Kintsugi is the first women-only, holistic member’s club and wellness brand. The first Kintsugi Space launched on Al Reem Island, Abu Dhabi, in November 2023. This is to be followed by online membership and the launch of the brand’s lifestyle product line in 2024 and other wellness spaces internationally.
Kintsugi offers a unique approach to self-care, combining Western and ancient Eastern healing rituals. The Kintsugi project and team are led by Patrizia Bortolin, one of the world’s most beloved spa creatives and founder of Glowing Flow Spa Consultancy. Patrizia has been recognised by The New York Times for her work at Preidlhof Luxury DolceVita Retreat, among other accolades.
Patrizia is accompanied by a Board of experts, including Dr Asma Naheed, Clinical Psychologist and mental wellbeing expert, celebrity Facialist Anastasia Achilleos and architect Emanuela Benedetti.
The Kintsugi method guides its members towards “a new, higher frequency where life feels more joyful and nourishing.” At Kintsugi, laughing and crying are both welcome, a celebration of the body is encouraged through dancing, massage, community and purifying. It also stimulates the mind to create healthy routines, change perspectives, think less and observe more, care for details and rituals and appreciate the beauty all around.
Situated on Al Reem Island in Abu Dhabi, the seven-floor pale pink building will house a wellness space exclusively for female members, unlike other aspects of the brand which are open to all. Kintsugi offers 3, 6 and 11-month membership options. There is also a six-day retreat offering, with membership existing for the duration of the programme, as well as an international membership for four days a year. Kintsugi has partnered with Ember Lifestyle Travel for all arrangements to ensure a seamless wellness retreat.
A charming house full of therapists, wellness experts and a caring community, the space is designed to have many inspiring corners, creative interactive experiences, wholesome talks by experts and a curated blend of unparalleled technology and natural therapies, promoting both movement and stillness.
After passing the healing herbs entrance, an amber ceiling and a fine zen outdoor garden greet guests on arrival. From there the journey continues through different dedicated floors and outdoor spaces for an all-encompassing healing experience.
The ‘Lay Down and Heal’ floor focuses on laying down therapies and wellness rituals, where women can freely share experiences or enjoy them privately. There is an elegant blend of high-tech and natural techniques with a touch of fun. In the Happiness Room, guests can find new inspiration, share an oxygen bar session, improve one’s health in the hyperbaric chamber, regenerate the system on the LED bed, enjoy a sound bath on a quartz bed or recalibrate the joints and posture on a revolutionary new invention.
The Wisdom Studio is where sound healing happens. Inspiring movies are selected according to needs and here, meditative movements and dance meet seamlessly. The relaxation area is called Activation and features a conceptual reading experience designed for Kintsugi, a balcony with DIY Kintsugi art and creativity and an outdoor area protected by bamboo, with an artisanal Japanese touch.
Another outdoor jewel is the Gazebo Garden, with a meditation stone path for inner contemplation and the Gazebo to practice the awakening of feminine rituals, meditation and tea tasting. The upper floor has a spiritual dimension with space for prayers, contemplation and meditation.
The Wet and Dry facilities are on a leisure concept floor, with an infrared sauna, obsidian crystal sauna, Hamman room, relaxing corners and a healthy pool bar. The in-outdoor pool has a feminine aesthetic and invites guests to take a foot bath, an Onsen bath, or use the over-water swings to look up at the sky or enjoy an inspiring movie.
The Fitness Studio offers several options, centred on the ethos that the body is a process and not a structure. Love is the name of the vanity area, designed to make all women feel beautiful and precious from the inside out, filled with exclusive products to enjoy, reconnect and uplift.
The Italian restaurant, led up by Emanuele Giorgione, former Chef at Chenot, offers an elegant setting to taste the most evocative Italian dishes redesigned to create a healing, nourishing and vegan experience. The dining is designed to complement the effect of the treatments.
Original artworks from international and local artists inspired by frequencies, spirituality, feminine power and love interact with members and unveil new nuances at every visit. All amenities have been curated and selected to add a sparkling touch and inspire a more sustainable routine.
Patrizia Bortolin, Creative Director of the brand, said: “I felt honoured to be asked to develop and uplift the concept behind the Kintsugi movement and leading it to its full potential – one of the most fascinating visions I have come across.
With a very special board, we are creating a movement to expand hearts, increase energy and unlock enthusiasm for a more meaningful and harmonious life. Abu Dhabi feels vibrant and extremely charming and the team is an alchemy of inspiring women from all corners of the world’.
