Grotto Sonora is a specialist gong manufacturer / Hagastrand Spa
Self-playing gongs in Sweden
Nobis Hospitality Group’s wellness destination, Hagastrand, Autograph Collection, has just launched in Stockholm, Sweden, with an immersive gong experience.
Inside a 70sq m acoustically-insulated room, a 60-inch self-playing gong is hand-tuned to resonate on its own, without mallets or speakers.
Specialist gong manufacturer, Grotto Sonora, has created the Gongmatic experience using customised programmes that combine sound, light and vibrations, tailored to the space.
The 15-minute experience marks the conclusion of a 3-hour hydrothermal journey and sees guests reclining on ceramic heated loungers while listening to the hypnotic sounds.
Alla Sokolova, Nobis Hospitality Group’s wellness expert, says it “offers deep nervous system recalibration,” helping guests “reach profound states of rest and balance in minutes”.
Location: Hagastrand, Autograph Collection, Sweden
Duration: 15 minutes
Cost: Included in spa entry, which is €110 (US$128, £96) on average
The immersive gong experience is a highlight at a new hotel in Stockholm / photo: Hagastrand Spa
Surfing underpins group therapy in Morocco
Josh Dickson / photo: Chris Werret
Two group surfing and mental health improvement programmes will be held in Tamraght, a popular destination for riding the waves in Morocco, in October and November.
The first retreat will focus on trauma resolution and the second will address resilience and burnout prevention. Both are delivered by UK therapy specialist Resurface.
Groups of eight to 12 participants will experience the Resurface Method, a therapeutic framework that uses surfing to create a heightened mental state.
Resurface founder, therapist and trauma clinician, Josh Dickson, tells Spa Business, “The physical fatigue [of surfing] naturally lowers psychological defences, creating authentic breakthroughs in therapy.”
Location: Tamraght, Morocco
Duration: Seven nights
Cost: Starts at £1,700 (US$2,294, €1,961)
Surfing is used to create a heightened mental state / photo: Chris Werret
Reviv launches IV therapy memberships
Reviv, a global provider of IV therapy and other nutritional supplements, has introduced a membership programme at its flagship locations to provide a way for guests to use their services more regularly.
Partner spas that offer the brand’s treatments as part of Reviv’s subscription model (Reviv X) will also be able to offer memberships to guests soon.
The three memberships – Essential, Premium and Elite – all provide IV drip therapy sessions, as well as discounts on vitamin therapies and intramuscular shots.
The Essential membership is designed for those starting their wellness journey, while the Premium package suits people looking for energy and immunity-boosting benefits. The Elite option is for those seeking the highest level of wellness services.
An all-encompassing cinematic experience based on guided meditation has opened at Thermen and Badewelt Sinsheim in Germany.
Breathing Planet offers a 10-minute screening of artistic visuals, a meditative soundscape and natural scents to provide guests with a sense of calm and guide their breathing while sitting.
The filmic offering draws on real global wind data from space agency NASA, showing a visual landscape that gently moves and pulsates like breath. The projections were created in collaboration with London-based artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast.
The screenings, shown twice an hour, take place in Immersive Horizon, a new enclosed cinematic space designed by Atelier522. The experience is included in the entry price to the site’s Palm Paradise zone.
The thermal complex is led by Thermengruppe Josef Wund, a strategic partner of Therme Group.
Location: Thermen and Badewelt Sinsheim, Germany
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: Palm Paradise entry starts at €23 (US$27, £20)
Visuals gently move and pulsate like someone inhaling and exhaling / photo: Thermengruppe Josef Wund
Ananda tackles diabetes
Ananda in the Himalayas, India, has introduced a programme for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as those experiencing pre-diabetic conditions.
The holistic experience is designed for diabetes management and reversal. It blends ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, yoga, nutritional science and emotional management.
Guests receive blood glucose profiling and several other advanced tests, in addition to cleansing therapies, food plans, acupuncture, meditation and physiotherapy.
Post-stay consultations are paired with long-term follow-up appointments. Initial trials suggest stabilisation of blood glucose profiles, a reduced dependence on medicine and increased energy.
Location: Ananda in the Himalayas, India
Duration: 14-21 days
Cost: Starts at US$11,500 (€9,800 £8,489)
Initial trials suggest reduced need for diabetes medicine / photo: Ananda in the Himalaya
Atlantis The Royal’s skin microbiome special
A treatment designed to nourish the skin microbiome of both the face and body has launched at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai.
