THE NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR SPA AND WELLNESS · was inspired by his 16 years’ experience as a monk in India, when he helped to build an ashram in the Himalayas, honed his understanding

THE NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR SPA AND WELLNESS

Issue 72 | October/November 2019 | www.europeanspamagazine.com

FESTIVE RETAILING

How to maximise ‘the most wonderful time of the year’

TURN UP THE HEATOur Expert Guide to the best global hydrothermal suppliers

COTTONMILL CALLINGThe exclusive and revitalised

spa at Sopwell House, UK

IT’S A FAMILY AFFAIRA new generation of wellness design at Hotel Plunhof, Italy

www.europeanspamagazine.com76

Spa Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, Thailand

REPORT BY SARAH CAMILLERI

Achieve life’s potential…European Spa heads to Kamalaya on the tropical island of Koh Samui in Thailand to find out how the leading destination’s exceptional team is taking wellness to the next level

www.europeanspamagazine.com 77


Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, located on the balmy southern shores of Koh Samui in Thailand, is a shining example of how immersive wellness and luxury hospitality can blend to create a compelling

world-class destination. Opened in 2005, this award-winning resort was created to provide an escape for health-conscious travellers looking to balance body, mind and spirit.

Tucked away on a lush tropical hillside that cascades down to a private beach, the resort’s unassuming architecture has been carefully crafted to celebrate the beauty of nature. A perfect backdrop for contemplation and rejuvenation, its sense of place helps to underpin a wealth of wellness programmes and retreats that bring together healing therapies from east and west, as well as inspired healthy cuisine, holistic fitness and life coaching.

“Kamalaya translates as ‘the realm of the lotus’,” says co-founder John Stewart, who decided to create this beautiful sanctuary with his wife Karina back in 2001 when wellness was not even a defined reason for travel. “This is a place where the heart can peel off all the layers of trauma and any negative thoughts or ideas to emerge nourished, revitalised and transformed like the lotus flower.”

Inspired by the sense of spirituality that Stewart gained during 16 years of service as a monk in India, as well as Karina’s distinguished medical career as a doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and scholar of Asian healing and spiritual traditions, the couple realised their desire to provide a unique destination to help people achieve their potential.

Left: The multi-award-winning Kamalaya wellness sanctuary and holistic spa has a global reputation as a centre of excellence for transformational and healing hospitality

“As well as our personalised wellness programmes, we also offer a range of intimate group immersion retreats with various facilitators, plus the ‘Awaken Your Essence’, which I lead myself.” Karina Stewart Co-founder



At one with natureKamalaya’s biophilic design is the work of artist and architect Robert Powell who wanted to emphasise the sacred spirit of its location. Discreet buildings and contemplation points softly meld with the landscape and the resort hums gently with tropical birdsong from the canopy above, which gives shade to 76 varied types of guest accommodation ranging from hillside rooms and suites to luxurious private villas.

Guests are afforded plenty of space to roam between facilities including the spa, two restaurants, the Yantra Hall for gatherings and meditation, a dedicated yoga pavilion, two swimming pools, an extensive gym, an art gallery, a tea lounge; a boutique and the resort’s private beach.

Working alongside the Stewarts is Swiss-born managing director Marc A. Cornaz who has experience with multinationals including Pepsico Restaurants and Hilton. “Kamalaya is very different to most destinations, as

Clockwise from above left: Kamalaya is a destination that encourages people to ‘disconnect to reconnect’; a guest relaxes against a backdrop of the surrounding forest canopy; meditation and mentoring are a part of the resort’s offering; a yoga class takes place overlooking the Gulf of Thailand; traditional iconography and water features are found throughout the resort

everything comes from the original aim of its co-founders, John and Karina, to create a place that would truly help people. It’s a very different process when you create something from the heart and mind rather than looking at it from a corporate point of view,” explains Cornaz, who joined Kamalaya three years before its opening.

“I always say that when you walk into a hotel you always know who won – sometimes the architect, sometimes the accountant, or even the hotel operator. It’s very hard to get the balance right,” he says. “Here, we work as a team to create everything and this is always more powerful than following one individual’s capability. Together you are able to see the bigger picture and find a balance. Of course, a therapist is working very differently from an accountant, but you need people with these different mindsets and skills to harmonise.

Wellness expertiseSince opening in 2005, Kamalaya’s cleansing detox and

rejuvenation programmes have grown to number 14, including those specifically designed for stress and burnout; weight management; emotional balance; sleep enhancement; fitness and healthy ageing; and, of course, yoga.

