YTL resort guests will master the art of brewing Balinese herbal remedies / YTL Hotels
Synthesis Organics gets intra-oral
When Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan reopens its spa after a major overhaul in October, one of its star treatments will be a facial that involves manipulating the inside of the mouth.
Known as a buccal, or intro-oral, massage, the technique is designed to improve circulation, boosting blood flow and lymphatic drainage to redefine facial contours and is also believed to help release stored emotions. It will form one half of a brand-new 90-minute therapy by Synthesis Organics, which includes a cleanse, enzyme exfoliation, scalp massage and LED light therapy too.
The treatment also features the brand’s signature opening and closing protocols: aura cleansing, gold tuning fork sound healing, breathwork rituals and harmonising soundscapes.
Based in Byron Bay, Australia, Synthesis Organics is a certified organic skincare and treatment brand, which is launching a sustainable HQ and manufacturing plant dubbed ‘eco factory in the forest’. The company debuted at Peninsula Hot Springs in 2016 and is eyeing global expansion.
Location: Sacred River Spa, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia
Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: IDR2,6 million (US$169, €152, £128)
The buccal massage involves manipulating the inside of the mouth / photo: Synthesis Organics
Zulal launches nighttime rituals
From floating meditation at sunset to evening singing bowl sessions, stargazing and full moon yoga, Zulal Wellness Resort in Qatar is presenting a host of nocturnal wellbeing experiences at cooler times of the day.
Average daytime temperatures in the region sit above 30˚C from May to September, soaring to 37˚C in July, which has prompted the resort to curate a range of nighttime offerings.
The sessions last from 30-50 minutes and have all been designed to reduce cortisol levels, promote better sleep quality and enhance overall wellbeing.
A range of specially blended teas and an apothecary sleep blend have also been created to ease guests into a peaceful slumber.
The nighttime sessions can be experienced on their own or added to any of Zulal’s retreats and programmes.
This launch dovetails into growing demand for coolcationing and the rise of nocturnal societies, which Spa Business has flagged as a trend to watch (see www.spabusiness.com/coolcustomers)
Location: Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, Qatar
Duration: 30 minutes (for floating meditation, the shortest experience)
Cost: QAR125 (US$34, €31, £26)
The rituals tap into the notion of nocturnal societies / photo: Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som
Resort cashes in on guestroom bathing rituals
Vietnamese retreat The Anam Mui Ne is leveraging the demand for wellness outside of the spa by creating – and charging for – an eight-step in-room bathing ritual.
Each guestroom boasts a free-standing clawfoot bath. To make the most of the feature, The Anam Spa’s therapists designed a self-guided experience which includes a homemade sea salt body scrub, a soak enriched with fresh oranges, flowers and essential oils, a nourishing hair treatment and a revitalising Sothys facial mask.
Spa Business expects more resorts to follow suit, by turning simple, low-cost offerings into profitable experiences – much like the way paid-for programmes in hydrothermal facilities have already caught on.
Location: The Anam Mui Ne, Mui Ne, Vietnam
Cost: VND1.7 million (US$68, €61, £53) per guest
Paid-for bathing experiences in guestrooms is a growing trend / photo: Anam Mui Ne
Mushroom body treatment and soundscape crops up
OTO, known for its professional skincare and beauty lines based on CBD extract, has created one of the world’s first mushroom-based spa treatments.
The Kinoko Ki ritual is based on OTO’s Mushroom Ki Oil, a blend of maitake, reishi, cordyceps and chaga mushrooms. The mushrooms are all native to Japan – Kinoko Ki translates as ‘mushroom life force’ in Japanese.
The oil is massaged into the face and body, following myofascial release around the spine, body brushing and gentle exfoliation. Tuning forks reset the body’s energy before the treatment concludes with a shiatsu massage using mushroom-shaped quartz and onyx spheres.
Sessions are performed to a soundscape created by Justin Wiggan, which translates the electrical impulses and frequencies of the mycelium network into a soothing acoustic environment (see www.spabusiness.com/justinwiggan).
