The Joy concept will offer encounters with beauty and nature, movement and social get-togethers / Auberge Collection
Auberge pivots to joy
Vivianne Garcia-Tunon
While spa and wellness operators the world over contemplate science-based longevity offerings, Auberge has announced a bold new direction by pivoting to ‘joy’.
The fresh concept, called The Joy of Wellbeing, will play out at each of its 27 properties globally in unique ways.
Pillars include Awe, encounters with beauty and nature; Connect, opportunities for guests to come together; Excel, movement sessions and Nurture, ways for guests to care for themselves with intention.
Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, VP of wellbeing, Auberge Collection, says: “We’re reclaiming something essential: the presence, vitality and soul that make us human... Our goal is to create space for people to connect deeply and rediscover the simple wonders that make life truly meaningful.”
Self-help author Gabby Bernstein has created a series of exclusive Joy Experiences focusing on emotional wellbeing at select Auberge properties. She’s also set to host in-person talks and retreats.
Female empowerment in Abu Dhabi
Women’s strength, creativity and connection form the basis of Pink Zone Project, a new venture just revealed by Kintsugi Space, a seven-floor wellness club on Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island.
A transformative sanctuary for females, Kintsugi Space will offer a year-round calendar of women-only experiences – online and in-person – including talks on emotional wellbeing and self-confidence, beauty and self-care classes, singing and dance sessions and creative workshops and ‘energy boosters’.
Beyond its programmes, the Pink Zone Project also reflects Kintsugi’s people-first culture, uniting women of diverse nationalities and backgrounds in celebration of feminine wisdom.
Pink Zone Project celebrates feminine power and wisdom Letizia cigliutti
Anantara introduces aftercare packages
Layan Life, the medical wellness retreat at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort in Thailand, has unveiled a post-stay continuity programme to provide follow-up care for guests on its retreats.
As wellness, spa and medical destinations continue to merge, Spa Business expects to see similar post-stay packages cropping up.
The new Life After Layan programme includes consultations with doctors after a retreat at intervals of one, three and six months.
Guests will also have access to wellness products and supplement subscriptions as part of the aftercare service, in addition to digital newsletters with expert insights and inspiration.
Launched last year, Layan Life is a two-floor, 1,767sq m standalone facility for Anantara focused on Thai traditional medicine, evidence-based holistic therapy and medical science.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO to Anantara parent company Minor Hotels, recently revealed the group’s plans to roll out the Layan Life concept to Spa Business (see www.spabusiness.com/rajakarier).
Location: Anantara Layan Phuket, Thailand
Duration: Layan Life retreat packages are a minimum of three nights
Cost: Starts at THB 35,000 (US$1,080, €967, £824) per person per night
Follow-ups at one, three and six months are offered Layan Life by Anantara - Minor Hotels
Layan Life, the medical wellness retreat at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort in Thailand Layan Life by Anantara - Minor Hotels
Oberoi reveals lifestyle framework for guests
Bodywork, breathwork, mindfulness, movement and nutrition, five elements rooted in the Indian philosophy of pancha kosha, form the basis of a new lifestyle framework for guest experiences by The Oberoi Group.
The ASMI concept has been designed to integrate wellness throughout Oberoi’s 30-plus hotels and resorts, starting in India and rolling out internationally next year.
ASMI means ‘I am’ in Sanskrit and each guest journey will begin with a wellness assessment called I Am Aware to determine how they want to feel in their stay. Their responses will inform personalised plans across the five pillars, including customised in-room wellness cues and rituals.
Vikram Oberoi, CEO of The Oberoi Group, says, “With ASMI, wellness becomes personal and transformative, carrying the authenticity of India while resonating with guests worldwide.”
Location: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts worldwide
The ASMI concept will start in India and roll out wider in 2026 The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Tuscany’s three-night thermal mud package
Clay and thermal waters from one of Europe’s largest natural grottos underpin a new three-night spa break in Italy.
Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany, Autograph Collection has introduced The Paths of Thermal Mud programme. Ingredients are sourced from the hotel’s thermal grotto which extends more than 200m underground and features rock vaults filled with steam ranging from 28°C to 34°C. At the bottom of the cave is a crystalline lake of 36˚C waters.
