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A
vailable in some 1,600 spas, salons and
cruise ships thoughout more than 60
countries around the world, Elemis is a
great British success story. It has secured
a leading position in the spa and retail sectors,
connecting with 6.5m people every year through
a strong presence in stores, online and via the ever
successful QVC shopping channel.
As part of a project to re-establish what Elemis
stands for a quarter of a century after its inception, a
group of design and spa experts, hand-picked by chief
European Spa talks to the Elemis team about the reinvention of its
iconic day spa to coincide with the brand’s 25th anniversary
marketing officer and co-founder, Oriele Frank, and
managing director and co-founder, Noella Gabriel,
have completely re-imagined the brand’s flagship day
spa in London’s Mayfair.
More than just the product of a makeover,
The House of Elemis is a complete regeneration of
the iconic spa that has been attracting guests since it
opened 14 years ago. Identified as ‘the creative heart of
Elemis’, this charming townhouse is a contemporary
and welcoming sanctuary in which every element has
been designed to enhance the client experience and
House of loveClockwise from above: The House
of Elemis’s stylish mews location
encourages walk-in clients; soft decor
maximises product impact in the
retail area; Elemis Biotec’s ‘technology
and touch’ remains a vital part of the
treatment offering
spas
[ Report by Mark Smith ]

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The House of Elemis, UK
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“My job for The House
of Elemis was to go right
back into what defines
us as a brand – great
treatments and products,
a great touch, and expert
knowledge and education”
Noella Gabriel
Managing director and
co-founder, Elemis
reflect the brand’s aim to provide ‘the very best that
science and nature can offer’.
A new dawn
From the treatment menu to the design, fixtures
and fittings, no aspect has been left untouched, with
innovative additions such as the Speed Spa, a new
retail concept, and the launch of a VIP penthouse
suite reflecting the brand’s fresh vision.
The House of Elemis’s new treatment menu is set
to be rolled out in February 2016, with the complete
day spa concept reaching its first international
outpost in Miami, US soon after. Oriele Frank says
that the creation of a global blueprint was one of the
main objectives in the recent project.“This involved
rebranding the Elemis Day Spa with a complete
refurbishment and new concept,’ she explains.
The effects of the recent work are apparent right at
the entrance to the building, which now boasts a dual
aspect on the quaint Mayfair mews in which it sits.
“We wanted to encourage walk-in traffic, making the
most of our apex location, and provide high visibility,”
explains Frank.“We knew that when we created the
original day spa we didn’t build for retail at all.We
have transitioned and matured as a brand, continually
learning retail.We are not running this space like a
spa, we run it like a shop and a spa. Separating out the
two parts of the business has been a real step-change
for The House of Elemis.”
An eye for design
Despite various struggles gaining planning permission
for work on the townhouse, the team’s vision for
the project has been fully realised, blending natural
materials with textural lighting, artisanal glass,
ceramics and innovative design to create an intimate,
residential atmosphere.
“We wanted it to be warm, quintessentially British,
sophisticated, glamorous, a little edgy and cool, with
luxury service and quality as cornerstones of the
design,” explains Frank.
Virgile + Partners, who previously worked with
Elemis at Debenhams, won the design contract for
The House of Elemis.“The idea was to translate the

