CNN Greece Feature (English Translation): Farida & Nick Irani: The wellness trend is stronger than ever and here to stay

Please note: Translation to English done using AI, there maybe some discrepancies 

With a presence in some of the world's finest hotel spas, including the Landmark Mandarin Oriental in Hong Kong, The Peninsula in New York, Joali in the Maldives, Six Senses in Courchevel, Raffles in Bali, The Royal Antlantis in Dubai, as well as our own One&Only Kea Island and Elounda Peninsula, Australian-based Subtle Energies is one of the world's most premium, dynamic and up-and-coming niche spa companies.

Despite its momentum it remains a family business, the brainchild of Farida Irani, which she continues to run with her husband and two children. It is one of the leading aromatherapy & natural skincare companies in the world, and is one of the first to make "from clinic to brand" a reality, since all its oils, protocols, rituals and treatments started from Farida Irani's work as a healer for people with serious health problems.

Farida Irani and her son Nick Irani, Director of Operations and Brand Development, spoke exclusively to CNN Greece about the ever-rising trend of wellness in the luxury hospitality scene, the brand's journey from the clinic to the world's largest spas, the importance of natural balance and much more.

This interview comes shortly after the Global Wellness Industry announced that the wellness industry is worth $6.32 trillion by 2023, which has grown 25% since 2019 and now has a greater market value than both the sports and pharmaceutical industries.

Farida Irani: Before the birth of Subtle Energies I was very busy with my clinic and before that I had a successful career in finance, but I was always interested in natural therapies. I think it's also down to my father, who was a great believer in natural therapies and taught me a lot of things, as well as following the natural route alongside conventional medicine of course. So at some point in my life I decided to follow my true calling, natural healing, and leave the corporate world forever. It was something I pursued once I arrived in Australia and I believe it was my father's spirit that inspired me to follow my "calling", which he failed to do.

So I started my clinic in Australia, where among my patients I had young people who were aging prematurely, either due to infection, stress or the environment they were living in, which could be toxic and cause cellular and mental disharmony. My mission was to inspire those people to understand the true essence of life, living well, having a healthy lifestyle, staying low stress and knowing that someone is taking care of you, these are extremely important. After all, our soul is the only one that is eternal and infinite, everything else is subject to decay.

So Subtle Energies was created quite a bit later, but it also stems from there. It started when I worked with Taj Hotel Group to create some aromatherapy blends for their brand, and I realized that through the world of spa and wellness I could really help more people. But to do that I needed to create a brand now, so our first skincare and bodycare range was born, using the oils and active ingredient research, working with natural skincare chemists in Australia, but with the level and standards of Europe.

Nick Irani: I am absolutely certain that this is a trend that is here to stay. First of all, even before covid, the wellness industry and the demand for premium spa experiences in luxury travel was already an extremely dynamic trend, and recently the Global Wellness Institute shared with the public that this market has now reached US$6 trillion. The pandemic certainly played its part, as people worldwide began to seek authenticity now in their experiences and treatments.

One & Only Kea Island 

F.I. While the trends already in place that focus on treatments that help with sleep, fatigue and stress issues will certainly continue, I believe we will see a significant increase in AI and other technology-based diagnostics. One trend we are also seeing as we are asserting ourselves is that in the skincare space there is a search for a more holistic approach to beauty, such as emotional skincare which is a fast growing trend in the spa industry that recognises that stress, anxiety and sleep issues accelerate the ageing process.


Six Senses Spa, Porto Elounda 

What are the elements that make a spa experience truly special?

N.I. There are several elements that contribute to an overall top-notch guest experience. First of all, the journey starts with the facilities and the hotel itself. The first thing the well-travelled guest will notice is the feeling of being welcomed and experiencing an escape from the ordinary, also today it is essential for hotel spas to have invested in wet and hot element areas such as swimming pools, hydrotherapy, steam rooms, saunas, aromatherapy rooms etc.

But the most important element is the consulting part, i.e. the approach and experience of the therapist. The more correctly the therapist is able to diagnose the problem of the visitor, the more precise and personalized the treatment he will propose, and therefore the more effective.

The protocol chosen in each case is also an extremely important factor, as, depending on what the visitor wants to achieve upon entering the spa, the corresponding protocol should satisfy this need, while at the same time providing a very positive overall experience. That is, you have to offer both a result and an overall nice feeling.

Furthermore, it is very important that guests follow the instructions on what to do after their treatment, at home or for the rest of their vacation. Therapists recommend a range of products and their proper use in order to achieve and maintain the effect of the treatment, and about 70% of the therapeutic effect comes through.


