VR spa boasts ‘fuzzidarium’ that replicates cat’s purr
New York City, USA
2 hours
US$40 (€36, £31)
VR spa founders Tyler Pridgen and David Lobser
A digital immersive spa, created by Luxury Escapism, has opened in Brooklyn, US.
Over two hours, guests can sample more than 10 relaxation stations including the Fuzzidarium – a room with fluffy interiors, virtual reality and vibrations at 50hz to match a cat’s purr – to promote wellbeing.
Guests can also experience a vibrating strobe-light waterbed, sound baths and perception bending glasses. In addition, there’s a live VR sandbox tool – Celestial Flow – where guests manipulate particles using their hands.
The US$40 (€36, £31) experience is designed to help guests reimagine relaxation with immersive technology, tactile stimulations and ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) activations.
Luxury Escapism was founded by Tyler Pridgen and David Lobser as an evolution of their three-day pop-up in New York in 2018 –
The Oddly Satisfying Spa (see SB19/1 p20).
“We designed our treatments to help attendees find meditative states of mind,” says Lobser, the spa’s lead creative technologist.
Fake funerals provide enlightenment in South Korea
Hyowon Healing Center, Seoul, South Korea
Around 10 minutes
Free
The Hyowon Healing Center in South Korea is taking mental wellness a step further than most by offering people a chance to experience a mock funeral to help them appreciate their own lives.
Participants in the en-mass events are given a chance to write their last testaments before putting on shrouds and lying in a closed coffin for 10 minutes.
It attracts both young and old people and some businesses are even using it to motivate employees. Up to 25,000 people have reportedly tried it out since the centre opened in 2012.
Photo: Inked Pixels/shutterstock
Spinal alignment and gut programmes at Sangha Retreat
Sangha Retreat, Suzhou, China
4 or 7 days
CNY6,526 (US$928, €839, £719) per night
Fred Tsao
Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute is offering a four or seven-day Traditional Spinal Alignment retreat at its wellness destination in Suzhou, China.
The chiropractic-led experience is claimed to correct vertebral alignment, improve mental and emotional wellbeing, resolve muscle tension and inflammation and improve mobility and posture. It includes rehab sessions, anti-inflammatory Chinese cookery classes and spa treatments.
The retreat is one of Sangha’s 21 new wellness programmes. Other highlights include a seasonal gut health management retreat and a cardiac programme focused on heart health.
Fred Tsao, Octave Institute founder, says: “The purpose of the institute is to introduce a new cycle of living that achieves mind, body and spiritual wellness”.
The programme includes anti-inflammatory Chinese cookery classes
Como London introduces mental wellbeing talks
Como Shambhala Urban Escape, London, UK
2 hours
£45 (US$58, €52)
Each Head Talks specialist focuses on a different aspect of mental wellbeing
The Como Shambhala Urban Escape spa at the Metropolitan London hotel, UK, has launched a mental wellbeing Speaker Series in association with mental health support specialists Head Talks.
In each session, speakers share their own personal wellness journey, while discussing ways to overcome the myriad of daily challenges that disrupt our path to wellbeing – including the importance of sleep, carving out time for joyful experiences and tackling mental exhaustion.v
Highlights include a session on parenting hosted by clinical psychologist Dr Genevieve von Lobb which will provide guidance on topics such as cyberbullying, social media stress, eco-anxiety and intense academic demands.
There will also be a talk by Charlotte Reed, author of May The Thoughts Be With You, who will share details about how she handled depression and anxiety by writing and illustrating positive thoughts.
Attendees will have the option to complement sessions with body and mind therapies at the Asian-inspired Urban Escape spa.
Silent success for Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental spas worldwide
All evening
Free
Jeremy McCarthy
Spas at Mandarin Oriental hotels took a vow of silence for its fourth annual Silent Night programme recently.
The normal treatment menu was offered until 5pm, after which time there was no talking or music to create a sense of peace and encourage introspection. A brief consultation at the begging of the spa journey is all that was permitted.
