Vadam’s aiming to host a retreat in all five of the Blue Zones countries this year / photo: Celine vadam
Explorer Dan Buettner has wowed wellness leaders with his discovery of Blue Zones – five areas in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. In 2018, delegates at the Global Wellness Summit heard how, with a team of medical researchers, anthropologists and demographers, he spent years studying these populations to find out their common denominators.
Buettner identified what he calls the ‘Power 9’ – shared lifestyle behaviours that keep people thriving 12 years longer than the 71-year global average (see p22).
Six years on, Blue Zones has a docu-series streaming on Netflix, a centre in Miami showcasing the next generation of longevity medicine and a partnership with Immunocologie Skincare. Most recently, it’s revealed a series of retreats globally – with Kamalaya in Thailand, Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica and the Modern Elder Academy (MEA) in the US and Mexico – and is looking for more hosts.
Spa Business catches up with Celine Vadam, head of retreats & hospitality partnerships at Blue Zones to find out more.
What do Blue Zones retreats focus on? They’re organised into five modules – Happiness, Right Outlook, Purpose, Connect and Set for Success – guiding guests through all the Power 9 principles. Taking a life coaching approach, our goal is to empower guests to make long-term, sustainable wellbeing adjustments. Most importantly, however, we create immersive hands-on experiences so guests can live the Blue Zones way for a week.
How do you adapt the retreats according to location? We integrate local experiences which include everything from sightseeing tours to arts and crafts activities, tailored movement sessions and social traditions.
In Thailand, for example, we’ll visit surrounding temples and islands, attend a tea ceremony and learn t’ai chi. In Costa Rica, we’ll be fully immersed in nature and the pura vida and have the opportunity to go surfing or zip-lining.
Some Power 9 categories don’t have obvious wellness applications. How do you incorporate those? Wine @ 5 is more about the social aspect rather than the wine itself. It’s an opportunity to gather towards the end of the day, exchange gratitude and take-aways and unwind before dinner. For Loved Ones First and Belong, we address relationships and connections from a broader perspective, looking at how to make friends as an adult, nurture healthy relationships and be a better partner, friend and human being.
How do you make it fun and educational? We offer a range of reflective exercises, from examining your weekly schedule and hosting a quiz night to hands-on activities such as learning how to cook or looking at how to rearrange your kitchen.
Are spa treatments included in the programmes? We make sure that guests have free time to enjoy the facilities of the host property, depending on what they offer. At Kamalaya, its signature consultation and treatments are part of the package. At Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, guests benefit from a spa treatment discount.
Do you provide training or certification? We’re building a network of facilitators, providing training on-site to employees, as well as launching an upcoming course in partnership with Arizona State University.
What’s the target demographic? Blue Zones’ reach is diverse, especially since the Netflix documentary. The differentiator will be the destination. We expect the MEA campuses in the US and Mexico to attract middle-aged guests, for example, in Costa Rica, it might appeal more to nature and outdoor lovers, while in Kamalaya it might entice those looking for a wellbeing journey.
How many participants can you fit on a retreat? Our sweet spot is around 20 people, to allow for quality interactions. But we’re flexible and can accommodate as few as 10 or as many as 40.
What’s your revenue model? It has to make financial sense for the host property. Retreats last six to seven days and prices start at US$3,885 (€3,556, £3,037) excluding accommodation.
Our contracts are based on a licensing agreement with revenue share and a facilitator fee.
What do you look for in a host partner? Beyond quality accommodation and service, we’re looking for partners who embrace the Blue Zones Power 9 principles in their approach.
The properties need to be in an environment which fosters connections and downshifting while allowing for discoveries, natural movement and showcasing their local culture.
We work with chefs to feed guests Blue Zones-inspired meals and also make some content available for hotel employees while onsite.
How many partners are you ideally looking for? We don’t have an optimum number in mind, but our goal for 2024 is to host a retreat at least in each of the five original Blue Zones countries.
• Spa Business first spoke to explorer Dan Buettner about the Blue Zones concept in 2018: see www.spabusiness.com/danbuettner
Power 9
The world’s five Blue Zones are based in Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California and Okinawa, Japan
The lifestyle habits they all share fall under the following Power 9 categories:
• Move Naturally
• Purpose
• Downshift (routines which shed stress)
• 80 per cent Rule
(stop eating when they’re 80 per cent full)
• Plant Slant (predominately plant-based diets)
• Wine @ 5 (drinking alcohol moderately and regularly)
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Vadam’s aiming to host a retreat in all five of the Blue Zones countries this year / photo: Celine vadam
Explorer Dan Buettner has wowed wellness leaders with his discovery of Blue Zones – five areas in the world with the highest concentration of centenarians. In 2018, delegates at the Global Wellness Summit heard how, with a team of medical researchers, anthropologists and demographers, he spent years studying these populations to find out their common denominators.
Buettner identified what he calls the ‘Power 9’ – shared lifestyle behaviours that keep people thriving 12 years longer than the 71-year global average (see p22).
