The arrival of global brands signifies the maturity of a market. Being recognized by leaders in other industries marks an undeniable milestone on the road to success, stimulating further progress.

The RL Magazine team was fortunate to personally witness such a milestone in Phuket’s health and wellness market. Despite the island losing its bid for the Specialized Expo 2028, the momentum remained strong and culminated with Clinique La Prairie, from the Swiss Alps, choosing Phuket as the location for its first Longevity Hubs in Southeast Asia.

The development was unveiled at an event at Trisara, the most  exclusive pool villa beach resort, operated by Montara Hospitality Group. Having become the first to feature a Micheline-starred restaurant, the group is now on track to become a major player in Phuket’s wellness industry with its latest development, Tri Vananda, which will host the new health resort by Clinique La Prairie.

Slated to open in 2025, Tri Vananda will be a purpose-built wellness community, featuring 30 villas in Phase 1 and 40 additional villas in Phase 2. More importantly, the health resort facilities at Tri Vananda will surpass anything Phuket has previously seen in terms of branding and concept.

Despite Phuket’s popularity for medical tourism, few properties on the island offer a combination of resort accommodation and advanced health facilities on the same site. Sole Mio Boutique Hotel and Wellness has achieved this in a hotel format, while Tri Vananda is now expanding the concept to the ultra-luxury villa segment.

The World-class wellness facilities at the Clinique La Prairie at Tri Vananda will include a medical center with state-of-the-art diagnostic equipment, an active movement center with an Olympic-size swimming pool, a wellness restaurant, a holistic wellbeing center, and a mindfulness center.

The first five private villas at Tri Vananda are now ready to showcase the accommodation side of the project. Also ready for exploration is the Pru Jampa Community House, which features a bar and lounge, swimming pool, Active Movement Center, and more.

A highlight within the Community House is the Michelin Green Star-awarded restaurant Jampa, helmed by chef Rick Dingen. In the wellness industry, Clinique La Prairie is akin to a Michelin Star holder.

“Clinique La Prairie’s longstanding expertise in longevity and their innovative approach make them the ideal partner to realize our vision of establishing Tri Vananda as the gold standard for wellness hospitality in Asia,” says Montara’s CEO Kittisak Pattamasaevi.

Clinique La Prairie echoed this sentiment, citing Thailand’s longstanding reputation for world-class holistic wellness and health retreats as a reason for their choice.

“Thailand has a longstanding reputation for its world-class holistic wellness and health retreats. Our partnership with Montara Hospitality Group at Tri Vananda allows us to offer something new to a discerning clientele, redefining the luxury wellness industry in Asia,” said Simone Gibertoni, CEO of Clinique La Prairie.

According to the recent Global Wellness Institute report, wellness real estate is one of the fastest-growing sectors in wellness, forecasted to surge from a $398 billion market in 2022 to $887.5 billion by 2027.

As Tri Vananda and Clinique La Prairie set new standards for luxury wellness in Asia, Phuket is poised to become a key player in this niche, further diversifying its tourist offerings.

However, it’s worth noting that the opening of Clinique La Prairie at Tri Vananda represents a shift in quality rather than quantity. The arrival of this Swiss powerhouse positions Bang Tao Beach to join the ranks of top wellness destinations like Lake Geneva but doesn’t provide capabilities to serve thousands of customers.

Even the nearly 100-year-old Clinique La Prairie in Clarens-Montreux, Switzerland, has never grown beyond 35 villas, offering the most advanced medical and wellness care in a sophisticated environment to just dozens of clients at a time.

In Phuket, it is now up to other players in the field to follow Clinique La Prairie’s lead and elevate the island to a longevity and better aging destination comparable to the Swiss Alps in terms of both quality of service and quantity of customers served.