Q&A
Morgan Lefrançois
Clarins’ spa business development manager talks about Spa MyBlend at Velaa Private Island
Tell us about Clarins and Velaa
“The team at Velaa approached us during the construction phase to discuss Clarins’ potential involvement with the resort.
“Velaa is a new business with no brand profile, so the owners, Ji?í Šmejc and his wife Radka, were keen to partner with global brands such as Clarins and Troon/Jose Maria Olazabal (who did the golf course) to ensure they give a clear message about their world class intentions.”
What’s the agreement?
“Clarins has signed an initial five-year contract with Velaa. The resort has exclusive rights to the Spa MyBlend by Clarins brand and this means no other spa in the Maldives can carry that line.
“We believe in long-term partnerships: we want to find the right spa partners and work closely with them and that kind of exclusivity enables them to benefit from the strength of our brand – if spa-goers can find us everywhere, our brand ceases to be a point of differentiation for them.”
What role did you play?
“We were on-site 16 months before opening to work with the architect on treatment room design and functionality, develop treatment protocols and design the retail areas. Clarins is also providing assistance with management and hired and trained the team.
What’s special about Velaa?
“The beauty of the island is breathtaking. You could spend hours gazing at the interplay of light between the sky and the sea – it’s spectacular, even for the Maldives.
“The property has been exceptionally well designed, it’s luxurious and fabulously appointed, yet not ostentatious – and it feels like a home away from home.
“It’s also rare to find such a high quality of finishes in a resort in the Maldives, it’s been meticulously constructed.”
What are the standout elements?
“The genuine welcome and caring service provided by the staff: they’re truly proud to be part of the team and look forward to doing their best. As a guest, you can actually feel it [the caring approach].
I believe this is because Velaa is the product of one man’s clear vision of how guests should feel at this level of service. Also, he’s given the management the resources to be able to care for their staff, to respect them and motivate them in such a way that they do their best for guests. Respecting and caring for your people is a shared value between Clarins and Velaa.”
What were the main challenges?
“Apart from logistics and construction challenges due to distance, the main one was finding the perfect spa director.
“The Maldives is a paradise to guests but not an easy life day to day. We needed someone with both island life experience and professional skills. Thanks to a strong network, we found them and are proud to have such an amazing team on board.”
Why was Spa MyBlend chosen?
“Velaa’s philosophy centres around creating ‘Private Moments’ for guests. Nothing is standardised, all can be customised.
“Spa MyBlend by Clarins is a great fit, as each treatment begins with a consultation, during which a personalised product is created to meet clients’ individual needs.
“Velaa also wanted to leverage Clarins’ powerful PR machine and we’re working with them to bring travel, spa and beauty editors on familiarisation trips from target markets such as Russia, the Middle East, Asia and the UK, to get it on people’s radar.”
What’s Clarins’ strategy for MyBlend?
“MyBlend is an exclusive, elite concept. We believe guests going to Velaa might also go to other properties with MyBlend spas, such as the Royal Monceau in Paris, Ritz-Carlton in Toronto and Majestic Barrière in Cannes.
“We’re working to develop a following for Spa MyBlend – a global club, if you like.”
Velaa Private Island
First-person:
Editor,
Spa Business
The sea plane circles before it lands, so you can see Velaa sitting like a jewel in the aquamarine ocean, fringed with white sand – as all tropical islands should be.
And as you step onto the jetty, with the sun setting in a golden ball behind you and the stingrays lazily drifting by, you abandon all thoughts of the outside world, closely followed by your shoes – the island’s soft white sand paths and laid-back vibe make it easy to go barefoot for the entire visit.
The most relaxing thing about Velaa is how well things are done – the informality is juxtaposed with the highest standard in everything from the architectural finishes to the service: there’s simply nothing that jars.
The resort is the most expensive in the Maldives and tips are given as a percentage, making it a magnet for those who want to earn well and are at the top of their game. As a result, Velaa has attracted some of the highest calibre people in the region.
Such is the luxuriousness of the island that our ‘entry level’ accommodation – at US$1,500-US$3,100 (€1,100-€2,260, £890-£1,890) a night – has its own beach, infinity pool, outdoor dining cabana, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, private gardens, indoor and outdoor lounges, mini kitchen, vast bedroom and on-call butler.
Splash out on the next price band and you’ll enjoy a private house with its own spa and gym, while top of the range is an over-water villa, accessed by boat, at US$40,000 a night, with live-in butler and its own diving reef, complete with tropical fish.
Clearly, creating a spa to live up to an offer at this level was going to require careful thought and Velaa’s owners, Czech banker Ji?í Šmejc and his wife Radka, have wisely opted for a global brand with a high-end product line, choosing Spa MyBlend by Clarins – the customisable range. Clarins also provides assistance with management of spa.
The spa is housed in an over-water building with treatment rooms off wooden walkways. It has a beautiful Clarins shop and a juice bar, as well as a steamroom and a snow room, which turned out to be a fabulous addition. Although I was sceptical at first, it’s very healing and enjoyable to step into extreme cold in such a hot climate.
Challenges are few – the spa’s Cloud 9 is housed in a rather plain room and would benefit from the addition of some theming and aromas to complete the experience, while the open-air design of the spa will present a few operational headaches in rare bad weather, but these are small matters.
The staff are relaxed and happy and you feel they’re confident to let their personalities shine through. We had some very good treatments and a stiff wrist which had been troubling me for weeks was swiftly unlocked by the resident bodywork expert.
One room has an outdoor deck which has been so popular that when the resort closes for its low-season maintenance overhaul, more will be added, so each room has its own private over-water space.
With its Michelin starred restaurants amazing wine cellar, immaculate Troon/Olazabal golf course, world class watersports centre and Clarins spa, Velaa is one of a new breed of super-luxe resorts which are taking the industry to another level.
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
