You might be a travel veteran, but it doesn’t mean you find trends completely useless, especially if it feels like you’ve done it all. Per Mckinsey, only 17 per cent of respondents out of 5,000 surveyed said they use a travel agent. Others rely on family and friends, search engines and social media to plan their trips, which means you’re more likely to follow trends even when it is done unconsciously.

Now, whether or not you care about what’s hot on the travel scene or not, here are some interesting suggestions from vacationers worldwide that appear to have provided real value for their money and time. Maybe you’ll find them useful, maybe not. But ultimately, they are worth checking out for the kind of excitement they promise to bring to your trip, whether you are going solo or in a group.

Exploring the stars at the Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea

Hawaii might not top the list of the best luxury travel destinations, but, like everywhere in the world, it offers some unique, unforgettable experiences. Like the Four Seasons Resort Maui Unforgettable Experiences.

The resort promises a range of activities, from exploring a local town and its sights to going on a coffee-tasting date. The Wayfinder Journey, however, is perhaps its most unique package, because it takes you on an educational exploration of the Southern Cross, a constellation that can only be spotted in Hawaii. You would be taught everything from its cultural significance to the local community, to learning how to use it as a navigation tool when you’re out on the waters. And because celestial navigation is quite the work, you would end your course with a multi-course meal by Four Seasons Maui Chef Samual Taganeca onboard the catamaran.

Activate your five senses with Ker & Downey Africa’s Five Senses Experience

It is very easy to think Africa = Safari, but, just like Ker & Downey is out to prove, there is so much more to this continent that is extremely rich in culture and tradition, than rare and exciting animals.

For its newest travel itinerary in South Africa, the safari company has put together a range of activities that will engage each sense — sight, taste, smell, sound, and touch — through bespoke and highly exclusive experiences that can be tailored to meet the needs of each guest.

For 12-14 days, guests will move through South Africa and Madagascar, stopping at carefully selected destinations like the Ellerman House whose in-house gallery would engage their sense of sight via a unique art experience; La Colombe, a globally-recognised contemporary restaurant whose French and Asian dishes would activate visitors’ taste buds like never before; Babylonstoren, a historic Cape Dutch farm bursting with vegetables and fruits of such rich aromas that would be hard for any nose to miss; the Singita Ebony Lodge where the sounds of the animals and wilderness provide a lovely backdrop to an unbeatable safari experience, and, the Miavana Island Nosy Ankoa, Madagascar where guests can let go on the soft pillow of beautiful white sands with the gentle breeze from the ocean caressing every nook and crevice of their skins under the gentle warmth of the sun.

Going on a wellness-infused tour of Asia via the Eastern & Oriental Express, A Belmond Train

If you’ve never tried a luxury train vacation before, perhaps it is time to, especially with the launch of the Dior Spa on the Eastern & Oriental Express.

Having a luxury spa experience onboard a train is not something you’d normally expect, so this is definitely one to try out. A range of rejuvenating and relaxing spa treatments abound, like the Asian-inspired D-Jungle signature treatment, the Constellation tension-releasing massage, and the luxurious Kobi-Dior facial treatment. Dior would also have its Prestige skincare range available for purchase so that you can keep up a luxury care routine long after the journey has ended.

Learning to cook like the experts at the Royal Mansour Marrakech

Not only is the Royal Mansour one of the top luxury hotels in Morocco, it is now angling to have one of the best culinary workshops in the Kingdom of Light.

When you’re done exploring the bustling beauty of Marrakech, come home to the Royal Mansour and learn how to cook under the expert guidance of the hotel’s Michelin-star culinary team. And, when you’re done with the cooking workshop, you can move on to the patisserie and mixology workshops for a complete crash course on making the perfect 3-course meal.

Enjoy a deluxe spa experience at the One&Only Resorts in Rwanda

Guests will still get to engage in the different activities available in the One&Only Rwanda OneEscape programme, but now, they can go home to relaxing spa treatments using traditional healing practices and local products.

At Nyungwe House, new signature spa treatments draw inspiration from the therapeutic properties of tea while spa treatments at Gorilla’s Nest are based on eucalyptus and chocolate which pay tribute to the forest the lodge is immersed in. Yoga and meditation sessions, as well as, fitness facilities complete this wellness package that is enhanced by the surrounding forest and hills.

The post Discover Some Top Unique Luxury Experiences to Explore on Your Next Vacation first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Discover Some Top Unique Luxury Experiences to Explore on Your Next Vacation appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

This holistic mindset highlights the importance of a comprehensive approach to weight management. This addresses not just physical aspects but also psychological and environmental factors.

With this refined perspective, let’s explore the type of factors influencing weight and the sophisticated strategies available to address them:

The Role of Genes

Obesity which is a chronic condition characterized by excess weight, has deep genetic roots, as numerous genes are intricately linked to obesity. One particularly noteworthy gene is the fat mass and obesity-associated gene (FTO), present in approximately 43% of the population. The high-risk variant of FTO can elevate the risk of obesity by up to 70%.

However, the influence of genetics on obesity is not absolute and can be significantly altered by environmental factors. Physical activity, for instance, has been shown to mitigate the effects of the common FTO variant. Similarly, diets low in fat and high in protein may be beneficial. Genetic testing provides valuable insights into an individual’s genetic makeup and the presence of the FTO gene. This knowledge is crucial for mental preparation and planning personalized diets and exercise regimens, making the weight loss journey more effective and tailored to one’s unique genetic profile.

Hormones Influence Hunger and Satiety

Practising self-control can be challenging in an environment filled with readily accessible indulgent foods. This challenge could be compounded by hormones that regulate hunger and satiety, such as ghrelin, leptin, and glucagon-like peptide 1, which communicate between the brain and stomach to influence appetite and fullness. When levels of these hormones become abnormal or uncontrolled, perceived hunger increases, often leading to overeating.

