What have been the highs and lows so far? The resort was already an extremely successful wellness retreat for couples and leisure guests, mainly from German-speaking markets, but owners, Klaus and Monika Ladurner, are very interested in health, medicine and wellness that improves lifestyle and as a result, my brief was to create a meaningful wellness philosophy that could showcase treatments and overall wellness as the main reasons to come to Preidlhof. My aim was to also create a framework for our offering and make it more appealing for international guests.
What’s the starting point for any change? It depends whether it’s a new-build or an existing location, but generally after staying a couple of days I can sense the main direction that should be taken to express its potential.
How do you know when you’re happy a property is finally where you want it to be? I’m extremely creative and my life is 24-hour wellness research, always tuned and updated, so once the flow of creativity starts it goes far and fast – I then adapt to the limitations of the project, whether resource, space or budget.
When it comes to creativity and concept development I sometimes dream of working with an unlimited budget, as in my mind, I feel there is always more that can be achieved.
When it comes to execution, I benefit from logistics, management, marketing and people skills. Everything is in a state of continuous change for me – development never stops until I see and feel coherence, flowing operations, strong results from guests and effective sales and marketing actions.
When living and working in the place feels positive, inspiring and seems peaceful for guests and the team, at that point I can call myself happy.
What’s your process for discovering a property’s essence and then building out its spa menu? This is my favourite part, it’s pure creativity and intuition, combined with experience in travel, hospitality and wellness.
My process is ‘idea-research-study-design-develop-trial-go-live’ and my aim is to use my love for the spa world and my deep trust in holistic therapies to bring everything to life. I once saw a quote I love that captures this. It comes from a dialogue between Socrates, Phaedrus and Eupalinos during which Eupalinos refers to buildings which are ‘mute’, some which ‘speak’ and others which ‘sing’.
Where do you get your inspiration? Spirituality permeates my life and gives me the capacity to think, be mindful of and receptive to the environment and people, and to develop my social intelligence and get in touch with my talents.
I now live more in the flow, connecting the inside and outside and seeing things in perspective. Living like this has healed my life and helped me unlock my professional potential. When my daily creative flow can’t be expressed in my work, I use it to cook, to play, to draw, to dream and to coach friends and colleagues ... otherwise I get stuck.
I enjoy meeting new people who inspire my mind and fill my soul, as well as observing guests and talking to them, which also gives me precious information. I’m also obsessed with the experiential side of life and never stop studying, so I’m developing a rich background of knowledge that pops up unexpectedly with new connections and ideas. l
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 1
"When you know you're doing things right, you have power" – Deborah Szekely talks to Spa Business
Spa People: Zoe Wall
Zoe Wall talks about driving the global spa and wellness agenda at Kerzner
New opening: Healing oasis
Zoya, a new integrative health and wellbeing retreat, is opening in the Middle East, as Megan Whitby reports
Interview: Deborah Szekely
As the 'godmother of spa' approaches her 100th birthday, Jan Kitchen travelled to Rancho La Puerta to find out more about her extraordinary life
First Person: Siempre Mejor!
After 82 years, Rancho La Puerta is
still beloved among guests around
the world, who return year after
year for a dose of holistic wellbeing.
Jane Kitchen spent a week at the
Mexican resort to discover how the
spirit of ‘Siempre mejor!’ or ‘Always
better!’ lives on in the 21st century
Sponsored: Phytomer: Celebrating the sea
The story surrounding Phytomer is one of a unique wellness vision, a loyal family, remarkable marine science and pioneering skincare. We talk to deputy general manager Mathilde Gédouin-Lagarde as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary
GWS: Boston strong
If you missed the GWS – or even if you were there – Jane Kitchen's detailed report will give you endless useful actionable insights
Promotion: Yon-ka: Plant power
Benefiting from its founders’ passion for plants, Yon-Ka’s new brand identity reflects its past and its continued research into the healing power of plants which enables the company to craft innovative formulas that deliver results
First person: Paradise at Preidlhof
Lisa Starr travelled to Italy to interview Patrizia Bortolin for Spa Business and experience all that Preidlhof has to offer
Q&A: Patrizia Bortolin
Lisa Starr talks to the award winning visionary
who’s injecting new vigour into Preidlhof
Promotion: Reconnect with ISPA
After a two-year absence, ISPA’s annual Conference offers its
members an opportunity to reconnect and to learn more about
the available tools that can help them recharge their businesses
Q&A: Daniele Vastolo
Chiva-Som has opened a major new property in Qatar, with treatments focused on Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine. We talk to the GM
Research: Human nature
Anne Dimon reports on the latest research insights from the Wellness Tourism Association
Saunas: Aufguss
The first aufguss sauna experience in the US has opened in Las Vegas, as Cassandra Cavanah reports
Software: Getting (Hyper) personal
Software that drives generational marketing can create hyper-personalised offerings, as Karen Maxwell discovers
Supplier showcase: Art of Cryo: Best of both worlds
Art of Cryo is blending its high-performance cryotherapy
solutions with intermittent vacuum therapy to offer a
complete and effective whole-body wellness experience
Promotion: Comfort Zone
From 2022, Comfort Zone’s products are going plastic-neutral, certified by Plastic Bank
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
What have been the highs and lows so far? The resort was already an extremely successful wellness retreat for couples and leisure guests, mainly from German-speaking markets, but owners, Klaus and Monika Ladurner, are very interested in health, medicine and wellness that improves lifestyle and as a result, my brief was to create a meaningful wellness philosophy that could showcase treatments and overall wellness as the main reasons to come to Preidlhof. My aim was to also create a framework for our offering and make it more appealing for international guests.
