Private Spas and Spa Suites have surged in popularity, meeting the rising demand for luxury, privacy and security in relaxation.

These exclusive spaces, found in hotels and wellness centres, offer sophisticated experiences tailored to a diverse range of customers.

Spa Suites – luxurious hotel rooms with integrated wellness areas – epitomise exclusivity and convenience. Ranging from 30 to 100sq m, they feature amenities such as saunas and Jacuzzis, providing an all-encompassing wellness experience within the confines of the room.

Included in the suites’ cost is access to spa facilities, while additional services like massages are available for an extra fee.

Ideal for romantic getaways, Spa Suites offer couples a secluded retreat for occasions like honeymoons or intimate celebrations.

In contrast, Private Spas offer a personalised spa experience within a dedicated space, often reserved for couples or small groups. These intimate settings cater to individuals seeking signature treatments and exclusive comfort.

Typically, Private Spas feature various zones, including welcome areas, treatment rooms, sauna, hammam, swimming pools and relaxation lounges. Guests follow a curated circuit starting with purifying treatments before indulging in hot and humid experiences, massages, and relaxation.

Private Spas are perfect for group celebrations such as anniversaries or corporate events. Additionally, there's a growing trend for designing Private Spas within private residences, offering homeowners a secluded retreat for relaxation or social gatherings.

In both commercial and residential settings, expert design and planning are crucial for optimising space and creating unique wellness experiences.

From luxurious Spa Suites in hotels to personalised Private Spas at home, these exclusive sanctuaries cater to the discerning needs of modern individuals and groups.

In the wellness sector, a trend that certainly needs to be monitored closely is the increased interest in 'jewel spas', small, high-end venues that we have learnt to call Boutique Spas.

More and more people are looking for unforgettable experiences when they travel. People are no longer simply looking for a place to relax, but a place that offers a dream experience and leaves beautiful memories.

A Boutique Spa is an 'exceptional' place in terms of its location, concept, design, and the treatment protocol it offers. It is a place devoted to offering a totally customised and 'tailor-made' experience, just like a haute couture boutique that takes all the clients' expectations and makes them a reality.

The term 'boutique' indicates something small, intimate, exclusive, so Boutique Spas are not large, usually ranging from 250 to 750 square metres. The atmosphere must be intimate and comfortable, services must be highly customised, to meet the needs and habits of customers, even anticipating them before they manifest themselves. Signature treatments and high-end cosmetics are a must!

Bbspa_Group has a pluriannual expertise in thinking, designing and managing luxury spas, as the new LA SPA Helvetia & Bristol: a wellness retreat, located in the centre of Florence where the ancient Roman baths once stood. Everything has been designed to create a private environment, away from the chaos, in which you can immerse yourself to rediscover well-being and relaxation.

To design the best boutique spa there are some rules to follow. We asked Regis Boudon Doris, the CEO of bbspa – read what he said here.

bbspa_Group has unveiled an exciting addition to its portfolio in the UK, led by industry figure Kirsty MacCormick as co-founder and CEO.

With more than thirty years of experience, bbspa stands as a beacon of innovation in wellness. Guided by spa experts Gabriella Francia and Régis Boudon-Doris, the group seamlessly merges Italian finesse with French sophistication, leveraging their extensive backgrounds in spa management and development.

Following the successful establishment of bbspa_France alongside Ghislain Waeyaert in 2021 and the launch of bbspa_Asia with Rita Bonucchi in 2022, bbspa now extends its footprint with bbspa_UK, marking a strategic expansion into new territories.

These strategic manoeuvres reflect bbspa's global ambitions, aiming to offer clients comprehensive spa and wellness solutions across diverse regions.

The new venture offers a holistic approach, encompassing all vital aspects of spa project development with a rational and analytical methodology.

At the core of bbspa’s approach are four key services: We Think, We Set-Up, We Design, and We Manage.

Exceptional leadership

MacCormick is a distinguished figure in the UK and international spa scene, boasting more than three decades of experience in delivering top-notch spa and consultancy services to the hospitality and resort industry.

"Teaming up with Ghislain and Régis to launch bbspa_UK feels like a natural evolution from operating as a solo consultancy firm,” she shared, “we've cultivated a relationship spanning over two decades, each bringing a distinct skill set that complements the others."

For 30 years, bbspa_Group has provided market-leading professional design and consultancy services to the spa industry.

Régis Boudon Doris, founder and CEO of bbspa_Group, explained: "We guide the client every step of the way during the realisation of their spa. Throughout the process, we always prioritise the guest's wellbeing combined with the investment's profitability.”

bbspa_Group understands that creating a successful spa is a demanding challenge, and not only from a financial perspective.

