Properties across the world – from Albania and Bhutan to Oman and Zambia – will form part of a new hospitality membership brand for consumers looking to travel with purpose and mindful luxury.
Discover Collection is backed by Bernhard Bohnenberger, former president of Six Senses, who is CEO, owner and co-founder, alongside private investors. It has plans to operate a selection of wellness-infused boutique hotels that celebrate the spirit of their locale, helping to preserve the ecosystems, habitats and cultural identities that make them unique.
The properties, with a maximum of 50 rooms, will be managed by Discover Collection in equal partnership with capital partners and guests will need to become members of the brand – at a starting cost of US$3,600 (€3,320, £2,850) a year – in order to stay.
SANCTUARY NOT SPA
“I was attracted to join Discover Collection because of its team and the vision,” Chunxia Gao, global director of development and wellbeing, tells Spa Business. “We’re not a typical hotel management company, we’re building a global community of like-minded people who want to ‘unearth the uncommon’ by exploring the unique destinations we have. As part of that, we perceive human health to be inseparable from planetary and cultural health.”
As an economics major from Hainan University in China, Gao’s first job just happened to be at the largest indoor hot spring spa in the province. She now has 25 years spa experience with brands such as Hilton, Minor and Six Senses.
Gao says the wellbeing philosophy of Discover Collection is anchored in Body, Mind, Soul and Heart and that the wellbeing centre will be called The Sanctuary. “We will not be a traditional spa; what we offer goes beyond that,” she states.
“Having time is a luxury and as an antidote to our fast-paced, ‘always on’ lifestyles, we’ll offer guests chances to breathe deeply and slow down. They can expect mindful moments and healing rituals at The Sanctuary, along with art therapies and creative workshops.”
A joining fee will be entirely donated to a philanthropic foundation
NO SET MENU
Bespoke wellbeing is another key element. “There will be no standardised menu and the journey will be personalised,” says Gao, explaining that a consultation addressing members’ concerns will determine holistic treatment options that therapists can customise using local ingredients and essential oils.
“I don’t see a lack of standards in five-star hotels; I see standards being too prescriptive and therapists being trained to follow them too rigidly. We won’t be giving our members a long list of treatments, as wellbeing shouldn’t be a one-size-fits-all. It starts with intention and a creative approach and is executed with a lot of attention to detail.
“And we’ll never follow trends. We’ll do the right thing rather than the popular thing,” she says.
Discover Collection members will also have access to the brand’s wellbeing practitioners’ services beyond the duration of their stay, which Gao sees as a big advantage. “The membership model means we follow up with guests after their stay and they remain in our ecosystem. We want them to get results by being consistent, rather than coming back to us and having to start from square one again.”
LAUNCHING IN OMAN
The first of a dozen properties will open in the Middle East in September. Discover Collection Ras Amud, Oman – a 32-villa site, will be located on the Musandam Peninsula, overlooking the Hajar Mountains and the Sea of Oman.
“It’s a unique site with very special energy,” says Gao.
“The Sanctuary is carved out of the rocks, nestled 5m below the ground, while still offering unobstructed sea views.”
There will be five standalone treatment suites, individually styled like private villas, says Gao. Each will have its own relaxation area and a different combination of thermal facilities, such as a sauna and steamroom, an infrared sauna and Epsom ice bath, or a Russian banya.
ROLLOUT STRATEGY
All Discover Collection properties will either be restored or new-builds, but the company is not planning to take over properties in need of major refurbishment.
The collection will be varied, from tented camps to historic chateaux. Some will also offer residential properties for purchase.
Next to open, following Ras Amud, Oman in September, will be Discover Collection Lemomo in Kenya, which will open in December, offering immersive Maasai cultural experiences, access to the wildlife of Amboseli National Park and views of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Discover Collection Château de Pommard in Burgundy, France, is set follow in Q3 2027. Then in Q4 2027, both Discover Collection Catoche on Holbox Island, at the top of the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico and Discover Collection Il Ngwesi in Kenya will open.
Other properties are planned in Ireland, Greece, Albania, Zambia, Botswana and Bhutan.
LONG-TERM AMBITIONS
Sustainability will be a hallmark of the brand’s offerings, with environmentally responsible principles followed and alignment with local agriculture, architecture, water and waste management systems.
A membership joining fee of US$650 (€560, £490) will be entirely donated to the Discover Collection Foundation, which is dedicated to promoting local conservancy and philanthropic efforts. One per cent of global membership dues, as well as revenue and royalties from the sale of residential properties will also be used to fund the foundation.
“Discover Collection consists of individuals who are passionate about mindful travel, authentic hospitality and making a positive impact in the world,” says Gao, saying sustainability comes naturally to her thanks to 17 years at Six Senses. “I learned that everything we do matters, even if it may seem insignificant – from avoiding single-use plastic or protecting nature to eating local seasonal vegetables and choosing to walk or cycle rather than drive. These also have positive health benefits in return.”
She concludes: “My long-term ambition is that we will truly make a difference to the health and wellbeing of our members, our team and each local community we’re part of.”
