Space planning a wellness resort: the São Félix Hotel case study (Portugal)
How 2D space planning shapes wellness resorts. A São Félix Hotel case study covering gym, spa, studios and outdoor areas—before interior design begins.
Views from the hotel over a verdant valley below
Why space planning comes first
Before sketches become renders and finishes, smart projects begin with 2D space planning: a clear, scaled layout that tests adjacencies, circulation, back-of-house flow and technical allowances. For wellness-led hotels and mixed-use developments, this early phase prevents costly rework later and ensures the guest journey and operational logic are right from day one.
At Biofilico, we often deliver space planning as a discrete early service—especially for repositionings—before moving into full interior design and specifications. Below we share how this played out at the future São Félix Wellness Resort in Portugal, a hotel refurbishment with a longevity focus.
What space planning solves (for owners & operators)
Programme fit & revenue logic: Confirms the right mix and scale of spaces (treatment rooms vs. recovery tech, gym vs. studios) mapped to target revenues and demand.
Guest journey & brand narrative: Aligns arrival, assessment, treatment, relaxation and social touchpoints with a coherent wellness story.
Operational efficiency: BOH routes, storage, laundry, staff facilities and service points are positioned to keep guest paths calm and uncluttered.
Technical feasibility: Early checks for structure, MEP, acoustics, wet areas, hydrothermal loads, plant rooms and equipment footprints.
Future-proofing: Zones and rooms set up to flex (e.g., tech-agnostic “plug-and-play” treatment rooms).
Our method in brief
Programming & KPIs – define the wellness mix and target capacities by zone.
Adjacencies & zoning – map quiet vs. active, wet vs. dry, public vs. private.
Circulation – minimise cross-flows; create intuitive loops back to hydration and exits.
Support spaces – position BOH, plant, staff and towel points to reduce turnaround times.
Technical allowances – allow for power, ventilation, drainage, acoustic separation, and equipment clearances.
Iteration – pressure-test options against brand, budget and buildability before committing to design detail.
Case study: São Félix Wellness Resort — proposed space plan by level
Low resolution space plan shown for client confidentiality while project in progress
Ground Floor – Arrival, Holistic Studio, Gym & Changing Facilities:
Guests enter via the wellness lounge for a calm arrival and orientation, with a staffed desk for check-in and assessments leading to the adjacent changing rooms to store personal items before proceeding to the gym area to one side or out to the holistic studio on the other.
The main gym is loosely divided into two training zones, one for cardio and the other for strength, with a solid flooring material such as vinyl tiles or rolls of rubber gym flooring.
A separate functional training zone provides a full set of dumbbells, two squat racks and a range of functional equipment such as sandbags, kettlebells, medicine balls, step-up boxes, barbells and weight plates.
A group fitness area has a light equipment set-up including exercise mats, dumbbells, and resistance bands. Sessions can be delivered either in-person by an instructor or via digital content on the wall-mounted screen. In one corner sits a movable fitness testing set-up for guests’ VO2 max assessments, a key biomarker of healthspan.
A holistic studio of 95m2 provides a dedicated, low energy space for yoga, breathwork, workshops and other bodyweight only practices. An outside terrace can also be used for small group sessions for 5-6 people when weather allows.
Low resolution image shown for clien confidentiality while project in progress
Lower First Floor – Spa reception, Treatment rooms, Biohacking / Recovery, Medical consultation rooms:
Guests transition from the hotel into a dedicated spa reception with curated retail, where check-in and short consultations orient them toward either traditional therapies or touchless recovery and biohacking.
In addition to the waiting room, male and female changing areas allow guests to prepare for their treatment in comfort, with minimal distance from locker to therapy room.
Entering the spa they are greeted by a nature wall of plants and views of an internal zen garden, allowing us to introduce the calming effects of biophilia into the guest journey.
Three therapy rooms for physical touch (e.g. massage, facials) include a couples suite with bath tub and WC. There is also an Energy & Mind room with en-suite shower for holistic and spiritual energy practices.
Moving further into the spa, three biohacking recliners facing out to the terrace are allocated for IV drips, red light facials, compression therapies and so on.
The touchless (technology based) therapy rooms are provisionally assigned to a dry float bed, a full-body red light therapy cabin, anti-aging beauty treatments, a body roller / lymphatic drainage room and a vibro-acoustic lounger.
