Civana, a new hospitality and real estate company led by Kevin Kelly – former Canyon Ranch president and chief branding officer – aims to change the face of wellness resorts when its first property debuts in Arizona early next year. The team plans to open between three and five resorts within the next five years, with a model based around sustainable wellness, deeper guest experiences and social connection. Another main focus is on making wellness more affordable, with prices it says will be between 30 and 50 per cent less than its higher-end wellness immersion counterparts.
Sustainability is a passion of Kelly’s; most recently, he was CEO and co-owner of California’s Two Bunch Palms, where he converted the property into the first carbon-neutral resort in North America. Joining Kelly is Larry Lamy, former vice president of finance for Miraval and Canyon Ranch; and spa and wellness brand executive Rianna Riego, who assisted Kelly in the rebranding of Two Bunch Palms. Peter Smith, former COO of Canyon Ranch, is an adviser and senior board member of Civana.
The first project will see an investment of US$40m (€33.4m, £30.6m) to transform the 189-bedroom Carefree Resort in Scottsdale, Arizona, into a new, modern resort, resulting in updated rooms and public spaces, along with a “world-class spa”, movement studios and fitness centre. This is all being done with a focus on sustainable design brought to life by the architectural team at Phoenix-based firm 3rd Story. Civana has plans to develop not just resorts, but to add homes to those properties where the size allows, creating wellness communities of the kind profiled this year in the pages of Spa Business.
Importantly, the company also plans to create an affordable health and wellness environment in order to cater to “wellness-conscious” consumers. Civana estimates there are 18.75 million US households who want a healthier experience while travelling, but are not committed enough to pay the price a destination wellness resort demands.
The group hopes a model of authentic programming and a flair for design will also be attractive to millennial travellers, who may be short on cash, but are some of the most dedicated wellness consumers in the market – and who look for authenticity above all else. We talk to the top team.
|
|
|
