Wellness vs longevity: Inge Theron on balance, health and fulfilment
Longevity is the new cocktail by the pool when it comes to luxury hotels and the treatments on offer will astound you, especially at this new London property.
Inge Theron first got into the world of spas, wellness and skincare with her regular column, The Chronicles of a Spa Junkie, written for London’s Financial Times. She ventured into business in 2014, starting FaceGym, which is a workout for the face using tools, skincare and muscle training. Theron opened up the first FaceGym studio in Selfridges and now they are all over the world, including within Mecca in Sydney.
Spa design was next; Theron consulted on the spa at Claridge’s in London and Faena Hotel in New York. In 2022, she was appointed the creative director of spa and wellness at the Maybourne Hotel Group, which counts Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley hotels in London in its portfolio as well as a new all-suite property, The Emory. Deep underground at The Emory is Surrenne, a cutting edge spa, wellness and longevity club that Theron helped design and combines medical science, wellness, fitness, food and treatments. It is a members-only club but guests of The Emory and The Berkeley have unlimited access.
Tell us about Surrenne?
It was born from a vision to create a sanctuary where ultra luxury meets longevity. Working with architects, designers and wellness experts, we crafted four floors over 2000sq m. It offers one of London’s most beautiful pools and wet spa complexes, complete with a snow shower and two floors dedicated to fitness, including a Tracy Anderson studio. There is also a whole floor dedicated to functional medicine, diagnostic testings and hyperbaric-medicine chambers . We have everything from a gym and a nutritional cafe that links up to the medical team to a yoga and ballet barre studio. The treatments range from tuning forks and chanting all the way through to hyper modern body sculpting treatments with infra-red light.
What is the difference between wellness and longevity?
Wellness to me is the art of thriving in the present moment, a holistic practice focusing on balance, health and fulfilment. Longevity, however, delves into extending our healthspan, not just lifespan. We can apply longevity into every cell in our being, focusing on how to increase its functions, reduce inflammation, all the while increasing its output. We achieve this through a number of regenerative medicine protocols.
The cities I revisit
I go to Cape Town (pictured) to keep me connected to my identity (Theron grew up in South Africa before moving to London), Kenya for my love of nature, Careyes for the magic, Kyoto for the onsen, Seoul for the cool factor and Shanghai for its energy.
Favourite spas
It’s hard to choose. I love the Swiss clinics such as Chenot Palace Weggis for detox,
and the Thai approach to weight loss, so I am a big fan of Chiva-Som Hua Hin (pictured). I also love the hiking at The Ranch Life retreat in LA, Indian destinations for a boost of spirituality, and The Maldives for ultra luxury rebooting from burnout.
Longevity in travel
Wellness and longevity are becoming central as people seek not just visits but transformations during their travels. The desire to maintain health while experiencing the world is highlighted in today’s trends. I also think the numbers speak for themselves; memberships at Surrenne (pictured) sold out after a couple of weeks.
Where I holiday
I love hiking and cross-country skiing, so spend a lot of time at the Kulm Hotel (pictured) in St Moritz. I spend summers in Capri where
I have a home. It is pure joy. I have beach access to the left and a hiking trail to the right and the best pasta in the world below me, so it’s my happy place. I also go to the Hamptons in the summer for my kids, who go to camps.
New destinations
I discovered Careyes in Mexico five years ago and it stole my heart, so I have been going every year since. It has an artistic community with rainbow-coloured homes, a single restaurant and one of my favourite beaches. There’s horse riding on the sand and daily whale-watching trips that get you so close to these majestic animals. It’s heaven on Earth.
My skincare routine
I believe in collagen, as it’s what has kept me looking much younger than my years. I swear by the active collagen range from FaceGym.
I am also obsessed with polynucleotides.
I inject a kilo of what is commonly called salmon sperm into my face every month and it’s been transformational.
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