Anassa, Cypress 

N.I. We are extremely proud of our partnerships, some of which include our global partnership with The Peninsula Hotels in London, New York, Istanbul, Chicago and Tokyo, our also global partnership with Six Senses Resorts, who were the first to launch Subtle Energies, and today we are with them in Zighy Bay, Oman, Six Senses Laamu, Six Senses Kyoto, among many others.

In fact, it should be said that our first spa in Europe was Six Senses Spa at the iconic Elounda hotel complex (Elounda Peninsula, Porto Elounda, Elounda Mare) in Crete. And this year we are very happy to expand our presence in your wonderful country with our first partnership with the One&Only Hotel brand, and more specifically with One&Only Kea Island, where guests are met with a full Subtle Energies spa menu. Finally, our most recent new partnerships include the stunning Anassa in Cyprus, Joali in the Maldives, Mandarin Oriental in Dubai.


The Peninsula New York

Have you ever discontinued a partnership with a hotel that you felt did not represent your brand?

N.I.  We are very careful with our partnerships and I dare say we are very selective as there has to be synergy, especially in terms of the training part of the therapists. And the truth is that we are very proud of the fact that we have an excellent relationship and understanding with most of our partners. But I cannot say that there have not been a few instances over the years when we have had to break off a partnership. The good thing about being a family-owned and autonomous company is precisely that you can say "no" or leave a partnership that does not express you. It doesn't mean that those partnerships of course that we were negative about didn't have the same values as us necessarily, it just may not have been as compatible a "marriage" if you will.

Six Senses Laamu 

Your brand is famous for its holistic philosophy and Ayurvedic aromatherapy. Can you explain this in simpler words?

F.I. A holistic therapeutic approach means very simply that we treat people, whether in terms of a treatment or products, as a whole, meaning we take into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of their lives and walk with them at the centre as a whole. The cause of any disease or disharmony starts from stress and has an effect on the chakras, this leads to disease.

Also, as we practice ayurveda we believe in promoting and maintaining good health, resulting from "dinacharya", which is a daily lifestyle that includes proper diet, healthy lifestyle, meditation, yoga, therapeutic aromatic oils that boost the immune system and take care of overall balance.

Ayurveda Aromatherapy is based on the combination of clinical aromatherapy with the philosophy of Ayurveda and the principles of using and applying rare essential oils, which are not known in the western world. The reason I decided to combine Ayurveda and Aromatherapy to create what I created is that while I was working with both in my clinic, each alone seemed to leave some gaps. So I brought together and combined the best of these two worlds, coming up with a very powerful and effective combination that brought solutions to people who needed it.

What is your most famous and representative product or protocol?

F.I. Definitely our Facial Blend is our most favorite product and the most popular I think, as it encapsulates all our principles and philosophy. It's Subtle Energies in a bottle: holistic skin science, holistic wellness, power and beauty that comes from within. Morga, Himalayan Rose and Sandalwood, used for centuries for spiritual and emotional healing. It's not just about rejuvenating the skin, it's about the ability to create a profoundly transformative experience that balances hormones, aids quality sleep and invigorates the spirit.

Women in particular really appreciate the ability of this product to take care of both their physical and emotional worlds, making them feel confident, joyful and balanced. What has delighted me a lot since I first created this formula in my clinic is that it is a powerful anti-aging tool, as it boosts natural collagen, helps good circulation and cell renewal, but at the same time it has fantastic effects on any emotional imbalance, internal trauma while also stimulating sensuality.

Of our protocols we stand out with our Blissful Marma Massage, which is hugely popular in almost all our spas. It's a combination of treatments, quite technical, that I created in my clinic, but when done correctly, it really works wonders. Beyond relaxation, it works much deeper, and actually affects the centers of tension and stress. It also forms the basis of many of our other protocols, such as sleep, detoxification, empowerment, etc.


The Peninsula Istanbul 

You just turned 10 years old, what are your dreams for the next 10 years?

F.I. Our goal and dream is to touch and help as many people as possible. This will definitely happen through spas and hotels, but also through our products of course. We also want to see the educational part we offer in Ayurveda Aromatherapy evolve and grow stronger, as we are now launching an online program for our Diploma, which is a very good and powerful weapon for anyone who wants to get involved in our part both clinically and therapeutically, but also definitely helps the therapists to develop their knowledge and become better. We want to help as many people as possible to get better, to live better, to be stronger and more balanced.