Th8 Palm Dubai leaves Ennismore to join IHG’s Vignette Collection

Aug 5, 2023 partnerships
Th8 Palm Dubai leaves Ennismore t
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Opened in 2021, Th8 Palm slots into the city’s set of luxury, lifestyle properties in a joint venture between Accor and sbe in 2019 and rebranded to Morgan’s Originals once Ennismore merged with Accor.

It becomes IHG’s debut property for its collection brand launched in August 2021. Th8 Palm Dubai Beach Resort, Vignette Collection remains under the same owners, Kuwaiti firm Aqarat, which also chose IHG as operator of the new Vignette Collection in Kuwait City.

Three Bedroom Luxury Penthouse in Dubai | Th8 Palm Hotel

Talal Jassim Al-Bahar, vice chairman and CEO of Aqarat said: “This collaboration aligns perfectly with the evolving preferences of today’s customers who seek unparalleled luxury experiences and a distinctive luxury and lifestyle brand, precisely what Vignette Collection delivers. Considering Dubai’s status as a renowned tourist destination and the continuous growth of Kuwait’s hospitality market, these two Vignette Collection hotels are poised to capture the attention and admiration of both local and international guests.”

Haitham Mattar, MD, India, Middle East & Africa at IHG Hotels & Resorts, said: “We are thrilled to announce the signing of two remarkable Vignette Collection hotels in Dubai and Kuwait as we continue to expand our luxury and lifestyle portfolio in the region. The partnership with Aqarat and the opening of these hotels marks an important milestone for IHG Hotels & Resorts, as we cater to the growing number of guests who seek luxury experiences that differ from conventional hotel and resort offerings.”

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Discover the Future of Wellness at The Mandrake's New Damu Spa
  • wellness
Discover the Future of Wellness at The Mandrake's New Damu Spa
The Mandrake, the five-star boutique hotel in Fitzrovia, founded and owned by entrepreneur and art collector Rami Fustok, has announced the opening of its new spa, Damu (damu.uk), opening in January 2025. Damu will provide a one-of-a-kind spa offering, taking guests on a transformative journey of rejuvenation and renewal, where advanced treatments blend cutting-edge technology with timeless traditions. Extending the hotel’s existing spiritual wellness offering, Damu will offer a holistic approach, with the experiences targeting visible signs of ageing, and delivering unparalleled results. From head to toe, Damu's treatments will restore vitality and promote holistic well-being. Photo credits: The Mandrake  Showcasing groundbreaking design and interiors, Damu will include a world's first multi-sensory immersive ‘Wavess Wellness Pool’ with waterhaptics, combining the healing powers of sound and light therapy, whilst the body is at 0 gravity, and a specialist mud rasul experience, alongside treatment rooms and a tranquillity space. Named after Damu, a predominant Sumerian God of healing, rebirth and medicinal plants, also widely associated with transformation and transition; Damu will be a highly personalised and premium spa. Damu was believed to be able to find cures for diseases and heal the sick using pioneering medicinal methods, which relates to the benefits provided from the unique treatments Damu will offer. Designed by Tala Fustok Studio, the 700 sq m space holds a maximum of 12 guests at any one period, ensuring every step is an intimate and personalised experience. Tala Fustok Studio has designed a halcyon haven in keeping with the otherworldly nature of The Mandrake's core and tapping into the property's playful philosophy between dark and light.  Entering via the hotel’s portal, guests will arrive at a sleekly designed reception area, before being taken to the dressing rooms, boasting matte black mosaic tile detailing, mud micro-cement showers and dark tap and smoky stained eucalyptus timber features. The dark, candlelit Mud Rasul antechamber and space itself heralds an understated sanctuary, with shapes and textures formed by the micro-cement walls, complementing the abounding mud hue. Within these mud caves, encompassing rock-chiselled surfacing, recessed lighting and back lit surfaces, guests will embrace the boundless moody radiance and partake in The Damu Ritual - a sensual and immersive experience for couples - with a steam room, experience shower and two rain showers.  With a maximum capacity of eight, guests in the mud cave will be invited to use various types of mud, algae and salt scrubs, with each designed for a certain area of the body. The muds are sourced from the Austrian Alps and will be bespoke with the addition of supplements, such as ethnobotanical extracts, which can be personally chosen by each guest. For an alternative world’s first experience, Damu has partnered with immersive design studio, Metaspheric and wellness technology company, Wavess, to create a unique wellness experience, aimed to connect with the origin and heal your senses. The futuristic immersive wellness room, will be equipped with smart sensors and lighting to guide guests through the experience. Guests will enter a circular pool, where they will experience floating amidst sacred vibrations, controlling the water and reconnecting their body to the origin of perception. New to the global market and a first in the wellness world, the Wavess Wellness Pool experience uses a multi-sensory immersive media system as opposed to sensory deprivation. Metaspheric’s unique Wavess Wellness pool – made exclusively for The Mandrake - uses waterhaptics technology to make the entire body of water vibrate with sound at low frequencies. The Wavess Wellness Pool will see the human body floating into music providing a deep physical and mental massage with immersive soundscapes, colours and visuals, combining the known healing benefits of sound baths, with those of light therapy and flotation tanks, delivering a feeling of euphoria.  Photo credits: The Mandrake  Pre or post the Mud Rasul or Wavess Wellness Pool, guests can relax and recline in the spa’s Tranquillity Room, where pivotal greenery propelled into the skylight harks back to the floral paradisiacal essence of The Mandrake, and the insouciant botanical concept aligns with the property’s name itself. Landscape architect, Bas Smets, who designed The Mandrake's Jurema Terrace hanging gardens, has brought his expertise to the Tranquillity Room. He first studied its microclimatic conditions in order to understand with what natural climate it responds, enabling him to select a Bird of Paradise plant, and specifically its albino variant, with Beach Spider Lily and Maidenhair Fern growing at its foot. These plants together bring the beauty and mystery of an imagined far away landscape, while perfectly responding to its growing conditions in the spa. In this way, this installation completes the work started at The Mandrake, where 500 climbers respond to the specific conditions of the courtyard, surrounding the Jurema Terrace. Damu will offer a range of treatments to enhance your external aesthetic, inviting guests to treat multiple skin conditions during the same single treatment; Derma-pen micro needling Collagen Stimulation therapy (CST), and LED phototherapy for a truly rejuvenating and healing experience. The spa will also offer several spa packages for guests to experience everything the property has to offer. Rami Fustok, Founder and Owner of The Mandrake comments, “I am delighted we are finally opening our Damu spa. We have done extensive global research and trials to create what will be a world’s first treatment, like no other. The feeling guests will leave with, will be euphoric and the addition of the spa to the hotel, extends our existing creative ethos and core holistic values. There are spas in many hotels and The Mandrake always strives for innovation and creativity, and I believe Damu will deliver just that.” Prices at Damu will start from £250, with bookings opening from this winter Damu – taking guests on a transformative journey of rejuvenation and renewal, where advanced treatments blend cutting-edge technology with timeless traditions in London.
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