RESORT SPA
ALOHA DISNEY
A palm-fringed lagoon with a mountainous backdrop, is the impressive setting for Disney’s latest venture, its first beach resort not to be anchored by a theme park KATH HUDSON » JOURNALIST » SPA BUSINESS
beautiful setting – the 21-acre (8.5-hectare) resort is on the shore of a 9-acre (3.6 hec- tare), crystal-blue lagoon, surrounded by a white-sand beach. Rooting the resort in its Hawaiian heritage
A
has been critical during the design process. One of the world’s largest private collections of contemporary Hawaiian art is displayed throughout the resort. During the design, Walt Disney Imagineering – the creative arm of the company – worked closely with local Hawaiian cultural advisors. Indigenous building traditions are used, including the Hawaiian art of lashing, which uses braided or twisted cord instead of nails. Accommodation will have sea or moun-
tain views and is being built in phases – when the last stage is completed in 2012/2013, there will be a total of 359 rooms and 481 villas. As well as a world-class 18,000sq ſt (1,672sq m) spa, there is also a 7-acre (2.8-hectare) waterplay area, two restaurants, a snorkel lagoon and convenient access to a champi- onship golf course and 330-slip marina. Te Disney magic has been sprinkled here too, since the Imagineering team have steered the creative process.
ulani, which welcomed its first guests on 29 August, promises to be something special. It’s the com- bination of Disney’s unique brand of magic and exacting standards, along with a jaw-droppingly
The spa has been sprinkled with Disney magic, since the company’s Imagineering team steered the creative process
FAMILY FRIENDLY
Wellness industry veteran, Lucia Rodriguez Amasio, who has worked in spas on the island for 15 years, was brought in as spa director, in charge of the set up. She says it was an exciting project to be involved with:
“It appealed to me on many levels, but three things stood out the most: celebrating the culture of Hawaii with our guests, a fam- ily resort with wellness experiences and the magic of the Disney organisation. It weaves the best of Hawaii with what Disney does best: story telling and service” Where many spas are designed to be child-
free havens, this one is quite the opposite. Te Laniwai spa – as with the majority of other Disney spas – welcomes even small children and Rodriguez Amasio tips fam- ily spas as a growing trend. Tere’s a family suite, catering for up to
six people, located away from the main spa area, and in the spa’s salon children from five-years-old are offered manicures, pedi-
42 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
cures and haircuts. Te Keiki Hula experience is pitched at girls from three-years-old and involves painting the nails with floral art, dec- orating the hair with fresh flowers, sprinkling them in pixie dust and even dressing them in a hula dress and teaching them to hula. New parents can take it in turns to have
massages while their partner learns baby massage from a certified practitioner. Teenagers get their own 1,500sq ſt (140sq
m) spa, Painted Sky, which is separate from Laniwai. Here they can hang out at a yogurt bar, a relaxation area, a computer station, and a mixology bar to blend personalised Hawaiian body polishes, perfume and face masques. There is a treatment room for manicures, pedicures, facials and massages, including those aimed at young men.
CELEBRATING HAWAII
Water is very much an inspiration. The name, Laniwai, means freshwater heaven and centrepiece to the spa is the outdoor hydrotherapy garden – the Kula Wai – which boasts herbal pools, a reflexology path, rain showers, hot and cold whirlpools and vital- ity baths for a soak in water infused with flowers, fruits, herbs and oils. Te 15 treat- ment rooms are named aſter rainbows, such
SPA BUSINESS 4 2011 ©Cybertrek 2011
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84