ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo

Luxury brands

The high life

From Armani to Versace, luxury brands are showing a growing interest in the spa sector. We showcase some of their top-class facilities


For luxury goods companies looking to extend their brands, creating a spa concept is an appealing move. Opening a branded wellness-focused facility is a tangible way for them to showcase what they have to offer to new audiences, and to provide existing customers with a lifestyle choice beyond their products.

Leisure Management, the sister magazine to Spa Business, recently highlighted how luxury brands are taking the hospitality arena by storm (see http://lei.sr?a=j0j5j). Here, we take a look at some of the most exclusive spa offers to date.

Guerlain

Maison Guerlain, the 100-year-old flagship store of the perfume, make-up and skincare brand, re-opened its doors in November 2013 following an extensive, nine-month renovation. Located on Champs-Élysées, Paris, the iconic Art Deco building has been home to L’Institut Guerlain spa since 1939 and it was here that the Guerlain massage method was born.

The refurbished spa is on the first floor and its interiors have been restyled by contemporary US architect Peter Marino using warm, light shades. The nine treatment rooms, featuring marble and onyx, all have beds by Gharieni and fabrics by RKF Luxury Linen. The spa is situated above a large skincare, make-up and perfume retail shop, a consultation area and a restaurant.

Guerlain has 18 spas worldwide in gateway cities such as New York and Tokyo. In 2012, it entered into a partnership with the Oetker Collection hotel group to develop its future spas. Guerlain-branded spas have also opened in four Waldorf Astoria hotels in Edinburgh, Berlin, Amsterdam and New York in the last two years.

The Guerlain company was founded in 1828 and ran as a family business up until 1994 when it was acquired by the luxury goods conglomerate Möet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH).

Givenchy and Cheval Blanc, two other LVMH subsidiaries, also have luxury branded spa facilities around the world. See p54 to read more about the latest Cheval Blanc Spa opening in the Maldives.

L’Institut Guerlain spa, the birthplace of the Guerlain massage method, first opened in 1939. The new-look Parisian flagship relaunched in November
L’Institut Guerlain spa, the birthplace of the Guerlain massage method, first opened in 1939. The new-look Parisian flagship relaunched in November
The interiors have been restyled using warm, light shades by Peter Marino, a modern US architect
The interiors have been restyled using warm, light shades by Peter Marino, a modern US architect

Armani

Fashion house Armani has lent its name to three spas and Neil Howard, of UK-based Howard Consulting, helped to develop the concept, treatment menu and functional design of all of them.

The original Armani Spa opened in late 2007 at the 12-storey Armani megastore in Tokyo’s Ginza Tower. This spa, Howard explains was the smallest. It had three unique domed treatments rooms which were built to accommodate Armani’s signature ‘east meets west’ ceremony – comprising elements of shiatsu, Thai and acupressure therapies – and its facial and massage rituals.

In 2010, Armani’s first spa, hotel and residences opened at the Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building in Dubai’s shopping district. The 160-bed hotel occupies 10 levels of the building and was created in a joint agreement between fashion designer Giorgio Armani and developer Emaar Properties. The 12,000sq ft (1,115sq m) Armani/Spa has a sleek, modern design and a monochromatic colour palette, perfectly emulating the haute couture clothing line.

It includes a reception and retail area, manicure room, two thermal suites and relaxation lounges for men and women, eight treatment rooms, an outdoor pool and a gym.

The long, ship-like space of the spa presented some challenges. “It was tricky, but Emaar looked at all the possible layouts to get the best – and most sensible – outcome,” says Howard. The consultant worked with suppliers to create bespoke items including a shower walk with warm and cool mists by Thermarium; and a large treatment couch by Oakworks. Armani teamed up with L’Oréal to make its own-branded products.
For those who want to live the Armani lifestyle full time, 144 luxury residential apartments sit alongside the hotel.

The second Armani hotel opened in the fashion designer’s home town of Milan in 2011. The Armani Hotel Milano has 95 bedrooms, two restaurants and a Armani/Spa with six treatment rooms, a double suite, a fitness room and a pool.

Howard concludes: “Meeting and presenting to a legend such as Giorgio Armani has been a highlight of my career. It was a privilege and I found him to be a gentleman and very agreeable.”

