More Photos (3)

Since its conception in 2003, British company In:Spa has pioneered a new kind of wellness getaway by creating itineraries designed around rigorous exercise, pampering and nutritional education in some of the world’s most beautiful destinations. The week-long In:Spa retreats, set in places like Marrakech, Ibiza, Seville and, starting this winter, India, are focused on health and fitness with daily schedules that offer a variety of classes, hikes and personal training sessions. But In:Spa is hardly boot camp. For one, guests are staying at some exquisite properties—in Marrakech, they’re based at the acclaimed Jnane Tamsna in Seville at the privately owned Trasierra—and daily massages, one-on-one consultations with a nutritionist and healthy cuisine prepared by a personal chef are also on the agenda. The company is in midst of expanding its programs: it recently launched shorter, three-day getaways in the Yorkshire countryside, as well as “intense” (more challenging) versions of its classic week-long trips, and this December is offering its first eight-night yoga retreat in Bangalore, India. Indagare recently spoke to Simon Pardoe, one of three In:Spa directors, about the company’s unique concept and where they’re planning to go next.

How was In:Spa created? It was the idea of Kathryn Brown, who launched the company in 2003. She had been working for Goldman Sachs and one year was in desperate need of what she called an overhaul vacation: one that focuses on de-stressing, exercise and nutritious food and takes place in a beautiful, exotic setting. She couldn’t find anything close to what she envisioned and so she came up with the idea of In:Spa.

What was the first destination in the portfolio? Marrakech, where the retreats take place at an amazing place called the Jnane Tamsna, which is located in the Palmerie section of the city. Basically the idea was that the spa business in the U.K. is an £8-billion industry, but more than half of that is spent abroad, because people associate wellness and well-being with sunny, warm weather.

How does an In:Spa retreat work? For our classic retreats, we will fly a team of between 8-10 experts to the location. There’s always a manager, a few personal trainers, two masseuses, a nutritionist, a chef and yoga instructor. Everyone is highly trained, well-traveled and interesting, so that the week has the feel of a house party with a good mix of people. Guests have 24-7 access to our experts, and they enjoy sitting net to a nutritionist at dinner one night and next to a personal trainer the following night. During the day, we offer a mix of hiking, yoga classes, personal training sessions, consultations with a nutritionist and massages. But if you prefer to spend an afternoon lounging by the pool—after all these are amazing properties—then that’s fine, too. In a place like Marrakech, we’ll also spend an afternoon in the medina sightseeing and shopping, and if there’s a guest who wants to go play golf we can arrange that as well. And of course, there’s incredible, nutritious food served during all of the retreats.

Is it macrobiotic? No, it’s just fresh and organic and there’s nothing in it that the body has a problem processing. We don’t cook with salt, wheat, dairy, red meat or processed foods. Also, there’s no caffeine and no alcohol. They’re cleansing meals, but we have four chefs who also make sure that they’re delicious and varied throughout the week.

What are the main objectives of clients who join an In:Spa program? To get healthier and to have some “me time.” What they take away, however, is a sense about how to balance their lives, having learned that exercising regularly and eating well is something they can continue doing beyond our retreats. Our staff works hard to give them the tools to maintain a healthy lifestyle going forward.

Is there a limit to the group size? We take 25 people maximum, so that there’s enough staff to deal with all levels and ages. Hiking, for example, is broken into three differently paced groups, because it’s really important that everyone feels comfortable doing everything.

In December, you’re taking clients to India for the first time? Yes, we wanted to do an intensive yoga retreat in India, since that’s the spiritual home of yoga. Then Shreyas, a property situated in the gorgeous countryside about an hour from Bangalore, approached us to ask if we might consider doing a retreat there. It all just fell into place. We will go for eight days and while the trip is yoga-focused, it’s open to all levels. There will be two wonderful yoga instructors and lots of different classes to choose from.

What are some other new In:Spa features/destinations? Since some 25 percent of our clients are return clients, many of who attend more than one retreat per year, we created the “Intense” holidays, which offer the same setting, food and one-on-one attention, but with more challenging physical activities. We also launched weekend retreats in northern England this year; we’re based at these gorgeous Yorkshire country estates, and the programs sold out so quickly that we’re adding dates for this year. Finally, we will offer a new retreat in Tuscany next year, where we will be based at a very special hotel near Siena. The first one of those trips is slated for May.

What should potential clients ask themselves to find the program that’s right for them? Is it available? Some of them book out so quickly. But most of our clients are actually quite flexible. If the retreat in Seville is booked, they will often shift gears and attend the one in Marrakech or in Ibiza instead. The point is not really a trip to Spain or Morocco anyway; it’s about the In:Spa concept and partaking in the retreat’s activities as well as learning about health and wellness.