The first phase includes villas, a farm and a central community house / photo: Tri Vananda
In Phuket, Thailand, Bangkok-based developer Montara Hospitality Group (MHG) is busy sinking THB 6,600bn (€177.3m, US$199.7m, £149.2m) into realising Tri Vananda – slated to be one of Asia’s largest and most comprehensive residential wellness communities.
Scheduled for completion in Q4 2023 and ranging across 232-acres, the multi-generational Tri Vananda will be a sister property to established wellness destination Trisara Resort and Spa – also located in Phuket.
Integrative approach The developers of Tri Vananda – meaning forest of lasting happiness – say they expect it to mature into a community dedicated to living well in a location surrounded by lakes and forest.
The site will be anchored by a wellness resort specialising in cognitive wellbeing and integrative and functional medicine, with a focus on blending the best of medical and holistic wellness.
The project has been ongoing since 2020 and is being completed in phases, with the first phase – comprising residential show villas, a farm and plant nursery and a central community house due to be completed soon. The final phase with the central wellness resort and nature reserve is scheduled for completion in Q4 2023.
Amenities will include a health centre with consultation rooms for medical and preventative treatments and traditional Thai medicine therapies, a cognitive health centre and facilities for functional health diagnostics where residents and guests will be treated via specially tailored programmes.
The destination will have a special focus on the importance of cognitive health, the gut microbiome, respiratory health and building a strong immune system.
In addition, residents will be able to access a spa with 30 treatment rooms, separate-sex thermal rooms, relaxation spaces, a hammam, sauna and private spa suites, as well as a lakeside fitness centre with an Olympic swimming pool, gym, juice bar and lake pier for watersports.
Multi-generational The development has been designed to support people of all ages in experiencing wellness and will include a dedicated club in the Pru Jampa Community House for young people and children, designed to help them learn about the importance of a wellness-led lifestyle and the cultivation of health and mindfulness.
Encircled by sand dunes, this community house has a bar and lounge, swimming pool, community garden, outdoor playground, function space and club areas designed especially for teens and pre-teens.
The club offers a range of activities such as foraging, cooking and crafting, as well as educational experiences to enlighten younger guests on topics such as skincare, health, meditation and yoga.
Sue Harmsworth and Amy McDonald are consulting on the project, with McDonald’s consultancy, Under a Tree, providing conceptual and technical pre-opening services and Harmsworth acting as a wellness advisor.
“One of the main differentiators of this project is the commitment to meeting each guest wherever they are on their own wellness journey,” said McDonald. “So often wellness properties cater only for adults, but Tri Vananda also acknowledges the importance of wellness for younger family members.”
The vision is heavily influenced by spirituality, which motivated the inclusion of a dedicated mindfulness centre with visiting monks, situated over one of the destination’s six lakes, with an indoor hall and outdoor areas for meditation.
“Tri Vananda is a unique next-generation project,” Harmsworth told Spa Business, “often wellness destinations tend to be focused on either medical or holistic wellness, but this project presents a new solution where the two are blended seamlessly together.”
Accommodation on offer The resort’s accommodation offering will consist of two- or three-bedroom solar-powered villas designed by Habita Architects (www.habitaarchitects.com) in partnership with the Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts (www.arsomsilp.ac.th). They’ll range in size from 270sq m to 750sq m, with interior design by P49 Deesig (www.p49deesign.com).
70 villas will be designated for visiting guests, while the remaining 87 units will be sold for residential.
The low-density development will be built with sustainability at its heart and the aim of being carbon-neutral and achieving LEED certification. It will operate with environmentally-friendly practices, including a tiered wetland filtration system with a botanical garden to collect, filter and store water; an organic, non-toxic farm to supply restaurants on-site; nature trails; and renewable energy facilities, such as floating solar panels on the lakes.
