Bringing out the essence of Provence and Mediterranean well-being with the well-known French brand L’OCCITANE’S unique products and treatments, Darpan Sanghvi, managing director, Sanghvi Brands talks about the launch of the brand-The Amaltas Spa by L’OCCITANE at ANYA, Gurgaon, and its USP By Kahini Chakraborty
Authenticity and naturalness, effectiveness and pleasure, respect and responsibility are the core values of the L’OCCITANE brand, which opened recently at Anya Gurgaon- Amaltas Spa by L’OCCITANE. Darpan Sanghvi, managing director, Sanghvi Brands-L’OCCITANE’s exclusive spa partner in India, says that for the India market the brand’s spa is a fusion of Indian and Mediterranean well-being providing a pampering experience to the guests.“Inspired by both the East and the West, L’OCCITANE Spas feature exclusive treatments that have been specially designed by our teams in Paris and Hong Kong. The Ayurvedic Spas are more medically focused rather than providing a pampering experience. They are also used towards specific treatments to cure aliments,” he informs.
The Amaltas Spa by L’OCCITANE at ANYA, Gurgaon has been designed by Sandeep Khosla, the well-known architect and interior designer in keeping with L’OCCITANE’s true story of a spa in Provence. “The inspiration of course came from the words of our founder Oliver Baussan, “As a student, I enjoyed losing myself on the sand tracks of the Camargue. I brought back memories from this place: wood paled by water and salt, pebbles, reeds of Provence.” It is in this palette of forms, shapes and colours that we sought the design and architecture of this Spa by L’OCCITANE,” says Sanghvi.
He continues stating that, every gesture, ingredient, ritual is drawn from a page of the L’OCCITANE grand herbarium, a unique source of hundreds of essential oils and natural ingredients. “In respect for authenticity, we always prefer hand-performed treatments to machines and traditional massage techniques over technologies. The products are created with extensive research and innovation, using the best ingredients sourced globally to ensure that the best in beauty, skin and body care is delivered to the guests,” he says. Elaborating on the USPs, Sanghvi adds, “The Amaltas Spa by L’OCCITANE at ANYA, Gurgaon brings the essence of Provence and Mediterranean well being with the well-known French brand L’OCCITANE’s unique products and treatments. The spa also offers signature treatments inspired by the Laburnum, also known as the Golden Shower Tree, which is ubiquitous in Gurgaon and NCR.”
For connoisseurs
The L’OCCITANE brand is well known for its high quality and sensorial beauty products and fragrances. It uses natural active ingredients with proven traceability. Sanghvi mentions that majority of the guests are in the age group of 30 to 55 years, of which, 40 per cent are males and 60 per cent females. “People who are connoisseurs of the brand L’OCCITANE choose Amaltas Spa by L’OCCITANE at ANYA Gurgaon as their first preference because of the carefully tested and researched natural Provencal treatments that are offered at the spa. L’OCCITANE products are purely natural and each category undergoes a series of testing and products are all dermatologically tested along with signature sequence of treatments techniques making for increased acceptance in the market.”
The unique Indian-Mediterranean fusion wellness combines authentic products from the south of France with local ingredients to enhance the effectiveness and experience of spa treatments. The treatments range from a variety of massages, facials, scrubs, wraps, technical body treatments, area focused treatments, baths and other provencal rituals. “Each one has its own benefits of relaxing, pampering, revitalising, detox, slimming, refreshing and correcting,” he says.
The most popular treatment is the Amaltas awakening – the signature Amaltas golden shower flower massage. This is done with their signature blends of the Amaltas flower essential oil and aromachologie oil. Other well known treatments include unique aromachologie massages, almond detoxifying balance, angelica fountain of glow facial for young skin and immortelle secret to brightness facial – a high-precision treatment to combat the effects of time and sun exposure, and reveal a bright, luminous complexion are the most admired treatments by the guests. 
Training excellence
Talking about the emphasis laid on providing training for their staff, Sanghvi says that training and development is an important part of the L’OCCITANE spa operations. International and national spa trainers from L’OCCITANE train new team members who join the Indian operations and there are regular refresher training and quality audits for all treatment protocols. “We have an in-house spa academy in Pune where every member of the team undergoes an extensive training programme, where they learn the latest techniques and present trends in the spa industry. We consider and respect our team as our greatest asset to our spas so training and development has been taken as our primary way for continuous improvement where we take care of team members’ personal as well as professional growth and recognition. All unit spa operation managers act as department trainers where they take care of monthly training on all micro and macro standard operating procedures as per international luxury standards.”
Market trends
On the NCR market, Sanghvi mentions, “We are thrilled to have ANYA, Gurgaon as the first home for the L’OCCITANE spa in the National Capital Region (NCR).” Sanghvi is confident that with the strategic location on the Golf Course Road, in the heart of the millennium city and across the DLF Golf Course, will prove to be a boon to the Amaltas Spa by L’OCCITANE.
According to Sanghvi, the spa industry in India is still in a nascent stage. However, it is experiencing rapid growth in response to a need by the burgeoning upper middle class. These people are increasingly going to spas for a pampering experience as they are travelling overseas and consuming luxury and lifestyle products. Elaborating on the expansion plans, he adds, “Additionally there are standalone visual spectacle L’OCCITANE spas coming up in key metros. In India there are currently 12 L’OCCITANE Spas (operational / under development) and worldwide there are 65 L’OCCITANE Spas in 24 countries. L’OCCITANE is the largest international spa brand in India.”