Thailand-based hotel and resort operator Onyx Hospitality Group will launch two new spa brands early next year to support its four existing hotel brands.
Breeze will be a four-star spa offering that will, according to Onyx's corporate director of spa Kirsty MacCormick, be marketed as a "fun" brand which will aim to make the spa journey more approachable - especially to those who have never been to a spa.
The second brand, Maai, will be marketed as Onyx's full-service luxury offering and will be targeted at the more high-end, spa savvy customers.
The first Maai property will open in Bangkok in February 2012 and the first Breeze will open its doors at Onyx's Amari hotel in the town of Hua Hin in March 2012. Onyx plans to have 10 Breeze spas and one Maai property open by the end of 2012. Included in the 10-strong Breeze portfolio are six existing spas that will be rebranded as Breeze during next year.
The two brand-strategy is part of Onyx's plans to better cater for developers and property companies looking to include a spa offer as part of their Onyx-managed and branded hotels.
Speaking to Spa Business, MacCormick said that the premium Maai brand is based on authentic treatments which are drawn from traditional Thai healing.
She said: "We felt [the Thai aspect] was something really important because we are a Thai company. Previously similar concepts have been created based on Chinese medicine and on Ayurvedic healing but not a lot has been done with traditional Thai healing - despite Thai massages being among the most popular treatments at spas across the world."
MacCormick and her four-strong corporate spa team are currently in the process of finalising the treatment menus for both brands. The team will create unique product lines for each spa (branded Breeze and Maai) but will supplement the ranges by partnership agreements with product houses.
At Breeze, Onyx will use Panpuri and Comfort Zone products alongside the Breeze-branded line and at Maai both ILA and Darphin products will be available.
Onyx has also formed ties with Rangsit University in Pathum Thani, which has a programme of studies on traditional Thai healing.
MacCormack said: "The university will be training our staff in certain technigues and we will also have a herbal specialist trained by the University."
Onyx operates the Saffron, Amari, Shama and Ozo chain of hotels and has plans to expand the portfolio across the Middle East, India, China, Bali and Australia over the next three years.