The package includes a 50-minute thermal mud wrap, a purifying face mask and an 80-minute phyto-mud treatment which combines cryotherapy-like cool mud with hay flowers. They’re designed to address fatigue, relax, purify and detox the body.
Access to spa facilities, a cryotherapy session, meals and accommodation are included in the price.
Ingredients are sourced from the site’s thermal grotto Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort
Gamified therapist training platform launches
Researchers at Ontario Tech University, Canada, have developed an AI-based massage therapy training platform prototype called TheraQuest that simulates real-world therapeutic massage scenarios.
Designed to address communication barriers in multilingual clinical settings, TheraQuest uses large language models to generate diverse virtual patients with realistic symptoms and dialogue. Trainees must ask follow-up questions, choose treatments and adjust pressure levels, receiving instant feedback and expert summaries to refine diagnostic skills.
Gamification is used to motivate continual improvement and deeper engagement. Users earn stars for communication, accuracy and competency, contributing to a global leaderboard.
Interview: Yoshiharu Hoshino
Backed by US$1.6 billion in assets, the CEO of Hoshino Resorts talks to Katie Barnes about growth strategy and onsen innovation in Japan and beyond
Hotel spa: Nature recharged
Lisa Starr visits Puradies in the Austrian Alps, where thoughtful design and eco spas are having a profound impact on businesses
Research: High achiever
The latest figures from the GWI show the global wellness economy is now worth US$6.8 trillion
Sponsored: Living Earth Crafts – on a mission
Living Earth Crafts already counts leading global operators among its clientele. CEO Jim Chenevey says the company is taking innovation to the next level in 2026
Menu engineering: At your service
Auberge pivots to joy, Oberoi reveals lifestyle framework concept and a gamified therapist training platform launches
Finishing touch: Hot issue
Revised guidelines outline when heat is safe – and when it’s not – for those undergoing cancer treatment
The Joy concept will offer encounters with beauty and nature, movement and social get-togethers / Auberge Collection
Auberge pivots to joy
Vivianne Garcia-Tunon
While spa and wellness operators the world over contemplate science-based longevity offerings, Auberge has announced a bold new direction by pivoting to ‘joy’.
The fresh concept, called The Joy of Wellbeing, will play out at each of its 27 properties globally in unique ways.
Pillars include Awe, encounters with beauty and nature; Connect, opportunities for guests to come together; Excel, movement sessions and Nurture, ways for guests to care for themselves with intention.
Vivianne Garcia-Tunon, VP of wellbeing, Auberge Collection, says: “We’re reclaiming something essential: the presence, vitality and soul that make us human... Our goal is to create space for people to connect deeply and rediscover the simple wonders that make life truly meaningful.”
Self-help author Gabby Bernstein has created a series of exclusive Joy Experiences focusing on emotional wellbeing at select Auberge properties. She’s also set to host in-person talks and retreats.
Female empowerment in Abu Dhabi
Women’s strength, creativity and connection form the basis of Pink Zone Project, a new venture just revealed by Kintsugi Space, a seven-floor wellness club on Abu Dhabi’s Al Reem Island.
A transformative sanctuary for females, Kintsugi Space will offer a year-round calendar of women-only experiences – online and in-person – including talks on emotional wellbeing and self-confidence, beauty and self-care classes, singing and dance sessions and creative workshops and ‘energy boosters’.
Beyond its programmes, the Pink Zone Project also reflects Kintsugi’s people-first culture, uniting women of diverse nationalities and backgrounds in celebration of feminine wisdom.
Pink Zone Project celebrates feminine power and wisdom Letizia cigliutti
Anantara introduces aftercare packages
Layan Life, the medical wellness retreat at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort in Thailand, has unveiled a post-stay continuity programme to provide follow-up care for guests on its retreats.
As wellness, spa and medical destinations continue to merge, Spa Business expects to see similar post-stay packages cropping up.
The new Life After Layan programme includes consultations with doctors after a retreat at intervals of one, three and six months.
Guests will also have access to wellness products and supplement subscriptions as part of the aftercare service, in addition to digital newsletters with expert insights and inspiration.