One additional therapy room (marked as room 6) is available for any additional spa technology required.
An outdoor chill-out area has three 2-person day beds , generously spaced apart for privacy, assuming they may be used by couples. Another green wall here maintains the lush, verdant aesthetic of the spa interior.
Two other areas make-up this floor’s wellness space, the first is a consultation area and the other is Back Of House.
A total of five consultation rooms are on offer for guests, notionally allocated to physiotherapy; breath and light therapy; diagnostics; a health coach room and a medical doctor room (benefitting from natural light and views out onto the valley). Finally, a wellness room will replace the existing billiards room, here we envisage a small pilates studio perhaps.
Back-of-house storage, staff relaxation area and service circulation run behind the treatment spine to keep movement invisible and turnarounds efficient. Additionally, a number of service points for towels and cleaning utensils have been spread around the wellness zones.
Low resolution image shown for client confidentiality while project is in progress
Lower Second Floor – Thermal / Wet Area & Deep Relaxation:
Guests arrive from spa reception via the stairs into a hushed, low-light zone where the contrast therapy / thermal core anchors the sequence.
Three double day beds face out towards the valley to maximize the external views , as do the five individually heated spa loungers designed to offer a restorative, low intensity experience to acclimatize after an ice bath. Three nap pods are nestled up close to a green wall of plants for extra privacy.
Two ice baths of different temperatures sit on the raised platform at the back of this space, along with a guest shower (this is to be used by guests every time before entering an ice bath).
A large Finnish sauna provides ample space for 12-15 guests and potentially guided Aufguss sauna sessions too. An adjacent steam room / Turkish bath compliments the trio of thermal experiences in this zone.
Storage and staff support sit behind the wet zone to streamline resets and linen flow, while clear sightlines enable discreet supervision without compromising tranquillity.
Circulation forms a simple loop that returns guests to hydration and exit points, with non-slip finishes, acoustic buffering, and compact travel distances ensuring comfort and accessibility throughout.
Low resolution image shown for client confidentiality while project is in progress
Lower Third Floor – Pool Deck, Outdoor Contrast Therapy & Social Area:
Guests step onto an open deck oriented to the valley views, with a 250m2 circular pool as the focal anchor and paired loungers arranged around its perimeter.
A communal fire pit with single lounge chairs forms the social node for sunset gatherings, set back from the main circulation path so that heat and smoke do not disturb others in the evenings.
On the view-facing edge, an outdoor sauna and (the piece de la resistance!) a snow room create a concise but attention-grabbing (i.e. Instagram-friendly) hot–cold circuit, with an outdoor shower/footwash positioned to encourage frequent rinses in between dips in the pool and contrast therapy sessions.
Nota bene: the snow room requires its own technical room set-up to be located as close as possible to the actual snow room. Exact configuration to be detailed in a subsequent design phase, with additional input from the project engineer.
Clear looped circulation keeps traffic flowing around the water’s edge while discrete gates lead to changing rooms, and a BOH store adjacent to the deck enables rapid towel replenishment and cleaning without crossing guest paths.
Guarded edges, non-slip decking and subtle wind baffles here would help to preserve comfort and safety in all seasons, along with low-glare lighting and privacy screening.
Low resolution image shown for client confidentiality while project is in progress
Lower Fourth Floor – Padel court, Outdoor gym & Quiet Contemplation:
Nestled down amongst the abundant foliage, guests step onto an open-air activity deck where the 200m2 standard size padel court anchors the zone, oriented to make the most of the daylight.
To one side, a 140 m² functional training zone on a concrete slab support covered in outdoor gym tiles provides space for bodyweight circuits and small-group PT around a outdoor rig (approx. 5.0 × 2.75 m). A sprint track (turf) can also be used for sled push-pull exercises and acceleration work.
At the far, view-oriented end, a 50 m² meditation terrace is purposefully set away to preserve a greater degree of quiet and privacy, with wind baffles and low-glare lighting enabling dawn and dusk sessions without spill back to the courts.
Non-slip surfacing, screened edges and clearly marked run-offs would help complete a safe journey from stairway to the padel, gym and meditation zones.
Nota Bene: a new WC was requested on this level for guest comfort. This requires technical input from the project engineer to understand the options for connecting to sewage system on upper levels.
