The pandemic meant a new awakening to the value of both camps and how they simply must be better integrated. We certainly learned that science and medicine are essential, just as we had a very tangible lesson about the terrible human cost of not focusing on preventable chronic diseases, which led to so many hospitalizations and deaths. The trend predicts an era where healthcare and wellness become more intertwined, from wellness starting to lean into science, establishing standards and holding itself accountable, to healthcare borrowing from the wellness playbook and evolving what has become a sterile and strictly curative industry into a more holistic, prevention-focused and even pleasurable one.
Healthcare and wellness will become more intertwined, from wellness starting to lean into science, holding itself accountable, to healthcare borrowing from the wellness playbook
One distinct way that healthcare and wellness are converging anew is in the momentum for bigger, more sophisticated integrative medical-wellness resorts. While this is very much a trend at the high-end, destinations are betting that people with means will seek places that bring a much broader array of medical technologies and wellness approaches together in one place. And it’s increasingly a specific kind of medicine being delivered, revolving around advanced testing and diagnostics (cardiovascular, respiratory, hormone, nutrition/microbiome, DNA, epigenetics, etc.). Because people want to be programmed on more serious, science-backed, personaliesd medical and wellness plans, they want to see the “whys” for that plan and also the data on whether the wellness stay and plan is actually working.
If Europe has been pioneering medical-wellness resorts for years (from Lanserhof to Sha Wellness Clinic to Bürgenstock’s Waldhotel), there is now more activity underway globally. Tri Vananda, coming to Thailand next year, looks to take the integrative medical-wellness concept to new and bigger places–and RAKxa, which just opened near Bangkok, marries a team of doctors, medical diagnostic testing and comprehensive wellness therapies. Zoya Health & Wellbeing Resort will open in the UAE in September, where the personalized medical-wellness game plans begin with doctor consultations and medical diagnostics.
Palazzo Fiuggi Wellness Medical Retreat, opened last week outside Rome, focuses on fusing advanced medical diagnostics with an array of wellness approaches. Swiss retreat operator Chenot, whose Chenot Method has blended medical and wellness approaches for almost 50 years, is expanding its brand–from unveiling its new home, Chenot Palace Weggis on Lake Lucerne, in 2020 to a new Chenot medical-wellness centre at One&Only’s brand-new Portonovi Resort in Montenegro.ZOYA HEALTH & WELLBEING RESORT
THE region’s first fully integrated wellness experience and the UAE’s first five-star health resort is set to open its doors in Ajman later this year, offering a unique and holistic approach to mind and body rejuvenation.
Operated by German spa and health business specialist, Premedion, Zoya’s five-star holistic wellbeing resort is located just off the coast of Ajman in Al Zorah. The Premedion name stands for extraordinary spas and health centres worldwide. Their combination of spa expertise, preventive and medical competence is integrated into the unique and tailormade Zoya offering.
Born from the imagination of forward-thinking, Ameer Said, who after sadly losing two members of his family to cancer, decided he wanted to “address the ailments of the modern world” and to encourage people to take a more preventative rather than curative approach to their health.
What makes the Zoya experience so exclusive is its holistic approach; this is the only resort to offer an all-in-one health and wellness experience, meaning that they focus on every element of one’s physical, mental and emotional well-being. Each visit is considered a journey to becoming the best possible version of yourself – to start, guests will have a consultation with either a doctor or wellness practitioner, and then be taken through a tailor-made treatment and nutrition plan.
Treatments range from a cleansing detox plan which can aid with weight management to highly sought-after immune support. Zoya even offers a treatment journey to revive your body post a Covid-19 infection. Other personalised programmes could also include everything from oxygen therapy and yoga at their state-of-the-art medical gym to anti-ageing plans. Treatment packages are also available and stays can range from 5 nights up to 3 weeks. Long-stay bookings are made even more indulgent by the luxury accommodation available, featuring three levels of suites to choose from. Zoya offers luxurious spa treatments that are a vital element of the rejuvenation journey from indulgent massages to innovative aesthetic and anti-ageing solutions.