Six years on, Blue Zones has a docu-series streaming on Netflix, a centre in Miami showcasing the next generation of longevity medicine and a partnership with Immunocologie Skincare. Most recently, it’s revealed a series of retreats globally – with Kamalaya in Thailand, Andaz Peninsula Papagayo in Costa Rica and the Modern Elder Academy (MEA) in the US and Mexico – and is looking for more hosts.
Spa Business catches up with Celine Vadam, head of retreats & hospitality partnerships at Blue Zones to find out more.
What do Blue Zones retreats focus on? They’re organised into five modules – Happiness, Right Outlook, Purpose, Connect and Set for Success – guiding guests through all the Power 9 principles. Taking a life coaching approach, our goal is to empower guests to make long-term, sustainable wellbeing adjustments. Most importantly, however, we create immersive hands-on experiences so guests can live the Blue Zones way for a week.
How do you adapt the retreats according to location? We integrate local experiences which include everything from sightseeing tours to arts and crafts activities, tailored movement sessions and social traditions.
In Thailand, for example, we’ll visit surrounding temples and islands, attend a tea ceremony and learn t’ai chi. In Costa Rica, we’ll be fully immersed in nature and the pura vida and have the opportunity to go surfing or zip-lining.
Some Power 9 categories don’t have obvious wellness applications. How do you incorporate those? Wine @ 5 is more about the social aspect rather than the wine itself. It’s an opportunity to gather towards the end of the day, exchange gratitude and take-aways and unwind before dinner. For Loved Ones First and Belong, we address relationships and connections from a broader perspective, looking at how to make friends as an adult, nurture healthy relationships and be a better partner, friend and human being.
How do you make it fun and educational? We offer a range of reflective exercises, from examining your weekly schedule and hosting a quiz night to hands-on activities such as learning how to cook or looking at how to rearrange your kitchen.
Are spa treatments included in the programmes? We make sure that guests have free time to enjoy the facilities of the host property, depending on what they offer. At Kamalaya, its signature consultation and treatments are part of the package. At Andaz Peninsula Papagayo, guests benefit from a spa treatment discount.
Do you provide training or certification? We’re building a network of facilitators, providing training on-site to employees, as well as launching an upcoming course in partnership with Arizona State University.
What’s the target demographic? Blue Zones’ reach is diverse, especially since the Netflix documentary. The differentiator will be the destination. We expect the MEA campuses in the US and Mexico to attract middle-aged guests, for example, in Costa Rica, it might appeal more to nature and outdoor lovers, while in Kamalaya it might entice those looking for a wellbeing journey.
How many participants can you fit on a retreat? Our sweet spot is around 20 people, to allow for quality interactions. But we’re flexible and can accommodate as few as 10 or as many as 40.
What’s your revenue model? It has to make financial sense for the host property. Retreats last six to seven days and prices start at US$3,885 (€3,556, £3,037) excluding accommodation.
Our contracts are based on a licensing agreement with revenue share and a facilitator fee.
What do you look for in a host partner? Beyond quality accommodation and service, we’re looking for partners who embrace the Blue Zones Power 9 principles in their approach.
The properties need to be in an environment which fosters connections and downshifting while allowing for discoveries, natural movement and showcasing their local culture.
We work with chefs to feed guests Blue Zones-inspired meals and also make some content available for hotel employees while onsite.
How many partners are you ideally looking for? We don’t have an optimum number in mind, but our goal for 2024 is to host a retreat at least in each of the five original Blue Zones countries.
• Spa Business first spoke to explorer Dan Buettner about the Blue Zones concept in 2018: see www.spabusiness.com/danbuettner
Power 9
The world’s five Blue Zones are based in Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Loma Linda, California and Okinawa, Japan
The lifestyle habits they all share fall under the following Power 9 categories:
• Move Naturally
• Purpose
• Downshift (routines which shed stress)
• 80 per cent Rule
(stop eating when they’re 80 per cent full)
• Plant Slant (predominately plant-based diets)
• Wine @ 5 (drinking alcohol moderately and regularly)
Profile: King of Bhutan
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Destination focus: London
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Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
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.
The Wellness Tourism Association (WTA) has published a non-regulatory global industry
framework designed to ensure the retreat market offers responsible experiences.
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.
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.
Anna Bjurstam has left her role as Wellness Pioneer at Six Senses Hotels and Resorts and
launched a new wellness, longevity and “consciousness consultancy” called Wahayla.
Fairmont Cheshire, The Mere, has opened today (10 July) in the Northwest of England
with a
1,715sq m Fairmont Spa that has been designed using a ‘Wellness without Walls’
concept.
Wellness hotels generating less than US$1 million (€932,700, £785,200) – or 10 per cent of
total revenue from wellness and leisure – recorded the strongest RevPAR and TRevPAR growth
in 2025 across categories when compared with 2024, according to the latest Wellness Real
Estate Report by RLA Global, produced in partnership with P and L benchmarking firm HotStats.
Lefay Resorts, the portfolio of two luxury wellness properties in Italy, has added emotional
dance classes and group cold plunge sessions in response to market demand for social
connection.
