Johannesburg - The Covid-19 pandemic might have been an unprecedented era in human history filled with dread and despair.
But the focus on overall wellness and mental health has been one of the greatest benefits to come out of this unique period in human history, which looks to persist long into the future.
And as the world has already begun to emerge from the novel coronavirus, scores of people from all corners of the globe are continuing to prioritise an all-encompassing healthy lifestyle.
This has led to an assortment of centres which focus on just that, including Johannesburg’s Vivari Hotel and Spa by Mantis.
The boutique hotel and spa with a holistic approach to wellness, nutrition, fitness and aesthetic beauty aims to make its clientele feel good from the inside out, a trend which is persisting post the pandemic.
“The demand for wellness post Covid has grown exponentially since people are more aware of living healthy lifestyles,” founder of the facility in the west of Joburg Dr Anushka Reddy explained to the “Saturday Star” this week.
She added that the demand for aesthetic procedures has also grown substantially and this is largely driven by the media and its focus on celebrities’ bodies and faces.
But Reddy believes that the site’s unique and tranquil setting at Featherbrooke, close to the Cradle of Humankind, north of Johannesburg, will also draw in visitors.
“Johannesburg is a rich melting pot of culture, intriguing history and incredible landmarks, and the hotel is the perfect base from which to explore the city,” Craig Erasmus, vice-president of South Saharan Africa for Accor, added.
He said that Vivari also provides guests with a unique blend of wellness, holistic health and aesthetic beauty.
But its focus on cosmetic surgery for both men and women, which is accredited by the Department of Health, Reddy believes, is one of Vivari’s biggest highlights.
Some of the procedures include vaginal rejuvenation, eyelid surgery, breast augmentation and reduction, buttock augmentation, facelifts, liposuction, neck lifts, ear pinning and tummy tucks.
Vivari also has a day hospital to curb the concerns of discerning patients who seek privacy for their medical procedures.
“We saw the need for medical tourism to be developed in South Africa and noticed it was particularly lacking in Johannesburg,” Reddy said.
“We strongly believed that we could convince international medical tourists to visit our facility for cosmetic or weight-loss surgery which would pique interest in the area as well as inject much-needed revenue into our economy through tourism and health.”
Reddy, a respected and award-winning doctor, is well versed in these procedures as she specialises in aesthetic medicine.
Meanwhile, Vivari’s aftercare services also provide hyperbaric oxygen therapy, IV nutritional therapy with high doses of vitamin C, and crucial lymphatic drainage massage.
Hotel guests also have the option to have non-surgical cosmetic procedures, such as fillers and Botox.
For those interested in other wellness treatments, Vivari also features a state-of-the-art spa which seeks to treat the body, mind and soul of an individual, Reddy added.
“The spa facilities include a hydrotherapy suite with a steam room, an ice fountain, a heated vitality pool and an infrared sauna cabin,” she said.
“Guests also have access to a mineral swimming pool, yoga studio, and gym.”
Relaxation and rejuvenation was important to Reddy when she set up Vivari.
In order to achieve this, she carefully chose the premises and was delighted to find its current home, which is set amid expansive gardens and gigantic pecan nut trees.
These trees at Vivari also provide the perfect backdrop for its Brambles Restaurant and the Pécan Pool Bar, a spectacular rooftop lounge.
Reddy also wanted Vivari to be a place where people from all walks of life could come together for both business and pleasure.
For this reason, the site has three modern, well-equipped conference rooms, each accommodating between 120 and 150 people, as well as Jala, a glass-enclosed wedding venue on the banks of the Crocodile River for bespoke weddings and celebrations.
Reddy explained that the hotel has a resort-like feel, offering 48 rooms and three suites spread across the property.
The boutique hotel is 100% black and largely female owned, something that was important for Reddy.
“Black-owned female businesses especially in the business of hospitals and hotels is largely unheard of and it’s a very proud moment for women overall and specifically for people of colour,” she said.
“This development is a very unique and innovative concept that has never been done in South Africa and the continent as a whole.”
Vivari Hotel and Spa by Mantis was initially opened in January 2020, but it was forced to close its doors just two months later due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
It only officially reopened in April this year, something that many Joburg residents have welcomed.
“The response to its opening has been overwhelming,” she said.
She opened Vivari Hotel and Spa by Mantis with her husband and fellow medical practitioner, Dr Mahesh Naidu, who is a physician in private practice at Robinson Hospital.
Apart from being an accomplished specialist who was a front-line doctor during the pandemic, Naidu is also a visionary and a creative who was the architect, interior designer and landscaper during the Vivari building process.
“Despite not being in the hospitality or hospital industry, we are entrepreneurs at heart and restless souls who are always looking for opportunities,” Reddy explained.
“We realised that building a hotel on its own would just be the same old thing, but a combination of a hotel with the hospital would probably be the most unique and innovative concept in South Africa.”
For Vivari’s future plans, Reddy said they are hoping that together with South African Tourism and Brand SA, that South Africa will be marketed as a medical tourist destination.
“In that event it would open doors for us to expand the Vivari brand to Durban and Cape Town.”