STAYING HEALTHY 1 2 3 1
STAYING HEALTHY 1 2 3 1 SHA MEXICO The only European wellness destination to merge scientific insight with a truly chic atmosphere, SHA Wellness Clinic has been a mainstay on Spain’s south coast since 2008. Now the brand is expanding for the first time, taking its time-tested formula to Mexico’s Caribbean coast, a short drive from Cancun on the Yucatán Peninsula facing Isla Mujeres. With grounds that integrate local flora and phenomenal sea views from the suites as well as the treatment rooms, the all-important SHA nutrition is at the heart of its programmes, which range from four to 21 days – and for those who purchase one of the 37 on-site residences, healthy living is a year-round prospect. 2 SONEVA SECRET Sometimes wellness happens when you’re making other plans. At the latest Soneva resort, the first hotel in the Haa Dhaalu Atoll, there are just 14 villas, including the first floating villa in the Maldives. Committed to fully personalised experiences, each villa has a dedicated staff of three (butler, PA and chef) as well as its own private gym and treatment room. There are bicycles and all manner of water toys, plus daily opportunities for group or one-on-one yoga on the pillowy sands. The integrative wellness concept includes a range of resident experts as well as visiting wellness specialists and healers, and every stay – as one might expect – is fully personalised. 3 LANSERHOF SYLT Within Germany, the island of Sylt is well-known as a chichi retreat, but outside the German Sprachraum, you could be forgiven for thinking it belonged to the Danish (it sits just off the coast) – and for wondering why people might venture to this sliver of land in the North Sea at all. In late 2022, the arrival of Lanserhof changed all that: a €120m estate with 55 rooms, a 5,000sq m treatment area and astonishing charm that oozes from the minimalist decor and thatched roofs. There is a sleep clinic on site as well as renowned programmes for resetting the body, brain training and aesthetics, all underpinned by a commitment to a true dietary detox and views of nature that might explain why Germans have been flocking here for decades. PHOTOS FROM LEFT: © SHA WELLNESS CLINIC, © SONEVA, ALEXANDER HAIDEN 102
These new wellness destinations across the globe are changing our understanding of wellbeing. By Brian Noone 4 5 6 PHOTOS FROM LEFT: © AMAALA, GRAIN LONDON LTD, RUPERT PEACE 4 AMAALA The Red Sea coast in Saudi Arabia is awash with developments, but for wellness seekers, the 4,155 square kilometres of terrain within the Prince Mohammad Bin Salman Natural Reserve is of particular interest. Known as Amaala, the destination will become one of the largest (if not the largest) wellness- and sport-centred districts in the world when fully completed in 2027. This year, the Clinique La Prairie Health Resort will open with 52 rooms and 13 villas, with a focus on medical care, nutrition and movement. Jayasom will also be part of the initial opening. The sister property to Thai wellness brand Chiva Som, it will feature both family- and adultonly areas. Rosewood and Six Senses hotels are also promised, as is a Foster + Partnersdesigned Equinox hotel. 5 RAFFLES LONDON AT THE OWO In terms of urban spa design, the Guerlain Spa at this newly opened hotel is right at the cutting edge. Spread across four storeys and 2,500 square metres, the space was conceived as a holistic wellness sanctuary that combines the heritage and medical nous of Guerlain with the personalised approach of Pillar Wellbeing, focused on both prevention and cure. Zones for active performance and revitalising relaxation were designed to never cross, while the historic details of the property – the site of Winston Churchill’s WWII HQ – have been preserved in a remarkable blend of old and new. In addition to the expansive spa menu, the ground-floor atelier offers beauty treatments and the private spa suites are masterstrokes of soothing design. 6 SIRO In the US, Equinox was the first brand of gyms to ask, Why not make wellness a lifestyle? Its initial hotel opened in New York City in 2019 and has since gone from strength to strength. In early 2024, Dubaibased SIRO is getting into the market. Set in Dubai’s latest development, One Za’abeel, the hotel centres the guest experience on five pillars: fitness, nutrition, sleep, recovery and mindfulness. Extending far beyond a conventional hotel stay, suites feature their own private gyms, and there is a Recovery Lab, which encompasses everything from electro-muscle stimulation to cryotherapy. For One Za’abeel visitors seeking a more traditional separation of spa and stay, the One&Only hotel will feature a sprawling Clinique La Prairie spa, with 29 treatment rooms and the city’s first “Longevity Hub”. 103