Design principles embedded in the plan
Active-to-passive gradient: Noisy, high-energy spaces give way to quiet, restorative areas to support nervous-system regulation.
Dry-to-wet sequencing: Changing → treatment → thermal → pool is legible and efficient.
Minimal cross-flows: Guest and service routes are separate; housekeeping touchpoints are distributed and hidden.
Biophilia at key moments: Nature walls, garden views and planting clusters cue calm without heavy maintenance.
Longevity integration: Diagnostics, VO₂ testing and recovery technology sit alongside traditional spa therapies for a holistic offer.
Flexibility: One tech-agnostic room and modular recovery stations allow future upgrades without re-planning.
What this unlocks next
With the 2D plan signed off, we move into concept & schematic design: finishes, lighting strategy, acoustics, FF&E, equipment specifications, MEP coordination and detailed back-of-house workflows—confident that the bones of the project are right.
FAQs
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Scaled 2D floor plans with room names and capacities; adjacency and circulation diagrams; BOH/service strategy; high-level technical notes; and a short narrative explaining guest and staff flows.
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Typically a short, focused engagement with rapid iterations—fast enough to inform budgets and programming before design development. Depending on the size of the floor area involved, as well as how clearly the concept and facility list are defined prior to starting work , this can be anything from 4-6 weeks, with integration of client feedback.
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Yes—decks, pools, hot & cold (contrast bathing) circuits, outdoor gyms and contemplative gardens for meditation require the same rigour as indoor zones, so we include those here as well.
If you’re planning or repositioning a wellness-led hotel or mixed-use asset, we can deliver rapid 2D space planning to validate your programme, revenue logic and guest journey—before design spend ramps up. Share your plans and constraints, and we’ll propose clear options with pros/cons and capex implications. Email us here
Finding the Perfect Spa Consultant: Expert Guidance for Your Business
residential wellness room design concept by Biofilico
The role of a spa consultant is evolved fast. The modern spa is no longer just about jacuzzis, steam rooms, and Finnish saunas—nowadays, spa advisors like us are at the forefront of designing wellness rooms equipped with cutting-edge technology like biohacking areas, infrared saunas, ice baths, and flotation tanks.
For example, our sister company Biofit has designed recovery rooms for the Aleenta Resort Spa in Thailand and Fusion Group in the UK along these exact lines.
These innovations are redefining the traditional spa concept, turning it into a sanctuary for mental and physical rejuvenation.
Let’s dive into what makes a spa or wellness consultant indispensable for businesses navigating the complexities of today’s wellness industry.
What is a Spa Consultancy?
A spa fitness consultant is an expert who offers specialized guidance, in-depth knowledge and professional support to businesses in the spa and wellness sector. In our case this can relate specifically to recovery room and small-scale spa design as the key deliverable.
Whether it's designing spaces for advanced wellness practices, like biohacking or developing spa treatments that meet the needs of today’s health-conscious clients, a consultant's unique ability is to help businesses maintain a competitive edge in an ever-evolving market not just before the grand opening but on an ongoing basis, post launch during the management phase.
Benefits of Hiring a Spa consultancy firm
Hiring a spa wellness consultant for your spa project can provide a wealth of benefits for a business, or personal growth for an entrepreneur. By offering objective advice, they enable business owners to prevent costly mistakes and make informed decisions about design, services, and operations. Here are some specific benefits:
- Objective Guidance: Spa consultants provide an unbiased perspective. Their recommendations are based on industry knowledge and trends, ensuring that businesses adopt the best practices.
- Time and Cost Efficiency: With their expertise, spa consultants can help businesses avoid pitfalls during the development or renovation process, saving valuable time and money. Their familiarity with suppliers, equipment, and trends ensures the business invests wisely.
- Goal Achievement: By clearly defining a business’s goals and aligning them with practical strategies, consultants help improve overall performance—ensuring that the spa not only meets but exceeds client expectations.
Qualifications and Licensing
One of the unique aspects of becoming a spa consultant is the lack of official licensing or strict legal requirements. This means that anyone can technically claim to be a spa consultant.
However, the best consultants are those who have in-depth industry knowledge, experience, and a track record of successful projects. It’s essential to vet potential consultants by looking into their experience, their portfolio of past projects, and their client testimonials.
residential wellness room design concept by Biofilico
Spa Development
Spa Architecture
Designing the architecture of a spa is much more than deciding on the layout of treatment rooms. A well-designed spa architecture creates a luxurious and relaxing atmosphere, setting the stage for an immersive wellness experience.
