India’s VLCC international beauty and wellness expansion

In a bid to tap into the burgeoning wellness market, Indian beauty and wellness firm VLCC Group has forged a strategic partnership with hotel and resort group Minor International. This is the first time Minor International has entered into an exclusive partnership with a wellness and beauty services provider.

Minor Group owns or manages 523 hotel and resort locations under brands such as Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts and St. Regis among others in 53 countries across Asia Pacific, Middle East, Africa, Indian Ocean, Europe and South America.

VLCC will invest US$25 million to develop and operate therapeutic wellness and beauty centres, both residential as well as standalone, at hotel and resort properties owned, managed and invested in by Minor Group, at 50 locations beginning with its signature and upscale 70 acre, 196-room beach-side property, Avani Hua Hin Resort in Thailand, which is likely to be operational by the first quarter of 2020.

VLCC has 340 wellness centres in 13 countries in 165 cities. These have always been day centres and the new partnership offers the opportunity to get into wellness tourism stays.

The wellness centres across the 50 locations are expected to be operational in the next 18-24 months. The India-specific centres will be ready in 12-16 months. The company is looking at India, the Middle East, Qatar, Oman, the UK and South America to promote wellness tourism.

VLCC Group has a presence in 14 countries across South Asia, South East Asia, the GCC Region, and East Africa. VLCC is targeting 50% of its revenue from international expansion.

The VLCC Wellness centres at Minor’s properties will offer solutions for lifestyle related medical and chronic health issues, detoxification therapies, spa and beauty treatments for body, skin and hair as well as aesthetic dermatology treatments. The programmes will offer customised diets and physical activity regimen to deliver holistic results.

VLCC will work with experienced practitioners ranging from medical specialists, dermatologists, nutritionists, physiotherapists, fitness trainers and Ayurveda specialists to cosmetologists; who will collaborate to cater to each guest’s specific needs and requirements. The medical improvement and wellness enhancement programmes will focus on diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and the gut ecosystem.