The effective management of these hormones involves sophisticated strategies that promote mindful, healthy eating and stress reduction. Crafting and enjoying customized, nourishing meals help maintain consistent, healthy dietary habits. Additionally, staying hydrated, indulging in luxurious spa treatments, and engaging in meditative activities are excellent ways to reduce stress.

Recent medical advancements have also introduced prescription weight-loss medications that aid in controlling hunger. These medications, prescribed by medical professionals and combined with lifestyle changes, have led to significant weight loss for many individuals, transforming lives across the US and other parts of the world.

Metabolism Mastery

The concept of basal metabolic rate (BMR) is a cornerstone in the science of weight management. BMR represents the body’s energy at rest to sustain essential functions such as blood circulation, respiration, and cellular repair. It accounts for approximately 50-80% of the body’s daily energy expenditure. Various factors, including medical conditions, lean muscle mass, age, biological sex, and physical activity, influence BMR.

To enhance BMR and achieve positive metabolic outcomes, it is essential to have refined lifestyle habits. Tailored exercise regimens, including high-intensity interval training (HIIT) and cardio workouts, are designed to sculpt, tone, and increase lean muscle mass, thereby boosting BMR. Additionally, curating meals that are rich in protein, and incorporating fat-burning ingredients and beverages like green tea can further support weight loss and metabolic health.

The Mind-Body Connection

Mental health is an integral element of holistic well-being, providing the energy, motivation, and vitality needed to pursue physical health. Mental health disturbances, such as depression, anxiety, or high-stress situations, could complicate weight management.

Cultivating a positive mental landscape enhances health-conscious decision-making and lowers stress hormone levels. Daily practices such as meditation, self-compassion, and mindful eating are essential for maintaining mental health. Achieving restful sleep is also crucial and can be enhanced through luxurious sleep environments, relaxing spa treatments, bespoke sleep concierge services, and exclusive sleep retreats or programs.

Social Network for Support

As social beings, we thrive when surrounded by the right influences and environments. A robust support system is crucial for a successful weight loss journey, providing essential medical support for health conditions, mental support for a positive mindset, and social support for motivation and accountability.

A wealth of resources is available to tailor your weight loss experience, including health coaches, gourmet chefs, personal trainers, and medical professionals. For those seeking group support, specialized weight loss programs offer valuable peer connections and have proven to deliver exceptional results.

The post 5 Biological and Psychological Factors Linked to Obesity first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post 5 Biological and Psychological Factors Linked to Obesity appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The rise of sleep tourism

Going on vacation to relax and rest better has always been part of the reasons why people travel. However, since 2022, more and more vacationers have chosen to go on holidays just to sleep, per Global Wellness Institute.

The consensus is that the Coronavirus is not only the culprit behind increased chronic fatigue, but also the reason why more people are prioritising wellness, and by extension, sleep-focused vacations.

How the hospitality industry is helping tourists sleep better

A. Sleep programs/sleep retreats: this is perhaps the highest level of sleep tourism travellers can embark on. Wellness clinics or sleep resorts usually offer these kinds of holistic programs, but increasingly, luxury hotels are adding these services to their portfolio.

Every facility has its unique package, but generally, a sleep retreat/program comprises an expert diagnosis and treatment, wellness therapies and relaxing treatments, sleep education, spa treatments, yoga and rooms designed to promote a restful night’s sleep.

Well-known hotels and clinics offering this service include SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain; Mandarin Oriental, Geneva, Switzerland; Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, USA, and, select Six Senses spas.

B. Sleep suites: if a full sleep package sounds like a lot, sleep suites are a great way to ease into the ‘sleepcation’ experience.

These rooms are designed to ensure that visitors have no other choice than to fall asleep as soon as their head hits the pillows. Using specially crafted beds and bed linens, plus eliminating distractions that can interrupt a deep rest, sleep suites are quiet, zen-like spaces perfect for people for whom falling asleep is not a problem, but staying asleep is.

Places with dedicated sleep suites include Zedwell hotels which are famous for their windowless, soundproof rooms; Unplugged, UK, whose eco-friendly, off-grid cabins welcome you but not your digital devices, and, Hästens Sleep Spa Boutique hotel, Portugal, whose innovative comfort beds, duvets, bed linens and bathrobes promise the best sleep experience you will ever have.

C. Sleep concierge services: some luxury hotels do not have dedicated sleep outlets yet, but have chosen instead to offer ‘sleep better’ services to guests who need them.

Those offering sleep concierge services can choose to partner with a third party, like The Cadogan London which has partnered with sleep specialist and hypnotherapist Malminder Gill to offer a recorded meditation and an optional, one-on-one, in-room sleep assistance session. Their concierge service also comes with a pillow menu, weighted blanket, bedtime tea blend and scented pillow mist.

The Royal Champagne Hotel and Spa in France has a similar service. In 2022, it launched its Royal Sleep Experience in partnership with French beauty brand AIME. Guests who request this service will receive AIME products that promote quality sleep, such as calming essential oil sprays and melatonin-based drops that help to regenerate skin overnight. The hotel also offers in-room amenities like a meditation box, a satin face mask, and a candle massage.

D. Sleep amenities: some luxury hotels have simply chosen to have their rooms equipped with products that promise a deep, thorough rest without too much emphasis on the art of falling and staying asleep.

At the Equinox in New York for example, the hotel has a ‘sleep system’ in place that consists of a combination of luxury bed linens and handmade mattresses, temperature-regulated bedsheets, sound-blocking walls and blackout curtains to eliminate distractions and ensure that guests stay asleep for as long as they like and need.

