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PLAYTIME
Lifehouse, a new £30m destination spa in the UK, has taken a more playful approach to wellness. We take a look around
P
ick a kite and fl y it around his- torical listed gardens, let your taste buds tingle with a pop- ping candy palette cleanser or work up a sweat using the out-
door gym. T ese aren’t exactly things that you’d expect from a spa, but that’s precisely why Lifehouse stands out. “It’s a playground,” says managing director Berni Hawkins. “You come here to enjoy yourself and we’ll also enrich your knowledge: through the healing power of touch or maybe by having a session with our life coach, so you can take ideas home and evolve your standard lifestyle.” T ere are only a handful of UK destina-
tion spas, but those which do exist – such as Champneys and Ragdale Hall Health Hydro – have dominated the market since their health farm days decades ago. T is new-build £30m (us$48.5m, €35.2m) con-
The spa had its soft opening in December and aims to attract 50,000 guests in 2011
temporary spa in Essex, east England, however, is promising to shake things up.
IT HAS MOJO
Set in 130 acres (53 hectares) of historical and conservational land, the 89-bedroom Life- house, which is very spacious and fl ooded with natural light, had its soſt opening in December. The 90,000sq ft (8,400q m), two-storey spa has 35 treatment rooms, a swimming pool and hydropool, thermal spa
and relaxation areas, 15 manicure and pedi- cure stations, make-up bays, a hair salon and a boutique; plus a gym, outdoor fi tness cir- cuit and yoga/pilates studio. The key feature is its signature Orien-
tal Bathing Experience. In this 31,000sq ſt (290sq m) area, which is based on an Asian bath house, a personal therapist guides guests through a two-hour experience which includes eastern massage techniques for the feet and ankles, bathing and plunge pools, water rooms and a full body exfoliation and essential oil back and shoulder massage. T e £120 (us$194, €141) journey culminates in specially designed sleep pods on the fl oor above. But how can Hawkins justify dedicat- ing such a large area to just one treatment?
“Because it encompasses everything and more of what most people’s perception of spa is,” she says. “Will it be diffi cult to see an ROI on this? Absolutely not. Yes it’s a high capital area, but it will leave people totally zoned out and wanting more.” To list the facilities at Lifehouse doesn’t do
it justice. “T ere’s an energy about this place, it has mojo,” says Hawkins. “I can’t put my fi n- ger on it, but you’re just sucked in.” A former army offi cer, Hawkins started her spa career as operations manager at Champneys in the late 90s before creating her own consultancy.
Visitors are encouraged to make the most of the beautiful, listed grounds in which the spa is set 36 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
“I came here to help support spa operations and to bring the project to fruition,” she says. “I guess the board liked me and what I did,
SPA BUSINESS 1 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
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