Natirar is set in 400 acres of rolling parkland in New Jersey, an hour from New York City
The new Miraval at Natirar in New Jersey will be built in and around an existing operation owned and run by founders Bob and Kim Wojtowicz. Miraval replaced previous shareholder, Virgin’s Richard Branson, as a partner in the project. The new site will open in March 2015.
The stunning house, set in 400 acres, was the former home of the King of Morocco and already boasts a high-end farm to table restaurant – Ninety Acres – a cooking school and club which runs on a membership basis.
The wooded site has a 60-mile unobstructed view over New Jersey into Pennsylvania: “All you see is rolling hills and trees. No one can build anything in that view,” says Miraval CEO, Michael Tompkins. “The property is set on a hill and from the other side you can see Manhattan. You’re so close to New York, you just don’t know it.”
The site couldn’t be better located, being an hour by car from the city, 25 minutes from Newark International airport and near two train stations which go to Penn Station.
Under the scheme, the existing mansion house will be converted, and a second building constructed, says Tompkins: “The new-build will have the same architecture and use the same brick as the original. The plan is to have 66 keys, while an underground tunnel will be built to the new spa.”
Rockwell Group’s design for the spa building is a dramatic, grass-roofed, minimalist glass building with a waterfall cascading from the roof. Set among the trees, it looks set to be a real show stopper.
Natirar’s fitness centre will be expanded by 6,000sq ft (557sq m) and its stables will be used for Miraval’s famous Equine Experience.
In addition to hiking and biking trails, there’s also a lake on the property. “We’re aiming to organise paddle board yoga,” says Tompkins. “We’ll do snow shoeing in the winter and will be open year round.”
Miraval at Natirar plans to work with Clarins and continue its relationship with the brand: “We plan to roll out future spas with Clarins,” says Tompkins, “but we also aim to make them true to the locales, so at Natirar – which has a 13 acre farm to table garden – we’ll develop treatments based on the Clarins products which contain plant extracts from flora which is native to the area. Clarins head botanist, Jean-Pierre Nicolas, will be involved with scoping out the options.”
The existing operation at Natirar already has strong engagement with a high-end clientele. Combining this with its close proximity to New York City means the new Miraval could not be better placed to succeed.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Helene Goetzelmann
L'Occitane's international spa director tells Rhianon Howells how the consumer retail company has become a spa operator with 60 facilities
Ask an expert: Profit & Loss
Hotel spas need to fight capital expenditure allocation said an investor panel at this year's Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Research: All rise
There's been an increase in the five top key performance indicators in the US spa industry shows the 2013 ISPA study
Company Profile Promotion: ESPA promotion
As ESPA's 20th
anniversary year draws
to a close, founder and
CEO Sue Harmsworth
explains how and why the
company is still evolving
Safari Spa: Animal instinct
Safari spas are the staple for Amani, one of South Africa's largest spa chains. Lisa Starr talks to MD Ronleigh Gordon
Trends: Brief encounters
We take a look at some of the most innovative spa pop-ups, a growing trend across the leisure sector
Interview: Paul Smyth
Something & Son designer shares his insights on creating pop-up spa facilities. Magali Robathan reports
Summit review: Upping the ante
Katie Barnes reveals the takeaway messages from the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 375 industry leaders
Research: Local news
Domestic travellers dominate the global wellness tourism market which has an economic impact of US$1.3 trillion. SRI's Ophelia Yeung reports
Research: Thai up
Prantik Bordoloi analyses a 2013 Thai spa industry study based on both spa consumer and spa operator opinions
Software news: Tech talk
The latest developments and news from spa software suppliers from around the world
The MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
Natirar is set in 400 acres of rolling parkland in New Jersey, an hour from New York City
The new Miraval at Natirar in New Jersey will be built in and around an existing operation owned and run by founders Bob and Kim Wojtowicz. Miraval replaced previous shareholder, Virgin’s Richard Branson, as a partner in the project. The new site will open in March 2015.