“A lot of the value of a spa experience comes from simply disconnecting from technology and experiencing time for yourself in silence,” says group spa director, Jeremy McCarthy.
“Silent Night has been hugely successful – it makes people think, and it makes people appreciate what spas bring to our society. Spas are one of the last safe havens where people can go to have this quiet time away from technology, and the reaction we get from our guests is very positive.”
Attendees will have the option to complement sessions with body and mind therapies at the Asian-inspired Urban Escape spa.
Anantara Phuket uses acupuncture for smoking cessation
Anantara, Phuket
30 minutes
(US$248, €222, £189)
Dr Rui Pedro Loureiro
Anantara Phuket has partnered with acupuncturist and TCM practitioner, Dr Rui Pedro Loureiro to offer a Quit Smoking for Life programme.
Dr Loureiro has 20 years’ experience of clinical practice in London and Portugal and the programme utilises auricular therapy – ear acupuncture – to minimise cravings and calm the nervous system. Sessions last 30 minutes and cost THB7,500 (US$248, €222, £189).
He says: “Quitting smoking with my treatment is very easy, but there are still routines [habits] that participants need to change in the following three days – replacing smoking before or after a meal with a glass of water or a carrot or a piece of fruit for example.”
Dr Loureiro will also be offering traditional acupuncture workshops, holistic facial rejuvenation using 24-carat gold needles and epigenetic testing.
The spa is an ideal setting for guests to change habits
Spanish destination spa Sha Wellness Clinic is offering bio-identical hormone replacement therapies (HRT) for men over 40.
The treatment is a part of a seven-day Healthy-Ageing programme which covers multiple spa therapies and medical disciplines such as cardiology, neurology, urology, hepatology and sleep and is designed to reduce the effects of hormone decline and ageing in later life.
The therapy differs from conventional HRT for menopausal women. Dr Vicente Mera, head of international medicine and anti-ageing, explains: “Traditional HRT consists of a systematic supplementation with synthetic hormones. The new therapy is a personalised bio-identical hormonal replacement, which includes a curated and tailored combination of hormones and does not require self-medication.”
The hormone supplement is claimed to reduce fatigue, relieve bloating and improve sleep, memory and cognitive function.
London spa introduces social evenings
Agua spa, Sea Containers, London, UK
3 hours
£80 (US$104, €94)
Once a month, Agua spa at London’s Sea Containers hotel will dedicate an evening to socialising, to bring people together through health, wellness and social interaction – much like the original Roman bathing community spirit.
Spa Social was born from the growing wellness scene in the city and the event includes exclusive access to facilities, a 10-minute head massage, mud packs for self-application in steamrooms, champagne and healthy spa food.
The spa night is dedicated to wellness and socialising
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 1
Editor's letter: Time to shine
As spas reach peak revenues, now’s the time for our industry to act as a catalyst in working out how we measure the impact of an experience and the ‘return on wellness’ says Spa Business' editor Katie Barnes
Promotional feature: TechnoAlpin
If you want to deliver a hot and cold experience as part of your wellness programme, adding a snowroom will introduce a delightful and more gentle form of cold therapy, as Sara Brenninger explains
Trends: Spa Foresight™
Climate emergency, gen alpha and brain optimisation are among Spa Business’ latest trend predictions
Promotional feature: The Wellness
Investing in children’s facilities gives a spa and wellness offering a competitive edge, as well as helping the next generation achieve their potential, explains Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO of industry design and consultancy practice, The Wellness
Promotional feature: RKF Luxury Linen
As a symbol of luxury, innovation and quality in the world of spa and hospitality, much of RKF Luxury Linen’s success comes from its highly client-centric design process, says CEO Riadh Bouaziz
Design: Heat of the moment
From giant golden eggs and converted ski lifts to rustic, hand-crafted huts, we showcase the latest in heat experience design and innovations
VR spa boasts ‘fuzzidarium’ that replicates cat’s purr
New York City, USA
2 hours
US$40 (€36, £31)
VR spa founders Tyler Pridgen and David Lobser
A digital immersive spa, created by Luxury Escapism, has opened in Brooklyn, US.
