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Spa People
Alejandro Bataller

We feel we’ve reached our maximum potential at Sha Spain, so we wanted to make our offering more accessible to a global market


Spanish destination spa Sha Wellness Clinic has cited ambitions to have a facility in every major world region in the next 10 years, following its recent announcement of expansion into Mexico and the UAE.

Based in picturesque mountains near Alicante, the resort has 93 suites, 11 private residences and 6,000sq m of spa and wellness facilities which were opened 11 years ago by the Bataller family. It's known for the Sha Method, a holistic approach that provides a mix of cutting-edge preventive, genetic and anti-ageing medicine – from telomere testing to male hormone therapy – alongside natural therapies and macrobiotics. Vice president Alejandro Bataller tells Spa Business: “We feel we’ve reached our maximum potential at Sha Spain, so we wanted to make our offering more accessible to a global market.”

Sha explored multiple potential international locations, assessing climate, environment and access to clinical resources. In-depth analysis showed Mexico and the UAE were best-suited to the needs of the business and these locations are now on track to open by 2021 and 2023, respectively, with Sha developing and managing both properties.

Sha Mexico will be based in the north of the Riviera Maya in Cancun and include 100 suites and a number of private residences. Meanwhile, Sha Emirates will be located in the new AlJurf coastal development in Abu Dhabi and include 120 suites and close to 300 residences. It's being created in partnership with local place-maker IMKAN with an investment of AED600m (US$163.4m, €146.8m, £124.5m).

“Over the years we’ve received countless proposals to open in different countries and have always been very cautious in that we’ll only expand when we consider we can maintain the concept and standards of excellence that characterise us. We feel this moment has arrived.”

The offering at Sha Mexico and Sha Emirates will remain the same in terms of the traditional Sha Method and types of health programmes. However, the brand anticipates each site will attract guests with specific needs.

Sha foresees that guests staying at the Mexico clinic will seek a retreat-focused approach, with anti-stress or holistic treatments and therapies and that Sha Emirates guests are likely to focus on revitalising medical treatments, such as ozone therapy, and also non-invasive aesthetic medical treatments.

“Our aim is to always offer the most outstanding therapies, but it’s important we tailor our offering to each market and its individual needs,” says Bataller.

Sha’s flagship clinic in Spain welcomes approximately 6,000 guests a year and remains at full capacity. When the company launched in late 2008, only 30 per cent of guests were men, but today it accommodates nearly equal numbers of male and female guests.

Bataller says: “A typical Sha guest is someone who seeks to spend their free-time evolving, learning from themselves and constantly striving to improve their health.

“Recently we’ve seen an increase in solo travellers – those who chase a transformative rather than a pampering experience. In fact, the majority of guests who come to the clinic, come alone.”

In 2018, Sha celebrated its 10 year anniversary and Bataller upholds that the offering remains a unique concept that’s capable of transforming people’s lives.

He says: “Sha is a life-changing experience. It’s a place where you come to reset yourself while acquiring the knowledge and the tools to take hold of your health and enjoy optimal health and wellbeing at any stage of your life.”

Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine

View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 1
Sha Mexico is on track to open by 2021 in Cancun
Sha Mexico is on track to open by 2021 in Cancun
Up to US$163m is being invested in the third property in the UAE
Up to US$163m is being invested in the third property in the UAE
FEATURED SUPPLIERS

HPO Tech brings design-led hyperbaric systems to the spa floor
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has moved well beyond the clinic and spa operators represent the fastest-growing market for the technology. [more...]

Zerobody Cryo: Starpool's contrast therapy solution
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
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COMPANY PROFILES
HPO.Tech Hyperbaric Systems

Founded in 2020 in Istanbul, HPO.Tech combines 15+ years of expertise in hyperbaric technology, divi [more...]
Bellezi

Founded in 2009 as a Dutch family business, Bellezi brings more than 20 years of experience in treat [more...]
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CATALOGUE GALLERY
 

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DIRECTORY
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DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
31 Aug - 02 Sep 2026

SpaTec North America

Pier Sixty Six, Fort Lauderdale, United States
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Uniting the world of spa & wellness
Get Spa Business and Spa Business insider digital magazines FREE
Sign up here ▸
News   Products   Magazine   Subscribe
Spa People
Alejandro Bataller

We feel we’ve reached our maximum potential at Sha Spain, so we wanted to make our offering more accessible to a global market


Spanish destination spa Sha Wellness Clinic has cited ambitions to have a facility in every major world region in the next 10 years, following its recent announcement of expansion into Mexico and the UAE.

Based in picturesque mountains near Alicante, the resort has 93 suites, 11 private residences and 6,000sq m of spa and wellness facilities which were opened 11 years ago by the Bataller family. It's known for the Sha Method, a holistic approach that provides a mix of cutting-edge preventive, genetic and anti-ageing medicine – from telomere testing to male hormone therapy – alongside natural therapies and macrobiotics. Vice president Alejandro Bataller tells Spa Business: “We feel we’ve reached our maximum potential at Sha Spain, so we wanted to make our offering more accessible to a global market.”

