Ramirez is passionate about preserving cultural heritage / photo: Ancestral Handmade
Ana Ramirez, an architect deeply committed to prioritising human and planetary health in the built environment, has created a regenerative wellness hotel concept with the intention of rolling it out across South America.
Originally from Columbia, Ramirez is planning to launch a flagship Ancestral Handmade Hotels property in her hometown of Medellin, the second largest city in the country, but she also has her sights set on Peru and Ecuador.
The vision is to revive and celebrate ancestral wisdom and tribal traditions at every stage of the project – from building methods to wellness programming. Think coffee massages, cacao ceremonies and sound bath drum therapy.
She reveals more about her exciting plans to Spa Business.
What’s the story behind Ancestral? I’ve specialised in luxury and wellness hospitality design for 15 years, managing turnkey projects for firms such as SB Architects and OBM International. However, during the pandemic, I decided to forge my own path to prioritise creating designs that truly resonate with me.
My goal with Ancestral is to create wellness retreats in collaboration with local communities that work in tandem with the land and are rooted in nature. In fact, Ancestral’s raison d’etre is to shine a spotlight on the power of ancient practices, local culture, traditional healing, regenerative tourism and nature in each of its locations.
What’s the blueprint for the properties? Each destination will be anchored by a comprehensive wellness area called The Reserve Spa featuring a Herbal Sensorial and Longevity Spa, a Wellness and Wellbeing Retreat Hub, a herbal apothecary and a plant-based restaurant.
To create the wellness menu, we plan to partner with local healing people to learn about their distinctive wellness traditions to preserve their legacy.
In Colombia, for example, we’ve devised a menu of clay mud baths, coffee massages and exfoliations, essential oil workshops, sound bath drum therapy and equine therapy.
Other experiences will include a bioenergy dome, earthing pods, cacao ceremonies, quantum healing, fermentation classes and archaeological hiking trails.
Accommodation will consist of smart bungalows immersed in nature and equipped with wellness technology.
We’re designing all buildings sustainably and integrating sacred geometry with biophilic and bioclimatic design, as well as bio-energy to create hotels which are built to make people feel better.
In future, my team and I want to partner with neuroscientists to conduct research which proves the positive effects these spaces have on wellbeing.
The hotels will feature a main communal area complete with a lobby and lounge bar, bazaar, local fusion restaurant and an aborigen coffee-tea cacao shop.
We’re also going to create gardens with a botanic event nursery, farm organic produce and open a soil-to-table deli and bakery.
Who’s your target market? We’ve designed our concept to appeal to wellness travellers, nature enthusiasts and also families – I believe in promoting wellbeing at all ages.
We want to connect all of our guests with nature and immerse them in a different culture – and this will be a concept for locals and tourists alike, so we foresee an equal split between these groups as our customers.
Price points of our destinations will sit between US$350-550 (€324-509, £281-442) a night.
Where are you planning to roll out the concept? Our flagship property is in the works in the suburbs of Medellin and is in the environmental permitting stage. We’ve received a letter of positive viability from the municipality and anticipate that the 65-key project will take 18-19 months to build once we get the green light.
We’ll establish Ancestral in South America with multiple destinations in Colombia, as well as sites in Peru and Ecuador.
But we’re also open to the idea of expanding internationally into other spaces with vibrant ancestral healing cultures.
The plan is to realise our locations and then carefully select empathetic operating partners who feel open to collaborating, to curate the authenticity of our operation.
How do you want guests to feel? My greatest intention is for our experience to ignite in our guests, hosts and collaborators a profound connection with the earth and their own inner essence.
I’m passionate about preserving cultural heritage and advocating for regenerative tourism to support local communities and create economic opportunities.
It’s not just about creating memorable experiences, but also about planting a seed for long-lasting lifestyle changes that allow our guests to thrive.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: Feeling optimistic
Revenue is at an all-time high and democratic wellness is bubbling under. It’s an exciting time for spas, says Katie Barnes
Spa People: Taichi Kuma
The son of celebrated architect Kengo Kuma designs a striking shell-like sauna in Japan
Spa People: Ana Ramirez
On her plans to roll out Ancestral Handmade, her regenerative wellness hotel concept, across South America – starting in Colombia
Spa People: Daniel Golby
On ESPA Life's debut in Doha and the markets he has his eyes set on for future expansion
News report: Milestone moment
US spa industry revenue exceeds the US$20bn mark according to ISPA's latest Big Five statistics
Sponsored: MyBlend: A new vision of beauty
Clarins has elevated its myBlend brand with new tech and formulations, as well as forging powerful alliances with global spa partners
Sponsored: Gharieni: Mind expansion
With the quest for better mental health growing ever stronger in the wake of the global pandemic, we ask Gharieni CEO Sammy Gharieni how the company’s wellness technologies are helping spas to meet this consumer demand
Top team: Hilton
Sleep, fitness and new spa concepts are top of the list as Hilton looks to deliver wellness across its 7,000 properties
Thermal spa: The heat is on
With 50 hot springs projects underway, the US is looking to establish itself as a thermal spa destination. Jane Kitchen takes a closer look
Ramirez is passionate about preserving cultural heritage / photo: Ancestral Handmade
Ana Ramirez, an architect deeply committed to prioritising human and planetary health in the built environment, has created a regenerative wellness hotel concept with the intention of rolling it out across South America.
Originally from Columbia, Ramirez is planning to launch a flagship Ancestral Handmade Hotels property in her hometown of Medellin, the second largest city in the country, but she also has her sights set on Peru and Ecuador.