Over two hours, guests can sample more than 10 relaxation stations including the Fuzzidarium – a room with fluffy interiors, virtual reality and vibrations at 50hz to match a cat’s purr – to promote wellbeing.
Guests can also experience a vibrating strobe-light waterbed, sound baths and perception bending glasses. In addition, there’s a live VR sandbox tool – Celestial Flow – where guests manipulate particles using their hands.
The US$40 (€36, £31) experience is designed to help guests reimagine relaxation with immersive technology, tactile stimulations and ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) activations.
Luxury Escapism was founded by Tyler Pridgen and David Lobser as an evolution of their three-day pop-up in New York in 2018 –
The Oddly Satisfying Spa (see SB19/1 p20).
“We designed our treatments to help attendees find meditative states of mind,” says Lobser, the spa’s lead creative technologist.
Fake funerals provide enlightenment in South Korea
Hyowon Healing Center, Seoul, South Korea
Around 10 minutes
Free
The Hyowon Healing Center in South Korea is taking mental wellness a step further than most by offering people a chance to experience a mock funeral to help them appreciate their own lives.
Participants in the en-mass events are given a chance to write their last testaments before putting on shrouds and lying in a closed coffin for 10 minutes.
It attracts both young and old people and some businesses are even using it to motivate employees. Up to 25,000 people have reportedly tried it out since the centre opened in 2012.
Photo: Inked Pixels/shutterstock
Spinal alignment and gut programmes at Sangha Retreat
Sangha Retreat, Suzhou, China
4 or 7 days
CNY6,526 (US$928, €839, £719) per night
Fred Tsao
Sangha Retreat by Octave Institute is offering a four or seven-day Traditional Spinal Alignment retreat at its wellness destination in Suzhou, China.
The chiropractic-led experience is claimed to correct vertebral alignment, improve mental and emotional wellbeing, resolve muscle tension and inflammation and improve mobility and posture. It includes rehab sessions, anti-inflammatory Chinese cookery classes and spa treatments.
The retreat is one of Sangha’s 21 new wellness programmes. Other highlights include a seasonal gut health management retreat and a cardiac programme focused on heart health.
Fred Tsao, Octave Institute founder, says: “The purpose of the institute is to introduce a new cycle of living that achieves mind, body and spiritual wellness”.
The programme includes anti-inflammatory Chinese cookery classes
Como London introduces mental wellbeing talks
Como Shambhala Urban Escape, London, UK
2 hours
£45 (US$58, €52)
Each Head Talks specialist focuses on a different aspect of mental wellbeing
The Como Shambhala Urban Escape spa at the Metropolitan London hotel, UK, has launched a mental wellbeing Speaker Series in association with mental health support specialists Head Talks.
In each session, speakers share their own personal wellness journey, while discussing ways to overcome the myriad of daily challenges that disrupt our path to wellbeing – including the importance of sleep, carving out time for joyful experiences and tackling mental exhaustion.v
Highlights include a session on parenting hosted by clinical psychologist Dr Genevieve von Lobb which will provide guidance on topics such as cyberbullying, social media stress, eco-anxiety and intense academic demands.
There will also be a talk by Charlotte Reed, author of May The Thoughts Be With You, who will share details about how she handled depression and anxiety by writing and illustrating positive thoughts.
Attendees will have the option to complement sessions with body and mind therapies at the Asian-inspired Urban Escape spa.
Silent success for Mandarin Oriental
Mandarin Oriental spas worldwide
All evening
Free
Jeremy McCarthy
Spas at Mandarin Oriental hotels took a vow of silence for its fourth annual Silent Night programme recently.
The normal treatment menu was offered until 5pm, after which time there was no talking or music to create a sense of peace and encourage introspection. A brief consultation at the begging of the spa journey is all that was permitted.
