New wellness retreat by COMO to be revealed in Thailand
Point Yamu by COMO, a new luxury resort from COMO Hotels and Resorts, will open in Phuket, Thailand in November this year.
Designed by Italy-based Paola Navone, the resort is located at the tip of Cape Yamu and overlooks the limestone karsts of Phang Nga Bay – a UNESCO World Heritage Site – and the Andaman Sea.
It aims to offer contemporary Thai luxury, alongside a COMO Shambhala wellness retreat and two restaurants serving Thai and Italian cuisine.
The resort will feature 106 rooms and private villas, a 100m swimming pool, a COMO Shambhala Retreat.
The wellness retreat, COMO Shambhala, will house eight treatment rooms, including one beauty treatment room and a yoga studio offering yoga, Pilates and Asian-inspired therapies.
The retreat follows a healthy living philosophy which takes its inspiration from mythological roots: in ancient Buddhist texts, 'Shambhala' refers to a sacred place of bliss.
The concept is that, “tranquillity need not to be found in any specific location but with the right tools, it can be discovered within oneself, by exploring body, mind and spirit”.
Christina Ong, owner of COMO Hotels and Resorts, designed COMO Shambhala out of her personal pursuit of a meaningful spa experience.
In 2000 she created COMO Shambhala Retreat at Parrot Cay in the Turks and Caicos; the company now owns and operates seven sanctuaries worldwide as well as a standalone yoga and treatment space, COMO Shambhala Urban Escape, Singapore.
The flagship property, which opened in 2005, is COMO Shambhala Estate, a residential health retreat in Bali.
The company also creates skin, hair and bodycare products as well as activewear and loungewear collections.
Ong said: “We chose each of our retreat locations for their unique sense of peace, from the pine forests of Bhutan to views overlooking Bali’s rice paddies. At COMO’s private island properties, it is all about the simplicity of an empty horizon and fresh sea air.
“We apply COMO Shambhala’s holistic approach to the materials used in each property’s construction. Buildings express sympathy to their locale, while silence makes itself a key element, important when encouraging quiet meditation.”
COMO Shambhala focuses on hands-on healing combining traditional Eastern techniques with scientific advances. Therapies range from lymphatic drainage to muscular pain to weight loss or anti-ageing skincare.
The retreat houses products from its own wellness lifestyle brand, COMO Shambhala at Home, which includes a range of massage oils, body care, hair care, home and travel products.
The products are based on the principles of aromatherapy, using only pure essential oils. All products are free of Sodium Laurel Sulphate, parabens, silicones and synthetic substances including artificial colour and fragrance.
In addition, COMO Shambhala At Home produces a capsule collection of yoga and activewear, Balinese silver jewellery and yoga accessories.
Point Yamu is COMO’s first resort in Thailand outside Bangkok and it is also the first property designed for COMO Hotels and Resorts by Paola Navone (Navone is also working on COMO’s first Stateside hotel, Metropolitan by COMO, Miami Beach, set to open in December this year.) At Point Yamu, the collaboration sees signature clean lines and pared-back, contemporary style merged with the designer’s colourful approach and the use of local materials.
BIG unveils Eve Music Hall as Croatia venue nears completion
Bob Rogers hands BRC to long-serving leadership team
Wellness care hospital opens in Vilnius with innovative spa and hospitality concept
Universal and Puy du Fou projects point to rise of Oxford–Cambridge corridor
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’ planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism investment.
For years, the corridor has been associated primarily with science, technology, housing and university-led economic growth. However, the clustering of large-scale visitor attraction projects along the
All-inclusive eco-wellness development Auko to open near Vietnam’s Son Doong caves
Shedd Aquarium upgrades its visitor experience with new Immersion Theater
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional revenue opportunities.
The attraction has transformed the aquarium’s Phelps Auditorium into a multi-sensory venue combining panoramic projection, environmental effects and interactive technology.
A new pre-show area allows visitors to engage with augmented reality marine animals before entering the
Mandarin Oriental announces standalone Mansions-branded residences for Abu Dhabi
MCR is planning a luxury hotel for London's BT Tower
Joy as a radical act: Yinka Ilori launches solo exhibition celebrating the rebellious power of spreading happiness
Work gets underway on Madrid's €800 million leisure complex
Work is underway in Madrid on one of Europe’s most significant multi-functional complexes, combining sport, entertainment, culture and education.
The €800 million initiative to regenerate the former Olympic Aquatic Centre in the north-east of the city, next to the Riyadh Air Metropolitano stadium, is being led by Barsento – a joint venture between Live Nation Entertainment, Oak View Group and Atlético de Madrid. The project will
Therme Manchester reveals 90:90 strategy – 90 per cent of the UK population within a 90-minute drive of a Therme
Four Seasons’ Naples Beach Club opens 2,800sq m Sanctuary spa inspired by indigenous Calusa people
Orient Express Corinthian to host Ocean Rebirth wellness retreat in collaboration with Guerlain
Famed London nightclub, Tramp, launches Tramp Health
First look: Miraval opens on the Red Sea in Saudi Arabia
Hainan Science Museum by Ma Yansong, opens in China
A new science museum has opened to the public in Haikou after attracting more than 350,000 visitors during a four-month soft opening period.
Designed by Ma Yansong and his practice MAD Architects, the Hainan Science Museum is located on the edge of Wuyuan River National Wetland Park and has already recorded peak attendance of more than 5,800 visitors in a single day.
Commissioned by
Zannier Île De Bendor launches with design by Hardel Le Bihan Architectes
Sæl Spa readies for launch in London: “a modern British sanctuary”
Immersive art bathhouse Submersive announces debut location in Austin
Construction begins on regenerative wellness destination The Shenandoah Nature Resort
Royal Caribbean reveals record-breaking cruise ship
V&A East opens in London
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
Pical Resort by Valamar reveals first Croatian spa under the ESPA brand
Mandarin Oriental creates end-to-end Egyptian journey with two new hotels and first-ever luxury river cruise
Designers Mendil + Meyer launch new division called Lām Concepts for strategic wellness projects
Wilderness Bisate in Rwanda reveals brand’s second Sanctuary spa
4a Architekten shares details of wellness extension at Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa
Designed to restore neglected land and renew the identity of Iraq’s capital city, Baghdad Sustainable Forests promises a new way of living surrounded by nature. Gensler’s Ian Mulcahay tells us why he thinks the project could become a model for the repair and enhancement of urban centres