The Westin Hotels and Resorts has almost the same system in place. A combination of the ‘Heavenly Bed’, a rest-inducing superfood menu and lavender balms have been made available so that guests have no trouble sleeping at night.

Which sleep package is best for you?

It is difficult to say since everyone’s needs are unique to them. But, if the growing sleep tourism trend sounds like something you need right now, then you can rest assured that there is a service that is just right for you.

The post Sleep Tourism: Which ‘Sleepcation’ Package is Right For You? first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Sleep Tourism: Which ‘Sleepcation’ Package is Right For You? appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The rise of beauty tourism

Like many other things, it may be difficult to determine when exactly beauty tourism became a thing. Go deep enough, however, and you’ll see that it most likely has its origins in medical tourism, since some of the procedures, like dental work, fall under this category.

In 2019, medical tourism consulting group, Patients Beyond Borders estimated that medical tourism, which includes beauty procedures that range from rhinoplastly to abdominoplasty, breast surgery and injectables like Botox — was worth anywhere from $74 to $92 billion. By 2022, estimated figures had gone up to $115.6billion. Growth is expected to continue in this sector as more people go beyond their home countries to seek quality treatment not available back home, or to undergo procedures that are cheaper than what obtains in their country.

5 things to consider before mapping out your beauty tourism calendar

If you’re looking to join thousands of people travelling each year in search of a physical transformation, you’re not alone. But, before you book your tickets and head on the next flight out to Turkey or other countries rumoured to be the best in cosmetic surgeries, where are some factors to consider

Your Destination

Mystery trips may be a rising trend, but in the world of beauty tourism, this isn’t something you should be considering at all.

While exploring the local culture and scenery may be on your to-do, remember, your primary goal is whatever cosmetic procedure you’re looking to get. Wherever you choose to go must offer you the best of both worlds: a vacation to remember and the best cosmetic procedure for you.

Looking for ideas? Per the experts, Mexico, Costa Rica and Thailand are great options for cosmetic surgery, while Greece is better for botox injections and even dental procedures. You may choose Turkey if it’s a hair transplant you want, or go to South Korea for laser skin treatments.

Today, beauty tourists are spoiled for choice as more and more countries boast of quality services at competitive prices. And while some of these procedures are non-invasive, they are not without risks, which is why it is important to go with the best

Medical practitioners and facility

Bad doctors and sub-standard hospitals abound globally, so it is not enough to visit a country for your procedure simply because everyone says it is the go-to place for it.

Luckily, due to increased demand, more hospitals and specialists have gotten international accreditation to stand above the crowd. As of 2019, more than 950 hospitals and clinical departments were JCI (Joint Commission International) accredited and more have joined since then.

Before settling for a destination or doctor, make sure to do your research properly. Review credentials, read up on unbiased reviews, and ask questions until you are satisfied.

As you do this, ensure you’re adhering to your

Your Budget

Of course, you cannot up and travel without money, and how much you’re willing to spend on your beauty vacation is just as important as other factors to consider before embarking on one.

Your budget must cover the treatment and everything involved including doctor’s fees, hospital stay if necessary, drugs, and aftercare. You should also consider accommodation and feeding, as well as touristy activities you can indulge in while you’re there. After all, it is still a vacation, right?

And speaking of vacation, you should also factor into your decision, a

Recovery plan

Beauty tourism is exactly that: going on a vacation to get a beauty procedure done. The keyword here is ‘vacation.’

In your search for where to go for the best treatment, it is so easy to forget that you’re also going to be on vacation, leading you to be hyper-focused on one and quite lax with the other, until it is too late and you are already there.

As you make your plans, explore relaxing activities you can do in the country of your choice. Alternating between periods of rest and periods of fun would not only boost your overall mood but may also help you heal faster and better. You may even realise that one country is not enough for your dream beauty vacation, and a multi-destination trip might be necessary.

In which case, it is best to

Work with an expert

Even if one country seems to have everything you need, it is always easier, safer and less stressful to work with consultants who are experts in planning beauty vacations.

Not only would they have a list of trusted hospitals and doctors, but they also have the experience in delivering exciting themed vacations that tick all the boxes for their clients. This may even include discounts on procedures and accommodation, and access to places and activities you would never know on your own.

A beauty vacation sounds like a fascinating activity to pursue, but, like everything in life, making the right decisions is the only way you can get the best out of it. By taking into consideration these recommendations outlined above, it is almost certain that you will be getting the best experience that is exactly right for you.

The post Beauty Tourism? Yes Please! But First, These 5 Tips first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Beauty Tourism? Yes Please! But First, These 5 Tips appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Whilst the subscription/retainer-based models are popular today, the concept is not. This form of health care is also about to become more popular, states Dr Chichi Menakaya, founder of Annomo Health, a UK-based global concierge medicine company.

“Personalised healthcare and wellness is here to stay.”

“I think that’s where medicine is going anyways. It’s all about personalised health care and wellness in the whole world at the moment.”

“I was always the person that people would call and say, ‘I want to go and see a doctor in London. Do you know anyone I can see?’ And then I would do that,” Dr Menakaya said during our conversation. But then I think what really made me start the business was when a few years ago – like 13 years ago, that was when the dream started – I had a relative that was in the UK and he had to see a particular doctor. So I went in, found someone I thought was the best person to see [and] referred them to that person. This relative even though they were paying cash to the doctor, turned up 15mins late to that appointment, and the doctor refused to see them even as they were coming from abroad. So what the hospital did was find the next available [doctor] and refer him to the person. And even though the person he was referred to had the best manners, did really, really well; when it now came to their surgical option, what that person offered them was not the best practice option. So they offered them an open surgery when there was already a robotic option for the surgery. What then happened – because obviously, I am a doctor, so I can easily detect – [I realised] that this is not the right thing for this person, because there is more advanced treatment.”

