Kerala, India, has been selected as the location for the first Tulah property – the new clinical wellness brand spearheaded by UAE-based KEF Holdings (KEF).
The brand’s inaugural 30-acre facility will open in Chelembra and will offer a comprehensive healthcare programme that will provide access to a hospital, clinical wellness, spa services, fitness activities, wellness education and healthy cuisine.
Set in the unexplored region of Malabar, Tulah will provide guests with a clinical wellness experience that will integrate modern and traditional medicine – drawn from both local and global communities.
Medical expertise from Meitra – KEF’s flagship hospital, based in the Indian city of Kozhikode – will be at the heart of Tulah’s offering, while traditional Ayurvedic practices, yoga, Tibetan medical rituals, sound healing, sports, rehabilitation, healthy nutrition and a holistic living academy will round out the offering.
The modern medical expertise from Meitra will help to guide the offering at Tulah, where specialists will conduct orthopaedic and cosmetic, rehabilitation and physiotherapy services.
Wellness consultancy The Wellness Dubai has also been brought on board to help realise the 8bn rupee (US$100.3m, £84.6m, €99.5m) project.
The Kerala retreat is being built in a phased approach and will feature 130 rooms once complete, with 60 of those rooms expected to be operational by March 2023.
Looking ahead, KEF has also outlined aspirations to launch similar clinical wellness destinations in the UAE and South East Asia, and hopes the first retreat in Kerala will strengthen state tourism by attracting visitors from the GCC, Europe and South Asia.
“The purpose of Tulah is to realise a unified life,” explained Faizal E. Kottikollon, founder of KEF.
“By integrating a multi-disciplinary approach to wellness, the first Tulah property will combine traditional healing practices and medical science, fitness and movement experiences, healthy cuisine and recreational activities, within a breathtaking 360-degree view of misty hills and lush greenery.”
International architects and designers – including KEF Designs, Kinnersley Kent Design, LAMI Architects and SquareM – are conceiving the space.
Sustainability will be cemented firmly within Tulah’s philosophy as KEF plans to kit out the first property with a solar power farm, tree plantations, high-tech organic farming, water technology, composting and radiant cooling instead of air-conditioning. Tulah will also work with the local community by providing training and employment opportunities.
Tulah’s Kerala outpost will also be home to a 44,000sq m swimming pool and a farm-to-table restaurant.