Sha explored multiple potential international locations, assessing climate, environment and access to clinical resources. In-depth analysis showed Mexico and the UAE were best-suited to the needs of the business and these locations are now on track to open by 2021 and 2023, respectively, with Sha developing and managing both properties.

Sha Mexico will be based in the north of the Riviera Maya in Cancun and include 100 suites and a number of private residences. Meanwhile, Sha Emirates will be located in the new AlJurf coastal development in Abu Dhabi and include 120 suites and close to 300 residences. It's being created in partnership with local place-maker IMKAN with an investment of AED600m (US$163.4m, €146.8m, £124.5m).

“Over the years we’ve received countless proposals to open in different countries and have always been very cautious in that we’ll only expand when we consider we can maintain the concept and standards of excellence that characterise us. We feel this moment has arrived.”

The offering at Sha Mexico and Sha Emirates will remain the same in terms of the traditional Sha Method and types of health programmes. However, the brand anticipates each site will attract guests with specific needs.

Sha foresees that guests staying at the Mexico clinic will seek a retreat-focused approach, with anti-stress or holistic treatments and therapies and that Sha Emirates guests are likely to focus on revitalising medical treatments, such as ozone therapy, and also non-invasive aesthetic medical treatments.

“Our aim is to always offer the most outstanding therapies, but it’s important we tailor our offering to each market and its individual needs,” says Bataller.

Sha’s flagship clinic in Spain welcomes approximately 6,000 guests a year and remains at full capacity. When the company launched in late 2008, only 30 per cent of guests were men, but today it accommodates nearly equal numbers of male and female guests.

Bataller says: “A typical Sha guest is someone who seeks to spend their free-time evolving, learning from themselves and constantly striving to improve their health.

“Recently we’ve seen an increase in solo travellers – those who chase a transformative rather than a pampering experience. In fact, the majority of guests who come to the clinic, come alone.”

In 2018, Sha celebrated its 10 year anniversary and Bataller upholds that the offering remains a unique concept that’s capable of transforming people’s lives.

He says: “Sha is a life-changing experience. It’s a place where you come to reset yourself while acquiring the knowledge and the tools to take hold of your health and enjoy optimal health and wellbeing at any stage of your life.”

Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine

View contents of Spa Business 2020 issue 1
Sha Mexico is on track to open by 2021 in Cancun
Sha Mexico is on track to open by 2021 in Cancun
Up to US$163m is being invested in the third property in the UAE
Up to US$163m is being invested in the third property in the UAE
LATEST NEWS
AI firm Midjourney enters wellness with spa, fitness and body scanning concept
TLee Spas and Wellness has revealed the design concept for a high-tech spa with body mapping scanners to improve public health, for AI company Midjourney.
Hot spring wellness community Ameyalli sells residences and breaks ground on resort and spa
Ameyalli, the 78-acre wellbeing resort and residential community in Midway in Utah, US, has broken ground on phase two of the hot spring development – the Ameyalli Resort and Spa – which is due to open in 2028.
Swissline opens renovated urban wellness destination Labo Spa in Zurich
Swissline has opened a flagship day spa in Zurich, Switzerland, called Labo Spa.
Gran Hotel Taoro opens Sandára Wellness Centre
Gran Hotel Taoro in northern Tenerife, Spain, has completed the final phase of its three-year renovation with the debut of its Sandára Wellness Centre.
Franchise expert Carrie Walsh joins Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa as CEO
Hand and Stone Massage and Facial Spa, the spa business with more than 650 locations across the US and Canada, has appointed franchise expert Carrie Walsh as CEO as the company plans to expand.
HCM Invest opens applications for pitching slots
The inaugural HCM Invest event has opened applications for pitching slots ahead of its launch in London on 21 October 2026.
Synergy – The Retreat Show invites consumer and industry perspectives on retreats for research
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.
Turkey is crowned the best massage nation at world championship
Turkey came first at this year’s World Championship in Massage between 3-5 July in Copenhagen, Denmark.
The Wellness Tourism Association publishes industry framework for ethical and responsible retreats
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
One in three spa practitioners have considered leaving the industry due to concerns about their own wellbeing
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.
UK updates physical activity guidelines with focus on daily movement
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.
Sauna advocate Becky Pelkonen drafts global public sauna-bathing charter
Becky Pelkonen, the sauna advocate and researcher, has unveiled the draft of a global public sauna-bathing charter.
+ More news   
 
FEATURED SUPPLIERS

HPO Tech brings design-led hyperbaric systems to the spa floor
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy has moved well beyond the clinic and spa operators represent the fastest-growing market for the technology. [more...]

Zerobody Cryo: Starpool's contrast therapy solution
Contrast therapy, based on the alternation of hot and cold rituals, has become one of the most valued practices in the fields of wellness and recovery. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
COMPANY PROFILES
HPO.Tech Hyperbaric Systems

Founded in 2020 in Istanbul, HPO.Tech combines 15+ years of expertise in hyperbaric technology, divi [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  

DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
31 Aug - 02 Sep 2026

SpaTec North America

Pier Sixty Six, Fort Lauderdale, United States
+ More diary  
 


ADVERTISE . CONTACT US

Leisure Media
Tel: +44 (0)1462 431385

©Cybertrek 2026

ABOUT LEISURE MEDIA
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