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The new luxury is a personalized retreat
Travelers want personalized and tailored self-guided discovery of meaningful experience and self actualization, not things
By: Judy Chapman
The recent opening of one of Asia's prime luxury resorts, Four Seasons Resort Koh Samui is symbolic of the times.
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In luxurious surrounds, guests can now receive a personalized health consultation to evaluate their element type alongside individualized meals and personal weight loss and management sessions. Likewise, at the newly opened Ayurvedic Penthouse at The Oriental Bangkok, every treatment is tailor-made to each guest. Trisara in Phuket has recently launched a series of five-day purification programs.
Why the trend towards made-to-order experiences at luxury resorts?
Quite frankly, why not? Just the thought of taking a detox retreat in luxury surrounds is enough to return anyone to immediate balance. According to experts, the savvy traveler no longer wants to put the power of their wellbeing into the hands of others – and get that the way to health is through partaking in the experience.
Mark Wuttke, Principal of the Wuttke Group, headquartered in Atlanta GA, reports that this trend is being driven by a new group of post conventional thinkers often referred to as "cultural creative’s.”
“They seek a personalized and tailored self-guided discovery of meaningful experience and self actualization, not things. It's now about more time for me in a purposeful way.”
Opening in December, for example, will be Six Senses first Destination Spa on Naka Yai near Phuket. I think it will break the mould. Imagine an interactive kitchen where guests can wander in and chat with the raw food chef and an on-site Thai massage school so they can learn themselves the art of massage. Every experience here will be customized to guests' individual needs and as well as cutting edge and traditional diagnostic therapies, there will be educational talks delivered by distinguished speakers.
At Per Aquum spas in the Maldives, Seychelles and Sri Lanka, therapists are being trained to think intuitively so no two treatments will ever be the same. Instead of treatments, there are ‘intentions’ with rituals titled ‘Empower Me’ and ‘Inspire Me’.
“We are creating experiences that give guests more freedom and responsibility,” confirms Jane Quinn, cp-founder of Per Aquum spas with her husband Tom McCoughlin. “Each treatment is customized to the individual.”
Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru is home to the Four Seasons first dedicated Ayurvedic spa. The seven- to 28-day retreats are designed according to your dosha and meals are co-designed between you and the resort's Ayruvedic chef. There is also a Herbal Centre where one can learn about medicinal herbs and evening ‘discussions’ held upon a floating pavilion.
At the Mandarin Oriental Hong Kong you can also custom-design your own program starting with a consultation with the Traditional Chinese Doctor
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followed by herbal prescriptions, Acupuncture, Cupping and Bone Setting.
And in Australia, at Gaia Retreat & Spa, co-owned by Olivia Newton-John, personalized retreats include Naturopathic assessments, Eye Diagnostics and Live Blood Analysis at the start of your program to inspire you for the days ahead. Included are optional yoga and meditation sessions, Qi Gong, personal training and even sculpture and art classes.
Here are a few more…
Bespoke Fitness
Customized retreats at Como Shambhala Estate in Bali include wellness consultation, daily treks, hiking, biking, yoga, pilates, holistic treatments & healthful organic cuisine. Accommodation and meals are included. Stay in gorgeous villas overlooking sacred river and forests while you create change in mind and body. This is Bali’s ultimate health retreat destination. www.comoshambhala.bz
Residential Ayurveda Retreats
The Mandarin Oriental Dhara Dhevi in Chiang Mai offers bespoke Ayurveda programs in palatial surrounds. These three, seven and 14-day life changing retreats focus on three areas - ‘Rejuvenation’, ‘Weight loss’ and ‘Stress Management’ with the philosophy based on correcting one’s energy flow through individually prescribed programs, therapies, diet and fitness. www.mandarinoriental.com
Urban Wellness
Smed Rejuvenation Spa in Bangkok offers one of the best set ups for combining medical, spa and holistic health. Visiting Bangkok for a day or two? Check in for the Purification Package that includes Colon Hydrotherapy, detox wraps with optional extras like life counselling. Staying for a week? A customized medical program starts with a full day medical wellness check up alongside individual health and diet recommendations. www.smedspa.com
Extreme Rejuvenation
The recently opened Seven Eden wellness center at Spa Botanica on Singapore's Sentosa Island offers wellness packages that can be taken on-site or tailor-made to the outside guest. ‘Rejuvenation’ is a four-week program where doctors can modify the program according the participants health needs. Includes health diagnosis, personal fitness, pilates, assessments, meals and regular acupuncture.
www.thesentosa.com
Writer Judy Chapman lives in Byron Bay, NSW, www.judychapman.biz.
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