NEW HEALTH RESORT IN AJMAN PUTS THE FOCUS ON FITNESS
▶ Hayley Skirka takes a look around Zoya Health and Wellbeing Resort, an adults-only five-star retreat beside the emirate’s mangroves
Zoya Health and Wellbeing Resort opened it doors last month. It’s the first adults-only five-star health and wellness retreat in the UAE and, according to the owners, the first of its kind in the Middle East.
Operated by Premedion, an international spa consultancy and management company with expertise in well-being, fitness and health, the Ajman escape offers several overnight packages with a focus on detoxing, therapeutic fasting, aesthetics and physical rehabilitation.
The National got a sneak peek of what guests can expect from Ajman’s Dh3,200-anight wellness retreat.
Surrounded by a protected area of mangrove forests, the whitewashed 61-key centre is remarkable in both style and service, with more than a 1:1 staff to guest ratio.
Opening in soft launch until September, the resort has six different programmes to choose from, including weight management, physiotherapy, get fit, detox and rejuvenation plans. Two-day wellcation sampler packages are also on offer, designed as introductory taster sessions.
After checking in at reception, guests will begin their journey with a medical consultation with the resort’s in-house doctor. This will be followed by diagnostic testing and a wellness assessment.
Experienced staff will then customise programmes for each visitor, with a variety of wellness treatments, medical therapies, diet and nutrition plans, and holistic therapies on offer.
Spread over three levels, accommodation at Zoya is spacious and comfortable, but don’t expect lavish luxury. Instead, the resort’s focus is on health and well-being. Rooms are well-equipped with separate seating areas, spacious bathrooms, televisions and Wi-Fi, and guests can opt to look out over the swimming pool and mangroves, or enjoy views over the golf course and Ajman city that allow you to watch the sun rise.
On the ground level, guests will find a temperaturecontrolled swimming pool lined with sunloungers and umbrellas.
Aqua-therapy machines will be installed in the pool, while in-water loungers are great for when it’s time to really relax.
Adjacent to the pool is a sand-filled Zen garden where guests can use oversized wooden forks to trace lines in the sand to aid meditation. Beyond the resort, Ajman’s wild mangroves thrive and guests can opt to rent kayaks to explore the protected wildlife zone.
The basement level of the resort is where most of the health and wellness treatments will take place. Away from the glare of the midday sun, it’s a calming, serene environment with smiling staff who are on hand to take guests through each experience.
There are male and female spas, each equipped with traditional and infrared saunas, steam rooms, hammams, cold plunge pools and relaxation areas.
Couples can choose to have massages and certain therapies together in a dedicated suite. Astate-of-the-art fitness studio can also be found on this level. Here, expert trainers take guests through body-scanning and diagnostic tests before devising a customised fitness plan. Machines use radio frequency identification technology to track guests’ workouts and monitor their vitals and progress. An antigravity treadmill with technology designed by Nasa is one of the highlights of this space, and allows anyone recovering from an operation or injury to train with a reduced body weight, relieving pressure on their muscles and joints.
The resort’s physiotherapy area is extensive, with several treatments on offer from qualified therapists. Guests can choose services including shock wave therapy, targeted cryotherapy, wax therapy and flotation therapy.
There are also several other therapy rooms, including a dermatology area, an injectable room where treatments such as Botox are offered, a cryotherapy chamber and an Angel of Water colonic room.
When it comes to eating, the resort’s main dining area is a brightly lit space on the ground floor with wooden tables and chairs, lots of greenery and views over the swimming pool and mangroves.
Here, chef Rusvel Trujillo and his team serve up meals according t a customised nutrition plan for each guest, with a focus on locally sourced, plant-based ingredients.
Many guests will be juicing or fasting as part of their programme and the culinary team offer a wide variety of
nutrition-based, cold-pressed juices and smoothies.
We got the chance to sample a green detox juice, served with a bamboo straw and a raw brownie, and can confirm they are both as tasty as they are healthy.
All water served at Zoya is alkaline – with a special in-house machine used to convert tap water into drinking water, a process that also helps to eliminate the need for plastic bottles.
Yoga is offered daily, with the resort featuring both an indoor yoga hall and an outdoor deck. Guests staying in some of the premium rooms will also be able to opt for one-on-one yoga sessions on their private deck. A lecture hall on the ground floor is where guests will be able to learn about health and well-being, with plans in place for daily talks from health experts on a wide variety of subjects.
Before leaving the site, each guest receives an aftercare schedule to help guide them at home, an initiative that is in keeping with the resort’s position as a place where people can begin “life-changing” programmes.
Two-night wellcation stays at Zoya Health & Wellbeing Resort start at Dh6,072, including all meals and juices; Al Zorah, Ajman; zoyawellbeing.com