Location: Worldwide
Duration: 60 or 90 minutes
Cost: £150 (US$198, €178) or £200 (US$264, €238)
The star ingredient is OTO’s Mushroom Ki Oil that’s based on a blend of four Japanese fungi / photo: oto
photo: oto
Doctor-led sports medicine retreats target luxury market
Dr George Bownes / photo: Citius Retreats
Dr George Bownes, a sports medicine consultant who’s worked with elite athletes such as premiership footballers and Olympic competitors is targeting luxury spas and resorts with what he’s calling a first-of-its-kind approach.
Drawing on 15-plus years of experience, Bownes has created Citius Retreats based on his understanding of the life-changing benefits that come from doctor-led programmes which focus on enhancing athletic performance, injury prevention and supporting injury recovery. He’s blending this with wellness, tapping into his network of practitioners and fostering a community where guests can connect and share experiences.
One of his first partnerships is with Six Senses Ibiza, where a series of four-day retreats will include activities such as coastal hikes, paddleboarding, cold-water therapy and workshops on recovery and nutrition. Guests will also benefit from physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, mindfulness practices, massages and cryotherapy.
Location: Six Senses Ibiza, Illes Balears, Spain
Duration: Four days
Cost: £6,500 (US$8,460, €7,683)
Programmes focus on athletic performance and injury prevention / photo: Citius Retreats
Locals teach Balinese massage and wellness traditions at YTL resort
YTL Hotels has curated a retreat for those eager to immerse themselves in Balinese culture, wellness and the arts.
Each day will begin with a yoga session to set a positive tone. Guests will then dive into learning the time-honoured techniques of Balinese massage under the guidance of local therapists, master the art of brewing Jamu (traditional Balinese herbal remedies) and craft handmade candles and boreh – a body scrub made from local spices. The retreat also provides a chance to connect with Balinese traditions through Kecak dance – which blends music, storytelling and movement – and by learning to play the traditional Balinese gamelan instrument.
Location: Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali, Indonesia
Duration: Four days
Cost: THB37,124 (US$1,077, €973, £830)
Guests will master the art of brewing Balinese herbal remedies / photo: YTL
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 3
Editor's letter: At a crossroads
As the UK prepares to host this year's Global Wellness Summit, fresh research shows its wellness industry must address a number of issues if it's to maintain levels of unprecedented growth
Spa People: Charlotte Church
The Welsh singer talks about how growing up in the media spotlight has influenced The Dreaming, her healing retreat business
Spa People: Julia Bradbury
Leading a series of Walk Yourself Happy retreats based on her best-selling book and years of TV presenting
Spa People: Samantha Dunn
Shaking up the industry with her new, affordable DIY consultancy programme for entrepreneurs
News report: Big spenders
Finn Partners’ latest research shows how China’s high-net-worth women are redefining luxury travel
News report: Step back in time
Two new GWI reports analyse the growth of the global spa and hot springs markets over the past 10 to 15 years
Interview: Dillip Rajakarier
Following a 450 per cent increase in core revenues, Minor Hotels is planning 200 more properties. Megan Whitby sits down with its CEO
New opening: Kintsugi Space
Patrizia Bortolin talks to Lisa Starr about creating a transformative women-only sanctuary in Abu Dhabi
Research: To inform and inspire
The UK Spa Association has conducted its first survey of spa businesses in the country for 18 years. GM Bobby Griffiths unveils the numbers
Research: From wellness to wellbeing
A new study uncovers four wellness consumer market segments ripe for innovation. WELLSurvey co-author Kevin Kelly reveals the findings in a Spa Business exclusive
First person: To the source
Jane Kitchen takes to the sulphurous waters of Terme di Saturnia in Italy and shares details about its exciting upcoming sister site in Milan
Promotion: L'OCCITANE en Provence – the art of recovery
With an approach to wellbeing that’s both holistic and grounded in science, the latest massage from L’OCCITANE en Provence promises to have a powerfully-beneficial effect on customers, both in the spa and at home
New opening: Surrenne at The Emory
