The launch of Gharieni’s new touchless technology brand Metawell is perfectly aligned with the future direction of spa and wellness, says the company’s CEO, Sammy Gharieni

With 30 years’ experience as pioneers in spa and wellness technologies, Gharieni Group is now ready to embrace a new era of ‘touchless wellness’ technologies that promise to bring even greater benefits to spa and wellness clients.

This new direction was first signalled earlier in 2024 with the company’s announcement of its new ‘brand segment’ called Metawell – a division launched to exclusively advance Gharieni’s mind-body wellness technologies in the global marketplace.

Metawell is now one of three defined brands to sit under the umbrella of the Gharieni Group.

The group’s headquarters in Moers, Germany serves as the base for the Gharieni and Metawell brands. Bentlon remains based in the Netherlands – a company the group recently acquired to appeal to a younger customer base serviced by smaller spa and salon operators with vibrant, contemporary brands.

Each brand has its own website, (also linked to the Gharieni Group’s main site) while all operational aspects will remain unchanged for the time being.

Strategic brand vision
Gharieni Group CEO, Sammy Gharieni says: “A big idea behind Metawell was to help our clients clearly identify mind-body and wellness technologies in the Gharieni portfolio.

“In addition we plan to continue to collaborate with industry partners who we know will complement our new strategic brand vision”.

The group’s current collection of sensory wellness technologies includes experience beds, loungers and spa equipment that integrate sound, vibration, light and water, and there are many more exciting technology developments in the pipeline.

One of Metawell’s primary aims is to forge new agreements with other touchless wellness partners to create what Gharieni describes as a “hybrid spa and wellness ecosystem”.

One example of this is Metawell’s collaboration with French music conductor Jean-Marie Adrien to create the ‘Augmented Massage’. This treatment has been hailed as an evolution in massage therapy, uniting technology and human touch to deliver a unique and immersive experience for the client.

Metawell also intends to partner with owner-operators looking to install premium touchless wellness solutions in their facility. In this scenario, Metawell will either create a bespoke solution for the spa, or deliver one of its innovative ready-to-go concepts.

Gharieni says: “As Metawell is a newly-launched brand we’re currently in different conversations for projects in development, so watch his space.”

Clearly defined offers
Gharieni admits that ‘a lot of confusion’ had previously existed surrounding the distinction between the company’s newer experiential products and its regular treatment beds, such as massage, podiatry and spa beds. He says: “The rebrand helps our customers understand that Metawell is all about the use of technology in this new era of wellness.”

And Metawell is not merely just keeping up with current trends but – as Gharieni sees it – is mirroring major shifts in the delivery of health and wellness modalities.

“As a company, we’re aligned with the mega trends of hyper-personalisation, the dawn of immersive wellness experiences and the digitisation of products and services across our industry,” he explains.

Since the launch, Gharieni says Metawell has been well received by the company’s existing customer base, as it brings greater clarity to the concept of how touchless wellness can become more integrated into traditional spa and wellness spaces.

Gharieni, who is the embodiment of pioneering leadership, fresh ideas, trendsetting and market disruption, is clearly excited about what a tech-driven future will look like for the spa and wellness industries.

“The sector will continue to cross-pollinate from other industries in the experience economy,” he says. “We’ll also see a tremendous opportunity to deepen our industry thought leadership and create new opportunities for collaborations.

“We’re looking forward to this new era in wellness and to continuing the expansion of touchless technologies in the market, while being future-focused and packed with value for all stakeholders.”

More: www.gharienigroup.com