400sqm of contemporary, cosseting interiors, designed to regenerate and relax, housed on two floors and enclosed by courtyards and walls in the splendid 18th Century Palazzo Galletti.

Elbistan epitomises today’s successful spa entrepreneur: passionate, driven and resourceful, her journey to realise SoulSpace has required the conquering of many challenges. At the heart of the concept are Elbistan’s first memories of spa. “When I was growing up in Istanbul my mother would take me every month to the hammam,” she recalls. “At first I didn’t like it so much because there was too much steam – and not so many children, like me – but after going many times I began to love those rituals.”

Her exclusive choice of product partner [comfort zone] plays a significant role in the SoulSpace offer. “The products are fantastic and are matched by my therapists’ professionalism and capabilities,” she says. “Our menu is very comprehensive. Guests can enjoy many different rituals and therapies such as hammam, chocolate, wine and olive oil therapies, hot stone massage, four-hands massage and excellence in therapies such as reflexology, shiatsu and ayurveda.

“We’re concentrating on our Florence business and ways to better manage the effects of the global crisis. However, I do dream of a SoulSpace one day in Istanbul…”
 

Owner/spa director: Zelal Elbistan
Architect: Stefano Mannucci
Interior designer: Zelal Elbistan
Wet spa: hydrotherapy pool and hammam
Product house: [comfort zone]
Treatment rooms: six treatment rooms, one with Nuvola water bed
Spa team: four beauty and massage therapists (three trained by [comfort zone]), two shiatsu and crano-sacral therapists

www.soulspace.it

www.scarlethotel.co.uk