“We try to encourage people to change one habit every trip. You can’t change your personality but you can change your habits and this can have an incredible effect on how you see the world.” John Stewart Co-founder

www.europeanspamagazine.com 79


Co-founder John Stewart’s commitment to build a wellness destination was inspired by his 16 years’ experience as a monk in India, when he helped to build an ashram in the Himalayas, honed his understanding of meditation and began offering spiritual guidance. It was there in 1982, that he met Karina who came to the ashram to study meditation. Years of friendship followed before John and Karina finally married and began a new life together in Kathmandu, where John was a successful art dealer and Karina opened a medical clinic.

“We thought we should create a place where Karina’s knowledge of health and my knowledge of meditation could be enjoyed by people on holiday,” says John. “I wanted to do something pragmatic that would translate our experience into something that was accessible and approachable in the modern world.”

However, it wasn’t until 2001 that John travelled to Koh Samui to recuperate from a serious illness and, while exploring the island, discovered a densely forested hillside dotted with giant granite boulders. At the heart of this tropical terrain was a cave. “I had lived in a cave in the Himalayas and when I stumbled across this special place, which now lies at the heart of Kamalaya (pictured below), I discovered that Buddhist monks had lived there for hundreds of years. It felt as though I was being spoken to and told ‘you have to take care of this land’.”

This sense of destiny is part of the special energy that translates to all of Kamalaya’s guests from the moment they check into this lush tropical resort and immerse themselves in everything it has to offer.

Drawn to create a place of sanctuary

Above from left: Marc A. Cornaz with Karina and John Stewart



Clockwise from right: A guest takes exercise as part of Kamalaya’s Structural Revival programme; a leafy path descends to the private beach; Thai massage is a speciality at the resort; the island’s natural bounty provides ingredients for Kamalaya Cuisine

Wellness and spa director Gopal Kumar brings 20 years’ hospitality experience to lead the resort’s 109-strong wellness team. Having previously worked for notable brands including Burj Al Arab, Peninsula, One & Only, Oberoi Hotels & Resorts, Ananda-in-the-Himalayas and Daylesford Organic, he is tasked to deliver exceptional wellness programming under the direction of Karina Stewart.

“Karina brings so much medical knowledge and is exceptionally creative – she is not afraid to diversify, yet she knows how to keep the essence of Kamalaya in everything we do,” states Kumar. “Her support gives me and the whole team a real sense of purpose and value.”

“The resort’s wellness programmes are tailored by the needs of its guests,” says Karina, adding: “My clinical practice and education in TCM works in collaboration with the diverse talents of our multinational, interdisciplinary team of naturopaths, acupuncturists, herbalists, homeopaths, physiotherapists, yoga and fitness instructors, psychologists and life enhancement mentors.

“Our solution-oriented programmes are inspired by the philosophies and ancient medical traditions of Asia. As well as our personalised wellness programmes, we also offer a range of intimate group immersion retreats with various facilitators, as well as the ‘Awaken Your Essence’, which I lead myself.”

Immersive programmingKamalaya draws from more than 70 therapeutic specialisms, including holistic medicine and complementary eastern and western practices. As well as premium spa services, practitioners of Ayurveda, TCM, naturopathy, homeopathy, holistic Thai therapies and yoga are available alongside Pilates, Qigong, meditation and fitness classes. One-to-one sessions with personal trainers, life coaches and meditation and pranayama practitioners are also available.

“There is an increasing need for people to find effective and authentic solutions to the very real health problems in their life: physical, mental or emotional,” says Karina. “People are looking for ways to manage their stress in effective and sustainable ways. Fitness is, of course, an excellent avenue to affect such goals, providing many other health benefits too.

“We are seeing more people interested in our Structural Revival programme with its emphasis on improved alignment, posture, musculoskeletal issues and the positive effects of this focused approach. We are also seeing a continued interest in themes that address emotional habits, whether related to stress or life changes. Our Embracing Change and Finding Emotional Balance and Freedom programmes, which are personalised and facilitated by our mentors, are also increasingly popular.”

“We discuss how our guests are doing and feeling daily, which helps us to respond to how the world is evolving,” adds Kumar. “Urbanisation, people moving from place to place for work, and separation from family are becoming more normal, but we just don’t realise how much these demands can impact on our system. This separation of self over a period of



time is not healthy. Loneliness has increased everywhere, so our programmes work fantastically well to treat this.”

A healthy philosophyKamalaya’s extensive award-winning menu is the cornerstone of every guest’s stay. The uniquely curated Kamalaya Cuisine is a product of Karina Stewart’s knowledge of functional medicine and cellular detoxification combined with her passion for local ingredients and healthy cooking methods. Unlike many wellness destinations there is no dogma about diet – it’s all about high-quality fresh ingredients, organic wherever possible, cooked cleanly and enhanced with medicinal fresh herbs and spices.

