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
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...]
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
Synergy – The Retreat Show, the global trade show for retreats, has launched a global research
initiative that will provide insights into the retreat sector from both consumer and industry
perspectives.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
A new survey of UK and international spa practitioners shows that stress, burnout and
wellbeing concerns have caused one in three respondents to consider leaving the industry.
The UK's four Chief Medical Officers have published a refreshed edition of Physical activity
guidelines: UK Chief Medical Officers' report, updating the evidence that underpins the nation's
physical activity recommendations and placing greater emphasis on strength, balance, reducing
sedentary behaviour and, for the first time, supporting people taking weight loss medications.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
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...]
