As he talks through the ongoing renovation of award-winning wellness resort Chiva-Som, it’s clear that chair and CEO Khun Krip Rojanastien, sees it as much more than a simple update.
Following in the footsteps of his late father Khun Boonchu Rojanastien, a distinguished banker and politician who founded Chiva-Som in Hua Hin, Thailand 23 years ago, he not only decided it was time to refresh the resort’s overall look and feel, but also to ensure it keeps pace with global lifestyle and wellness trends well into the future.
The third phase of Chiva-Som’s THB800m (US$24.4m, €21m, £18.8m) overhaul, carried out by local architecture firm Designrealization Siam, involved extensive upgrades to the Thai Pavilion bedrooms, the resort’s main restaurant The Emerald Room, public areas including the Library and the Orchid Lounge, the fitness facilities and the Niranlada Medi-Spa.
Once all four phases are complete in late 2019, Chiva-Som will be lighter, brighter and more contemporary, while retaining many of the core themes of its original east-meets-west design concept, such as the use of natural, renewable materials including bamboo, local teak and silk.
Greenery will also be more integrated and the resort will be better set up for socialising and flexible work.
The Thai Pavilion bedrooms, some of which have grown from 36 to 100sq m now include a desk for guests who want to keep up-to-date with work while they’re away from the office, for example.
“You may ask them to switch off but people don’t actually switch off and to force them to do that increases stress,” explains Rojanastien, who took the helm at Chiva-Som in 2007 after his father’s death. “If you don’t hinder them in any way they can focus on their wellness programmes and treatments. The work stations make us relevant to that lifestyle.”
A small private meeting room has also been added. “Lots of our clients are business people and they might want to start partnerships or collaborations with interesting people they’ve met [at Chiva-Som],” Rojanastien says.
He was brought up to appreciate healthy living and is fascinated by the many facets of wellness. “If you’re very chilled, you may approach it via nutrition or meditation, if you’re a very active, energetic person, you might come at it from a fitness angle, or if you’re not well, it’s another way again.”
Chiva-Som, which prides itself on inclusive wellness, offers options for every approach – from meditation pavilions to dance studios. As part of the third phase of renovations, a range of modalities have been introduced from three colonic hydrotherapy treatments to a folate assessment for detox and metabolic health (see p39) and an LPG Cellu M6 Alliance cellulite treatment.
Even more fitness options have been added too in response to the resort’s – and the wellness sector’s – widening client base.
“Our guests are getting both younger and older so with such a broad base, there are different demands,” Rojanastien says.
The expanded gym now includes a Re-functional Room for older guests or those who’ve been through surgeries or traumas. “If they want to recover or get well, they need a different regime to, say, people in their 20s and 30s who want to maximise their performance,” says Rojanastien, who’s perhaps an exception to this rule – next year he’s planning his fifth marathon at the age of 68.
New equipment will help with rehabilitation, leg mobility and balance, as well as preparing the body for more strenuous exercise.
Other additions include a separate stretching space, state-of-the-art cardio, functional and non-functional training equipment and a private training room.
This year’s six-month refurb has seen the Niranlada Medi-Spa evolve from its original clinical design to become warmer and more relaxing and the main spa’s once-over is set to take place at the same time next year.
“We won’t touch the flow,” Rojanastien says. “But we will freshen up the design, maybe adapt the colour, improve air flow and bring more green into the rooms.”
Meanwhile, an open kitchen at Chiva-Som’s ocean-side restaurant Taste of Siam will create more engagement between diners and chefs. “Everything is focused on achieving wellness,” stresses Rojanastien, adding that these four phases are far from the end of the story.
Underlying it all, a new technology infrastructure is being laid so that Chiva-Som’s personalised approach to wellness can be seamlessly extended to its upcoming 50-acre Bintan project in Indonesia, which is currently in the design stage.
At the flagship Hua Hin resort, the longest a guest has ever stayed is nine months. With the new property set to offer serviced residences as well as resort and wellness facilities, it may be time for a new record.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
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In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
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As he talks through the ongoing renovation of award-winning wellness resort Chiva-Som, it’s clear that chair and CEO Khun Krip Rojanastien, sees it as much more than a simple update.
Following in the footsteps of his late father Khun Boonchu Rojanastien, a distinguished banker and politician who founded Chiva-Som in Hua Hin, Thailand 23 years ago, he not only decided it was time to refresh the resort’s overall look and feel, but also to ensure it keeps pace with global lifestyle and wellness trends well into the future.
The third phase of Chiva-Som’s THB800m (US$24.4m, €21m, £18.8m) overhaul, carried out by local architecture firm Designrealization Siam, involved extensive upgrades to the Thai Pavilion bedrooms, the resort’s main restaurant The Emerald Room, public areas including the Library and the Orchid Lounge, the fitness facilities and the Niranlada Medi-Spa.
Once all four phases are complete in late 2019, Chiva-Som will be lighter, brighter and more contemporary, while retaining many of the core themes of its original east-meets-west design concept, such as the use of natural, renewable materials including bamboo, local teak and silk.
Greenery will also be more integrated and the resort will be better set up for socialising and flexible work.
The Thai Pavilion bedrooms, some of which have grown from 36 to 100sq m now include a desk for guests who want to keep up-to-date with work while they’re away from the office, for example.