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spas
concept of unintimidating luxury, and to create a
sophisticated and distinctive beauty sanctuary through
a contemporary and elegant design that has an
inherent British quality,” says director Carlos Virgile.
“The concept also plays up the feeling of being in
the actual ‘house’ of the brand, combining Bond Street
luxury with a contemporary spirit of accessibility.”
Materials for the build were carefully selected,
with timber and parquet floors matched with a
soft, neutral, but warm colour palette that enhances
the presence of the brand’s products rather than
competing with them. Form crucially follows function
throughout the building, particularly in the retail
space, where strong visual merchandising, imaginative
displays and promotional areas are given prominence.
“Transparency and glow – both inherent in the
quality of skin – were important in the scheme,
always playing with light and soft reflections in the
presence of the back-lit ‘skin membrane’ that creates
the signature background to the product display,”
Virgile describes.
Light also plays an important part in the treatment
rooms which are flooded with natural daylight, while
the installed lighting is soft and relaxing, using colour
therapy and the reflection of natural patterns in the
ceiling to reflect the theme of the treatment.
Tuning into you
Beyond the physical transformation of the townhouse,
the biggest change clients will notice is on the
treatment menu. Noella Gabriel has personally crafted
every new treatment, spending 18 months breaking
down each of the previous offerings, renewing their
core values, and modifying their different stages to
reflect the concept of ‘couture beauty’.
“We shaped the experience to deliver what you
need, when you need it,” Gabriel explains.“It’s not
customised, not prescribed, it’s more.” For example,
each facial treatment now includes a consultation and
skin analysis.“We wanted a real focus on facials, so
“I am so excited to present
the inaugural House of
Elemis in the heart of
Mayfair, the home of this
incredible British brand. My
vision is to see this global
standalone concept rolled
out in every major city
around the world”
Séan Harrington
President and
co-founder, Elemis
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5. Elemis
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Clockwise from far left: A couple
enjoy massage as part of their
facials; artwork by Valeria
Nascimento in the penthouse suite;
the Speed Spa features elements of
Elemis’s venture with British Airways;
every treatment room has a Skinlab
for private skincare consultations;
a Nails Inc. manicure; the Speed Spa
treatment area
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www.europeanspamagazine.com | european spa
there are Skinlabs in each treatment room.They are
no longer performed in an open-plan environment, it’s
much more intimate with the client, really engaging
with them, finding out how they are feeling, and what
their skincare concerns are.”
This highly personalised approach extends beyond
the therapy rooms to the new Speed Spa and into the
private penthouse, which includes the services of a spa
concierge who can attend to client requirements from
hair appointments to dinner reservations and more.
The House of Elemis reflects the evolving nature
of spa and the role it has in people’s lives. It presents a
new perspective on how spa fits into the daily routine
of busy people, says Gabriel.
“It’s all changed in what we are delivering; 14 years
ago people thought you had to travel to have a spa
experience. So in the Elemis Day Spa we brought Bali
and the Maldives to them.That’s how they equated
the spa experience.Today the spa experience is about
helping people, in their lifestyle, to manage their
choices. Spa is there to help them,” she concludes.
On the menu
With many years of experience, Noella Gabriel is
internationally renowned for her expert touch and has
a unique take on what’s hot in the spa market.The
House of Elemis’s new treatments aim to offer exactly
what spa guests demand today, with each experience
created to stimulate all five senses.
Naturally, the treatments benefit from the power of
‘technology and touch’ via the Biotec Machine, with
a new extended treatment ritual being one of those
constantly trialled during the development phase.
Also introduced are specialist treatments for men;
enhanced Biotec facials with longer treatment time
and more ‘touch’; and totally new massage therapies
that fuse the power of heat and pressure, including
Poultice-Powered Muscle Release and Hot Mineral
Body Boost.
Comfort is a crucial factor and The House of
Elemis’s seven treatment rooms have specially
designed beds by Gharieni, including two bespoke
Amber and Quartz Crystal beds.The first of their kind
in the UK, the quartz in the bed can be molded to
the client’s body, providing warmth and support for a
therapeutic spa experience.
“I fell in love with them so much we have two of
them in The House of Elemis,” says Gabriel.“I didn’t
just want them exclusively available for those who can
“We have delivered a
whole new treatment
menu which we will launch
next February – it will give
Elemis spas and salons
a revitalised platform for
the brand.”
Oriele Frank
Chief marketing officer and
co-founder, Elemis

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spas The House of Elemis, UK
Clockwise from above: Luxurious relaxation on
one of the Ghareini Amber and Quartz Crystal
Beds; a Poultice-Powered Muscle Release
massage is among the menu’s new additions;
a private consultation in the penthouse suite
pay that amount in the penthouse. I wanted this to be
widely available in another room for everyone.”
In addition, there is a dedicated pregnancy room
where treatments can be conducted on bean bags on
the floor, allowing additional comfort for the client.
Up on the roof
The penthouse suite is a dedicated double treatment
room where friends, couples or family members can
relax and experience ‘couture beauty’ in total privacy.
Bathed in natural daylight, it offers an exclusive
spa opportunity in the heart of Mayfair, with a spa
concierge, access to the new treatment menu, juices,
sparkling prosecco and options for light bites.
The penthouse features the largest of many
sculptural installations in the spa by Valeria
Nascimento, with delicate porcelain petals creating an
elegant finishing touch to the walls and resonating with
the rest of the building though its subtle texture that
reflects light and casts tiny shadows.
The Speed Spa
At the other end of the spectrum is the Speed Spa,
located on the lower ground floor, which fits perfectly
with the fast-paced nature of urban life in the UK
capital.An integral part of the business, it takes
elements of the Elemis Travel Spa at British Airways
and weaves them into a results-oriented treatment
space that is funky, full of life and will be quick and
simple for other spas to adopt.
A mixture of 15 and 30-minute treatments include
brow shaping from HD Brows and nail treatments
from Nails Inc., alongside a selection of Elemis Speed
Spa therapies.“Thanks to our collaboration with British
Airways, we learned what you can put into 15 minutes,
and that is what the Speed Spa is all about.We have
a very diverse clientele at Elemis and we have to
engage with those who have an economy of time,
so it opens at 8am.”
The thorough rejuvenation of its day spa and
treatment menu has set the new House of Elemis up as
a beacon of business for the next decade and beyond.
Gabriel concludes:“I dared to go to places I didn’t dare
before, and the three elements of the House of Elemis
sum up our brand today: the retail space, as you enter,
with all of our products; the quick service in the Speed
Spa, delivering what you want at an affordable price;
and then the decadence above in the penthouse.”
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SPA STATISTICS
The House of Elemis
2 Lancashire Court, Mayfair, London
+44 (0) 20 7499 4995
www.elemis.com
Total area: 300sqm
Staff: 26
Treatment rooms: Seven in total
Treatments: 71
Operations manager: Clare Carroll
Front of house supervisor:
Laura Campbell
Therapist supervisor: Jennifer Hunt
Corporate sales and event manager:
Amelia Jeffery
Design: Virgile + Partners
Building contractor: Jaysam
Suppliers: Hansgrohe, Domus Tiles,
Caesar Ceramics, Majestic, Utopia
Treatment beds: Gharieni
Speed Spa grooming chairs: Takara
“We have spent years developing
the quartz spa tables... which aid
and speed up relaxation, offering
multiple options for massages
and treatments”
Sammy Gharieni
CEO and founder, Gharieni Group