SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico opened its doors in early 2024. This is the very first large-scale medical spa in the Americas, and it aims to attract customers who want to take care of their bodies and their health. Pascal Languillon, CEO of Luxe Wellness Club, was among the first to test the new SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico. Here’s the story of his fabulous stay in this futurist health resort.
The first wellness clinic in the Americas
We are very familiar with the first SHA Wellness Clinic located in Spain at Luxe Wellness Club, having stayed there on several occasions, and recommending it to customers from all over the world on a regular basis. It’s an absolute reference when it comes to wellness breaks, and certainly the most comprehensive place in the world to date in terms of the range of treatments on offer. So I was very much looking forward to discovering the Mexican version of SHA Wellness Clinic, especially as the project had been under construction for several years and had fallen a little behind schedule. My suitcase had been packed since last year, but I had to wait until May 2024 to finally stay there.
The SHA brand was created in 2009 by Alfredo Bataller, a Spanish property developer who had the idea of creating a center dedicated to well-being and preventive medicine following his recovery from cancer thanks to the macrobiotic diet and alternative therapies. SHA’s stated aim is to help customers extend and improve their lives. The success of the first SHA has inspired the Bataller family to open a site on every continent within the next few years… SHA Mexico is the second opus in this collection (for the moment, only the future SHA in the United Arab Emirates has been unveiled).
The fact remains that SHA Mexico is now the first true wellness clinic on the American continent. Indeed, while there are many wellness hotels in the United States, which generally offer a great deal of yoga and fitness, none are as medically advanced as SHA. That’s what’s so special about this establishment. There are 5 doctors on site, all specialized in anti-aging, revitalizing, regenerating and aesthetic medicine. This is the point that struck me the most, but I’ll come back to it later. SHA is both a hotel and a clinic, at the crossroads of tourism and healthcare.
As soon as I arrived in SHA Mexico, after a long journey from the South of France where I live, I understood the Bataller family’s choice to build here. A beautiful beach with crystal-clear waters runs alongside the building on one side, and on the other stretches a mangrove as far as the eye can see. The natural setting is certainly appealing, and the view of the sea and the Mujeres Islands from every room is an undeniable plus.
I was somewhat surprised by the size of the building, very imposing and DNA-shaped. With 100 rooms and 35 residences, I certainly wasn’t expecting anything intimate. I can’t wait for all the plants to grow on the balconies, so that the greenery is as present as it is in Spain. The large outdoor infinity pool overlooking the sea is a real marvel. It’s certainly where I spent most of my waking hours, between treatments.
SHA Mexico has a total of four swimming pools. Two are located on the main level with splendid ocean views. A third pool is designed for swimmers, and is located on the fifth floor, overlooking the mangroves and the sunset. A fourth indoor pool, part of the hydrotherapy circuit, is located on the ground floor. The circuit also includes jacuzzis, cold-water pools, saunas, steam rooms and ice-cold rooms.
When it comes to interior spaces, SHA Mexico has hit the nail on the head! Everything is magnificent : first and foremost the Shamadi restaurant, with its spectacular dining room, the wood-panelled reception is absolutely charming, and the rooms and suites are superb.
Bright rooms with wonderful sea views
I had a magnificent room: 318, a Superior on the 3rd floor,with a large private balcony offering an open view of the sea. The overall aesthetic is clean and warm: a pale, neutral color palette, modern furnishings, pleasing textures. Sofas and chairs are upholstered in light linen fabrics.
Natural wood is used throughout. I personally love this style, and enjoyed every minute spent in this gorgeous room! What a pleasure to open the large French windows during the day to let in the tropical air and bright light.
No surprise, the bed is ultra-soft (I had previously chosen the type of mattress and cushions I wanted via the mobile app). The bathroom is equally splendid! All in white marble, it features a shower overlooking the sea, a bathtub and a double washbasin.
There’s a yoga mat in the room for early-morning stretching. Having visited all the other room categories, the Superior category was definitely one of my favorites. A must in my opinion, as the price difference with the first category is not great, while the feeling of space is far superior.
Excellent dietetic cuisine with local flavours
I particularly like the cuisine offered at Sha Wellness Clinic in Spain: both tasty and refined, so I wasn’t surprised by the concept offered in Mexico, because it’s exactly the same. French chef Lixi Lineas is also at the helm. For me, this chef is a genius who has succeeded in proving that healthy cooking doesn’t have to be boring– on the contrary!
The SHAMADI restaurant serves extremely tasty gourmet and healthy cuisine. Three menus are available: the KUSHI menu, reserved for the strictest dieters; the BIOLIGHT menu, also recommended for weight loss, but more substantial; and the SHA menu, with starter, main course and dessert, and ample portions.
The menus are based on the latest advances in nutritional research. The menu is mainly alkaline, designed to rebalance intestinal flora and counteract tissue acidity. The chef gives pride of place to vegetables, fruit, seeds and seafood. Meat, refined sugar, dairy products and eggs are totally excluded from cooking.
