As the world opens up after a long hiatus, there is a global demand for wellness tourism as a way to promote a healthy and balanced lifestyle. The Philippines is being positioned as one of the major destinations as it combines the beauty of nature along with traditional therapeutic treatments and the innate warm hospitality of Filipinos. The Anya Hospitality Group (AHG) is taking on this segment of the market when it introduced its Niyama Wellness brand, which focuses its expertise on providing wellness & spa management consultancy for hospitality properties, adding to an overall relaxing guest experience.
After launching the Niyama Wellness Center at Anya Resort in Tagaytay, it now also manages the new Ylang Ylang Spa by Niyama Wellness at Club Punta Fuego in Nasugbu, Batangas to cater exclusively to club members and their guests. There is an ongoing upgrade with the latest facilities that are designed to enhance the Club Punta Fuego membership experience. Recreational facilities that include a 9-hole golf course, swimming pools, squash court, and marina yacht club for recreational boating, water sports are now joined by health and wellness facilities and services.
Club Punta Fuego General Manager Edgar Krohn says this is part of property improvements that include room renovations, complete refurbishment of the club’s tennis court, and the addition of a gym with a fantastic seaside view. “The Ylang Ylang Spa by Niyama Wellness is a wonderful addition for our overall guest experience, with two beautifully designed rooms with changing and shower facilities. The partnership with Niyama Wellness upgrades the spa experience for our guests.” The next development phase is scheduled in August when more rooms will be renovated.
Edgar Krohn has been the GM of Punta Fuego for 6 years. Of Filipino and German descent, he brings to the company his learning and skills derived from extensive experience as resident manager of top hotels and resorts, notably the Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain resorts located in Saint Lucia in the West Indies/Caribbean.
Bespoke Relaxation
AHG Corporate Wellness & Spa Director Carol Laguna says that much thought has been put into the Ylang Ylang Spa experience to complement Club Punta Fuego’s positioning to offer first-class relaxation in an exclusive enclave. “From the moment you walk in, you will feel relaxed – from the ambiance of the lighting, scents, and of course, the skills of the spa therapists who have gone through extensive training to improve treatments, massages, and techniques.”
Niyama Wellness tailor-fitted the services, and curated the packages and treatments for the resort itself, she says. “For example, we offer body treatments for sunburn using aloe vera body wraps for guests who came from the property’s beautiful beach. The signature massage at Ylang Ylang Spa is different from the one offered at Anya Resort Tagaytay.”
Growth in the Industry
AHG Managing Director Juan Roca explains that Niyama Wellness offers its services to support the Department of Tourism’s vision of making the Philippines one of the world’s top wellness destinations. “We have hospitality properties with services that help them to set up and manage a wellness facility that will enhance their offerings as an added value for a relaxing guest experience. We’ve been bouncing back. There’s revenge on travel. Our figures are better now and we are on track to meeting our goals. Presently, 90% of their guests are local tourists that include ex-pats living in the Philippines. “But there’s a lot of potentials. The country is so beautiful and there are a lot of amazing places to visit.”
Roca also shares that because of the pandemic, companies did not have many outings, seminars, and team-building activities. “The good news is that we can already see an increase in group bookings though they are done in smaller groups or batches, to still refrain from large gatherings for safety reasons. There’s also an increase in socials like weddings.”
Niyama Wellness is a full-service spa management and consultancy catering to developers, owners, and operators of leading hotels, resorts, and spa projects nationwide. It is anchored on 3 pillars that can help position a hospitality property as one of the luxe relaxation hubs in the country.
The First Pillar is a Wellness & Spa Management Consultancy that covers every aspect of the spa business from concept development, pre-opening, daily operations, spa design, and spa menu to training and management.
The Second Pillar is Wellness & Spa Brand Development because marketing and branding your spa business is vital to your success. AHG will help you assess your spa’s marketing needs from developing a strong brand identity, market research, and promotional campaigns, to digital and social media marketing.
The Third Pillar, Wellness & Spa Operational Support provides additional guidance to run your spa smoothly during the transition period, pre-opening and actual operations. The services include operational set-up, mentoring and training, site visits and audits, creation of promotions and packages, spa treatment and financial performance analysis.
Making the Niyama Wellness concept available to other wellness destinations, strengthens AHG’s vision for growth. Roca says, “The main goal is to increase the portfolio of Niyama Wellness by AHG and to open new Spa and Wellness Centers in Metro Manila and tourist destination places at the end of 2023. We also want to increase the number of loyal guests at Niyama Wellness Center in Anya Resort Tagaytay and at Ylang Ylang Spa.”
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