Spa design is about creating a sense of place, one that can be other worldly but also rooted in the location, the culture and customs. And one that promotes a sense of well being. Our belief is that people do come to the spa to change their outlook, so the spa must promote a sense of well being and calm so that guests leave feeling better than when they arrived. Working with a spa consultant, our goal is to create a long lasting design and d'ecor that's also highly functional and flexible and compliments and heightens the treatments offered and the guest experience.

In CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La Hotel in Chengdu, China, we were inspired by the 1933 novel Lost Horizon and Shangri-La, an idyllic, secluded mountain community that symbolizes utopia. Chi, the Chinese word used to describe the natural energy of the universe, is all about harmony and balance and all of the therapies used in the spa were based on Chinese and Himalayan wellbeing rituals and traditions. We also incorporated the brand's "spa within a spa" concept, where spa suites feature private bathing areas and herbal steam facilities and the use of aromatic herbs and fragrant oils.

Far from ...