The £15k memberships at this wellness club in London sold out in just weeks. Creator Inge Theron tells us why
First person: Playful wellness
A Stella McCartney facial and Tracy Anderson studio are just two USPs Megan Whitby finds at Surrenne
Promotion: TechnoAlpin – naturally cool design
TechnoAlpin’s snow technology is not only an effective way to introduce gentle cold therapy into the spa environment, it’s also a powerful biophilic design element that can bring the wonder of nature indoors
Promotion: Biologique Recherche – potent partnership
A new anti-senescence serum from Biologique Recherche offers transformative results and raises the bar in anti-ageing skincare when combined with its iconic collagen formula
Promotion: Comfort Zone – A longer life for skin
Created to combat the visible signs of ageing, Comfort Zone’s latest range revamp is based on the company’s pioneering research into cutaneous cellular longevity
Promotion: G.M. COLLIN – Clinical excellence in skincare
With laboratories based in Montreal, G.M. Collin’s highly researched derma-corrective treatments have been helping skincare professionals deliver exceptional and exclusive results worldwide for many decades. We talk to VP Myriam Sayer
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]
YTL resort guests will master the art of brewing Balinese herbal remedies / YTL Hotels
Synthesis Organics gets intra-oral
When Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan reopens its spa after a major overhaul in October, one of its star treatments will be a facial that involves manipulating the inside of the mouth.
Known as a buccal, or intro-oral, massage, the technique is designed to improve circulation, boosting blood flow and lymphatic drainage to redefine facial contours and is also believed to help release stored emotions. It will form one half of a brand-new 90-minute therapy by Synthesis Organics, which includes a cleanse, enzyme exfoliation, scalp massage and LED light therapy too.
The treatment also features the brand’s signature opening and closing protocols: aura cleansing, gold tuning fork sound healing, breathwork rituals and harmonising soundscapes.
Based in Byron Bay, Australia, Synthesis Organics is a certified organic skincare and treatment brand, which is launching a sustainable HQ and manufacturing plant dubbed ‘eco factory in the forest’. The company debuted at Peninsula Hot Springs in 2016 and is eyeing global expansion.
Location: Sacred River Spa, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan, Indonesia
Duration: 90 minutes
Cost: IDR2,6 million (US$169, €152, £128)
The buccal massage involves manipulating the inside of the mouth / photo: Synthesis Organics
Zulal launches nighttime rituals
From floating meditation at sunset to evening singing bowl sessions, stargazing and full moon yoga, Zulal Wellness Resort in Qatar is presenting a host of nocturnal wellbeing experiences at cooler times of the day.
Average daytime temperatures in the region sit above 30˚C from May to September, soaring to 37˚C in July, which has prompted the resort to curate a range of nighttime offerings.
The sessions last from 30-50 minutes and have all been designed to reduce cortisol levels, promote better sleep quality and enhance overall wellbeing.
A range of specially blended teas and an apothecary sleep blend have also been created to ease guests into a peaceful slumber.
The nighttime sessions can be experienced on their own or added to any of Zulal’s retreats and programmes.
This launch dovetails into growing demand for coolcationing and the rise of nocturnal societies, which Spa Business has flagged as a trend to watch (see www.spabusiness.com/coolcustomers)
Location: Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som, Qatar
Duration: 30 minutes (for floating meditation, the shortest experience)
Cost: QAR125 (US$34, €31, £26)
The rituals tap into the notion of nocturnal societies / photo: Zulal Wellness Resort by Chiva-Som
Resort cashes in on guestroom bathing rituals
Vietnamese retreat The Anam Mui Ne is leveraging the demand for wellness outside of the spa by creating – and charging for – an eight-step in-room bathing ritual.
Each guestroom boasts a free-standing clawfoot bath. To make the most of the feature, The Anam Spa’s therapists designed a self-guided experience which includes a homemade sea salt body scrub, a soak enriched with fresh oranges, flowers and essential oils, a nourishing hair treatment and a revitalising Sothys facial mask.