“I was upset so I found the best surgeon to handle the surgery, who also happened to be on the queen’s medical team. The day we eventually went to that appointment with the relative, this professor, even though he is one of the best in the UK, came downstairs to welcome the patient. And for me, that was literally an eye-opener, because it meant that although you could get the best, their manners are also very important.”

“And after that time, I said to myself, ‘I need to start a place where people can get the best care that they need.’ A lot of people are coming from abroad and they can afford it. They get given some mediocre doctor just because they think you’re coming from [another country]. They’re going to get you the cheapest doctor for the hospital … while the hospital is making the most money.”

“And obviously, there is another story to it about other people saying to me, ‘Listen: let’s get this done as a business, right?’ But I think that is the reason, like for me, I just wanted to make sure people got the best care that they needed. And I think that story is actually what triggered me to get in. And … literally 2 years later, we got the business up and running.”

“Medical concierge is not health insurance.”

Starting any business is difficult, and even though it’s in the health industry, Annomo Health was not without its challenges in the beginning.

“I think the biggest challenge I faced starting the business was explaining to people that Harley Street does not mean everything on Harley Street is good. I think that is [still my biggest challenge]. Because everyone comes to the UK and goes, ‘Oh my doctor is on Harley Street’, and I am like ok yeah, whatever. There are people in Harley Street that don’t know what they’re doing and I don’t want to use that word exactly, but there are people that are not that great and they’re on Harley Street.”

“What was also difficult for us is explaining to people that a concierge company is not an insurance company. Every time I have a meeting, no matter how educated they are, they say to me, ‘Is it health insurance?”

“Someone would say ‘I am coming from Nigeria, and I just want to see anybody because it is better than Nigeria.’ But that is not the point. The point is that they’re not doing it for you for free. Therefore, what you need to be asking for is ‘I want to see the best person because I am going to spend money seeing that best person. So it does not matter whether it’s me … it’s best to see the best person. And I think that is really difficult to explain to people. And as a company, we are still explaining that every day.”

“Concierge medicine is … having an advocate in your corner … constantly fighting for your health”

So, what exactly, in layman’s terms, is concierge healthcare, at least through the lens of Annomo Health?

“So I think there are very simple ways to explain Annomo Services, right? What Annomo Services does is simple: all we want to do is put the patient first. And all we want to do is get the private patients to see the best doctors, be treated in the best hospitals and have access to the best technologies. That’s all. And literally, we want to introduce them to the doctors’ doctors and make sure they are treated the way they need to be treated and get value, not just because of the money they have, but also because they’re using their money to get the best out of the service. That’s a summary of what we do.”

“I think for a lot of people, especially Africans, we see health as something we have to think about when it gets bad, but that’s the whole idea of having preventive medicine: you don’t have to wait till you’re sick. I think we’re getting to a point where people would need to start thinking that what they need to spend the most money on is making sure their health is right, and every other thing is secondary.”

“I think at some point we will get there obviously because it is like a learning process, everybody is trying to understand that and that is what we’re trying to do all the time by saying to people, ‘listen, make your health your priority.’ and that’s just the truth. I think that for every single person, whether you’re a child, an adult, you’re old, a concierge is important for everybody; personalised health care is for everyone: it’s not like for anyone in particular.”

“At Annomo Health, it is not all about money”

While we say concierge medicine is for everybody, in reality, not everyone can and would have access to it. There are various reasons why this would happen, with finance being top of the list, but according to Dr Chichi, this is not even always the case.

“When I say concierge is not about money, people don’t understand me sometimes. We had a pregnant, one-off client who wanted us to provide her with accommodation amongst other services. But, unless you have a maternity package where we’re constantly looking after you, it is a one-off service: we get you to the [OB/GYN who] is going to look after you and your baby. We settle you in and we walk away.”

“But because the woman was coming with a child [and] had no assistance … we offered to give a complimentary concierge service for free. [Unfortunately] from day one that she arrived, it was all abusive, everything was wrong [and] we could never make her happy. And trust me, it wasn’t the hormones. So we then discontinued the complimentary service that we had offered her, and we did instead hand her over to her gynaecologist to look after her.”

“I know this sounds a bit arrogant for us, [but] we don’t care how much you’re bringing into the business. If the relationship is not working we will refund. And we refunded all her money, to be honest. We refunded every single service that she had paid for, and let her gynaecologist look after her while we just hovered to make sure she was ok.”

There’s another instance where Annomo Health could decide not to extend its concierge services to a client. “If we look at [the medical reports we get from the patient’s country]  and think that making an out-of-country trip is a waste of time for the family in terms of the prognosis, whether they’re in the UK, in Nigeria, Ghana, wherever else; we will call the family and advise them not to come abroad because it is a waste of money. Because what you don’t want is people spending all this money and the outcome is still the same. Over the last 10 years, we’ve turned down about maybe 5 patients. Maybe more than that actually … it’s us saying that we don’t think it is going to work.”

“People think [personalised healthcare] is a luxury service, [but] it actually saves you a lot of money”

Speaking about membership tiers and benefits at Annomo Health, Dr Chichi clearly states that, “at the moment, we have 5 tiers of membership for the private members club. One is called the ‘travelling membership’ and it gives access to health care in both the UK and the US, including emergency services in the US. And it is actually only available to travelling executives through their companies; it is not for individuals.”

“Then we have the ‘individual membership’, the ‘family membership’, the ‘corporate membership’ and also something called the ‘student membership’. In each of those memberships, there are different cadres of membership. So it starts out with silver to gold to platinum and something called bespoke. And literally what bespoke means is you handpick what services you want, depending on what you want.”