The consultancy describes designing a spa as setting up a business which sells something that isn’t tangible but is nevertheless measurable from an economic point of view and in terms of customer satisfaction.

On every project it works on, bbspa_Group brings creativity and a deep knowledge of the wellness world; utilises its strong grasp of the required managerial and management commitment; and always works towards creating a unique project.

According to the organisation, one of the most crucial ingredients to a successful spa is creating a well-structured and up-to-date menu of services and concept during the design phase.

So, what are the most important components of bringing a spa to life? bbspa_Group shares its top tips.

bbspa_Group’s five steps to success

1. Thoroughly analyse the target audience it intends to address and the customer segment it wants to 'conquer'.
2. Conduct in-depth research about competitors.
3. Explore and get to grips with the local area surrounding the new spa.
4. Establish the type of investment it intends to make.
5. Define clear and achievable objectives and timelines.

Inside a historical palace once owned by the Colonna family – one of the oldest and most famous Roman patrician families – premium skincare and spa company Biologique Recherche has opened the doors to a new location in Rome, Italy.

Named Ambassade Roma, the 250sq m facility is located just a few steps from iconic Italian landmarks such as the Pantheon and Piazza di Spagna.

The opulent two-floor facility includes a reception area and retail area, a waiting room and a product testing room, as well as six treatment cabins – four for individuals and two for couples – and a communal area for the spa team.

The new destination was born out of a collaboration between Biologique Recherche and bbspa_France, the French branch of leading international spa consultancy bbspa_Group.

A glamorous, refined, intimate and rich historical environment, Ambassade Roma is dedicated to serving a clientele of connoisseurs and wellness enthusiasts, both Roman and international. The facility has been realised within a historical building formerly home to a famous lingerie shop during the 1950s that boasted a VIP clientele, including famous actresses linked to Cinecittà – an iconic Italian film studio – as well as famous women from all over the world passing through Rome.

bbspa_France’s challenge was to transform the shop into a wellness centre, a feat made possible thanks to a collaboration with architect Joanne De Lepinay who sensitively refreshed the retro environment into a facility suitable for the modern consumer.

bbspa_Group’s We Design team also worked with Italian craftsmen to remodel the existing furnishings to adapt them to the needs of Biologique Recherche’s technologies and protocols, taking historical materials and embellishing them with Corian and alabaster.

“Biologique Recherche is creating its own network of embassies worldwide to
guarantee customers an experience that matches its brand,” says Régis Boudon-Doris, CEO and founder of bbspa_Group.

He also revealed that Biologique Recherche and bbspa_Group will further their relationship with the opening of two more Ambassades in 2023 and 2024.

bbspa_Group is a leading international spa consultancy based in Italy, renowned for its unique character and organic design approach. Its goal is to optimise spa operations without neglecting attention to detail and personal interpretation of each project

“We work with entrepreneurs, investors, builders and architects to conceptualise, design and build spa and wellness facilities that will captivate customers, retain them and, at the same time, ensure a profitable business for those who open or manage the destination,” explained Régis Boudon-Doris, bbspa_Group founder and CEO.

In 2019, the group expanded its reach and joined forces with European spa industry leader the Snow Group, which manages over 60 spas across the continent. The Snow group is comprised of Deep Nature, Cinq Mondes and Algotherm and is owned by Deep Nature's original shareholders Groupe Bateur.

Out of the collaboration, a new management company called Snow Group Italia was born.

Boudon-Doris says the collaboration enables the company to blend “the best of Italian design with French art de vivre to deliver authentic and successful projects”.

The team’s latest architectural innovation is Spacubes®, a new turnkey business model designed specifically for those who want to invest in the wellness industry.

Inspired by modular architecture, the structure allows for the construction of adjustable, turnkey, prefabricated spas that can be adapted to different building spaces, industrialised and replicated in multiple locations or customised for different target audiences.

bbspa_Group describes Spacubes® as an architectural innovation which it’s patented in partnership with the international architectural firm D/DOCK.

Another recent R&D innovation from the company is its 1OO%YOU antiviral spa uniform range.

“It represents a revolution in the concept of 'professional uniforms',” added Boudon-Doris, “for the first time we’re offering spa uniforms made of 100 per cent polypropylene, guaranteeing hygiene, comfort and a distinctive design.”

The chic range is blended out of a natural yarn called polypropylene which creates a light synthetic material that is antibacterial, waterproof and can easily be disposed of in plastic waste once no longer of use.

Designed by stylist Christine Vignoli, the collection is available in six sizes in various colours for both men and women. All garments are officially certified as PPE.

To collaborate and find out more about bbspa_Group, follow this link.