Spa Business expects more resorts to follow suit, by turning simple, low-cost offerings into profitable experiences – much like the way paid-for programmes in hydrothermal facilities have already caught on.
Location: The Anam Mui Ne, Mui Ne, Vietnam
Cost: VND1.7 million (US$68, €61, £53) per guest
Paid-for bathing experiences in guestrooms is a growing trend / photo: Anam Mui Ne
Mushroom body treatment and soundscape crops up
OTO, known for its professional skincare and beauty lines based on CBD extract, has created one of the world’s first mushroom-based spa treatments.
The Kinoko Ki ritual is based on OTO’s Mushroom Ki Oil, a blend of maitake, reishi, cordyceps and chaga mushrooms. The mushrooms are all native to Japan – Kinoko Ki translates as ‘mushroom life force’ in Japanese.
The oil is massaged into the face and body, following myofascial release around the spine, body brushing and gentle exfoliation. Tuning forks reset the body’s energy before the treatment concludes with a shiatsu massage using mushroom-shaped quartz and onyx spheres.
Sessions are performed to a soundscape created by Justin Wiggan, which translates the electrical impulses and frequencies of the mycelium network into a soothing acoustic environment (see www.spabusiness.com/justinwiggan).
Location: Worldwide
Duration: 60 or 90 minutes
Cost: £150 (US$198, €178) or £200 (US$264, €238)
The star ingredient is OTO’s Mushroom Ki Oil that’s based on a blend of four Japanese fungi / photo: oto
photo: oto
Doctor-led sports medicine retreats target luxury market
Dr George Bownes / photo: Citius Retreats
Dr George Bownes, a sports medicine consultant who’s worked with elite athletes such as premiership footballers and Olympic competitors is targeting luxury spas and resorts with what he’s calling a first-of-its-kind approach.
Drawing on 15-plus years of experience, Bownes has created Citius Retreats based on his understanding of the life-changing benefits that come from doctor-led programmes which focus on enhancing athletic performance, injury prevention and supporting injury recovery. He’s blending this with wellness, tapping into his network of practitioners and fostering a community where guests can connect and share experiences.
One of his first partnerships is with Six Senses Ibiza, where a series of four-day retreats will include activities such as coastal hikes, paddleboarding, cold-water therapy and workshops on recovery and nutrition. Guests will also benefit from physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, mindfulness practices, massages and cryotherapy.
Location: Six Senses Ibiza, Illes Balears, Spain
Duration: Four days
Cost: £6,500 (US$8,460, €7,683)
Programmes focus on athletic performance and injury prevention / photo: Citius Retreats
Locals teach Balinese massage and wellness traditions at YTL resort
YTL Hotels has curated a retreat for those eager to immerse themselves in Balinese culture, wellness and the arts.
Each day will begin with a yoga session to set a positive tone. Guests will then dive into learning the time-honoured techniques of Balinese massage under the guidance of local therapists, master the art of brewing Jamu (traditional Balinese herbal remedies) and craft handmade candles and boreh – a body scrub made from local spices. The retreat also provides a chance to connect with Balinese traditions through Kecak dance – which blends music, storytelling and movement – and by learning to play the traditional Balinese gamelan instrument.