Launched last year, Layan Life is a two-floor, 1,767sq m standalone facility for Anantara focused on Thai traditional medicine, evidence-based holistic therapy and medical science.
Dillip Rajakarier, CEO to Anantara parent company Minor Hotels, recently revealed the group’s plans to roll out the Layan Life concept to Spa Business (see www.spabusiness.com/rajakarier).
Location: Anantara Layan Phuket, Thailand
Duration: Layan Life retreat packages are a minimum of three nights
Cost: Starts at THB 35,000 (US$1,080, €967, £824) per person per night
Follow-ups at one, three and six months are offered Layan Life by Anantara - Minor Hotels
Layan Life, the medical wellness retreat at Anantara Layan Phuket Resort in Thailand Layan Life by Anantara - Minor Hotels
Oberoi reveals lifestyle framework for guests
Bodywork, breathwork, mindfulness, movement and nutrition, five elements rooted in the Indian philosophy of pancha kosha, form the basis of a new lifestyle framework for guest experiences by The Oberoi Group.
The ASMI concept has been designed to integrate wellness throughout Oberoi’s 30-plus hotels and resorts, starting in India and rolling out internationally next year.
ASMI means ‘I am’ in Sanskrit and each guest journey will begin with a wellness assessment called I Am Aware to determine how they want to feel in their stay. Their responses will inform personalised plans across the five pillars, including customised in-room wellness cues and rituals.
Vikram Oberoi, CEO of The Oberoi Group, says, “With ASMI, wellness becomes personal and transformative, carrying the authenticity of India while resonating with guests worldwide.”
Location: Oberoi Hotels & Resorts worldwide
The ASMI concept will start in India and roll out wider in 2026 The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Tuscany’s three-night thermal mud package
Clay and thermal waters from one of Europe’s largest natural grottos underpin a new three-night spa break in Italy.
Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort Tuscany, Autograph Collection has introduced The Paths of Thermal Mud programme. Ingredients are sourced from the hotel’s thermal grotto which extends more than 200m underground and features rock vaults filled with steam ranging from 28°C to 34°C. At the bottom of the cave is a crystalline lake of 36˚C waters.
The package includes a 50-minute thermal mud wrap, a purifying face mask and an 80-minute phyto-mud treatment which combines cryotherapy-like cool mud with hay flowers. They’re designed to address fatigue, relax, purify and detox the body.
Access to spa facilities, a cryotherapy session, meals and accommodation are included in the price.
Ingredients are sourced from the site’s thermal grotto Grotta Giusti Thermal Spa Resort
Gamified therapist training platform launches
Researchers at Ontario Tech University, Canada, have developed an AI-based massage therapy training platform prototype called TheraQuest that simulates real-world therapeutic massage scenarios.
Designed to address communication barriers in multilingual clinical settings, TheraQuest uses large language models to generate diverse virtual patients with realistic symptoms and dialogue. Trainees must ask follow-up questions, choose treatments and adjust pressure levels, receiving instant feedback and expert summaries to refine diagnostic skills.
Gamification is used to motivate continual improvement and deeper engagement. Users earn stars for communication, accuracy and competency, contributing to a global leaderboard.
Interview: Yoshiharu Hoshino
Backed by US$1.6 billion in assets, the CEO of Hoshino Resorts talks to Katie Barnes about growth strategy and onsen innovation in Japan and beyond
Hotel spa: Nature recharged
Lisa Starr visits Puradies in the Austrian Alps, where thoughtful design and eco spas are having a profound impact on businesses
Research: High achiever
The latest figures from the GWI show the global wellness economy is now worth US$6.8 trillion
Sponsored: Living Earth Crafts – on a mission
Living Earth Crafts already counts leading global operators among its clientele. CEO Jim Chenevey says the company is taking innovation to the next level in 2026
Menu engineering: At your service
Auberge pivots to joy, Oberoi reveals lifestyle framework concept and a gamified therapist training platform launches
Finishing touch: Hot issue
Revised guidelines outline when heat is safe – and when it’s not – for those undergoing cancer treatment
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.
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.
