MOVERS & SHAKERS Christina Ong OWNER, COMO GROUP
Christina Ong, the wife of Malaysian businessman and property mogul Ong Beng Seng, is famously private. However, as a millionaire in her own right, her accomplishments speak volumes – especially when it comes to her holistic lifestyle brand COMO Shambhala with spas that are the epitomy of luxury, creativity and attention to detail.
T
his Singaporean entrepreneur is the owner of the COMO Group – the parent company of the high-end, con- temporary COMO Hotels and Resorts
chain, COMO Shambhala and leading fash- ion distributor Club 21. Ong’s entry into hospitality came in 1991,
when she and her husband bought the bou- tique Halkin Hotel in London’s Belgravia – the only COMO site without a spa. Today, the COMO portfolio consists of eight properties in Asia (the Maldives, Bali and T ailand), Europe (UK) the Middle East (Bhutan) and the Carib- bean (Turks & Caicos). T e real turning point for the COMO Sham-
bhala brand as an independent entity came in December 2005 with the launch of the fi ve-star COMO Shambhala Estate in Bali. It took two years to transform the property, which resides on a 23-acre (9-hectare) jungle-clad riverbank site, into a dedicated health resort. T ere are three pillars that underpin COMO
Shambhala. T e fi rst is location – all of the resorts have a wow factor and a holistic feel. T e second, is its menu of services. Ong has
a board of advisors who help shape her brand including, among others, Donna Karen – one of Ong’s closest friends; Robert T urman, father of Uma and a Buddhist monk; yoga master Rodney Yee (see sb04/q4 p42); and ayurvedic
www.spahandbook.com
Ong has a board of advisors who help shape her brand including fashion designer Donna Karen, Robert T urman, father of Uma and a Buddhist monk; and yoga master Rodney Yee
doctor Robert Svoboda. Drawing on this exper- tise, COMO Shambhala Estate places a strong emphasis on mind-body disciplines, as well as ayurvedic medicines, while also off ering the typical array of body treatments. T e estate also employs several full-time health consultants
spa business handbook 2011 57
CHRISTINA ONG
PHOTO:
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