Evian Spa has expanded its presence in the Asian market, with a new spa on the 86th floor of Lotte Hotel Group’s 123-storey Lotte World Tower in Seoul, South Korea – the 6th tallest building in the world. The spa is located in the Signiel Hotel, Lotte Hotel's new luxury 6-star hotel brand.
The evianSpa team, led by Patrick Saussay, founder of GPSA and head of evianSpa international development, worked closely with the Lotte team and Wilson Associates interior design firm, which headed up the integration of the spa design concept to the building.
The 86th floor evianSpa occupies 550sq m (5,920sq ft) of space, and an additional 600sq m (6,458sq ft) of wet space is located on the 85th floor, as well as a 450sq m (4,844sq ft) swimming pool. The spa tells the story of the journey of evian mineral water in the French Alps, with a metaphoric representation of its birthplace in the look and feel of the area.
“We focus on iconic destinations, and iconicity can come in different ways,” said Saussay. “This one is definitely modern.”
Most of the treatment rooms feature views out over the city, said Saussay, and that vantage point is used in the initial foot-bath ritual, but during the treatments, the blinds are adjusted to create a different, more internally focused mood.
Evian created a 'Skylive' system, which recreates the natural evolution of the sun's light. “The evolution of the light provides a connection with nature, which is a key point in the evianSpa concept,” said Saussay.
The spa features a focus on hydration and water, with hydration rituals and evian water used in all facial treatments.
“The most important thing for beauty is hydration,” explained Saussay. “And hydration is a very important signature point in a brand like evian.”
The 85th floor of the hotel houses the wet facilities of the spa – “all the water experiences you can imagine,” from a Korean bath to a hammam, said Saussay.
Local treatments have been added to the mix, and RKF Luxury Linens has created an entire evianSpa linen line, including robes differently designed for men and women in order to be more flattering.
The spa’s relaxation room features specially designed immersive ‘cocoons’ that play music, and a large wall that shows a film of the water cycle. The spa also includes an aqua bar, where guests can experience water at different temperatures, and with infusions of plants, herbs, cereals and fruits.
Evian intends to develop only a few 'iconic' evianSpa projects worldwide, teaming up with partners through license contracts.
A women-only evianSpa is also set to open towards the end of this year in Doha, Qatar. The spa will be part of the Katara Plaza, a 38,000sq m (409,000sq ft) development that will also include entertainment, cultural facilities, luxury shopping, and a mall dedicated to children.
While few details are being disclosed about the Doha location, the 2,400sq m (25,833sq ft) female-only evianSpa will be an “iconic wellness destination,” said Saussay. “We have enough space to implement everything you may have in mind when you think about wellness.”
