Spa Business issue 2 2012 - Leisure Opportunities

Hong Kong-based Langham Hospitality Group
(LHG) is working on a new signature spa brand
for its portfolio of mid-scale Eaton hotels.
Exact details of At One are yet to be revealed,
but it’s understood that the new brand will be
a contemporary, design-oriented off er for the
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US-based private equity group
Pegasus Capital Advisors has
entered into an agreement to
acquire the luxury resort and
spa businesses of Six Senses
Resorts and Spas.
Pegasus will acquire all of
the Six Senses and Evasonbranded
resort and spa
management contracts and
related intellectual property
rights and operate them under
a new company managed by
Pegasus and its affi liates.
Six Senses currently manages
10 resorts and 28 spas in
20 countries and has another
15 under construction or in development.
Bernhard Bohnenberger, president of Six Senses,
will continue in his role and will head operations
out of the Six Senses’ Bangkok offi ce.
Th e Soneva brand and resorts, as well as the
company’s real estate assets and holdings, however,
are not included in the transaction.
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Austria’s Loisium Wine and
Spa Resorts will open its second
spa hotel in the wine region
of south Styria, in June.
Th e 105-bedroom hotel will
comprise two wine-themed
restaurants and a wine bar, as
well as a 1,400sq m (15,000sq
ft ) Wine Spa.
Eight treatment rooms –
including two doubles – a
relaxation area, fi ve saunas,
outdoor pool and a fitness
zone will form part of the spa.
Th ere will also be a consultation
area, a retail space and a
spa bar with an open fi re place and lounge.
The first Loisium property opened in
Langenlois, Austria, and has an Aveda destination
spa – one of only seven worldwide (see sb06/4
p104). Th e second spa will also off er Aveda products
alongside wine-themed treatments.
Six Senses currently operates 10 resorts and 28 spas around the world
Craig Cogut, the founder of Pegasus, believes
that -the deal will allow Six Senses to grow its
brand further. “Going forward, the new Six
Senses will be a debt-free company with committed
capital for expansion into new and
within existing markets,” he said.
Details: www.pcalp.com
six Eaton sites that are open and under development
across Asia. LHG currently has one
main spa brand – Chuan Spas.
Barry White, group director of spa for LHG,
confi rmed the plans to Spa Business.
Details: www.langhamhospitalitygroup.com
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Th e 1,400sq m spa will off er Aveda and wine-themed treatments
A third hotel in Alsace, France is due to
open a with 10-treatment room spa in 2014.
Loisium sites are marketed as a fourstar
superior wine hotels with iconic
buildings designed by US architect Steven Holl.
Details: www.loisium.at
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The Global Spa & Wellness Summit has
appointed research specialist SRI International
to conduct a global study on the state of spa
management education and training.
The study, which is already currently
underway, is to be conducted in three stages
– the fi rst of which will establish a baseline
understanding and data on the current
availability of spa management education
and the supply of management graduates.
It is hoped the fi nal stage of the research
will lead to the publication of recommendations
to address gaps between market needs
and spa management education off erings,
as well as other challenges related to spa
management skills and training.
Th e results of the research are due to
be unveiled at the forthcoming summit in
Aspen, Colorado, US, in June.
See p38 for our own investigation on spa
management training worldwide.
Details: globalspaandwellnesssummit.org
A natural thermal mineral water spa is proposed
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Th e development of the UK’s “fi rst genuine
spa hotel” for more than 100 years in
Derbyshire, has moved forward with the
signing of a landmark agreement.
Landowners High Peak Borough Council
and Derbyshire County Council confi rmed
an historic deal with the Buxton Crescent
Hotel and Th ermal Spa Company for the
scheme had been secured on 2 April.
The £35m (us$56m, €44m) Buxton
Crescent project includes restoring the
listed Crescent building and listed Natural
Baths and Pump Room.
A 79-bedroom spa hotel incorporating
the Natural Baths is at the centre of the
plans, in addition to a 2,000sq m (21,528sq
ft ) natural thermal mineral water spa.
Th e spa will comprise a dry area with six
massage rooms; and a manicure and pedicure
area, as well as electrotherapy, thermal
peat wrap and inhalation facilities.
Details: www.buxtoncrescent.co.uk
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