The dining room at SHAMADI is impressive and spacious, although I couldn’t resist eating on the terrace most of the time. There’s nothing more pleasant than to feel that sea breeze, the wind in your hair, and to see the light softly reflected in the sea, all while
tasting delicious food.
Every day begins with miso soup with vegetables, prized for its probiotic and antioxidant properties. Then a small platter is served with vegetables, a bowl of porridge with red fruit, and a side dish: tofu and fresh tuna, for example. Fresh juice from
carrot, beet or green juice completes this tasting experience.
A variety of revitalizing, detoxifying and balancing teas accompany meals. You can ask Sha for a glass of wine if you like, but of course the aim here is to drink as little alcohol as possible for a real detox.
The desserts are veritable symphonies of taste, combining delicate mousses and crunchy cookies, all sugar-free since only rice syrup or agave syrup, with a much lower glycemic index, is used. However, as part of a weight loss program, desserts are not offered.
A second restaurant, Earthy, was not yet open during my stay. Featuring a large terrace, it will be à la carte and open to outside customers.
At the cutting edge of technology and preventive medicine
Of course, the highlight of your experience at SHA is above all its Wellness Clinic and all the advanced technology treatments you can receive here. Spread over six floors and one hundred treatment rooms, SHA offers an exceptional range of treatments. In short, SHA goes far beyond anything you can imagine. Choosing SHA means investing in your health and obtaining convincing results.
Each stay begins with medical consultations, which systematically include a general practitioner and a nutritionist. Depending on your needs, you can also meet with an energy doctor, an anti-aging medicine specialist, an osteopath and other experts. Every stay begins with a precise diagnosis of general health: body composition, vital signs, muscle strength, glycooxidation, arterial condition, stress assessment, cognitive assessment… All this is done in barely an hour. All this data can then be retrieved from the mobile application, and compared with previous years if necessary.
I met three doctors during my stay, and found them all to be competent, friendly and attentive. Real experts in their field. There’s a lot of science at SHA Wellness Clinic. First of all, Dr Mauricio Di Silvio, who helped me understand my health check-up. After a 40-year career as a surgeon, he now oversees SHA’s medical programs. He explained in detail why SHA is one of the world’s most advanced centers for preventive healthcare.
Indeed, state-of-the-art technology abounds everywhere at SHA. The most impressive machine is certainly the “advanced cell regeneration therapy“. It’s a German machine designed to gently repair the body. During treatment, the user is surrounded by an electrostatic field, which gently transmits static energy (static charges), anions and electrons around the entire body. Some oncology centers have this machine, but SHA uses it for prevention and to boost energy levels.
Other highlights include the Icaros virtual reality machine, which offers an intense abdominal belt workout with the sensation of flying through a mountain landscape, pressotherapy for the legs, intravenous ozone blood cleansing, and binaural brain treatment for total soothing.
And let’s not forget all the manual oriental medicine treatments such as Shiatsu, acupuncture, body massages and, of course, yoga classes. I also appreciated the fitness sessions with a private trainer, as people also come to SHA to work out. The fitness room is very large and well equipped.
SHA Mexico also distinguishes itself by injecting stem cells for therapeutic purposes or simply to boost a person’s energy levels and well-being. This may be recommended for those with acute problems who can’t find solutions with conventional medicine! When it comes to fighting inflammation and autoimmune diseases, stem cell treatments offer real prospects.
Only three countries in the world currently allow stem cells to be harvested from younger donors and injected intravenously: Mexico, Japan and India. So here you’ll find therapies that don’t exist at SHA Spain! In the end, SHA Mexico gave me the impression of a totally futuristic place, where cutting-edge medicine is used to help the body slow down the effects of time. How’s that for getting younger? Almost!
At the end of my stay, I felt totally re-energized, relaxed, re-oxygenated… totally regenerated: in short, like a new man. It took me a little time to readjust to “normal life” during my continued stay in Mexico, although I have to say that a little Margarita served at sunset on a beach in Tulum soon helped me come back down to earth and get back to my little mortal foibles.
Our verdict
SHA Mexico is unique in the world. Where else could you find a state-of-the-art preventive clinic that combines extreme comfort with the medicine of the future, serving delicious, healthy food on the shores of a turquoise beach? A must for SHA fans in Spain, but also for anyone interested in their health and well-being!
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Our video of SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico
Book SHA Wellness Clinic Mexico
Rates: From around 8,000 USD per person per week.
Exclusive benefits for Luxe Wellness Club guests staying a minimum of 7 nights: spa credit, VIP status, complimentary room upgrade subject to availability, early check-in/late check-out.
Call us for the USA: +1 (646) 980 6652 or for the UK: +44 20 4577 3258 to discuss your holiday plans.