Created exclusively for the property by ayurvedic aromatherapy brand Subtle Energies, the 2-hour SkinBiome Reset and Restore has been developed as a whole-body protocol using products traditionally reserved for the face.
It combines the brand’s Advanced Biotech Skincare range and formulas from its Antioxidant collection. Ingredients include botanicals rich in polyphenols, as well as prebiotic and postbiotic enzymes associated with supporting beneficial bacteria and skin resilience.
The treatment begins with an antioxidant gel mask and a trio of targeted serums and concludes with a massage with enriched cold-pressed plant oils to lock in moisture.
Subtle Energies is behind the whole-body treatment / photo: Subtle Energies
Atlantis The Royal in Dubai is the launch partner / photo: Atlantis Dubai
Retreat to nurture highly sensitive people
Kirsty Allan / photo: Jon Cheetham
Broughton Sanctuary in the UK is working with psychologists and therapists to deliver a four-night retreat called Sense, for highly sensitive people (HSP) in October.
Kirsty Allan – a professional coach and PhD candidate – is a facilitator of the retreat. She describes HSP as a subset of the general population (approximately 20-25 per cent), who have a ‘sensory processing sensitivity’.
These people think and feel very deeply – experiencing empathy and creativity – but they face paradoxical challenges, including a propensity for sensory overwhelm and burnout.
In addition to a range of nature-based activities, Allan will host experiments for guests as part of an active research project she’s working on.
The results will shape future thinking around wellbeing and sensory processing styles.
Location: Broughton Sanctuary, UK
Duration: Four nights
Cost: Starts at £1,300 (US$1,760, €1,500) per person
Broughton Sanctuary will offer a range of nature-based activities / photo: Broughton Sanctuary
Palazzo Fiuggi announces biohacking programme
Stefano Santori, a high-performance coach and founder of a protocol called Mindset Biohacking, will lead a retreat this October at Italy’s Palazzo Fiuggi Wellness Medical Spa.
Participants will learn how to transform their behaviour and mindset for optimal health outcomes by regulating their nervous systems, improving nutrition, achieving restorative sleep and managing stress.
The programme will feature a thorough medical assessment, including an ECG and a biomechanical evaluation.
Treatments will include hypoxic-hyperoxic therapy, red and near-infrared light therapy and vagal nerve stimulation to reduce inflammation, enhance energy production and support sleep.
Contrast therapy will also be on offer, in addition to a menu of anti-inflammatory foods by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.
Location: Palazzo Fiuggi Wellness Medical Spa, Italy
Duration: Six days
Cost: Starts at €8,870 (US$10,100, £7,700)
Hypoxic-hyperoxic therapy is just one of the treatments / photo: Stefano Santori: Palazzo Fiuggi
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Spa people: Tim Fu
Leading a wellness architecture project in Slovenia that’s one of the first in the world to use AI in all stages of design
Spa people: Kayley Thomas
Lush is famous for its bath bombs and retail empire, but the co-founder of its day spa concept reveals why its 19 global spa facilities are so essential
Spa people: Colin Mcilheney
We find out more about Colin Mcilheney, the man who created the ISPA US Spa Industry Study and has been analysing the sector’s performance ever since
News report: Map of luxury
New research by WATG shows emerging wealth hubs in India, the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Africa are reshaping luxury travel demand
Interview: Chris Norton
The CEO of Equinox Hotels tells Katie Barnes how the uber-cool brand is scaling its bold fusion of fitness, spa and luxury
Ask an expert...: Recovery
From cryo to compression to contrast bathing, Julie Cramer investigates why and how spas and resorts are integrating recovery packages
Research: Behind the boom
What are the hidden messages in the latest US study by ISPA? Colin Mcilheney digs beneath the surface
Research: Bigger picture
Rising salaries and shifting consumer expectations – two new surveys by the UKSA and GSG reveal the trends impacting UK spa operators
Sponsored: Lemi - Good sensations
Lemi’s Venice Head Spa combines the beauty of Italian design with fine-tuned technology to provide the ultimate top-to-toe treatment station for spas
Sponsored: G.M. COLLIN – Smooth operator
The new toner from G.M. Collin represents a ‘gold standard’ in leave-on liquid exfoliation for smooth and radiant results, without the irritation of a scrub
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin – Snow for all seasons
TechnoAlpin’s magical Snowroom installation at the Alpenrose resort brings the Austrian landscape and feel-good nature factor to its wellbeing experience
First person: Costa Blanca cure
Jane Kitchen visits Spain to compare and contrast two world-class medi-wellness clinics: well-established SHA and ambitious newcomer ZEM
Sponsored: Gharieni Group – Tech-powered recovery
The new brand in the Gharieni Group portfolio – Metawell – is delivering what today’s wellness clients are seeking most – deep recovery and mind-body renewal
Sponsored: BC Softwear – Human touch
While touchless therapies are a positive addition to spas, nothing can replace the healing power of human touch, says Barbara Cooke
Sponsored: Yon-ka – A potent blend
Yon-Ka’s new Serum Omega is a potent blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 to target
dry, stressed-out skin and deliver a calm and nourishing client experience
Menu engineering: At your service
Self-playing gongs in Sweden, surfing therapy in Morocco and Ananda launches holistic diabetes management programme in India
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...]
