SpaTree – bringing the Spa back to Nature

Modern Lifestyles seem to be about downsizing, going back to the roots, simplifying lives, becoming more in tune with nature. So the question today is: How can we bring the Spa back to Nature without sacrifices? Do wellbeing and luxury go together at all?

Who better could answer this question than Jannita Mossel, founder of SpaTree. Jannita has an impressive bio, she actively works as licensed lecturer and international trainer, advisor, writer, speaker and concept developer. Her teaching programs and advisory work centers around themes such as responsible tourism, innovation and trends, back-to nature concepts in Luxury travel, sustainability in Luxury Spa, outdoor & canvas concepts in Hospitality.

bringing the spa back to nature TalkWellness Anja Eva Keller

So let us hear it from the lady herself, how to bring the Spa back to Nature and marry wellbeing with luxury:

Jannita, what is SpaTree?

SpaTree is bringing the Spa back to nature. The two go hand in hand. 

Instead of having the spa tucked away behind concrete walls, we have designed beautiful Spa Lodges to bring a spa experience back to the heart of nature; ….what is better than the calming sound of a river during a treatment?….or a stunning view from a mountain top, to hear the rain falling on the canvas, or the healing sound of lapping sea waves during a massage? it all contributes to relax body, mind & soul in prefect harmony with the natural environment. 

You have vast and global experience in the spa industry. What do you think are major trends, lacks and most pressing matters in our industry?

While there are certainly fantastic Spa’s all over the Globe, with wonderful therapists who are dedicated to give beautiful treatments to their guests, at the core lies the missing aspect of ‘experience’. Nowadays, people don’t visit a Spa just for a treatment, but want to get that amazing experience from the moment they enter a Spa; quietness, silence, nature, smell, sound and service. That’s where SpaTree comes in, by creating  wellbeing concepts which are close to nature and perfectly fit into the concept of an Outdoor Spa. Bringing the Spa back to Nature. This guarantees a wonderful Spa experience where guests are able to reconnect with oneself & the earth- which can only be achieved while being at the heart of it.

bringing the spa back to nature TalkWellness Anja Eva Keller

How does the guest experience differ in one of your lodges compared to a ‘normal’ treatment room?

We don’t have music in the lodge. Wellbeing therapies in one of our lodges don’t need  music, mother nature provides for it; singing birds, lapping waves, wind in the trees, or hearing the rain falling down on the canvas. It is the ultimate feeling of being one with nature while being in the Spa. The Spa menus we have created, are not based on treatments but on wellbeing concepts and in doing so, what we have around us comes into a concept. For example, a Mountain Meditation concept has been created for a Spa in the Alps  and consists of: starting the day with meditation in the nearby mountains. Then an Alpine honey & crystals body polish in the Spa lodge. Fresh valley juices from local farmers will be served. Followed by a herbal hay bath harvested by local farmers, and a warm oil massage with rosemary & gentian root from the mountains. The Mountain Meditation therapy ends with a soothing foot massage with chamomile, which comes from local fields in the mountain valleys.

bringing the spa back to nature TalkWellness Anja Eva Keller

What operational challenges do spa employees face when working in one of your lodges?

The aspect of hygiene is as strict as in a ‘normal’ Spa. Since there is electricity in the lodge, all materials and equipment will be sterilized after use. There is hot and cold water, a shower and a toilet. It all will be maintained to the highest standards of hygiene, which is crucial in a Spa. A hotel or resort can decide what to use on the floor; wood or a floor with anti-slip tiles. Needless to say, a guest is wearing slippers and comfy clothing at all times, provided by the Spa.

In a cooler climate, a wood burner can be installed and since there is electricity in the lodge, the use of a heated massage table adds to that ultimate feeling of luxury and comfort while being in an Outdoor Spa . 

The dynamic nature of our Spa Lodges open up new ways of business; they can be placed in unused areas, offering an innovative and unique Spa concept to guests in a low-risk way.  A lodge also helps to fit in more guests when the main Spa is at full capacity. 

bringing the spa back to nature TalkWellness Anja Eva Keller

Can you tell us a little bit about your target market?

SpaTree’s market is the higher end of the Hospitality market. Resorts, Healing Hotels, Desert Camps, Beach Camps, those are our clients. Since the Lodges are suitable for every type of weather, we concentrate on the international Hospitality market. Recently we have also created a beautiful Resort Lodge with king-size beds, high-quality mattresses, a bath and toilet. The frame of the Lodge is made of  eco-bamboo and strong canvas. The new Resort lodges fit very well in what we stand for: wellbeing and luxury in nature.

If you had one single and simple advise to readers about wellbeing on a daily basis, what would it be?

Don’t forget to connect with nature. Being in the Outdoors is healing. 

picture credit Jannita Mossel, SpaTree

Thank you so much, Jannita, for sharing this with us.
What do you think, my readers, does this not sound like Spa-Glamping? Would you love to have a SpaTree Lodge at your Spa or try a treatment in one of them?

PS. Do not confuse a SpaTree lodge with the massage cabana, that we all have experienced on our last beach holiday. I have previously reviewed spas that offer outdoor treatments in cabanas, for example at the waldSPA