“The family membership at the moment is actually for a husband and a wife, or a couple with 2 children, and the children are add-ons. When you come to corporate membership, it is also for high-level executives. The company has to have at least 3-10 members to be able to access this package. And obviously, each time you add a different person, you get a bit of a discount. And these memberships are targeted at preventative medicine and also give you access to having a personalised doctor, your own personal nurse and a personal health consultant … which means in this case a concierge health consultant who basically can do stuff like your luxury concierge for you, and also do your health things and be your advocate. But then you have a doctor you can call anytime, text, [and] message when you are really stressed out, whatever you want to talk about. And then also you have a nurse that can go out to you.”

“Then we have something called the student membership. Literally, the student membership is for people based in the UK only. And what that does is that if your child is here on private education, we have a pediatric consultant that actually looks after the students. Of course, depending on their ages: if they are more than 18, they don’t have a paediatrician, they now have a general practitioner that looks after them. And again, it’s a personalised service so they can hold them when there is a problem, give them advice, come out and visit them, whatever they want to do and it’s just a yearly membership for the kids also. Because obviously, when kids are abroad, you want to make sure that they are having the best care that they can get.”

“The other thing I didn’t mention with the corporate membership is that we also offer them health education services a few times a year depending on what they want, and this is training people on things like stress management, how to cope with workload, and masterclasses that we do for an hour just to support them. And like I said, each of these memberships can be made bespoke. We have families with three wives, four children: they can just pick what they want and create a personalised package. Because … there is no one fit for everybody in medicine we’ve tried make sure that people can handpick what they want and mix and match, till they get what they need.”

“Now I think that I spoke about the health bit of the membership, but what I forgot to mention is the luxury concierge that comes with it also. So, with the membership, you get access to a concierge assistant who literally would do all the other things you need them to do for you. So if they have to do personal shopping for you, airport pickups [they’ll do it]. Some people might say to me, ‘Listen, I need someone to come and help me pack my bags because I’m travelling’: they can do that also for them.”

“And that’s it, that’s just how it works. That’s the membership..in a nutshell.”

“Concierge Medicine is like having health care in your pocket and walking around with it”

It may appear that concierge healthcare involves moving from one point to the other in search of excellent healthcare. But actually, this is not the case. This niche in medicine is only concerned with one thing: giving the patient real value for their money. And while it may involve travelling, especially if the options the patient seeks are not close by, it does not mean concierge health care cannot be local.

“While we do not offer our services in every single country we can localise our services in the client’s home country. So I’ll give you an example: the services we offer in Nigeria are mostly rehabilitation. If someone has had an operation in the UAE, if they go back to Nigeria, we have a team of people that would manage their aftercare, including a doctor that would go out to see them.”

“And we do that a lot with cancer patients because chemotherapy is really expensive in the UK. So someone comes to the country because they have lymphoma, they come to the UK, they have all their scans done, [and] we do a treatment protocol for them that says they need chemo for 6 weeks. Doing chemo in the UK would cost like, I don’t know, 70,000 pounds. But in Nigeria, it may cost 4 million naira. We would plan the treatment plan in the UK, they would go back to Nigeria. We would find a professor in oncology that can give them the chemo in Nigeria, [and] when they need to have their scans or follow up, [they] come back to the UK to see their professor [who has all the while been] speaking to the one in Nigeria.”

“So we do those types of services for people in their home countries to 1) help them with cost. 2) to help them be able to stay around loved ones when they’re being treated. But they are really handpicked cases, we don’t do it for every single service. The only other way we also do it is that sometimes we’ve flown doctors from here to like Nigeria; we’ve done that a lot with UAE. So we fly doctors from here to go do operations in those countries for patients. So like somebody can say, ‘Listen, I’m in Dubai. I don’t really want to come to the UK, I don’t want to be treated in the UK.’ Because we have partner hospitals we work with, we fly a surgeon from the UK to do the operation for them, because obviously, they can do it in their home country. We have a lot of that also.”

Annomo Health has shown that concierge medicine is clearly a fantastic option for just about anyone seeking more flexible and effective healthcare. But potential subscribers should beware: it is not entirely flexible.

“So let me be honest with you: we’re really not that flexible. We’re very, very strict with rules, not because we’re difficult, but because there is regulation for different things. And we have to be strict about the regulations.”

“Concierge healthcare can work in Africa”

Can concierge medicine become ubiquitous in Africa? Dr Chichi thinks so.

“Actually, we were planning to offer the same services in Nigeria in 2019, [but] then the pandemic happened. And I think Nigeria is the first market for it; that’s my honest opinion. I think it would work in Nigeria: you just have to get it round people’s heads to do it. And I think in the future, yes we will. For me, my ultimate goal is to make sure healthcare in Africa is better and to be honest, I don’t like people coming abroad for healthcare. When I say it, people don’t believe me. What I want is that if Nigeria had those services, then we should be able to utilise them in Nigeria.”

“The problem we have in Nigeria is that people think that nice-looking hospital means they know what they’re doing. It’s all about handpicking people and I know that there’s a lot of groups now in Nigeria saying we can do this. The problem I worry about is … we need to have regulations, we need to have policies in place that actually censor what people are doing. But I think we’re getting there because I am now seeing court cases in Nigeria won by families because doctors screwed up. And I think it is really important because these are human beings. We need to be asking questions.”

“And I think healthcare in Nigeria is fantastic, I think Nigeria has a lot of experienced and seasoned doctors. But I think that we need to put in rules and good regulations to be able to sieve out [the rest]. Like if I was sick in Nigeria, I would go to the teaching hospitals easily, I won’t even be worried because I know that they are very good at what they’re doing. But people don’t see that … there are very good doctors in Nigeria; I know a lot of them and I have spoken to a lot of them.”

“Annomo Health is taking concierge medicine to Turkey”

What then is next for Annomo Health?