The stunning house, set in 400 acres, was the former home of the King of Morocco and already boasts a high-end farm to table restaurant – Ninety Acres – a cooking school and club which runs on a membership basis.
The wooded site has a 60-mile unobstructed view over New Jersey into Pennsylvania: “All you see is rolling hills and trees. No one can build anything in that view,” says Miraval CEO, Michael Tompkins. “The property is set on a hill and from the other side you can see Manhattan. You’re so close to New York, you just don’t know it.”
The site couldn’t be better located, being an hour by car from the city, 25 minutes from Newark International airport and near two train stations which go to Penn Station.
Under the scheme, the existing mansion house will be converted, and a second building constructed, says Tompkins: “The new-build will have the same architecture and use the same brick as the original. The plan is to have 66 keys, while an underground tunnel will be built to the new spa.”
Rockwell Group’s design for the spa building is a dramatic, grass-roofed, minimalist glass building with a waterfall cascading from the roof. Set among the trees, it looks set to be a real show stopper.
Natirar’s fitness centre will be expanded by 6,000sq ft (557sq m) and its stables will be used for Miraval’s famous Equine Experience.
In addition to hiking and biking trails, there’s also a lake on the property. “We’re aiming to organise paddle board yoga,” says Tompkins. “We’ll do snow shoeing in the winter and will be open year round.”
Miraval at Natirar plans to work with Clarins and continue its relationship with the brand: “We plan to roll out future spas with Clarins,” says Tompkins, “but we also aim to make them true to the locales, so at Natirar – which has a 13 acre farm to table garden – we’ll develop treatments based on the Clarins products which contain plant extracts from flora which is native to the area. Clarins head botanist, Jean-Pierre Nicolas, will be involved with scoping out the options.”
The existing operation at Natirar already has strong engagement with a high-end clientele. Combining this with its close proximity to New York City means the new Miraval could not be better placed to succeed.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
Interview: Helene Goetzelmann
L'Occitane's international spa director tells Rhianon Howells how the consumer retail company has become a spa operator with 60 facilities
Ask an expert: Profit & Loss
Hotel spas need to fight capital expenditure allocation said an investor panel at this year's Global Spa & Wellness Summit
Research: All rise
There's been an increase in the five top key performance indicators in the US spa industry shows the 2013 ISPA study
Company Profile Promotion: ESPA promotion
As ESPA's 20th
anniversary year draws
to a close, founder and
CEO Sue Harmsworth
explains how and why the
company is still evolving
Safari Spa: Animal instinct
Safari spas are the staple for Amani, one of South Africa's largest spa chains. Lisa Starr talks to MD Ronleigh Gordon
Trends: Brief encounters
We take a look at some of the most innovative spa pop-ups, a growing trend across the leisure sector
Interview: Paul Smyth
Something & Son designer shares his insights on creating pop-up spa facilities. Magali Robathan reports
Summit review: Upping the ante
Katie Barnes reveals the takeaway messages from the 2013 Global Spa & Wellness Summit in New Delhi, India, attended by 375 industry leaders
Research: Local news
Domestic travellers dominate the global wellness tourism market which has an economic impact of US$1.3 trillion. SRI's Ophelia Yeung reports
Research: Thai up
Prantik Bordoloi analyses a 2013 Thai spa industry study based on both spa consumer and spa operator opinions
Software news: Tech talk
The latest developments and news from spa software suppliers from around the world
Private hotel owner and developer HVL Hotels will open a new luxury resort and tourism
destination called Laval Hunter Valley in the second half of 2027 in Pokolbin, Australia.
The annual wellness festival dedicated to wellbeing, culture, longevity and human connection,
called Alma, will be hosted by Rocco Forte hotel, Verdura Resort in Sicily, Italy.
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 MSpa Oslo series is a perennial bestseller in global markets. With innovative
engineering and premium performance, this completely portable spa line-up is expertly
designed to meet the needs of customers worldwide. [more...]
