RESORT SPA We want to make a
statement to the world that hospitality in Malaysia can compete on the international stage
T e comprehensive spa menu, with 50
treatments, includes facials ranging from myr300-480 (us$95-152, €78-124, £61-97); and massages from myr290-450 (us$92- 143, €75-116, £59-91); as well as a selection of baths, scrubs, wraps and mud treatments. T e 75-minute La Santé signature massage combines Swedish and shiatsu techniques and costs myr420 (us$133, €109, £85). Despite the wellness tag line, La Santé
also off ers beauty-focused, machine-based services. T ese include Alma RF ™ face, eye and neck treatments, plus LPG Endermoliſt face, eye and neck treatments which are all non-invasive. T e demand for these types of treatments are on the rise, says spa director Alice Yap, because people want a quick-fi x solution to ageing without any downtime or uncomfortable side eff ects.
ORGANIC AT HEART Teh Ming Wah, T e Chateau’s general man- ager and CEO, has been a driving force behind the whole creation. A former spa consultant and ex-banker, she oversaw the refurbishment and also advised Berjaya to turn T e Chateau into the world’s fi rst organic spa and wellness resort to give it a unique selling point. Her ambitious plans to make the entire
resort organic, mean the spa resort is the fi rst of its kind in Malaysia and arguably, the fi rst of its kind in the world. She is hoping to have gained organic certifi cation from the European Organic Committee but so far, no such classifi cation exists for spa resorts. T e resort’s philosophy is “we have a heart for our planet”. In the bedroom suites, sheets,
The heat experiences are supplied by Thermarium
US-made Coyuchi bathrobes, slippers, tow- els and laundry bags are made from organic cotton and the shoehorn and toothbrush are made from biodegradable cornstarch. T e castle, which has been certifi ed by the Green Buildings Index, was built using organic materials wherever possible and the salt water swimming pool uses water from the resort’s own wells. In addition, a principal spa product house is the organic, hand-har- vested seaweed line Voya (see p78). Yet despite all these ecological initiatives,
Teh says they draw the line at “anything that aff ects the comfort and enjoyment of the guests if an environmentally friendly alter- native can’t be found.”
SERVICE WITH AN ASIAN SMILE Service standards are impeccable through- out the resort. Teh is deliberately focused on this, because under her guidance, Berjaya wants T e Chateau to help put Malaysian hospitality into the global spotlight. “We want to make a statement to the world that hospitality in Malaysia can compete on the international stage,” Teh explains. “At T e Chateau, we’re off ering European hardware with Asian soſt ness and service.” In La Santé, for example, the 20 therapists
The resort grows its own organic produce
are from Asia. Interestingly, all therapists are female and none are from Malaysia, but according to Yap (who is Malaysian), this is
38 Read Spa Business online
spabusiness.com / digital
a refl ection of the lack of spa therapists in Malaysia rather than company policy. Given this agenda, it is somewhat of a sur-
prise, then, that T e Chateau is designed to look and feel like a French destination resort. T e restaurants off er mainly Euro- pean cuisine, all spa treatments are from Europe and the 250 employees are treated to regular French lessons in order that they speak and act in as ‘French’ a way as possi- ble. Still, the overall feeling is that nothing is too much trouble for staff and that luxury knows no bounds. In late 2011, T e Chateau won four awards
from luxury travel body Seven Stars and Stripes. This, along with a host of other awards, has already helped it attract atten- tion in the Malaysian press and early reviews from independent travellers on TripAdvisor have been very positive. In terms of helping to put Malaysia on
the global wellness map, Teh says the gov- ernment tourism department really needs to come on board to help promote the spa industry. Until that point, she says, it will be up to operators and spa professionals to change the opinions of Malaysian spas. “Everywhere I go, I get the same feed-
back – that Malaysia is not known for its spa industry,” she says. “People from over- seas tend to go to T ailand or Bali for their spa experience and locally, Malaysians are yet to grasp the spa concept.”
SPA BUSINESS 3 2012 ©Cybertrek 2012
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