“Turkey.”

“So I think we’re going to do business in Turkey. It’s going to take us like one or two months to set it up because there is so much that needs to be done. We’re going to send a few people as [part of a] pilot and then get our board’s approval.”

But of course, expanding any business comes with its unique sets of challenges and learning curves.

“I think scaling the business part is easier because of the people we want to try and get. I think one of our biggest challenges is 2 things.”

“For a long time, you know pre-pandemic, we ran membership by invitation only. Now, there is a one-off service but initially, when we started, we struggled to ensure that we were not offering the same service to people in this category because we were used to our premium healthcare packages. 

“Now that we are scaling even further, we want to be able to ensure that we never dilute the brand or make a mistake with the brand. Because if you’re going to expand and go into new markets, you need to have better options that offer wider, more varied payment options. So not everybody can afford the very expensive people that we work with, but some other people can. We’re trying to navigate that by opening up other countries that are more affordable. We would never stop working with the best people, right? And obviously, the best people cost more money, but what we could do is get the best people in places where the entire health service is cheaper. And that is what we are trying to do. But it’s a bit hard sometimes to navigate all of that.”

Dr Chichi Menakaya: the human behind Annomo Health Services

I cannot leave home without

“My mobile phone and my Macbook. If I don’t have my Macbook my life is not normal.”

I cannot go into a meeting without

“My Macbook. I love it so much, it’s like my best friend. It’s so bad, my Macbook sleeps on my bed.”

A typical day for me would be

“Fun with a bit of stress, and also exciting. I normally get up about 5:30am. If I am operating on that day, I am at work at 7, just to see my patients. Then I operate the whole day: my operating days are an all-day operating day. If I have a clinic day, then it’s not really that busy. But in between, I could have a business meeting or meetings with people. I also love watching movies, that really helps me relax. And I say my prayers and I go to sleep and the next day starts.”

“It’s always different every day. Sundays I do less business work. I spend a lot of time with family over the weekend, in the evenings mostly. My weekends are also full of business meetings for the businesses.”

What are your 3 absolute best cities to visit?

“Paris – it is the love of my life. I’ve been about 1 billion times a year.”

“South Africa – I love South Africa a lot. I’ve been to Cape Town which I really loved.”

“Sicily – I’ve never been to Sicily but Sicily is like the love of my life also. And I am not going to go to Sicily till a special time.”

My most expensive buy is

“I have to confess: I am addicted to shoes and bags. I buy a lot of shoes and bags, like you don’t even want to know. But the most expensive thing I own is a wristwatch I have. It’s nothing that anyone uses. It’s an Italian brand and it’s got real diamonds in it. I can’t remember the name, but I bought it in Italy like 12 years ago. I bumped into Milan and I bought it.”

What are 3 things most people don’t know about you?

“I have a relationship commitment phobia.”

“Even though people think I’m very confident, I still get scared when I have to do a presentation, but people don’t see that. They only see the fact that I am so confident when I’m doing it but deep down I’m scared. I don’t want it to go wrong. But once I say my name, the fear leaves me. My mum used to say to me, you need to remember who you are, whose child you are. So whenever I say my name and hear my name, it makes me remember who I am and it helps me take away that fear.”

“My best friend when I was a child was a dog called Oscar. Till I was 21, my best friend was Oscar, but he died of hepatitis.”

If you were not a doctor, what would have been a natural career path for you?

“It would have been one of multiple things. My natural career path would have been to do charity or missionary work. I love meeting new people because I think life is all about your relationships, your network with people. And I feel like if you can make one person smile if you can take away pain from one person, it works. That’s why I did medicine in the first place.”

“Two, I would have wanted to do fashion which I still do as a doctor. I design clothes. The other thing I would have really wanted to do is business full-time, like buying and selling or owning a shop.”

The post ASPIRE CEO: Dr Chichi Menakaya is Delivering the Ultimate Concierge Medicine Experience first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

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Until it’s time to leave the hospital and you realise those kind nurses are not going to follow you home. Even if your hospital stay was not the best of experiences, suddenly having to deal with a newborn can be an overwhelming experience for mothers. Granted, in some cultures like what obtains here in Africa, it is expected that a member of the family, usually the grandmother, comes over to stay for at least a month to help the new mum adapt. But, times are changing, and even with the support of family members, adjusting to life post-birth can quickly become stressful for new parents.

Luxury retreats for new mums want to help solve this challenge, and they are on the rise.

The idea for luxury retreats for new mums has its origins in postpartum confinement practices in Asia, which can be traced as far back as 960 AD. It is based on the fact that childbirth, though beautiful, can be difficult, and coming home to guests who would have to be entertained, as well as chores and sometimes older children, while adjusting to the demands of a newborn can be too much for mummy. So, a ‘middle home’, which eases parents gently into their new role – whether or not they’ve had children before – is the best solution for everyone.

In South Korea, this post-natal retreat concept is called Sanhujori and is typically offered at choriwons (postpartum care clinics).

Singapore, nearly 5000km away, offers the same kind of services, but in a completely different way. Instead of postpartum clinics, they have luxury postpartum retreats. These five-star-like hotels for new mums come with all the bells and whistles, including spacious, fully-fitted rooms with perks such as 600-thread-count sheets for deep, comfortable sleep; aesthetic clinics for rejuvenating facials; in-house physiotherapy centres to help soothe aching muscles and help new mums get their bodies back to shape; spas that offer weekly postnatal massages and yoga classes. There are also salons that help fix mum’s hair, chauffeur services to take her and baby to the hospital for checkups, herbal baths to promote healing and dining services that offer foods tailored to deeply nourish mom and baby, and help to heal the latter.