Calorie counting is also firmly off the menu with an emphasis placed on educating the palette to enjoy the health-promoting properties of all dishes. An imaginative

Detox Menu available at both restaurants features low allergenic, low inflammatory, low glycaemic and vegetarian dishes. Juices, herbal teas and healthy tonics are freely available, freshly prepared by Kamalaya’s F&B team who are knowledgeable about every ingredient.

Kamalaya’s philosophy has always put quality over quantity in every aspect of its operations. “We are a wellness destination and this is where our roots are, which I think is very rare,” states Cornaz. “We currently see around 3,500 guests per year who stay an average of nine days. “We measure our success by how many come back, and Kamalaya enjoys 40% repeat guests, of which 20% have been here more than four times. Europe is a key market, especially the UK, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Holland and Belgium with, more recently, a 20% increase of bookings from Australia.

“Usually our guests have read about us or have heard from someone who has been through the experience, which gives a personal connection. We do not rely on any third-party websites, which means 75% of our guests’ book with us directly,” adds Cornaz.

“Every time our guests return they become more open to a deeper personal journey,” explains John Stewart. “We try to encourage people to change one habit every trip. You can’t change your personality but you can change your habits and this can have an incredible effect on how you see the world.”

Direction of travelKamalaya is a real wellness gem, offering an

exceptional concept that would be hard to replicate anywhere else in the world, and this has taken many years to perfect. “We want our guests to feel

Clockwise from above: A Chi Nei Tsang abdominal massage provides emotional release; every guest stay begins with a personal health consultation; Kamalaya is built in synergy with the lush, tropical environment

“We work as a team to create everything and this is always more powerful than following one individual’s capability. Together you are able to see the bigger picture and find a balance.” Marc A. Cornaz Managing director



inspired and motivated by the authenticity and richness of their unique experience at Kamalaya, with the resources to sustain and deepen their experience back home,” says Karina Stewart. “We want people to leave feeling like better versions of themselves.

“This is a very exciting time in the wellness industry and there is so much growth, development and innovation. However, we would all do well to remember that the essence of ‘wellness’ and ‘healing’ is the human touch; it is about heartbeats; about people and individuals and this is our greatest resource and what it is all about.”

Constantly evolving, new partnerships and plans are in the pipeline to share the wisdom of Kamalaya with a wider audience. “We are aware of numerous opportunities for Kamalaya to innovate and extend its offering and we

are working on ways to make the content of Kamalaya accessible to people around the world; to help past guests maintain their

programme in their home country and to help grow the overall consumer awareness of the brand,” says Cornaz.

“People wake up at a certain point in their life realising they’re successful and they make money, but they just don’t have emotional happiness and balance” reflects John Stewart. “Everybody has the same problems in the modern world: we don’t handle our relationships well, we don’t handle our stress well, we’re just missing so many things and people can’t find meaning in their life because they have replaced it with ‘things’ and money. We try to show people how to connect to meaning again. We don’t prescribe ‘meaning’, we just help people to find it for themselves.”

Inspired by feedback from guests, including CEOs of various gobal businesses, a ground-breaking new concept is planned for land that lies adjacent to Kamalaya. “We are looking to create a new retreat completely focused on next-generation leadership,” reveals John Stewart. “So many people want to move away from being at the centre of business and into training the next generation to have an awareness of a world with meaning rather than just a focus on money.”

Kamalaya Wellness Sanctuary & Holistic Spa, Thailand+66 77 429 800 | www.kamalaya.com

Owner: Kamalaya Koh Samui Co. Founders: John and Karina Stewart Managing director/CEO: Marc A. Cornaz Wellness and spa director: Gopal Kumar Architect and interior design: Robert Powell Spa size: 55 treatment rooms over an area of 8,000sqm Spa team: 109 Gym suppliers: Life Fitness, Stott Pilates Additional facilities: Alchemy Lounge, yoga pavillion, Pilates studio Thermal spa: Steam room, infrared sauna by Komeda Wet spa: Plunge pool, hot tub and lap pool, leisure and vitality pools Product partners: Sodashi, Subtle Energies, Amala, SpaRitual

Above: Kamalaya’s serene tea lounge offers guests a place for refreshment and contemplation

“Karina brings so much medical knowledge and is exceptionally creative – she is not afraid to diversify, yet she knows how to

keep the essence of Kamalaya in everything we do” Gopal Kumar Wellness and spa director

Documents

THE NO.1 MAGAZINE FOR SPA AND WELLNESS · was inspired by his 16 years’ experience as a monk in India, when he helped to build an ashram in the Himalayas, honed his understanding