8 minute read
SPA SPECIFIER – Showcasing stylish equipment and leading-edge technology
SHOWCASING STYLISH EQUIPMENT AND LEADING-EDGE TECHNOLOGY
Edited by Lauren Heath-Jones
ICAROS Pro
Designed and manufactured in Germany, ICAROS Pro combines VR and gamification elements with exercise to produce what is described as a whole ‘eco-system for exciting and performance-improving exercise’.
Developed for use in hotel and spa gyms, ICAROS Pro offers effective core and upper body training while also allowing users to work on different muscle groups and improve their reflexes, balance and coordination.
Compatible with several VR headsets including the HTC Vive and Oculus Rift, as well as tablets and screens, the system features an extensive library of eSport and VR exercise experiences that enable users to fly, dive or drive through virtual worlds as they improve their fitness.
Among the experiences on offer is Engadin, which offers a photorealistic flight across the Swiss Alps and the town of St Moritz in Switzerland. Another thrilling option is Berchtesgaden, in which users can take flight across the Berchtesgaden National Park in the Bavarian Alps in Germany or put on a virtual wingsuit to take a flying dive off the mountains.
“We combine fitness and gaming in the most immersive way. Our goal is to turn workouts into unforgettable experiences,” says ICAROS CEO and co-founder Johannes Scholl.
“The original idea and design for ICAROS was nothing less than fulfilling an ancient dream of humankind: to make people fly,” he adds.
www.icaros.com
Deep Relaxation Room, Preidlhof
Housed inside a sealed space filled with 12,500 LED lights, the Deep Sea Relaxation Room at the Prieldhof spa and wellness resort in the South Tyrol, Italy (p18), combines light, sound and vibration therapies to create immersive under-water or deep-space experiences.
Designed by inventor and audiologist Daniel Lathan to offer guests an experience “beyond preconceived ideas and previous perceptions of room planning”, the concept targets areas of the brain responsible for creativity and relaxation – measured against electroencephalogram (EEG) and Heart Rate Variability (HRV) scores – to boost the efficacy of full-body treatments by promoting deep relaxation.
“These concepts don’t provoke memories and lead us back into the past, they create space for a new reality in which light and sound activate a previously unknown and therefore non-biased trigger,” he says.
www.preidlhof.it/en
Home Collection, ESPA
Luxury spa brand ESPA’s Home Collection wellness retail offering now includes a new weighted blanket, made from 100 per cent cotton and filled with glass beads, which is designed to provide a relaxing spa-like experience in the home.
Aiming to enhance sleep, aid relaxation, improve mood and reduce anxiety, the blanket is available in four different weights: 4.5kg, 7kg, 9kg and 11kg, for optimal comfort levels.
“We’re dedicated to being a true, modern-day 360-degree wellness brand and our selection of new homeware products has been expertly designed to help our customers live life in a more balanced and happier way,” says ESPA managing director Danny Golby.
“The blanket’s gentle pressure contributes to the improvement of sleep, mood and relaxation, while helping you to reduce restlessness and feel comforted when drifting off to sleep.”
www.espaskincare.com
Bellaria, Lemi
Luxury Italian spa and wellness equipment manufacturer Lemi has produced the Bellaria treatment bed specifically for outdoor treatments. Equipped with a waterproof base, a horseshoe headrest and a seamless mattress, it can be adapted to accommodate several types of treatment thanks to remote synchronised back-leg movements and lifting motions.
The controller is also equipped with AUT and END settings, the first of which returns the bed to its pre-treatment setting, while the second moves the bed into an end of treatment position for an easier exit.
According to Lemi general manager Matteo Brusaferri, the Bellaria bed was originally aimed at spas in tropical climes and was in development before the Covid-19 pandemic drove demand for outdoor spa treatments, due to the lower risk of virus transmission outside.
“After receiving requests from different parts of the world for the development of an outdoor spa bed, we agreed to undertake the design of a solution for tropical places. A product that could guarantee quality while enhancing relaxation in an outdoor environment,” says Brusaferri.
“The design of this product turned out to be a priority because treatments in outdoor environments have become highly sought-after, so consequently, we worked to focus on this product as much as possible,” he adds.
www.lemispa.com
Blu Room, JZ Knight
Invented by entrepreneur JZ Knight and developed in partnership with Dr Matthew Martinez, the Blu Room is a sensory deprivation experience designed to promote calm and healing.
