The newest local brand to emerge is Jumeirah’s Talise Spa, the first of which opened last month at the Madinat Jumeirah.
Already, the group has announced four new openings over the next year, including the Jumeirah Beach Club Resort and Spa, Jumeirah Business Bay, Jumeirah Bab Al Shams Desert Resort & Spa and HanTang Jumeirah Shanghai.
Anni Hood, director of spas for Jumeirah, tells SHALU CHANDRAN the decision to launch a spa brand is a bid to remain at the cutting edge of the industry.
Why has Jumeirah launched its own spa brand?
Jumeirah has been expanding rapidly over the past years and it only made sense, strategically in the name of expansion, to own our own spa identity. It is also part of Jumeirah’s promise to ‘Stay different’. Talise has opened its first spa at the Madinat Jumeirah.
What is unique about Talise?
Talise is a contemporary spa brand designed around a person-centric model and promised to ensure individualistic treatments. We want to tailor-make our treatments to suit the guest, who could be looking for a life-changing programme or just a massage or facial. It’s about the guest and what is beneficial to them. The spa will be created according to three key models within Jumeirah: the urban model for essential wellness, the resort model for exceptional wellness like the Madinat Jumeirah and the destination spa model for extraordinary wellness. Talise will provide meditative and therapeutic environments designed to guide the guest to self discovery.
What are spa clients looking for now?
Today, guests want longevity, they want to look young and fresh and healthy and are very focussed about their health from within as well. It’s a new breed of people for whom cultural creativity is important. People are eating right and are concerned about their personal development at every age. Alternative health care is getting broader and deeper and this shift to wellness is a direct result to that. At Jumeirah, we have realised that a spa has become most sought after for guests besides shopping and sight seeing. Spas have grown with such velocity, we must ensure to stay at the cutting-edge of the industry.
So where are spas headed then?
The next generation of spas will have a more holistic approach. With Talise, we look at all aspects including nutrition, mind and body treatments, fitness and all at the same time for a more integral approach. The future lies in the more authentic and traditional practical approach. Gimmicks like the chocolates spa’s will not provide the right results. Guests are looking for results and want a guided experience.
The spa is switching from being a pampering experience to a venue for lifestyle changes. Another important factor is educating the guest. From the use of wellness products to yoga and breathing exercises, guests want to be educated about it to take it back home and to their lifestyle.
What is the key to running a successful spa operation?
A spa should have a heart of its own. It is essential to have a true philosophy and culture to it. A spa is more than margins, it’s about following the right ethics. Our focus is on taking care of the people and this should be rooted in the culture of the brand and its identity. Guests should leave the spa feeling not just rejuvenated but happy.