“A lot of the value of a spa experience comes from simply disconnecting from technology and experiencing time for yourself in silence,” says group spa director, Jeremy McCarthy.
“Silent Night has been hugely successful – it makes people think, and it makes people appreciate what spas bring to our society. Spas are one of the last safe havens where people can go to have this quiet time away from technology, and the reaction we get from our guests is very positive.”
Attendees will have the option to complement sessions with body and mind therapies at the Asian-inspired Urban Escape spa.
Anantara Phuket uses acupuncture for smoking cessation
Anantara, Phuket
30 minutes
(US$248, €222, £189)
Dr Rui Pedro Loureiro
Anantara Phuket has partnered with acupuncturist and TCM practitioner, Dr Rui Pedro Loureiro to offer a Quit Smoking for Life programme.
Dr Loureiro has 20 years’ experience of clinical practice in London and Portugal and the programme utilises auricular therapy – ear acupuncture – to minimise cravings and calm the nervous system. Sessions last 30 minutes and cost THB7,500 (US$248, €222, £189).
He says: “Quitting smoking with my treatment is very easy, but there are still routines [habits] that participants need to change in the following three days – replacing smoking before or after a meal with a glass of water or a carrot or a piece of fruit for example.”
Dr Loureiro will also be offering traditional acupuncture workshops, holistic facial rejuvenation using 24-carat gold needles and epigenetic testing.
The spa is an ideal setting for guests to change habits
Spanish destination spa Sha Wellness Clinic is offering bio-identical hormone replacement therapies (HRT) for men over 40.
The treatment is a part of a seven-day Healthy-Ageing programme which covers multiple spa therapies and medical disciplines such as cardiology, neurology, urology, hepatology and sleep and is designed to reduce the effects of hormone decline and ageing in later life.
The therapy differs from conventional HRT for menopausal women. Dr Vicente Mera, head of international medicine and anti-ageing, explains: “Traditional HRT consists of a systematic supplementation with synthetic hormones. The new therapy is a personalised bio-identical hormonal replacement, which includes a curated and tailored combination of hormones and does not require self-medication.”
The hormone supplement is claimed to reduce fatigue, relieve bloating and improve sleep, memory and cognitive function.
London spa introduces social evenings
Agua spa, Sea Containers, London, UK
3 hours
£80 (US$104, €94)
Once a month, Agua spa at London’s Sea Containers hotel will dedicate an evening to socialising, to bring people together through health, wellness and social interaction – much like the original Roman bathing community spirit.
Spa Social was born from the growing wellness scene in the city and the event includes exclusive access to facilities, a 10-minute head massage, mud packs for self-application in steamrooms, champagne and healthy spa food.
The spa night is dedicated to wellness and socialising
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 1
Editor's letter: Time to shine
As spas reach peak revenues, now’s the time for our industry to act as a catalyst in working out how we measure the impact of an experience and the ‘return on wellness’ says Spa Business' editor Katie Barnes
Promotional feature: TechnoAlpin
If you want to deliver a hot and cold experience as part of your wellness programme, adding a snowroom will introduce a delightful and more gentle form of cold therapy, as Sara Brenninger explains
Trends: Spa Foresight™
Climate emergency, gen alpha and brain optimisation are among Spa Business’ latest trend predictions
Promotional feature: The Wellness
Investing in children’s facilities gives a spa and wellness offering a competitive edge, as well as helping the next generation achieve their potential, explains Mohammed Ibrahim, CEO of industry design and consultancy practice, The Wellness
Promotional feature: RKF Luxury Linen
As a symbol of luxury, innovation and quality in the world of spa and hospitality, much of RKF Luxury Linen’s success comes from its highly client-centric design process, says CEO Riadh Bouaziz
Design: Heat of the moment
From giant golden eggs and converted ski lifts to rustic, hand-crafted huts, we showcase the latest in heat experience design and innovations
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.