In-house nannies and general nurseries are on hand to help take care of the baby when she wants to rest solo. Dads are welcome, and so are family members/other visitors, although the latter are usually not allowed to stay overnight.

The concept is beginning to catch on outside Asia.

The Boram Postnatal Retreat at the Langham Hotel in Manhattan, New York offers the same services as the Singaporean luxury retreats for new mums. There is a nursery run by employees with backgrounds in infant care, a mother’s lounge where moms can attend seminars organised by paediatricians, physical therapists and mental health specialists on everything from pelvic floor therapy to curing insomnia. Messages and sitz baths are offered to mums to help with swelling and soreness, while a robust menu, “prepared by an award-winning chef” ensures the new mothers have all the nutrients they need at this stage.

At $900 per night (the Singaporean Luxury retreats on average cost less at roughly $770 per night) the facility does not come cheap. But those who have used them swear that they are the best thing that happened to them after childbirth. And while it has not become commonplace outside Asia, the fact that non-Asian postnatal facilities like the Boram require bookings well in advance is a good indication that it is simply a matter of time.

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Thankfully, a recent study seems to have the answer we have all been inadvertently searching for. Apparently, the best time to call it a day and go to bed if we are looking to dodge cardiovascular problems in future is between the hours of 10 and 11 p.m. Not a moment before or after.

Why not earlier, you may wonder?

Interestingly, the researchers in the course of their experiment discovered that going to bed before 10 p.m. or at midnight or later might raise the risk for heart disease by nearly 25 per cent, a situation that may be traced to the altering of the body’s circadian rhythm — its internal clock, the study authors said.

“The circadian system controls daily behavioural and physiological rhythms. Disruption to the circadian rhythm has wide-ranging implications, resulting in poorer cognitive performance and increased risk for various physical and mental conditions, including cardiovascular disorders,” explained lead researcher David Plans.

The central clock in the brain controls the circadian rhythm throughout the body. This central clock is calibrated by exposure to light, particularly morning light, which is detected by receptors in the eyes, Plans said further.

“When this morning light is detected, the clock is recalibrated. Therefore, if a person goes to sleep very late, they might oversleep and miss this critical period of morning light. If this occurs over an extended period of time, the circadian rhythm will become disrupted. As a result, there will be effects on other behavioural and physiological rhythms, which can be detrimental to health.”

Plans however cautioned that this study can’t prove that the time one goes to sleep causes heart disease, but it might, if confirmed, be a possible risk factor.

The researchers had information on when participants went to sleep and woke up over a week by using accelerometers worn on the wrist. Participants also completed questionnaires about lifestyle and health.

Over an average follow-up of nearly six years, 3.6 per cent of the participants developed heart disease. Most of those who developed it went to sleep at midnight or later. People who were least likely to develop cardiovascular disease went to sleep between 10 p.m. and 10:59 p.m., the researchers found. Those who went to sleep between 11 and 11:59 p.m. had a 12 per cent higher risk, and those who went to sleep before 10 p.m. had a 24 per cent higher risk.

As for gender, the study revealed that the risk was greatest among women. Among men, only going to sleep before 10 p.m. remained significant, the researchers noted.

While acknowledging that further studies are required to prove that sleep times have a direct effect on whether not we are at risk of developing heart diseases in future, Plans has the following advice for us: “Go to sleep at a reasonable hour and wake up early enough to get some outside time in the morning; avoid blue light late at night; no caffeine late in the day; avoid naps after about 4 p.m.; use the bedroom only for sleeping, and, only go to bed when you feel like you are ready to sleep.”

Source: WebMD

The post Is there a Best Time to go to Bed? first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Is there a Best Time to go to Bed? appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

Called Co, this new incense collection is inspired by the Japanese tradition of Koh-do, a refined and elaborate ritual of ‘listening to incense’ that is somewhat similar to traditional tea ceremonies but with emphasis placed on smell rather than taste.

The collection includes five different incense packs created by Japan’s oldest incense supplier, Kungyokudo. Within each pack is a download link to an album that has been composed to accompany that particular incense. The albums have been made by experimental musicians based in Japan and Europe, who vary greatly in style but are united in their idiosyncratic, genre-blending approach.

The jasmine-scented Fernweh incense, for example, comes with a soundtrack by Hatis Noit, a Japanese vocalist currently based in London, whose eclectic music is inspired by influences including Gagaku (music from the courts of ancient Japan), Gregorian chants, contemporary pop, and opera.

Led by a Blue Bird Through a Mountain is an aquatic sandalwood scent with a corresponding soundtrack by Japanese vibraphone musician Masayoshi Fujita. The vibraphone is a more mellow-sounding version of the xylophone, and Fujita has developed his own unique sound on the instrument, often by attaching metal, strips of foil, or other objects to its metal bars.

Then, there is Under Clouds, Ascending – a mixture of sandalwood and vanilla with a soundtrack composed by Daniel Thorne, a Liverpool-based composer, saxophonist, and founder of Immix, the ensemble of artists from around the UK whose works “slips between the cracks of style and genre.”

Outlines of a Distant Memory is a burnt sugar and wood fragrance in the Co incense collection that comes with music by London-based synth producer Rival Consoles. And finally, To Your Borders and Back is a scent that blends cedar and lavender with music by multimedia artist, composer and vocalist Rosa Anschütz.

The project is the most recent in a growing number of initiatives that blend fragrance and sound to create a soothing, immersive environment. As one new study argues, we will be seeing a lot more of such products in the coming years, as our tech-saturated lifestyles encourage people to find solace in sensory forms of relaxation.

