22nd May 2019 – SANGHA Retreat by OCTAVE Institute is pleased to announce the appointment of Alan Navarrete as Spa Director. Launching to the West this year, SANGHA Retreat lies west of Shanghai on 47-acres alongside Yangcheng Lake on the outskirts of Suzhou, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
SANGHA Retreat is a transformative, holistic health and wellness retreat providing an immersive experience in nature, healing and harmony. Embracing ancient Chinese wisdom backed by Western science, SANGHA Retreat supports guests on their path to self-clarity and wellbeing, making lasting lifestyle changes through customised programmes that include comprehensive wellness assessments, nutrition, exercise, mind-body practice and healing treatments.
Navarrete will oversee daily operations at the 65,000-sq ft spa, integrating wellbeing programmes, fitness classes, an extensive spa treatment menu and a hydrotherapy circuit as part of a guest’s customised schedule in accordance with their wellness assessment.
Navarrete began his career at the Ixchel Spa at the Hilton Los Cabos where he spent five years in management developing best standard practices and operational logistics. He previously served as Spa Director at The Resort at Pedregal and at the Auriga Spa at Capella Pedregal, both in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, where he was selected to be part of the opening team in 2009. Navarrete’s passion for spa culture and travel led him to the Canyon Ranch Spa Club on-board Regent Seven Seas and Oceania Cruises, where he served as Spa Director for two years.
In 2014, he returned to The Resort at Pedregal as Spa Director for Luna y Mar Spa, positioning it as the leading spa of Mexican-inspired rituals, and garnering prestigious worldwide awards, including FORBES Travel Guide’s only 5-star spa in México for two years in a row from 2018-2019.
