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7. Disconnect to Reconnect: Ananda In The Himalayas x The Nautilus Maldives

This April, acclaimed luxury destination spa and wellness retreat Ananda in the Himalayas and bespoke ultra-luxury bohemian hideaway and private island resort, The Nautilus Maldives. joined hands to create a one of its kind, unique wellness journey. For the first time, The Nautilus welcomed experts from Ananda for an exclusive wellness retreat in the Maldives with daily classes, workshops, and guided sessions in yoga, meditation, and Ananda’s signature gourmet wellness cuisine.

Guests at The Nautilus joined the exclusive and progressive four-day wellness retreat with traditional daily morning yoga and early evening meditation sessions as the cornerstone of the programming. From daily morning practice of Asanas, Pranayama, and Mantra chanting to the early evening meditation sessions, the retreat aimed at progressively taking the journey of body and mind forward, going deeper into mental stability and clarity.

Led by Sandeep Agarwalla, Ananda’s Head of Yoga and Ananda’s Executive Chef Diwaker Balodi, the immersive wellness experience was enhanced with its unique gourmet Ayurvedic cuisine offerings for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Diving into the many facets of this luxe wellness concept, GlobalSpa gets in conversation with Mahesh Natarajan - CEO, Ananda In The Himalayas. and Andre Miethig - GM, The Nautilus Maldives.

1. Starting off, how did this wellness collaboration come about?

M: It was really a meeting of two alike minds. As we got along, we discovered we share similar brand values, customer propositions, and a passion for creating experiences which are so uniquely bespoke and customized in our own fields. Our similar philosophies led us to this exploration in terms of both culture and organization. Both of us wanted to create something transformative for our guests and that’s how we are where we are now! This was a passion project curated with a lot of vision and attention to detail from both sides.

A: Hailing from a family business established by I.U. Maniku, one of the very first entrepreneurs in Maldives, The Nautilus Maldives has history and family behind it, much like Ananda. And as Mahesh says, we both believe in curating bespoke experiences where we focus on each guest for a highly personalized and holistic experience that begins even before they’ve arrived with us. We are a small property with 26 rooms, so we were glad to have the right resources and make this collaboration possible.

2. The retreat emphasized yoga, meditation and essentially mindfulness and holistic well-being. What was the response like from the guests? Was it any different from your initial expectations?

M: It was extremely positive. What struck me the most was people were seeking specific goals for their health goals on a much deeper level. Our Chef and Head of Yoga witnessed people consulting them individually on how to best maintain a healthy lifestyle and understand their own self. We consciously wanted to make this retreat personalized so that guests could take away something tangibly transformative within these five days of the retreat. The great response also opened up gateways to conversations on adding on to this retreat for the future. It created a lot of ideas and we saw even more potential. The privacy combined with the elements of nature was indeed a special experience for the guests. There was no sense of space and time, just the lush environment, and it made it all the more beautiful.

A: Wellness retreats tend to follow a strict itinerary but here we were bound to no fixed schedule. It felt timeless, and that led to some really memorable moments like how our yoga sessions stretched for hours instead of just one, and this one family really liked the food so the chef decided to cook a special dinner just for them. We were able to adapt to individual needs and that was the beauty of this retreat. I also believe the energies of all of us present there were aligned. There was zen all throughout and everyone was collectively enjoying the same activities. This truly created a calming and restorative experience we were hoping our guests would avail. It all merged so naturally.

3. For Mahesh: It seems like this retreat has set a new standard for luxury in wellness tourism. Ananda itself is known for its luxurious properties, so how essential do you think it is for wellness brands to bridge this gap between wellbeing and luxury today?

I think these terms are quite synonymous because if you try and really think about true wellness, there is an element of luxury in everything that we do. I believe there are tangible and intangible factors that come together to bridge this gap. Intangibly, the ability to retreat to a location where one can stay with almost zero distractions and cocoon oneself in a completely immersive experience - that element of time, I believe - is one of the biggest luxuries that one can actually create. The second is the experience of space and nature - how you want guests to feel when they walk in and how well you implement it. And when it comes to tangible elements, it is the effort to detail such as guests having to take comprehensive wellness assessments before arriving at Ananda and our therapists checking your body temperature to choose the right oils for your body treatment which merge together to bring the finest touch of luxury within wellness.

4. For Andre: Sustainability has been a core virtue at The Nautilus. How did you incorporate that philosophy in this retreat specifically?

I always say sustainability is no longer nice to have but a must to have. We’re not limited to just avoiding plastic and using glass bottles throughout our hotel, but also carry a strong holistic approach to being sustainable that’s far beyond it. When it comes to food, our kitchens use only locally sourced fresh ingredients, and we include local communities in our projects to support them as well. Even our staff is handpicked who love the environment and are passionate about the notion and what we stand for. Our surroundings are completely attuned to nature which not only supports biodiversity but also naturally cools the island down. All these details we have put together that directly connect to the impact of sustainability on our guests’ overall wellbeing.

5. For Andre: The Nautilus is the only Maldividan member of Relais & Châteaux - one of the most prestigious hotel associations. How does this collaboration resonate with this new alliance?

Relais & Châteaux is all about luxury, comfort, and a fine sense of hospitality. At the end of the day, it’s about welcoming guests as friends in an atmosphere of shared passions and simply living well. It comes back to offering guests a highly individualistic and personalized space but with something away from the mainstream. Luxury is unscripted; it's individual and it means something different to everyone - that is the essence here.

6. Lastly, statistically speaking, would you say wellness is the new way ahead for hospitality in the new normal?

A: For me it's a definite yes. I'd been traveling to places post-pandemic and this trend has already begun in the world. In fact, wellness has been booming in the past decade in different places around the world and now people are even more willing to invest in their health. It's about prevention for them now and they're going back to their roots. I believe we need to consider the latest science findings but also listen to our ancestors, so if we take the best elements of history and bring them into the 21st century, it creates a beautiful and healthy environment. This is what people are looking for, and this is what people are also willing to spend their money on for what they've worked so hard.

M: From a hospitality perspective, as I speak to people across the industry today who are operating luxury hospitality brands across the world, one thing that is coming of age is the lens with which people are looking at travel, be it for vacation or business. The level of consciousness is changing dramatically. Which kind of destination should I be at? Is it a sustainable destination? Is it a sustainable property? Is it a property that has a well-defined wellness offering? People are actively seeking something conscious for them to do while they’re traveling. There's been a huge resurgence in wellness tourism and I owe it to two years of the pandemic that have really changed the perspective of how people are looking at what is important for their health. On the flipside, people’s expectations are getting high. There is more awareness so people have already set the bar high. Today there are almost equal amounts of emphasis and effort into creating wellness and sustainable facilities within hospitality projects as much as in other aspects of them. It is a crucial shaping moment for brands today.