Housed inside a futuristic octagon shape, a combination of patented technology and blue and UVB light creates a healing atmosphere that encourages mental relaxation.
Blu Room offers 20-minute deep relaxation sessions that blend music and vibration to relieve pain, increase self-awareness, fast-track the healing process, alleviate stress and anxiety and improve general health.
“A healthy mind brings about a healthy body,” says Knight. “The Blu Room doesn’t directly treat physical conditions; it supports your mind. Improvements in physical health are a side effect of the mind getting well.”
There are currently 43 Blu Room locations operating around the world in Europe, New Zealand, Australia and the Americas.
www.bluroom.com
i-Boost, I-tech Industries
Italy-based skin tech company I-tech Industries has developed a new body treatment concept that combines two of its patented devices; icoone and icoone Booster.
Aimed at spas, the i-Boost full-body ritual features the icoone’s Roboderm technology (pictured), which delivers 21,600 micro-stimulants per minute directly to the connective tissue to regenerate and revitalise the skin.
The second phase of the treatment uses the icoone Booster Elispheric platform. Using sloping movements, rotation and vibration, the platform increases muscle tone and improves balance and flexibility.
Sessions are said to visibly improve posture, skin structure, muscle tone, flexibility and the appearance of cellulite, as well as increasing a sense of wellbeing.
“i-Boost offers customers a total beauty experience based on a perfect harmony between skin quality, balanced muscle tone and mental wellbeing,” says iTech Industries general manager Luca Gualdrini.
www.i-boost.it
Genuine green thinking, The Benholm Group
Based on the principle that humans are innately linked to nature, biophilic design can improve mental health, reduce stress and provide a better quality of life by incorporating natural elements such as light, water, air and greenery into urban design.
The Benholm Group uses this to transform spa and wellness experiences, as it did at the Kimpton Blythswood Square Hotel in Glasgow, Scotland, where a hotel room was transformed into an immersive, biophilic spa experience.
Called La Chambre Verte, the concept includes plant life and greenery, as well as a bespoke soundtrack of nature sounds created by DJ Brian d’Souza. Described as ‘the recipe for the perfect night’s sleep’, the experience also offers CBD treatments and cocktails from La Rue Verte.
Adrian Byne
Adrian Byne, Benholm Group marketing and HR manager
“Plants provide direct visual contact with nature," says Adrian Byne, Benholm Group marketing and HR manager. "Naturally attractive, lush green foliage works subconsciously on our inner senses to give us that connection with nature and also provides physical, three-dimensional and tactile experiences.
“Real living plants can be used to clean harmful toxins from the air, remove CO2 and produce oxygen to help provide sustainable air quality.”
www.benholm.com
Zero Waste, Urb’n Nature
Zero Waste by Urb’n Nature has expanded its range of sustainable spa and hotel amenities with the addition of a 100 per cent plastic-free spa underwear line.
Disposable and compostable, the unisex collection consists of several pieces including tank tops, briefs, boxers and thongs.
The range is made from plant fibres, cotton and Modal, suitable for allergy sufferers, and designed to be soft and breathable as well as sturdy and crease-resistant with a cooling effect on the skin.
Made from cellulose, Modal is itself an entirely plant based fabric, meaning it’s suitable for clients who follow a vegan lifestyle. It’s also a more sustainable fabric option as it requires less water and energy to manufacture.
“Plastic-free sustainable spa underwear is just one of our brand’s many ways to tackle the overuse of single-use plastics in spas,” says Jörg Demuth, co-owner and product development director of Zero Waste by Urb’n Nature. www.urbn-nature.com
Super Soft Towels, Majestic Towels
Spa towelling specialist Majestic Towels has developed a new range of Super Soft Towels.
Billed as the ‘ultimate towel for the modern-day spa’, Super Soft Towels are available in a jumbo size, measuring 150cm by 220cm, and as a treatment bed towel with optional head-hole collar.
Designed to be soft, lightweight and snag-free, the towels are available in a slate grey colour-way and are made from a dual-layered fabric, with an outer polyester layer and a soft cotton inner layer.
Majestic Towels has also drawn on its more than 40 years of experience to make the towels environmentally conscious, using Azo-free dyes, while the polyester-cotton blend requires less water and energy to launder than traditional cotton.
The towels also experience less shrinkage and reduced oil absorption, and are designed to withstand frequent use for busy spas.
www.majestictowels.co.uk
