Spa & wellness


departments,” he says. “We are touching people’s lives and people’s health; it’s a totally different ball game to achieving shorter-term goals such as giving a good eating or sleeping experience. Dealing with all this expertise really pushes you to research and get yourself up to date.”


It has also been a struggle to hold on to staff, particularly as Zulal’s opening clientele has been the crème de la crème of Qatari society. “They are trying to steal our staff for their personal use,” Vastolo admits. “But the Chiva-Som brand carries a lot of weight, even if it’s not as large as other brands, so they are proud to work for this brand and happy to be associated with us.”


A long-term commitment


At Chiva-Som, wellness is a long-term commitment; the brand partners with guests on highly personalised wellness journeys focused on complete lifestyle transformation. Similarly, at Zulal a guest’s journey may begin at the resort, but the hope is that it will continue long after. For this reason, Vastolo and his team would never mandate a particular length of stay for a guest. “We have had a few requests from the local community for, say, a 30-day stay for their son who is overweight,” Vastolo explains. “We say it’s not the 30 days that will bring your son back to health. Maybe we can shift his mindset and he can start to understand what wellness means. But the important thing is that after that he continues.” This approach applies to all guests. “We want the guest to come to Zulal, learn something about sustainable wellness, and implement it when they go home. Whenever they feel that there is a need to come back to us, we are here. Whenever there is a need for them to know that they are doing the right thing, they can get in touch with us,” Vastolo says. Zulal has developed an app through which guests can contact the resort for medical or personal advice. Every departing guest also receives a bracelet to remind them to stay on their wellness path. “It’s on your wrist so you can see and touch it,” Vastolo says. “We want to keep people focused on what they committed to when they decided to stay with us.”


Investing in people’s future Since opening in December 2021, Zulal has mainly attracted local visitors. Vastolo’s hope for 2022 is that their client base expands. “Of course, number one, we hope to see some light at the end of


Hotel Management International / www.hmi-online.com 61


The basics for a sustainable detox


Hydration: Water is essential for all processes of life. Its role in detoxification is primarily in transporting metabolic waste and toxins out of the body through various channels, including the skin (sweat), kidneys (urine), lungs (breath), and bowels (faeces). Individuals who sweat excessively, talk a lot, drink caffeinated beverages, or fail to consume a healthy diet are at a higher risk for inadequate hydration. One can prevent dehydration and support detoxification by drinking at least 1.5L of purified water per day.


Adequate rest: Sleep is essential to the detoxification process. During the night, the body works overtime to cleanse itself of residual waste from daytime activities. Even the brain goes through a detox by activating the glymphatic system, which clears the brain and central nervous system of metabolic waste products. Focus on getting seven to eight hours of sleep each night and stick to this routine throughout the year. If someone has difficulties with insomnia, seek the help of a trusted health practitioner for advice and support on how to achieve restful sleep.


Liver care: The liver is the primary organ of detoxification. It works tirelessly to prepare toxins and metabolic waste products for safe and efficient elimination from the body. The liver is highly resilient and takes a considerable amount of punishment before it starts losing its ability to function properly. The consumption of unhealthy foods, excessive amounts of alcohol, and smoking all have adverse effects on the liver. The reduction or elimination of these lifestyle habits will reduce the amount of toxins taken into the body each day, thus giving the detoxification systems a much-needed break. Source: Chiva-Som


the tunnel with Covid, but from a business perspective, with Qatar going towards the [Fifa] World Cup, we hope more and more people will visit Doha and have the opportunity to visit Zulal,” he says. “With Covid, more people have begun to understand that you only have one health. It’s like putting your money in the bank. If you don’t take care of that and save well, then when you retire, you’re going to suffer. It’s the same with your health. You invest now to collect when you grow older. “We have tried to create a place where people feel comfortable to travel and learn about investing in personal wellness, because in this way we are investing in people’s future. I hope that we will have a lot of investors.” ●


Below: Gyrotonic physiotherapy is just one offering at Zulal Wellness Resort.


Zula Wellness Resort, Frog and Wolf.


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