Caribbean wellness brand BodyHoliday has announced its first European resort will open on Portugal’s Algarve.
Planned for a launch in 2029, the property will be just a 45 minute drive from Faro airport. Yet it will sit next to the Rio Formosa nature reserve, and be just a short stroll through dunes from a golden, sandy beach and the ocean. For Europeans, this will be a great opportunity to experience the hospitality of BodyHoliday in a much more convenient way.
A Caribbean wellness concept
BodyHoliday was launched in St Lucia in 1988, and since then has honed its approach to wellness breaks, based around the philosophy of: ‘Give us your body for a week and we’ll give you back your mind’. There, the well established 155 room resort features a year round programme of wellness events, offering everything from archery to pilates and scuba diving to guests seeking a positive jolt to their regular routines.
The European resort will be larger, with 220 rooms, and five different restaurants, all designed by architecture firm Gentler. There will be more than 40 treatment rooms as part of a 40,000 sq ft wellness centre. Extensive sports facilities will include a full size soccer pitch, courts for playing padel and tennis, lush gardens and a carefully curated programme of health and fitness classes and activities.
BodyHoliday Algarve will enter a growing market of wellness tourism. Today the niche is largely taken forward by innovations from a series of smaller players, each with their own take on what a wellness break should include. Analysts suggest this market niche will enjoy strong growth, over the next few years.
BodyHoliday is a part of family owned business Sunswept Resorts. Alongside BodyHoliday, the group has also developed a second brand, StolenTime, with a founding resort on St Lucia that delivers a more relaxation-focused stay for guests. The business is led by Andrew Bernard, who as chief executive of Sunswept takes forward the input of being a third generation hotelier.
The new Portuguese resort will be the first fruit of a new push for expansion across Europe. Signalling its intent, the company has put in place a senior leadership team, pulling together significant hotel sector experience.
New key appointments
Indu Brar joins as chief operating officer, coming from Accor where she was responsible for the group’s technology strategy. Jean-Charles Denis, who brings more than a decade of experience at IHG, will become chief financial officer. And project director Kevin Bundy has worked across construction on projects including the transformation of Battersea power station, and on growing Soho House in Europe.
“This marks a pivotal chapter in BodyHoliday’s story,” said Jeremy Plummer, chairman of the board. “With an exceptional leadership team at the helm, we are honoring a proud legacy while shaping the next generation of transformative wellness destinations.”