Location: Spa Village Resort Tembok Bali, Indonesia
Duration: Four days
Cost: THB37,124 (US$1,077, €973, £830)
Guests will master the art of brewing Balinese herbal remedies / photo: YTL
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2024 issue 3
Editor's letter: At a crossroads
As the UK prepares to host this year's Global Wellness Summit, fresh research shows its wellness industry must address a number of issues if it's to maintain levels of unprecedented growth
Spa People: Charlotte Church
The Welsh singer talks about how growing up in the media spotlight has influenced The Dreaming, her healing retreat business
Spa People: Julia Bradbury
Leading a series of Walk Yourself Happy retreats based on her best-selling book and years of TV presenting
Spa People: Samantha Dunn
Shaking up the industry with her new, affordable DIY consultancy programme for entrepreneurs
News report: Big spenders
Finn Partners’ latest research shows how China’s high-net-worth women are redefining luxury travel
News report: Step back in time
Two new GWI reports analyse the growth of the global spa and hot springs markets over the past 10 to 15 years
Interview: Dillip Rajakarier
Following a 450 per cent increase in core revenues, Minor Hotels is planning 200 more properties. Megan Whitby sits down with its CEO
New opening: Kintsugi Space
Patrizia Bortolin talks to Lisa Starr about creating a transformative women-only sanctuary in Abu Dhabi
Research: To inform and inspire
The UK Spa Association has conducted its first survey of spa businesses in the country for 18 years. GM Bobby Griffiths unveils the numbers
Research: From wellness to wellbeing
A new study uncovers four wellness consumer market segments ripe for innovation. WELLSurvey co-author Kevin Kelly reveals the findings in a Spa Business exclusive
First person: To the source
Jane Kitchen takes to the sulphurous waters of Terme di Saturnia in Italy and shares details about its exciting upcoming sister site in Milan
Promotion: L'OCCITANE en Provence – the art of recovery
With an approach to wellbeing that’s both holistic and grounded in science, the latest massage from L’OCCITANE en Provence promises to have a powerfully-beneficial effect on customers, both in the spa and at home
New opening: Surrenne at The Emory
The £15k memberships at this wellness club in London sold out in just weeks. Creator Inge Theron tells us why
First person: Playful wellness
A Stella McCartney facial and Tracy Anderson studio are just two USPs Megan Whitby finds at Surrenne
Promotion: TechnoAlpin – naturally cool design
TechnoAlpin’s snow technology is not only an effective way to introduce gentle cold therapy into the spa environment, it’s also a powerful biophilic design element that can bring the wonder of nature indoors
Promotion: Biologique Recherche – potent partnership
A new anti-senescence serum from Biologique Recherche offers transformative results and raises the bar in anti-ageing skincare when combined with its iconic collagen formula
Promotion: Comfort Zone – A longer life for skin
Created to combat the visible signs of ageing, Comfort Zone’s latest range revamp is based on the company’s pioneering research into cutaneous cellular longevity
Promotion: G.M. COLLIN – Clinical excellence in skincare
With laboratories based in Montreal, G.M. Collin’s highly researched derma-corrective treatments have been helping skincare professionals deliver exceptional and exclusive results worldwide for many decades. We talk to VP Myriam Sayer
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.
Naples Beach Club, a Four Seasons Resort, has opened a 2,800sq m spa called The Sanctuary,
with the design and concept inspired by the Native American people that populated Florida’s
Southwest coast – the Calusa.
Swire Hotels’ luxury hospitality brand Upper House has revealed it will roll out its two-day
House of Healing retreats at its three hotels in Hong Kong, Chengdu and Shanghai.
LVMH-owned beauty house Guerlain will launch up to five spas with partners a year as part of
its plan to expand globally, according to the brand’s international spa and wellness director,
Diane Davody.
A new global study by Kevin Kelly and Peter Yesawich, called WELLSurvey 2.0, has revealed
more than half of consumers in the UK, US and Germany would not choose numerous high-
profile wellness resort brands for a future trip.
Luxury hospitality and wellness pioneer Jeremy McCarthy has launched Leisure Alchemy, a
digital platform that will provide professionals with strategic guidance on how to build
transformational leisure experiences that drive profit.
In the fast-paced world of fitness and wellness, where high-intensity workouts push us to
our limits and the sweat pours, the importance of efficient recovery cannot be overstated. [more...]
The Spa Life UK Convention returns from 21–23 June 2026 at Whittlebury Park Hotel, Spa &
Golf Resort, bringing together spa managers, directors and owners for two days of focused
education, meaningful connection and commercial insight. [more...]