Grotto Sonora is a specialist gong manufacturer / Hagastrand Spa
Self-playing gongs in Sweden
Nobis Hospitality Group’s wellness destination, Hagastrand, Autograph Collection, has just launched in Stockholm, Sweden, with an immersive gong experience.
Inside a 70sq m acoustically-insulated room, a 60-inch self-playing gong is hand-tuned to resonate on its own, without mallets or speakers.
Specialist gong manufacturer, Grotto Sonora, has created the Gongmatic experience using customised programmes that combine sound, light and vibrations, tailored to the space.
The 15-minute experience marks the conclusion of a 3-hour hydrothermal journey and sees guests reclining on ceramic heated loungers while listening to the hypnotic sounds.
Alla Sokolova, Nobis Hospitality Group’s wellness expert, says it “offers deep nervous system recalibration,” helping guests “reach profound states of rest and balance in minutes”.
Location: Hagastrand, Autograph Collection, Sweden
Duration: 15 minutes
Cost: Included in spa entry, which is €110 (US$128, £96) on average
The immersive gong experience is a highlight at a new hotel in Stockholm / photo: Hagastrand Spa
Surfing underpins group therapy in Morocco
Josh Dickson / photo: Chris Werret
Two group surfing and mental health improvement programmes will be held in Tamraght, a popular destination for riding the waves in Morocco, in October and November.
The first retreat will focus on trauma resolution and the second will address resilience and burnout prevention. Both are delivered by UK therapy specialist Resurface.
Groups of eight to 12 participants will experience the Resurface Method, a therapeutic framework that uses surfing to create a heightened mental state.
Resurface founder, therapist and trauma clinician, Josh Dickson, tells Spa Business, “The physical fatigue [of surfing] naturally lowers psychological defences, creating authentic breakthroughs in therapy.”
Location: Tamraght, Morocco
Duration: Seven nights
Cost: Starts at £1,700 (US$2,294, €1,961)
Surfing is used to create a heightened mental state / photo: Chris Werret
Reviv launches IV therapy memberships
Reviv, a global provider of IV therapy and other nutritional supplements, has introduced a membership programme at its flagship locations to provide a way for guests to use their services more regularly.
Partner spas that offer the brand’s treatments as part of Reviv’s subscription model (Reviv X) will also be able to offer memberships to guests soon.
The three memberships – Essential, Premium and Elite – all provide IV drip therapy sessions, as well as discounts on vitamin therapies and intramuscular shots.
The Essential membership is designed for those starting their wellness journey, while the Premium package suits people looking for energy and immunity-boosting benefits. The Elite option is for those seeking the highest level of wellness services.
An all-encompassing cinematic experience based on guided meditation has opened at Thermen and Badewelt Sinsheim in Germany.
Breathing Planet offers a 10-minute screening of artistic visuals, a meditative soundscape and natural scents to provide guests with a sense of calm and guide their breathing while sitting.
The filmic offering draws on real global wind data from space agency NASA, showing a visual landscape that gently moves and pulsates like breath. The projections were created in collaboration with London-based artist collective Marshmallow Laser Feast.