What’s the starting point for any change? It depends whether it’s a new-build or an existing location, but generally after staying a couple of days I can sense the main direction that should be taken to express its potential.
How do you know when you’re happy a property is finally where you want it to be? I’m extremely creative and my life is 24-hour wellness research, always tuned and updated, so once the flow of creativity starts it goes far and fast – I then adapt to the limitations of the project, whether resource, space or budget.
When it comes to creativity and concept development I sometimes dream of working with an unlimited budget, as in my mind, I feel there is always more that can be achieved.
When it comes to execution, I benefit from logistics, management, marketing and people skills. Everything is in a state of continuous change for me – development never stops until I see and feel coherence, flowing operations, strong results from guests and effective sales and marketing actions.
When living and working in the place feels positive, inspiring and seems peaceful for guests and the team, at that point I can call myself happy.
What’s your process for discovering a property’s essence and then building out its spa menu? This is my favourite part, it’s pure creativity and intuition, combined with experience in travel, hospitality and wellness.
My process is ‘idea-research-study-design-develop-trial-go-live’ and my aim is to use my love for the spa world and my deep trust in holistic therapies to bring everything to life. I once saw a quote I love that captures this. It comes from a dialogue between Socrates, Phaedrus and Eupalinos during which Eupalinos refers to buildings which are ‘mute’, some which ‘speak’ and others which ‘sing’.
Where do you get your inspiration? Spirituality permeates my life and gives me the capacity to think, be mindful of and receptive to the environment and people, and to develop my social intelligence and get in touch with my talents.
I now live more in the flow, connecting the inside and outside and seeing things in perspective. Living like this has healed my life and helped me unlock my professional potential. When my daily creative flow can’t be expressed in my work, I use it to cook, to play, to draw, to dream and to coach friends and colleagues ... otherwise I get stuck.
I enjoy meeting new people who inspire my mind and fill my soul, as well as observing guests and talking to them, which also gives me precious information. I’m also obsessed with the experiential side of life and never stop studying, so I’m developing a rich background of knowledge that pops up unexpectedly with new connections and ideas. l
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2022 issue 1
"When you know you're doing things right, you have power" – Deborah Szekely talks to Spa Business
Spa People: Zoe Wall
Zoe Wall talks about driving the global spa and wellness agenda at Kerzner
New opening: Healing oasis
Zoya, a new integrative health and wellbeing retreat, is opening in the Middle East, as Megan Whitby reports
Interview: Deborah Szekely
As the 'godmother of spa' approaches her 100th birthday, Jan Kitchen travelled to Rancho La Puerta to find out more about her extraordinary life
First Person: Siempre Mejor!
After 82 years, Rancho La Puerta is
still beloved among guests around
the world, who return year after
year for a dose of holistic wellbeing.
Jane Kitchen spent a week at the
Mexican resort to discover how the
spirit of ‘Siempre mejor!’ or ‘Always
better!’ lives on in the 21st century
Sponsored: Phytomer: Celebrating the sea
The story surrounding Phytomer is one of a unique wellness vision, a loyal family, remarkable marine science and pioneering skincare. We talk to deputy general manager Mathilde Gédouin-Lagarde as the company celebrates its 50th anniversary
GWS: Boston strong
If you missed the GWS – or even if you were there – Jane Kitchen's detailed report will give you endless useful actionable insights
Promotion: Yon-ka: Plant power
Benefiting from its founders’ passion for plants, Yon-Ka’s new brand identity reflects its past and its continued research into the healing power of plants which enables the company to craft innovative formulas that deliver results
First person: Paradise at Preidlhof
Lisa Starr travelled to Italy to interview Patrizia Bortolin for Spa Business and experience all that Preidlhof has to offer
Q&A: Patrizia Bortolin
Lisa Starr talks to the award winning visionary
who’s injecting new vigour into Preidlhof
Promotion: Reconnect with ISPA
After a two-year absence, ISPA’s annual Conference offers its
members an opportunity to reconnect and to learn more about
the available tools that can help them recharge their businesses
Q&A: Daniele Vastolo
Chiva-Som has opened a major new property in Qatar, with treatments focused on Traditional Arabic and Islamic Medicine. We talk to the GM
Research: Human nature
Anne Dimon reports on the latest research insights from the Wellness Tourism Association
Saunas: Aufguss
The first aufguss sauna experience in the US has opened in Las Vegas, as Cassandra Cavanah reports
Software: Getting (Hyper) personal
Software that drives generational marketing can create hyper-personalised offerings, as Karen Maxwell discovers
Supplier showcase: Art of Cryo: Best of both worlds
Art of Cryo is blending its high-performance cryotherapy
solutions with intermittent vacuum therapy to offer a
complete and effective whole-body wellness experience
Promotion: Comfort Zone
From 2022, Comfort Zone’s products are going plastic-neutral, certified by Plastic Bank
The Toverland theme park in the Netherlands has announced a €98m expansion programme
that will add a resort, new attractions and staff facilities as it pursues plans to become a multi-
day destination.
Hotel de France, located on the British Isle of Jersey, has created a wellness retreat package
that includes a hot yoga session that will take place in Jersey Zoo’s butterfly sanctuary.
A new immersive attraction designed to transport visitors into the final hours of ancient Pompeii
is preparing to open near the world-famous archaeological site in southern Italy.
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