The vision is to revive and celebrate ancestral wisdom and tribal traditions at every stage of the project – from building methods to wellness programming. Think coffee massages, cacao ceremonies and sound bath drum therapy.
She reveals more about her exciting plans to Spa Business.
What’s the story behind Ancestral? I’ve specialised in luxury and wellness hospitality design for 15 years, managing turnkey projects for firms such as SB Architects and OBM International. However, during the pandemic, I decided to forge my own path to prioritise creating designs that truly resonate with me.
My goal with Ancestral is to create wellness retreats in collaboration with local communities that work in tandem with the land and are rooted in nature. In fact, Ancestral’s raison d’etre is to shine a spotlight on the power of ancient practices, local culture, traditional healing, regenerative tourism and nature in each of its locations.
What’s the blueprint for the properties? Each destination will be anchored by a comprehensive wellness area called The Reserve Spa featuring a Herbal Sensorial and Longevity Spa, a Wellness and Wellbeing Retreat Hub, a herbal apothecary and a plant-based restaurant.
To create the wellness menu, we plan to partner with local healing people to learn about their distinctive wellness traditions to preserve their legacy.
In Colombia, for example, we’ve devised a menu of clay mud baths, coffee massages and exfoliations, essential oil workshops, sound bath drum therapy and equine therapy.
Other experiences will include a bioenergy dome, earthing pods, cacao ceremonies, quantum healing, fermentation classes and archaeological hiking trails.
Accommodation will consist of smart bungalows immersed in nature and equipped with wellness technology.
We’re designing all buildings sustainably and integrating sacred geometry with biophilic and bioclimatic design, as well as bio-energy to create hotels which are built to make people feel better.
In future, my team and I want to partner with neuroscientists to conduct research which proves the positive effects these spaces have on wellbeing.
The hotels will feature a main communal area complete with a lobby and lounge bar, bazaar, local fusion restaurant and an aborigen coffee-tea cacao shop.
We’re also going to create gardens with a botanic event nursery, farm organic produce and open a soil-to-table deli and bakery.
Who’s your target market? We’ve designed our concept to appeal to wellness travellers, nature enthusiasts and also families – I believe in promoting wellbeing at all ages.
We want to connect all of our guests with nature and immerse them in a different culture – and this will be a concept for locals and tourists alike, so we foresee an equal split between these groups as our customers.
Price points of our destinations will sit between US$350-550 (€324-509, £281-442) a night.
Where are you planning to roll out the concept? Our flagship property is in the works in the suburbs of Medellin and is in the environmental permitting stage. We’ve received a letter of positive viability from the municipality and anticipate that the 65-key project will take 18-19 months to build once we get the green light.
We’ll establish Ancestral in South America with multiple destinations in Colombia, as well as sites in Peru and Ecuador.
But we’re also open to the idea of expanding internationally into other spaces with vibrant ancestral healing cultures.
The plan is to realise our locations and then carefully select empathetic operating partners who feel open to collaborating, to curate the authenticity of our operation.
How do you want guests to feel? My greatest intention is for our experience to ignite in our guests, hosts and collaborators a profound connection with the earth and their own inner essence.
I’m passionate about preserving cultural heritage and advocating for regenerative tourism to support local communities and create economic opportunities.
It’s not just about creating memorable experiences, but also about planting a seed for long-lasting lifestyle changes that allow our guests to thrive.
Read more from this issue of Spa Business magazine
View contents of Spa Business 2023 issue 2
Editor's letter: Feeling optimistic
Revenue is at an all-time high and democratic wellness is bubbling under. It’s an exciting time for spas, says Katie Barnes
Spa People: Taichi Kuma
The son of celebrated architect Kengo Kuma designs a striking shell-like sauna in Japan
Spa People: Ana Ramirez
On her plans to roll out Ancestral Handmade, her regenerative wellness hotel concept, across South America – starting in Colombia
Spa People: Daniel Golby
On ESPA Life's debut in Doha and the markets he has his eyes set on for future expansion
News report: Milestone moment
US spa industry revenue exceeds the US$20bn mark according to ISPA's latest Big Five statistics
Sponsored: MyBlend: A new vision of beauty
Clarins has elevated its myBlend brand with new tech and formulations, as well as forging powerful alliances with global spa partners
Sponsored: Gharieni: Mind expansion
With the quest for better mental health growing ever stronger in the wake of the global pandemic, we ask Gharieni CEO Sammy Gharieni how the company’s wellness technologies are helping spas to meet this consumer demand
Top team: Hilton
Sleep, fitness and new spa concepts are top of the list as Hilton looks to deliver wellness across its 7,000 properties
Thermal spa: The heat is on
With 50 hot springs projects underway, the US is looking to establish itself as a thermal spa destination. Jane Kitchen takes a closer look
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.
Global luxury hospitality brand, Six Senses, has partnered with longevity healthcare provider,
HUM2N, to launch a clinic at Six Senses London, at The Whiteley.
As part of its first hotel partnership, Mayrlife – the medical health resort company known for its
site in Altaussee, Austria – has launched a day clinic at the Rosewood Vienna.
Premium London health club, KX Chelsea, will imminently unveil its most significant
redevelopment since its launch in 2002 to create an integrated wellness model combining
training, recovery and relaxation.
Rosewood Le Guanahani St Barth, on the northeast coast of Saint Barthélemy in the French
West Indies, is offering a programme of ocean-inspired yoga classes between 8-14 June to
celebrate Global Wellness Day (GWD).
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
The Ritz-Carlton, Langkawi, in Malaysia, has revealed a schedule for Global Wellness Day
(GWD) that includes guided rainforest walks, mindful movement and guided coastal meditation
experiences.