“You may ask them to switch off but people don’t actually switch off and to force them to do that increases stress,” explains Rojanastien, who took the helm at Chiva-Som in 2007 after his father’s death. “If you don’t hinder them in any way they can focus on their wellness programmes and treatments. The work stations make us relevant to that lifestyle.”
A small private meeting room has also been added. “Lots of our clients are business people and they might want to start partnerships or collaborations with interesting people they’ve met [at Chiva-Som],” Rojanastien says.
He was brought up to appreciate healthy living and is fascinated by the many facets of wellness. “If you’re very chilled, you may approach it via nutrition or meditation, if you’re a very active, energetic person, you might come at it from a fitness angle, or if you’re not well, it’s another way again.”
Chiva-Som, which prides itself on inclusive wellness, offers options for every approach – from meditation pavilions to dance studios. As part of the third phase of renovations, a range of modalities have been introduced from three colonic hydrotherapy treatments to a folate assessment for detox and metabolic health (see p39) and an LPG Cellu M6 Alliance cellulite treatment.
Even more fitness options have been added too in response to the resort’s – and the wellness sector’s – widening client base.
“Our guests are getting both younger and older so with such a broad base, there are different demands,” Rojanastien says.
The expanded gym now includes a Re-functional Room for older guests or those who’ve been through surgeries or traumas. “If they want to recover or get well, they need a different regime to, say, people in their 20s and 30s who want to maximise their performance,” says Rojanastien, who’s perhaps an exception to this rule – next year he’s planning his fifth marathon at the age of 68.
New equipment will help with rehabilitation, leg mobility and balance, as well as preparing the body for more strenuous exercise.
Other additions include a separate stretching space, state-of-the-art cardio, functional and non-functional training equipment and a private training room.
This year’s six-month refurb has seen the Niranlada Medi-Spa evolve from its original clinical design to become warmer and more relaxing and the main spa’s once-over is set to take place at the same time next year.
“We won’t touch the flow,” Rojanastien says. “But we will freshen up the design, maybe adapt the colour, improve air flow and bring more green into the rooms.”
Meanwhile, an open kitchen at Chiva-Som’s ocean-side restaurant Taste of Siam will create more engagement between diners and chefs. “Everything is focused on achieving wellness,” stresses Rojanastien, adding that these four phases are far from the end of the story.
Underlying it all, a new technology infrastructure is being laid so that Chiva-Som’s personalised approach to wellness can be seamlessly extended to its upcoming 50-acre Bintan project in Indonesia, which is currently in the design stage.
At the flagship Hua Hin resort, the longest a guest has ever stayed is nine months. With the new property set to offer serviced residences as well as resort and wellness facilities, it may be time for a new record.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Thomas Klein
Senior living, family resorts and urban retreats are all on the cards for Canyon Ranch says COO and president Thomas Klein. Katie Barnes finds out more
Trends: Spa Foresight™ 2018/19
Spa Business’ predictions for the future include vegan spas, blue light antidotes, home wellness and plastic-free facilities
Interview: Dietmar Mueller-Elmau
The owner of Germany’s Schloss Elmau tells Spa Business why music, culture and spa feed the mind and soul
Promotional feature: Living Earth Crafts
Living Earth Crafts has distinguished itself with furniture for the spa industry that combines high design with seamless functionality. Brian Paris gives us insight into the company’s stylish new introductions
Event report: GWS 2018 - Bella vita
An Italian inspired Global Wellness Summit featured fashion, food, fitness and spa… and cameos from Hugh Jackman and Oprah Winfrey. Spa Business gives its highlights
Research: Growing up
Spa is the fastest growing sector of the US$4.2tn global wellness economy according to the latest GWI research
Event report: WTA Conference
What do wellness travellers want? And what issues need to be addressed as the wellness tourism sector grows? Anne Dimon reports from the inaugural meeting of the Wellness Tourism Association
Fitness: Inhale the future
Ashley Neese tells Spa Business about the possibilities of breathwork and opening up the practice to more people
Atmantan Wellness Centre, an integrative wellness destination in Mulshi, near Pune in India, is
expanding its portfolio by adding a new centre in Hyderabad that will launch between 2028 and
2029.
A recent survey by the UK Spa Association (UKSA) into the industry’s approach to cancer care
has revealed that almost half of participating respondents (46 per cent) are unaware that
cancer is a disability and guests with a cancer diagnosis must be given
Mexican operator, Solmar Hotels and Resorts, is hosting a series of events in celebration of
Global Wellness Day, including a Temazcal ceremony at its Playa Grande Resort and Spa in Los
Cabos.
Mandarin Oriental has announced a standalone residence brand, Mansions, which will debut at
Emirates Palace, Mandarin Oriental Mansions, Abu Dhabi, in 2029.
Four Seasons Resort The Nam Hai in Hoi An, Vietnam, has put together a Global Wellness Day
(GWD) agenda with activations rooted in nature and shaped by four pillars of Joy – in
alignment with the day’s theme #JoyMagenta.
The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) will celebrate its 20th anniversary at the 2026 event in
Phuket, Thailand, later this year with the theme: The Science, Art and Soul of Wellness.
Auko, an all-inclusive development, is opening in Phong Nha in Vietnam in Q3 2026, with a
series of 30 tented eco-lodges and wellness hospitality operations by Lumina Wellbeing.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
In today’s premium spa environment, every detail shapes the guest experience – right down to
the softness of towels and the freshness of linens. [more...]