To read our undercover report on the Armani/Spa in Dubai, see Spa Business, issue 3, 2011, p70.

The Dubai spa is in the Burj Khalifa
The Dubai spa is in the Burj Khalifa
Emaar chair Mohamed Alabbar (left) with fashion designer Giorgio Armani
Emaar chair Mohamed Alabbar (left) with fashion designer Giorgio Armani

Baccarat

Luxury crystal glassware manufacturer Baccarat is one of the latest high-end brands to enter the spa market.

Baccarat dates back to 1764, when King Louis XV of France authorised a glassworks business in the village of the same name. The company is a favourite of international royals and has collaborated with contemporary designers such as Philippe Starck. It was bought by investment firm Starwood Capital in 2005.

With Starwood as the driving force, Baccarat is to open six hotels/residences with branded spa facilities which have been created by spa consultancy Raison d’Etre. Baccarat has become famous for is innovative, beautiful crystal designs and attention to detail – and its commitment to perfection in both design and service will underpin the Baccarat Spa concept.

Two of the most significant spas will open in Morocco, Africa. The first, the 135-bed Baccarat Hotel Rabat, is due to open in 2016 and expected to boast one of the largest spas in the area. It will target local clients, via an exclusive membership, as well as hotel guests. Key facilities will include six Moroccan hammams (three for women, three for men) using semi precious stones – two cooler 35?C jade rooms, two warm 45?C amethyst rooms and two hot 55?C crystal chromotherapy rooms. There will also be eight treatment rooms, two VIP suites, an alchemy area, two pools, a beauty and hair salon, a spa retail area, and fitness and yoga studios.

The Baccarat Spa Resort in Marrakech will offer a destination spa on a 5-acre (2-hectare) estate with 60 villas. It’s due to launch in 2016 and the spa “will stand out because of its all-encompassing wellness offering and results-orientated programmes”. It will offer glamour, socialising, fun and relaxation.

Also in the pipeline are Baccarat Hotel & Residences New York (2014), Baccarat Resort & Residences Marrakech (2016) Baccarat Hotel & Residences Dubai Pearl (2018) and Baccarat Residences Shanghai (TBC).

Baccarat is famous for its beautiful crystal jewellery and chandeliers
Baccarat is famous for its beautiful crystal jewellery and chandeliers
Baccarat is famous for its beautiful crystal jewellery and chandeliers; it’s teamed up with Raison d’Etre to create a spa concept
Baccarat is famous for its beautiful crystal jewellery and chandeliers; it’s teamed up with Raison d’Etre to create a spa concept

Dior

“I’m often disappointed with the quality of anti-ageing services and products [in spas],” said Caroline Bauchet-Bouhlal, director of spas and marketing at the Es Saadi Gardens & Resort in Marrakech, Morocco in a interview with Spa Business (see SB11/2 p64). “When I created our new spa, I chose a leading anti-ageing brand. Having a [beauty] institute in a spa is quite new and it was an idea that seduced me.”

The Dior Institut opened as part of the Es Saadi Palace Spa in 2010. An extension of the Christian Dior fashion brand, the beauty institute has three core elements: 3D massage, a massage said to be based on an in-depth knowledge of muscle fibres and energy circuits; micro-dermabrasion with sapphire particles; and Dior anti-ageing skincare products. It has its own reception, two treatment rooms, a make up studio and an outdoor relaxation terrace.

One of the first Dior Instituts was unveiled in the historic Hotel Plaza Athénée in Paris in 2008 following a long association between the hotel and Christian Dior. The Maison Dior opened on the same street as the hotel in 1947 and the French designer was a big fan – he took his clients there for lunch and used the location for his photo shoots.
Dior Institut at Hotel Plaza Athénée has five treatment rooms, a fitness centre and a sauna and steamroom. Its pale, calming and luxurious interior echoes the design of Dior stores, with lots of white accented with hints of pale pink and grey.

There are over 10 Dior beauty institutes, including one at the Es Saadi spa in Marrakech
There are over 10 Dior beauty institutes, including one at the Es Saadi spa in Marrakech

Versace

The widely anticipated opening of Dubai Palazzo Versace resort has been scheduled for the end of 2014.