Source: Wallpaper

The post This Incense Actually Comes with Its Own Soundtrack first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post This Incense Actually Comes with Its Own Soundtrack appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

“We are excited to have opened the Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja, bringing Marriott Hotels’ transformed vision to Nigeria,” said Volker Heiden, Area Vice President – Sub Saharan Africa, Marriott International. “Lagos is a vibrant and bustling city with much to see and do for leisure and business travellers. What better place to debut the Marriott Hotels brand in Nigeria with its thoughtful service and intuitive spaces that enable guests to be inspired during their stay.”

Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja reflects the newest global design vision for Marriott Hotels, featuring sophisticated and intuitively designed spaces for today’s modern traveller, enabling guests to relax, work and find inspiration during their stay. It boasts 206 guestrooms and 44 suites each with expansive views of the city.

The spacious guestrooms are thoughtfully designed with contemporary décor and local accents that add a sense of place to the sleek aesthetic. Intuitive in-room amenities, natural colours, crisp lines, purposeful lighting and comfortable bedding create an intimate and peaceful space for guests to get into their best headspace for success. Deluxe walk-in showers and spa-like lighting complete the relaxed experience throughout the room.

Guests can socialise, relax and work in the Greatroom, the heart of the hotel that blends modern elements with local touches inspired by Nigeria’s rich heritage and traditional crafts. Elite members and Club paying guests will have further access to M Club, an exclusive space that provides complimentary breakfast, evening drinks, hors d’oeuvres and premium beverages throughout the day. The M Club also offers the brand’s signature Mind Menu, a selection of delicious snacks and beverages with active ingredients to enhance the mind and body. Accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the M Club provides free Wi-Fi, printing services and power supplies to ensure uninterrupted productivity for business travellers.

The Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja would also allow guests to relax in its tranquil spa offering rejuvenating and restorative treatments, steam rooms and saunas. The seeking Fitness Center would allow more active visitors to stay fit during their stay with complimentary fitness classes, state-of-the-art fitness equipment and an outdoor pool.

But beyond offering visitors a tranquil and lush environment to relax and rest, the hotel also caters to small and large-scale events with 1,380 square metres of sophisticated event space, including the largest ballroom in Ikeja. It offers six breakout rooms and nine event rooms. The meeting spaces can be adapted to cater to a variety of event formats and group sizes, with pivotable walls, moveable partitions, soft seating and modular furniture. Ideas are easily captured with tech-savvy tools such as rewritable surfaces, magnetic panels and shared-screen technology to support productivity and collaboration.

The hotel boasts a diverse selection of restaurants offering regional and international cuisine. The Azure Grill Restaurant, with stunning views of the pool terrace, serves a variety of dishes cooked to perfection on an authentic charcoal grill. The WAKAME specializes in Asian-Fusion cuisine originating from China, Japan, Thailand and Northern Indian. The Koriko & Co is an all-day dining buffet restaurant featuring international favourites and live cooking stations.

Lagos Marriott Hotel Ikeja is located in the heart of Lagos, just 15 minutes from the Murtala Muhammed International airport and a short distance to the third mainland bridge providing easy access to the other side of the Ikeja. The hotel is in close proximity to the city’s main attractions, leisure facilities and shopping malls including the Ikeja City Mall. The hotel also shares its area with The Shrine and Motherland – two globally acclaimed African music entertainment hubs.

Source: Marriott Africa

The post Marriott Hotels Opens its First Nigerian Hotel first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

The post Marriott Hotels Opens its First Nigerian Hotel appeared first on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

So, it only made sense that if he was going into the cannabis market, it is because 1) it is profitable, and 2) it appeals to the luxury market.

And he is right on both counts, although he is not the first to notice that cannabis can be termed an aspirational product and marketed as such. In 2017, when Lord Jones – also known as the Louis Vuitton of the CBD world – launched, it was as a chic luxury brand for health and wellness enthusiasts interested in cannabis and cannabinoids, not an underground, secretive operation for potheads that was the stereotypical image associated with the plant in the past.

Last year, the cannabis market was valued at an estimated USD20.5billion. It is expected to go up to USD90.4billion in the next 5 years.

The evolution of cannabis

A recreational and medicinal plant, cannabis has come a long way from the traditional ‘joint’ or ‘blunt’ to a product whose derivatives provide many benefits, including managing chronic pain in adults, epilepsy, treating acne and dandruff.

Cannabis contains at least 120 active ingredients or cannabinoids, with the most popular being cannabidiol (CBD) and delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). The latter is the one that gives the euphoric or psychoactive effect. As a result, while THC-infused cannabis is beginning to gain traction among the elite class in countries where it is legal, it is CBD that is gradually dominating the health, wellness and skincare industry globally for its many benefits.

Today, CBD products range from edibles like gumdrops and teas to capsules and oils used in skincare and haircare. Lord Jones offers a range of CBD skincare products but other brands like Kiehl’s and Sunny Isle also do.

It is time for luxury brands to get high on cannabis 

The uses of cannabis are so vast that it is almost impossible for a single brand to dominate the market. And since it is a growing industry, untapped opportunities abound, especially in the luxury segment, where brand studies have proven that there is a ready and willing market.

Brands like Lord Jones and Jay-Z’s Monogram have proven that with the right branding and marketing, luxury brands in the health, wellness and even beauty industry can move into the world of cannabis and successfully create products that would cater to the discerning and distinctive tastes of the wealthy. The fashion industry is not even left out, as shown by MoonCloth Designs that uses hemp to create soft, luxe fabrics for some of the biggest businesses in the hospitality industry.

If the predictions about the growth and viability of the cannabis industry do end up coming to pass, then luxury brands cannot ignore it or be left out. Individuals who indulge in luxury goods will definitely gravitate towards cannabis, especially as its benefits continue to rise, and they would be on the look out for products that cater to their tastes. The earlier luxury brands start to take cannabis seriously, the better.

The post Cannabis is the New Luxury first appeared on Aspire Luxury Magazine.

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