“Our residents and guests will enjoy access to some of the most fundamental and cherished contributors to overall wellbeing, such as clean air and access to nature – which are increasingly lost in urban settings – while having access to proven health and wellness therapies and programmes,” said MDG CEO Kittisak Pattamasaevi.
photo: Sue Harmsworth
"Medical and holistic
wellness will blend
seamlessly together
at Tri Vananda," –
Sue Harmsworth
photo: Amy Mcdonald
"One of the main
differentiators of
this project is the
commitment to meeting
each guest wherever
they are on their
wellness journey," –
Amy McDonald
photo: kittisak Pattamasaevi
"Our residents and
guests will enjoy
access to some of the
most fundamental and
cherished contributors
to overall wellbeing," –
Kittisak Pattamasaevi
Living well post-COVID
Wellness real estate and communities have been growing rapidly since the pandemic opened our eyes even more to the impact of the built environment on our wellbeing.
A recent report from the Global Wellness Institute, Wellness Real Estate: Looking Beyond COVID-19, confirms this shift, showing the sector experienced 22 per cent growth during 2020, despite the impact of lockdowns and travel restrictions and many industry insiders believe wellness real estate has transitioned from being a luxury into being an essential pillar of the industry.
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The first phase includes villas, a farm and a central community house / photo: Tri Vananda
In Phuket, Thailand, Bangkok-based developer Montara Hospitality Group (MHG) is busy sinking THB 6,600bn (€177.3m, US$199.7m, £149.2m) into realising Tri Vananda – slated to be one of Asia’s largest and most comprehensive residential wellness communities.
Scheduled for completion in Q4 2023 and ranging across 232-acres, the multi-generational Tri Vananda will be a sister property to established wellness destination Trisara Resort and Spa – also located in Phuket.
Integrative approach The developers of Tri Vananda – meaning forest of lasting happiness – say they expect it to mature into a community dedicated to living well in a location surrounded by lakes and forest.
The site will be anchored by a wellness resort specialising in cognitive wellbeing and integrative and functional medicine, with a focus on blending the best of medical and holistic wellness.
The project has been ongoing since 2020 and is being completed in phases, with the first phase – comprising residential show villas, a farm and plant nursery and a central community house due to be completed soon. The final phase with the central wellness resort and nature reserve is scheduled for completion in Q4 2023.
Amenities will include a health centre with consultation rooms for medical and preventative treatments and traditional Thai medicine therapies, a cognitive health centre and facilities for functional health diagnostics where residents and guests will be treated via specially tailored programmes.
The destination will have a special focus on the importance of cognitive health, the gut microbiome, respiratory health and building a strong immune system.
In addition, residents will be able to access a spa with 30 treatment rooms, separate-sex thermal rooms, relaxation spaces, a hammam, sauna and private spa suites, as well as a lakeside fitness centre with an Olympic swimming pool, gym, juice bar and lake pier for watersports.
Multi-generational The development has been designed to support people of all ages in experiencing wellness and will include a dedicated club in the Pru Jampa Community House for young people and children, designed to help them learn about the importance of a wellness-led lifestyle and the cultivation of health and mindfulness.
Encircled by sand dunes, this community house has a bar and lounge, swimming pool, community garden, outdoor playground, function space and club areas designed especially for teens and pre-teens.
The club offers a range of activities such as foraging, cooking and crafting, as well as educational experiences to enlighten younger guests on topics such as skincare, health, meditation and yoga.
Sue Harmsworth and Amy McDonald are consulting on the project, with McDonald’s consultancy, Under a Tree, providing conceptual and technical pre-opening services and Harmsworth acting as a wellness advisor.
“One of the main differentiators of this project is the commitment to meeting each guest wherever they are on their own wellness journey,” said McDonald. “So often wellness properties cater only for adults, but Tri Vananda also acknowledges the importance of wellness for younger family members.”
The vision is heavily influenced by spirituality, which motivated the inclusion of a dedicated mindfulness centre with visiting monks, situated over one of the destination’s six lakes, with an indoor hall and outdoor areas for meditation.
“Tri Vananda is a unique next-generation project,” Harmsworth told Spa Business, “often wellness destinations tend to be focused on either medical or holistic wellness, but this project presents a new solution where the two are blended seamlessly together.”
Accommodation on offer The resort’s accommodation offering will consist of two- or three-bedroom solar-powered villas designed by Habita Architects (www.habitaarchitects.com) in partnership with the Arsom Silp Institute of the Arts (www.arsomsilp.ac.th). They’ll range in size from 270sq m to 750sq m, with interior design by P49 Deesig (www.p49deesign.com).