The Italian design house revealed its first Palazzo Versace on Australia’s Gold Coast in 2000, which it claimed was the world’s first fashion-branded hotel.

The second Versace-branded resort in Dubai was due to follow in 2009, but has faced a number of set backs – despite being 80 per cent complete since 2010. In recent reports, however, developer Enshaa Services Group confirmed the AED2.3bn (US$626m, €475m, £405m) Dubai Palazzo Versace will be ready by 2015.

Located in Dubai Creek, the resort will have 214 suites, 168 condominiums and a spa for women and men, as well as a fitness studio, steamroom, sauna and pool.

The spa design will be influenced by the style of the fashion house and Italian furnishings will be used to create a “an ambience of pure glamour”. The company’s corporate logo – the Greek mythological figure Medusa – is expected to feature throughout, while a hotel boutique will offer Versace clothes, accessories and cosmetics.

There will also be an outdoor lagoon pool, beach and a marina-edge promenade.

Enshaa took control of the project in 2011 in a swap deal that saw Emirates Sunland Group take full ownership of the Gold Coast Versace hotel (it was previously only part-owner of the Australian facility).

The first Palazzo Versace spa is in Australia and the next will be in Dubai
The first Palazzo Versace spa is in Australia and the next will be in Dubai

Bulgari

In 2001, Italian jeweller Bulgari teamed up with Marriott International’s Luxury Group to launch Bulgari Hotels & Resorts.

The first hotel opened in Milan in 2004 in a renovated 18th century palazzo. Guests in the 58 rooms and suites can visit the spa which offers ESPA treatments and has five treatment rooms, a gold-tiled pool and an emerald glass hammam.

This was followed in 2006 with a 59-villa resort in Bali, which also has a spa with ESPA treatments.

French luxury conglomerate LVMH acquired Bulgari in 2011 and became the owner of its hospitality arm. In 2012, Bulgari Hotel London was third five-star hotel to join the ranks. It features 85 rooms and suites, plus a two-story Bulgari Spa with 11 treatment rooms and one suite, plus a 25m mosaic tiled pool. ESPA was selected as the product house once more.

Two more Bulgari hotels are in the pipeline. A 120-bed property – featuring a 2,000sq m spa – by Foster + Partners is due to open in Shanghai in 2015, while another is planned for Dubai in 2018.

No stranger to working with luxury brands, ESPA also teamed up with Italian designer Gianfranco Ferré in 2003 to create a boutique spa – with three treatment rooms – for his flagship store in Milan.

To read our mystery shop features on both the Bulgari and Gianfranco Ferré spas in Milan, see Spa Business, issue 1, 2005, p46.

Bulgari, another luxury brand owned by LVMH, has hotels with spas in Bali. Two more sites are also in the pipeline
Bulgari, another luxury brand owned by LVMH, has hotels with spas in Bali. Two more sites are also in the pipeline
Bulgari, another luxury brand owned by LVMH, has hotels with spas in the UK. Two more sites are also in the pipeline
Bulgari, another luxury brand owned by LVMH, has hotels with spas in the UK. Two more sites are also in the pipeline
company profile
Company profile: DJW
DJW offer a way to interpret your story through the use of technology. We can provide Audio Visual consultancy to assist in the planning stage, follow up with AV system design, supply and installation, and provide a bespoke control system to suit your operational needs.
Try cladmag for free!
Sign up with CLAD to receive our regular ezine, instant news alerts, free digital subscriptions to CLADweek, CLADmag and CLADbook and to request a free sample of the next issue of CLADmag.
sign up
features
Banksy’s Immigrants on a Boat
"There was a huge amount to see at Dismaland, and I found the experience both enjoyable and unsettling."

