05 November,2009 09:23 AM IST | | Urmimala Banerjee
Stress-busting business can be stressful in itself. These days, Anna Maria Tavares, managing director of the world-famous Six Senses Destination Spas is busy planning to set up her spas in the country shortly. She tells CS about her love for wellness:
Starting out
I was working with Hyatt Regency and got opportunities to work across the globe, including places like Chiva Som, Thailand, which is the one of the best wellness retreats in the world. I was always into wellness, in the sense that I always ate right, exercised and believed in a healthy lifestyle. While working at Chiva Som, I got the chance to set up Six Senses Spas. It has been a tremendous learning experience for me. A lot of research and hard work goes into setting up a spa and ensuring the credibility of their programmes, but it's worth the effort.u00a0
Truly Asian
I was in the Middle East for 10 years working for the Intercontinental Hotel. During my stay in that area, I interacted with Indians, Pakistanis, Filipinos and people from other nationalities. This gave me good exposure to Asian cultures. And Thailand is one of the best places to learn about hospitality and multi-culturalism. I feel that spas are more suited in Asian countries than foreign ones as these cultures have always promoted the idea of holistic living.u00a0
Into spa-ce
The idea of spa has changed tremendously. Like golf courses, spas too were meant for the rich and super rich. This is not the case anymore. People have realised the benefits of massaging, and are taking advantage of it. However, the concept of spa has slowly moved from just massages to wellness. People want to detoxify both the body and the mind. They have realised that if you have the money, you might as well invest in health. At a wellness retreat, you adopt healthy habits like eating in moderation, exercising, meditation, yoga that gives you long term benefits.u00a0
Incredible India
I absolutely love India. The food here's amazing and it's so hard to resist all the delicacies. Indian hospitality is top-notch like other Asian countries. It has a rich historical and cultural heritage. I loved my trip to the Taj Mahal.
