With medical tourism at the rise throughout Southeast Asia, Sofitel Philippine Plaza has jettisoned the normal spa playbook, teamed with among the many country’s most famous wellness experts and opened the doors on a health and aesthetic institute, the 1st inside a hotel in Asia.
“Manila is an enormous destination for international travelers who want cost-effective aesthetic treatments,” said Goran Aleks, general manager of Sofitel Philippine Plaza. “They stick with us forever. Watching them exit the hotel for wellness clinics (downtown) sparked a concept: Why not take it to the following level, and develop an idea that goes beyond the fast fix to full-on behavior modification”
Called Vietura, the hot facility offers an array of customizable programs designed to assist clients look better and live healthier.
Services range from weight-management tools akin to Calloblock — which naturally binds carbs and fats within the food you consume and quickens the calorie-burning process — to anti-aging procedures that involve the administration of medicine directly into the fattiest layer of skin.
Vietura also has tried-and-tested remedies for complexion problems and digestive disorders.
All solutions are non-invasive and start with an entire-body assessment — step one in Vietura’s three-step ‘Measure, Mentor and Monitor’ philosophy.
“Vietura isn’t your typical medical spa; it’s a life-style experience,” Aleks said. “It’s for the individual that understands that the trail to bigger confidence isn’t dramatic change. It’s a protracted-term holistic approach that leads to a more natural glow and prompts friends to invite, ‘Where did you go on vacation’ other than ‘What surgeon did you only see’”
Vietura’s concept was developed by its chief practitioner, Dr. Mary Jane Torres, a Filipina who spent years studying mesotherapy methods in Europe and is a tough-core believer in non-invasive, non-surgical solutions.
For face contouring, she employs Platelet-Rich Plasma technology, which harnesses the healing powers of platelets present in the blood.
For body sculpting, she uses Italian-made resonance machines, which produce electrodes that speed fat dissolving and skin tightening.
During the process any treatment, she runs tests to ensure every move is the correct move.
“Evidence is everything,” said Torres, who has treated one of the crucial Philippines’ biggest celebrities throughout the Zen Institute, a medical spa she founded in 2006.
In addition to Torres, Vietura’s staff includes 12 registered nurses, a dietician and a way of life coach.
Their workplace is a set of 20 treatment rooms located in a strategic and discreet corner of Manila’s only bayside hotel.
The facility’s position means it may be accessed via the back of the valuables — a feature Aleks expects will entice local business.
“It’s a really private setting so guests can also be assured of anonymity,” Aleks said. “That’s a huge deal to a couple people, especially those within the public eye.”
There isn’t any common waiting area, either.
When a guest enters, they’re escorted on to a consultation room, where soothing, ambient music is but one component to the consultation experience.
Another is the design itself, which was imagined by Gruppo Espazio, a prolific, Manila-based interior design firm that still conceived the fashionable LeSpa at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.
In Vietura, Gruppo Espazio devised an area this is sleek yet natural, thanks largely to warm lighting and a live, vertical garden feature in each consultation room.
“It’s anything but clinical,” Aleks added. “Vie means life and tura means nature. We needed to construct off that, and create something people would find calming and comfy and compatible with what Sofitel stands for in addition. i believe we’ve accomplished that.”
Vietura’s launch comes at the heels of another debut at Sofitel Philippine Plaza.
On Nov. 8, the hotel officially reopened Spiral restaurant after a year-long, US $11 million renovation.
The culinary marvel now features 21 dining ateliers helmed by Eric Costille, the regional executive chef for Sofitel Asia-Pacific.
Built in 1976 with input from former President Ferdinand Marcos and primary Lady Imelda, Sofitel Philippine Plaza has long been the address of choice for guests of the country’s capital.
The only 5-star hotel with a resort setting in Manila is adjacent to the long-lasting Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and within quarter-hour of the international airport, Mall of Asia and historic Spanish walled city of Intramuros.
At 609 rooms, the valuables is the most important in Sofitel’s portfolio and, in true Sofitel spirit, exudes a mixture of French savoir faire and authentic local touches.