The screenings, shown twice an hour, take place in Immersive Horizon, a new enclosed cinematic space designed by Atelier522. The experience is included in the entry price to the site’s Palm Paradise zone.
The thermal complex is led by Thermengruppe Josef Wund, a strategic partner of Therme Group.
Location: Thermen and Badewelt Sinsheim, Germany
Duration: 10 minutes
Cost: Palm Paradise entry starts at €23 (US$27, £20)
Visuals gently move and pulsate like someone inhaling and exhaling / photo: Thermengruppe Josef Wund
Ananda tackles diabetes
Ananda in the Himalayas, India, has introduced a programme for people with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, as well as those experiencing pre-diabetic conditions.
The holistic experience is designed for diabetes management and reversal. It blends ayurveda, traditional Chinese medicine, yoga, nutritional science and emotional management.
Guests receive blood glucose profiling and several other advanced tests, in addition to cleansing therapies, food plans, acupuncture, meditation and physiotherapy.
Post-stay consultations are paired with long-term follow-up appointments. Initial trials suggest stabilisation of blood glucose profiles, a reduced dependence on medicine and increased energy.
Location: Ananda in the Himalayas, India
Duration: 14-21 days
Cost: Starts at US$11,500 (€9,800 £8,489)
Initial trials suggest reduced need for diabetes medicine / photo: Ananda in the Himalaya
Atlantis The Royal’s skin microbiome special
A treatment designed to nourish the skin microbiome of both the face and body has launched at Atlantis The Royal in Dubai.
Created exclusively for the property by ayurvedic aromatherapy brand Subtle Energies, the 2-hour SkinBiome Reset and Restore has been developed as a whole-body protocol using products traditionally reserved for the face.
It combines the brand’s Advanced Biotech Skincare range and formulas from its Antioxidant collection. Ingredients include botanicals rich in polyphenols, as well as prebiotic and postbiotic enzymes associated with supporting beneficial bacteria and skin resilience.
The treatment begins with an antioxidant gel mask and a trio of targeted serums and concludes with a massage with enriched cold-pressed plant oils to lock in moisture.
Subtle Energies is behind the whole-body treatment / photo: Subtle Energies
Atlantis The Royal in Dubai is the launch partner / photo: Atlantis Dubai
Retreat to nurture highly sensitive people
Kirsty Allan / photo: Jon Cheetham
Broughton Sanctuary in the UK is working with psychologists and therapists to deliver a four-night retreat called Sense, for highly sensitive people (HSP) in October.
Kirsty Allan – a professional coach and PhD candidate – is a facilitator of the retreat. She describes HSP as a subset of the general population (approximately 20-25 per cent), who have a ‘sensory processing sensitivity’.
These people think and feel very deeply – experiencing empathy and creativity – but they face paradoxical challenges, including a propensity for sensory overwhelm and burnout.
In addition to a range of nature-based activities, Allan will host experiments for guests as part of an active research project she’s working on.
The results will shape future thinking around wellbeing and sensory processing styles.
Location: Broughton Sanctuary, UK
Duration: Four nights
Cost: Starts at £1,300 (US$1,760, €1,500) per person
Broughton Sanctuary will offer a range of nature-based activities / photo: Broughton Sanctuary
Palazzo Fiuggi announces biohacking programme
Stefano Santori, a high-performance coach and founder of a protocol called Mindset Biohacking, will lead a retreat this October at Italy’s Palazzo Fiuggi Wellness Medical Spa.
Participants will learn how to transform their behaviour and mindset for optimal health outcomes by regulating their nervous systems, improving nutrition, achieving restorative sleep and managing stress.
The programme will feature a thorough medical assessment, including an ECG and a biomechanical evaluation.
Treatments will include hypoxic-hyperoxic therapy, red and near-infrared light therapy and vagal nerve stimulation to reduce inflammation, enhance energy production and support sleep.
Contrast therapy will also be on offer, in addition to a menu of anti-inflammatory foods by three-Michelin-starred chef Heinz Beck.
