Minos Palace Resort in Crete has launched a new spa and longevity hub as part of a €5 million (US$5.2 million, £4.2 million) overhaul of the 150-key resort.

Nao spa has 1,100sq m of data-driven facilities with a concept based on 12 hallmarks of ageing.

These were identified in a research paper originally published in 2013 by professor of biochemistry and molecular biology, Carlos López-Otín and his team.

Developed in collaboration with Moss Wellness Consultancy and Stones and Walls architects, Nao follows an evidence-based approach targeting the hallmarks of ageing – ranging from cellular senescence to mitochondrial dysfunction. Its methodology is built on four core pillars: nutrition, sleep, self-mastery and movement.

Lifestyle interventions are tailored to each guest’s physiological and psychological profile based on pre-arrival assessments and wellness consultations.

The spa has eight treatment rooms, a brain gym for gentle intentional movement, a cryo chamber, meditation spaces and vibroacoustic lounger rooms (with loungers by Gharieni and soundscapes by Myndstream).

Additional amenities include an infrared sauna, a vitality pool, hot and cold plunge baths, a PBM red light therapy room (with technology by NovoThor), a retail boutique, indoor and outdoor relaxation areas and a sensory shower tunnel experience (supplied by Klafs).

Programming

Guests will be able to choose between immersive two-week retreats and more flexible options.

Nao's prognostic and biometric testing assesses metabolic, heart, lung and cellular fitness, as well as HRV, body composition, epigenetics, stability, mobility and coordination.

This data informs personalised lifestyle adaptations, including customised meal plans, sleep schedules, fitness regimens and mindfulness practices.

The spa uses a range of technology to create these measurements and suppliers include Mecotec, Heartmath, Muhdo, PNOĒ and Food Oxys.

There is a scientific board supporting the spa remotely but on a daily basis it has an in-house doctor, a nutritionist, a life coach and a personal trainer, in addition to spa therapists.

À la carte treatments are also on offer and are organised on the menu in seven sections:

• Prognostics and biometrics• Wellbeing technologies – neuromodulation, intermittent hypoxia-hyperoxia treatments, PBM red light therapy, cryotherapy and vibroacoustic sound therapy

• Self mastery – journalling, breathwork and sound healing• Functional body therapies – in partnership with The Tides

• Body wellbeing – in partnership with The Tides• Skincare therapies – in partnership with The Tides, QMS Medicosmetics and Déesse Pro

• Functional movement – personal training, yoga, HIIT and joint conditioning

Other activities on offer include watersports, tennis and hiking, while the resort’s private beach, infinity pool and tranquil gardens offer further relaxation.

Nao’s wellbeing director, Anastasia Konstanaros, told Spa Business exclusively, “Nao was created for the modern wellness seeker – guests who no longer view spa as an indulgence, but as an essential part of their health strategy. Our longevity hub and resort attracts individuals who are proactive, curious and deeply invested in improving their quality of life through science-led therapies, personalised protocols and a holistic approach to ageing well. Whether they come to reset, to learn, or to prevent, our guests are united by a shared intention to live not just longer, but better.”

We originally reported on this story here.

About Bluegr Hotels and Resorts

Family-owned Bluegr Hotels and Resorts features some of Greece’s leading luxury hotels that seek to blend the three pillars of quality tourism: exceptional service, hospitality excellence and breathtaking locations.

Bluegr Hotels and Resorts’s portfolio includes hotels in Crete and Athens.

Nao suppliers

Architects: Stones & WallsConcept development and design: Nigel Franklyn and Moss Wellness Consultancy

Landscape design: Greenways Landscape Architecture

Skincare: The Tides & QMSPools: Osmo

Infrared sauna: KlafsEmotional shower: Klafs

Cryo chamber: Mecotec

Uniforms: A+M Athens, KimissoTowels and spa linens: Kimisoo

Treatment beds and vibroacoustic chair: Gharieni

Music: MyndstreamPhotobiomodulation therapy bed: Novothor

Body scan analyser: StykuMetabolism measurement: PNOĒ

IHHT: CellgymLED masks: Déesse

Neuromodulation: PlatoVagus nerve stimulator: Pulsetto

Sleep tracker/analyser: FrenzFitness equipment: Reaxing, Ostracon

Software: Afrodite by EurotelLockers: Custom-made by Minos Palace Resort team

Sofas/relaxation beds: Gharieni

Sofas: Ferm living, Audo Copenhagen Lounge chair vitality pool: Swiss pearl

Relaxation Beds: Kristalia, Adorno (custom-made sofa), Vagenas (custom-made patio daybeds and vitality pool pouffes) Coffee tables and desk: Ethnicraft

Office chairs: PedraliStools: Byboo, Kave home and Home Deco

Upholstery: Casamance, Puro Lino, CapriDecorative furnishings: Atelier C& S Davoy, Manufactori