Today’s spa consultants are increasingly involved in the creation of wellness rooms that go beyond the classic sauna and steam room.
For example, modern wellness rooms may include biohacking areas that feature state-of-the-art technologies like cryotherapy chambers, infrared saunas that offer detoxification benefits, and flotation tanks for sensory deprivation therapy.
Luxury Spa Operations
Creating a luxury spa that provides an exceptional experience requires more than just premium amenities. The operations need to be designed meticulously, from the quality of services offered to the ambiance of the entire space.
Spa consultants assist in the development of luxury spa concepts that elevate the client experience. This includes selecting services, designing exclusive amenities, training staff, and creating marketing strategies to attract high-end clientele.
The modern wellness consumer is looking for a deeply personalized and holistic experience. Spa consultants help create spaces where everything—from the type of treatments offered to the energy-efficient lighting and aromatherapy-infused ambiance—works together to provide an unforgettable experience for clients.
How to Choose the Right Spa Advisory Business
Selecting the right spa and wellness consultant is a crucial step in the development or enhancement of a wellness space. The following are essential considerations:
- Relevant Experience: Find a consultant with significant experience in the wellness industry. Ideally, they should have worked on projects similar to yours—whether that means a luxury spa, a wellness retreat, or a biohacking center.
- Strong Reputation: A consultant's reputation is key. Look for case studies, success stories, or testimonials from previous clients. A consultant who has successfully delivered results will be happy to share examples of their work.
- Work Style and Personality Fit: The best partnerships are those where both parties understand each other well. Make sure the consultant's approach aligns with your business values and that they can seamlessly integrate with your team.
Marketing and Promotion
An often-overlooked benefit of hiring a spa and wellness consultant is their knowledge of marketing and promotion within the spa industry. A consultant can assist in creating a distinctive brand identity and developing a targeted marketing strategy to attract clients. This includes everything from branding and advertising to crafting an effective social media presence.
In today’s digital landscape, promoting the unique selling proposition (USP) of a spa is crucial. With wellness trends like biohacking and infrared therapies gaining popularity, consultants can help businesses highlight these distinctive features to set themselves apart from competitors.
Case Studies and Luxury Spas Success Stories
Reputable spa consultants will often provide case studies and success stories from previous clients. These case studies can provide valuable insights into their approach, how they solve challenges, and their ability to deliver measurable results.
By examining past projects, business owners can gain confidence in the consultant's expertise, particularly when it comes to incorporating innovative wellness solutions like floatation tanks or biohacking treatments.
Working with a Spa Wellness Consultant
When working with a wellness advisor, expect ongoing support throughout the development process. They’ll help with everything from creating a business plan to choosing the right wellness amenities, training staff, and improving operational efficiency.
Incorporating new wellness trends, such as biohacking therapies, requires expertise that only a specialized consultant can bring.
This could mean providing guidance on the safe installation of cryotherapy units, managing water quality for floatation tanks, or ensuring that an infrared sauna area is optimized for maximum health benefits.
Spa Consultants - Conclusion
Finding the perfect spa wellness consultant can be a game-changer for any wellness business. The right consultant will not only help you design a space that meets current wellness standards but also ensure that you’re incorporating the most up-to-date trends, such as biohacking areas, infrared saunas, and floatation tanks, into your offerings.
Best Examples of Biophilic Design in Healthcare: Dental Clinic and Wellness Center — Biofilico Wellness Interiors
Biophilic design integrates both wellness design interiors and sustainable interior concepts, making this design strategy an ideal fit for healthcare clinics, wellness centres and dental clinics. Here we look at three best examples. Biofilico consultants.
Biophilic design integrates both wellness design interiors and sustainable interior concepts, making use of biophilic design elements such as natural building and furniture materials, shared green spaces, and natural patterns to create an ideal fit for healthcare clinics, wellness centres, and dental clinics. These elements enhance the functional and physical value of healthcare environments by promoting stress reduction and improved cognitive function. Collaboration with healthcare professionals is crucial for the successful implementation and future development of biophilic design.