70 villas will be designated for visiting guests, while the remaining 87 units will be sold for residential.
The low-density development will be built with sustainability at its heart and the aim of being carbon-neutral and achieving LEED certification. It will operate with environmentally-friendly practices, including a tiered wetland filtration system with a botanical garden to collect, filter and store water; an organic, non-toxic farm to supply restaurants on-site; nature trails; and renewable energy facilities, such as floating solar panels on the lakes.
“Our residents and guests will enjoy access to some of the most fundamental and cherished contributors to overall wellbeing, such as clean air and access to nature – which are increasingly lost in urban settings – while having access to proven health and wellness therapies and programmes,” said MDG CEO Kittisak Pattamasaevi.
photo: Sue Harmsworth
"Medical and holistic
wellness will blend
seamlessly together
at Tri Vananda," –
Sue Harmsworth
photo: Amy Mcdonald
"One of the main
differentiators of
this project is the
commitment to meeting
each guest wherever
they are on their
wellness journey," –
Amy McDonald
photo: kittisak Pattamasaevi
"Our residents and
guests will enjoy
access to some of the
most fundamental and
cherished contributors
to overall wellbeing," –
Kittisak Pattamasaevi
Living well post-COVID
Wellness real estate and communities have been growing rapidly since the pandemic opened our eyes even more to the impact of the built environment on our wellbeing.
A recent report from the Global Wellness Institute, Wellness Real Estate: Looking Beyond COVID-19, confirms this shift, showing the sector experienced 22 per cent growth during 2020, despite the impact of lockdowns and travel restrictions and many industry insiders believe wellness real estate has transitioned from being a luxury into being an essential pillar of the industry.
Sponsored: Comfort Zone - Rethinking packaging
With its commitment to meeting the highest standards in relation to sustainability and regeneration, Comfort Zone is reducing its plastic footprint through the use of innovative packaging design and an important partnership to stop ocean-bound plastic
Project preview: Cultivating health
Montara Hospitality Group is developing Tri Vananda, a multi- generational, residential wellness community on the island of Phuket
Sponsored: Art of Cryo – Cold gold
Introducing cryotherapy can be lucrative for spas, as well as offering customers a cutting-edge therapy with powerful benefits for both body and mind
Interview: Brothers in spa
Saverio Quadrio Curzio of QC Terme on working with brother Andrea
on the global expansion of their luxury brand, which is built around European bathing traditions
Everyone’s talking about: Property investment
Reductions in travel and the growth
of homeworking have changed where people spend their time. Our experts consider how this will impact investment
Research: Crossing the watershed
The Global Wellness Institute dives deep into data on the US$4.4tr global wellness economy. Kath Hudson reports
Q&A: Michael Roizen & Victor Koo
The Global Wellness Summit in Boston brought the industry together for three idea-packed days. Spa Business caught up with this year's influential co-chairs
Mystery Shopper: Out of the blue
Jane Kitchen visits Iceland, the
land of fire and ice, to compare
and contrast experiences at the
famed Blue Lagoon and the newly-opened Sky Lagoon in Reykjavik
Sponsored: Optimal results
Gharieni is using research findings and insight to ensure its innovative wellness concepts exceed customers’ expectations
First person: True North
Andrew Gibson heads to Larvik in Norway to experience the world of wellness that is Farris Bad
Urban spas: La Samaritaine
Ghislain Waeyaert visits the Dior Spa at La Samaritaine in Paris, after its €500m upgrade
Spa software: Staff retention
How the latest software can help retain staff and increase business potential in a COVID-challenged world
Finishing touch: COVID attacks fat cells
Researchers from Stanford University set out to explain why people with obesity are at higher risk when contracting COVID-19, as Tom Walker reports
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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
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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.
Global Wellness Day (GWD) marked its 15th anniversary on Saturday 13 June 2026, with the
theme: #JoyMagenta – a celebration of the healing qualities of simple gestures and activities
that spark joy.
Le Atelier by C.O.D.E. doesn't offer a standard bespoke service, it provides a highly
customised approach to designing massage beds and loungers in high-end wellness
environments. [more...]