Location: Palazzo Fiuggi Wellness Medical Spa, Italy
Duration: Six days
Cost: Starts at €8,870 (US$10,100, £7,700)
Hypoxic-hyperoxic therapy is just one of the treatments / photo: Stefano Santori: Palazzo Fiuggi
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Spa people: Tim Fu
Leading a wellness architecture project in Slovenia that’s one of the first in the world to use AI in all stages of design
Spa people: Kayley Thomas
Lush is famous for its bath bombs and retail empire, but the co-founder of its day spa concept reveals why its 19 global spa facilities are so essential
Spa people: Colin Mcilheney
We find out more about Colin Mcilheney, the man who created the ISPA US Spa Industry Study and has been analysing the sector’s performance ever since
News report: Map of luxury
New research by WATG shows emerging wealth hubs in India, the Gulf, Southeast Asia and Africa are reshaping luxury travel demand
Interview: Chris Norton
The CEO of Equinox Hotels tells Katie Barnes how the uber-cool brand is scaling its bold fusion of fitness, spa and luxury
Ask an expert...: Recovery
From cryo to compression to contrast bathing, Julie Cramer investigates why and how spas and resorts are integrating recovery packages
Research: Behind the boom
What are the hidden messages in the latest US study by ISPA? Colin Mcilheney digs beneath the surface
Research: Bigger picture
Rising salaries and shifting consumer expectations – two new surveys by the UKSA and GSG reveal the trends impacting UK spa operators
Sponsored: Lemi - Good sensations
Lemi’s Venice Head Spa combines the beauty of Italian design with fine-tuned technology to provide the ultimate top-to-toe treatment station for spas
Sponsored: G.M. COLLIN – Smooth operator
The new toner from G.M. Collin represents a ‘gold standard’ in leave-on liquid exfoliation for smooth and radiant results, without the irritation of a scrub
Sponsored: TechnoAlpin – Snow for all seasons
TechnoAlpin’s magical Snowroom installation at the Alpenrose resort brings the Austrian landscape and feel-good nature factor to its wellbeing experience
First person: Costa Blanca cure
Jane Kitchen visits Spain to compare and contrast two world-class medi-wellness clinics: well-established SHA and ambitious newcomer ZEM
Sponsored: Gharieni Group – Tech-powered recovery
The new brand in the Gharieni Group portfolio – Metawell – is delivering what today’s wellness clients are seeking most – deep recovery and mind-body renewal
Sponsored: BC Softwear – Human touch
While touchless therapies are a positive addition to spas, nothing can replace the healing power of human touch, says Barbara Cooke
Sponsored: Yon-ka – A potent blend
Yon-Ka’s new Serum Omega is a potent blend of Omega 3, 6 and 9 to target
dry, stressed-out skin and deliver a calm and nourishing client experience
Menu engineering: At your service
Self-playing gongs in Sweden, surfing therapy in Morocco and Ananda launches holistic diabetes management programme in India
Capella Hotel Group has appointed Feisal Jaffer as chief development officer as the company
ramps up its global expansion of both its Capella and Patina brands.
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound
may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new
research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
Abu Dhabi-based investment firm Mubadala Capital has made a binding, fully financed
€1 billion
offer to acquire Pierre and Vacances SA, the European holiday resort operator behind the
continental European Center Parcs business.
Global retreat trade show, Synergy The Retreat Show, has launched a resource called The
Source, which hosts an open-access online Transformation Series programme.
The Standards Authority for Touch in Cancer Care (SATCC) charity has announced its first five-
day Living with Cancer and Beyond retreat, which will be held at Carden Park Hotel and Spa in
Cheshire, UK, between 1 and 5 September.
Patmos Aktis, a Luxury Collection Resort and Spa, has opened in Greece, with a renovated and
rebranded wellness offering called Ansana Wellness and Spa.
The Mauna Kea Beach Hotel, an Autograph Collection property in Hawaii, US, has opened its
22,000 sq ft indoor-outdoor Spa at Mauna Kea as the final step in the property’s overall
renovation, which has cost more than US$180 million (€166 million, £140 mill
The UK spa review and discovery platform for consumers, the Good Spa Guide, has announced
it will host the Good Spa Guide Awards 2026 during an event on 16 November at Sopwell House
Hotel in St Albans, UK.
Eighty-four per cent of consumers now say wellness is a top priority in their lives, with this
percentage increasing year on year, according to a preview presentation of McKinsey’s Future of
Wellness 2026 research report.
Mass protests have been taking place since Monday 1 June in Albania over the development of
a luxury resort by Donald Trump’s daughter Ivanka Trump and her husband Jared Kushner.
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...]
