Gavin Rodrigues, founder and CEO of new spa and wellbeing management consultancy Essense Wellness (EW), has spoken exclusively to Spa Opportunities about his first spa project at the recently-launched Hilton Jaipur, India.

After working as the regional spa director for Epikurean Hotels and Resorts, Rodrigues decided to launch his own consultancy in May this year. Rodrigues has also worked with Six Senses at the Soneva Fushi and Soneva Gili resorts. In addition, he was involved in the opening of the Ananda spa in the Himalayas, when the retreat was associated with the FRHI Group.

Due to high demand from industry colleagues, Rodrigues started his own company in India, with the aim of supplying spa consultancy services to projects in India. “India is not an easy place to do business, especially spa business,” said Rodrigues. "This is because working in the Indian spa industry requires a certain skillset. After being in the industry and travelling the globe for 14 years, I am very happy to have started my own company here.”

Hilton Worldwide in India provided him with his first opportunity to create and manage a new 20,000sq ft (1,858sq m) spa at the 179-bedroom Hilton Jaipur. Within the Eau de Vie spa, there are four treatment rooms and a couples’ suite, in addition to a sauna, steamroom, hair salon and fitness centre.



The treatment menu features massages from an array of cultures, including Indian Ayurvedic therapies, Vietnamese principles and Thai techniques.

“The product line is my own,” said Rodrigues. “It took me two years to create my own product line for EW. We have amazing products like dried fruit wraps made from banana, apple, pineapple and mango that are 100 per cent organic and are even edible.” These sun-dried body fruit scrubs are followed by a massage using an organic green tea moisturiser.

“The reason Essense Wellness was chosen for the name of my company is because, depending on the spelling of Essense, the word portrays a reality and a dream,” said Rodrigues. "‘Essence’ is the reality that describes the character of each of my spas, but ‘Essense’ is the dream-like sensory journey I create for our guests.”

Rodrigues is also working on spas at two other locations in India at the moment. First, the DoubleTree by Hilton Agra, which is 10 minutes from the Taj Mahal, will feature a spa by EW when it opens in December 2014.

A Waterwoods-operated hotel in Kabini, at a tiger reserve in south India, is under construction at the moment and will also house a small spa by EW. This boutique hotel – where guests can witness tigers, leopards, elephants and deer in the wild – will comprise of 15 elegant suites.