ANGSANA CORFU RESORT & SPA

A sanctuary for the senses

We find out how Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa, a flagship of the Banyan Tree Group, is building on its eight pillars of wellbeing to provide personalised retreats

INTERVIEW BY LAUREN HEATH-JONES

Set high in the hills overlooking Akra Punta bay in Corfu, Greece, Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa is Banyan Tree Group’s (BTG) first European flagship property. The 196-room resort, operated and managed under BTG’s luxury Angsana brand, offers stunning views of the sea and surrounding mountains, and features a luxurious 1,400sqm spa.

Billed as a Mediterranean sanctuary for the mind, body and soul, Angsana Spa takes a personalised approach to wellness guided by eight wellbeing touchstones with the aim of increasing guests’ sense of connection to themselves and the world around them.

Angsana Corfu Resort & Spa offers stunning views of the Mediterranean Sea

The spa features 11 treatment rooms, indoor and outdoor pool areas, as well as spa gardens with outdoor massage pavilions and a juice bar. A state-of-the-art gym and yoga pavilions complete the wellness offering.

In addition, the resort offers multiple food and beverage venues, a kids club and access to local tourist hotspots and excursions.

European Spa spoke to Dharmali Kusumadi, senior vice-president of BTG, and Angsana Spa manager Sandra Amaral to find out more.

A guest enjoys a sauna at Angsana Spa

Tell us about Angsana’s approach to its guests’ health and wellbeing

Sandra Amaral (SA): Our priority is our guests’ mental and physical wellbeing so we take a holistic approach to wellness based on eight pillars: physical vitality, dietary awareness, sleep and rest, learning and development, bonding and connection, sustainable practices, harmony with nature and mind cultivation.

Every wellbeing journey begins with a personalised assessment based on these pillars so that we can provide an incredible experience that has been tailored to our clients’ individual needs.

The first-floor gym overlooks a 25m indoor pool

Our philosophy is that individual wellbeing is all about connection – connection to ourselves, our communities and the nature that surrounds us – so it’s crucial that our experiences foster those feelings of connection for our guests.

Please talk us through your guest journey

SA: As soon as our guests enter the spa we do everything we can to make them feel special. Our focus is purely on maximising their experience. They are greeted with a welcome drink and a consultation during which we help them to choose treatments based on their desired outcomes. A therapist then talks them through each treatment so they know what to expect.

Treatments begin with a foot ritual and include 30 minutes of Calm Time, where guests can relax and partake in refreshments. Our goal is for every person to leave our spa feeling rejuvenated having had a truly personalised experience.

Outdoor massage pavilions provide al fresco treatments

What are the spa’s signature experiences and how is its locality incorporated into these?

SA: Angsana is a true oasis for the body and soul. We offer Asian and Mediterranean-inspired face and body treatments that blend traditional eastern and western healing techniques with locally grown and sustainable Corfiot ingredients.

Our special edition Silk Road body wraps – named after the network of trade routes that historically connected China to the west – use regional ingredients to reawaken the body and invigorate the spirit. The Mediterranean Honey wrap uses local honey to give guests a nourishing treat that leaves the skin soft and supple. Our Corfiot Metamorphosis wraps are powered by vitamin C and other anti-ageing ingredients to replenish the skin, ease muscular tension and leave guests ready to face the world.

Part of the design brief was to maximise the sense of space within the spa

Additionally, a Mediterranean version of Angsana’s innovative Rainmist experience uses olive oil, honey and thyme from local suppliers. The treatment combines a cascading rain mist shower and steam bath with these ingredients to awaken the senses and hydrate the skin.

Banyan Tree’s ethos is about using local products, not only to enhance the guest experience by giving them a sense of place but also to support the local economy. Additionally, our commitment to nature as one of our healing principles means that the products that are used in our treatments are organic and locally and sustainably sourced.

Tell us about the design process that led to the spa’s creation. What was the brief?

Dharmali Kusumadi (DK): Our brief was to maximise the space and the site’s potential so that we could meet current market demands and provide new guest experiences for wellness travellers. To do this we revamped the swimming pool, transforming it into a stunning feature, and added a rooftop bar.

A guest takes in the spa’s outdoor treatment facilities

With the Angsana Spa, which is our signature, we wanted to create a calming ambience that would put guests at ease. It’s very difficult to relax in a clinical setting and that was the opposite of what we wanted the spa to be. We wanted to marry Asian and Venetian influences in its design. It was really important to pay tribute to Angsana’s Asian heritage, which we did with the walkway at the spa’s entrance, and complement that with details and colours taken from Venetian traditions.

We also created a ‘cave’ treatment room using local rocks so it would feel like being inside the mountains behind the resort. We wanted to merge the indoors into the outdoors and make the spa feel like it literally flows into nature.

Why was Corfu chosen for the brand’s European flagship property?

DK: The plan was always to build the European flagship in Greece. Corfu was the ideal destination due to its focus on wellness, its respect for the environment and its vibrant culture.

Eastern influences extend to the spa’s textiles and robes

The property itself is a beautiful hillside sanctuary with stunning views of Akra Punta bay and the surrounding mountains, so it was definitely fit to be the first European property to fly the Angsana flag. As it was a case of renovating and rebranding an existing property rather than building a resort from the ground up, the project was less impacted by the country’s financial crisis and the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Can you tell us more about your European expansion plans

DK: We currently have 35 hotels and resorts in various stages of design and construction around the world. However, in terms of European expansion, our next property is scheduled to open in Salzberg, Austria later this year. After that our focus is on southern Europe, especially coastal areas like Portugal and Croatia. There are also plans for further properties in Greece, as well as new developments in Spain, Montenegro and Turkey.

A treatment room is prepared to welcome guests

In addition, we are developing new properties in America, the Caribbean, Africa, the Pacific region and the Middle East, and there are also plans for further growth in Asia, South-East Asia, East Asia and China.

SPA STATISTICS

Owner: Banyan Tree Group General manager: Michael Metaxas Spa manager: Sandra Amaral Architect: Dharmali Kusumadi Spa team: 14 Spa size: 1,400sqm Treatment rooms: 11 indoor rooms and additional outdoor massage pavilions Hydrothermal experiences: Seaview Jacuzzi and Rainmist showers Pools: A 25m indoor pool, a second indoor pool and an outdoor infinity pool Fitness facilities: A state-of-the-art gym and yoga pavilions Suppliers: Gharieni, Libra, KLAFS, Contractus Product partners: Sothys, Coola Organic Suncare, Biologique Recherche, Gallery Lala Rafiq Dress

www.angsana.com/en/greece/corfu