Key concepts on evidence in the examples below include air purifying plants, natural colour palettes, circular materials that can be recycled at their end of life, abundant natural light aswell as patterns, textures and finishes that evoke the natural world in healthcare settings. The advancement of scientific and medical knowledge plays a significant role in supporting the benefits of biophilic design in healthcare.
Dentista Amsterdam - dental clinic biophilic design interiors with natural elements
Interiors by i29 interior architects
Dentista is a design-conscious dental clinic located in Amsterdam designed by i29 Architects that offers a dental experience designed for mental wellbeing and calm relaxation, despite the potential stressor of dental surgery. Biophilic design within the hospital environment can significantly enhance the health and well-being of patients by creating a more comfortable and welcoming space.
Abundant natural lighting ensures that plant life can be meaningfully sustained in the long-term, promoting natural circadian rhythms and enhancing mood. The use of natural patterns, such as the presence of natural light, water, and vegetation, helps reduce stress levels and improve patients' physical and psychological well-being.
Walking into the clinic, patients are met with a plant filled window atop a green strip of flooring. Down the line of sight they are met with the white of a medical building accompanied by a complement of wood furnishings. A green reception desk is color blocked by a green floor ceiling and wall.
The rest of the clinic’s interior hallways are pure white, ensuring the attention is drawn to an inner courtyard garden full of plants, providing an unexpected centre piece to the clinic experience. Trees, shrubbery and grasses make up the garden atop a pebble floor of white stone.
Within each ‘box’ (treatment room), a soothing green accent wall and ceiling skylight continue the biophilic design interior theme.
This is an example of how an image of medical professionalism and health can be enhanced with the integration of biophilic design principles
The Well, NYC - biophilic design wellness centre with natural materials
https://www.the-well.com/new-york
Interiors by Rose Ink Workshop and Spector Group
Located within the heart of New York City, The Well is an integrated health experience that combines medical doctors and personal trainers, meditation spaces, saunas, and ancient healing techniques in one single practice, making it an ideal venue for biophilic design interiors that promote a connection with nature and create healing healthcare environments. The design also incorporates outdoor spaces such as patios and rooftop gardens to encourage outdoor activities and social interactions.
East-meets-West mental and physical wellbeing services include acupuncture, personalized wellness consultations, mindful movement, functional fitness, massages, facials, blood work, hormone panels, microbiome testing and genetic testing, to name but a few. The design considers not only their physical needs but also their social and psychological needs, enhancing the overall wellness experience.
Some key amenities of interest within the building include a meditation dome, the rest and recovery room, and the relaxation lounge.
A circular meditation dome is a design focus thanks to its textured floor rug, cushions and earthy colours - creating a balanced, calming space for psychological healing, meditative peace and a rest from the distractions of the outside world. There are surely traces of tribal rituals in this concept.
A ‘rest and recovery room’ gives clients an additional space in which to find their own inner peace for a moment during their visit. Positioned on lounge chairs between a wall of shelved potted plants and a wall of windows, occupants can benefits from the full mental health benefits of biophilic design.
Plants have been proven to reduce stress and boost one’s mood, thereby acting as an essential element of wellbeing interior design.
A ‘relaxation lounge’ incorporates an organic color scheme along with textured walls, lounge seating surrounding the room, and a mangrove tree table centerpiece. Large selenite crystals surround the room to ensure a healing and calming environment.
St. Elizabeth Healthcare Cancer Center, Kentucky, USA - biophilic design healthcare facilities
The St. Elizabeth Cancer Center in Kentucky pulls together a range of cancer services into a single building while deploying elements of biophilic design in the HGA Architects designed interiors, setting a new standard for healthcare spaces. Collaboration with healthcare professionals is crucial in the design process to ensure that the unique needs of each facility are met.
The center is not only focused on caring for the physical impacts of cancer but on the mental wellness aspects as well, meaning access to the healing power of nature exposure is a key concept.
Located on the first floor for example are centers for yoga, meditation, art and music therapy. This comprehensive wellness program is part of the emotional complement to the physical cancer journey.
A neutral palette of natural colors, abundant natural light, grass-like carpet tiles and plenty of textured finishes make up the interiors.
To reduce the possible stresses of navigating such a large building were color coordinated with uplifting color tones so patients and their family’s intuitively find their way around between departments.
The St. Elizabeth Cancer center creates a comprehensive healing experience for cancer patients, incorporating biophilic design and concern for physical and mental wellbeing during the cancer care journey.