It generated massive amounts of hype, as well as an estimated £20m for Weston- Super-Mare, but was Banksy’s Dismaland worth a visit? We found out

The Pompidou Centre opened in Paris in 1977
Stephen Barrett (left) 
and John McElgunn (right) were both made partners at RSHP in 2016
"Leisure space – public space – is at the very root of democracy, and architecture is about democracy"

As RSHP completes its latest cultural project, we speak to two of its partners about why Richard Rogers isn’t leaving his succession to chance

Catalogue Gallery
Click on a catalogue to view it online
To advertise in our catalogue gallery: call +44(0)1462 431385
features
The stepped pool shown in cross section
Architect, resort owner and pool designer Emanuele Boaretto
"We’re now consulting all over the world with architects and developers on other dive pool projects "

Kath Hudson talks to Italian architect Emanuele Boaretto about building the world’s deepest diving pool to regenerate both his own spa resort and the region

Community: David Polzin
David Polzin is executive director of design at CannonDesign. He studied at Columbia University Graduate School of Architecture
"We were able to create an ‘acoustic shadow’ cutting decibel levels nearly in half"

How to design the perfect community leisure centre 100 13th century pilgrimage The Vietnamese village being created using historic methods

The project to restore Houson’s Memorial Park is ongoing
Thomas Woltz
"I am very proud of stewarding the largest public space to be built in Manhattan in a century"

The Wall Street Journal’s Design Innovator of the Year on designing the gardens at Hudson Yards and looking to the Native Americans for ideas on how to create a resilient future

features
"I firmly believe that homes are for children as much as they are for adults"

Alex Michaelis and his partner have seven children. He designed their home to be full of fun

Moby designed the interiors with local architects Studio Husto
Moby believes public spaces 
should be designed to make 
people feel happy and comfortable
"Comfort is not always photogenic"

Architects must not forget the people who use their buildings

Profile: John Rhodes
John Rhodes
"It’s about the celebration of people coming together. If you can manage that well, a venue can become very special"

HOK has been tasked with designing a truly flexible arena for Valencia. John Rhodes is up for the challenge

cladkit product news
Alberto Apostoli and Newform collaborate to launch the A.Zeta showerhead
The showerhead offers two modes; rainfall or waterfall
Megan Whitby
Italian architect Alberto Apostoli has renewed his partnership with Newform – an Italian wellness company – and designed A.Zeta. A.Zeta ...
Codelocks develops new glass door smart lock
The new lock model allows facilities and building managers to create and manage access via an app or online portal
Megan Whitby
Codelocks has launched its first glass door smart lock to bring intelligent access control to modern spa, leisure, fitness and ...
Jaffe Holden helps bring Academy Museum of Motion Pictures alive
Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics for the Academy Museum
Magali Robathan
Acoustical consulting firm Jaffe Holden provided architectural acoustics and audio/video design services for the recently opened Academy Museum of Motion ...
cladkit product news
Siminetti unveils iridescent decorative panelling range inspired by plants
The Clematis design
Megan Whitby
The Botanicals is Siminetti’s newest Mother of Pearl decorative panelling collection, inspired by the distinctive patterns found in botany and ...
Eden project uses drones to spell out climate change warning
Magali Robathan
Almost 300 drones were used to signal an environmental message above the Eden Project’s biomes, during the UN Climate Change ...
Mather & Co and ITV unite to create Coronation Street Experience
Mather & Co has transformed the visitor centre into the ultimate haven for ardent Coronation Street viewers
Magali Robathan
Experience designers, Mather & Co, have orchestrated a remarkable collaboration with ITV to unveil the new Coronation Street Experience, a ...
cladkit product news
Eco Resort Network conference to convene in Mauritius this May
The event will be hosted in the Mauritius in 2024
Megan Whitby
Hospitality industry event Eco Resort Network is set to take place at the Ravenala Attitude Hotel, Turtle Bay, Mauritius, from ...
Alberto Apostoli designs tech-forward Wellness Therapy furniture collection for Varaschin
The furniture collection draws on absolute geometries, pure lines, neutral colours and strong references to nature
Megan Whitby
Furniture manufacturer Varaschin has unveiled the new Wellness Therapy range, designed by Italian spa and wellness architect and designer Alberto ...
Koto Design introduces wood-fired hot tub
Koto is known for crafting modular, energy-neutral cabins and homes
Katie Barnes
A striking wood-fired hot tub has been unveiled by Koto, an architecture and design studio which has a passion for ...
ISPA Conference & Expo
ISPA Conference & Expo