Miraval has spent more than two decades refining a singular proposition: that genuine rest is not passive, and that the most meaningful journeys are the ones that change something within you. Its resorts in Arizona, Austin, and the Berkshires have become pilgrimage destinations for those who understand that luxury, at its deepest level, is not about what surrounds you — but about what you return to in yourself.
Now, for the first time, that philosophy is crossing an ocean.
The soon-to-open Miraval The Red Sea marks the brand's debut beyond American shores — a resort conceived not as an export, but as a genuine dialogue between Miraval's global expertise and the ancient wisdom, natural beauty, and cultural depth of this extraordinary Saudi Arabian location. At its heart will be a 3,000-square-metre Life in Balance Spa: 39 treatment rooms, hammams, salt rooms, vitality pools, and a private Spa Majlis Suite, alongside a daily programme spanning yoga, Pilates, sound healing, creative workshops, and one-to-one sessions with Miraval Specialists.
Overseeing it all is Hanna Kulyba, Director of Wellness — a leader who has spent more than a decade working across luxury hospitality in the Middle East and Europe, and whose approach to wellbeing is as human as it is rigorous. We sat down with her to understand what it means to bring Miraval's "Life in Balance" philosophy to the shores of the Red Sea — and why this destination may be the most natural home the brand has ever found.
From Arizona to the Red Sea: Global Expertise Meets Regional Heritage
What does wellness at Miraval mean to you? How would you explain it to someone that has never visited a Miraval Resort?
Wellness, for me, is a continuous journey of returning to balance, a state where the mind, body, and emotions are aligned, and life feels more grounded, present, and meaningful. At Miraval, it goes far beyond spa and fitness. It’s a thoughtfully designed ecosystem of experiences that support this balance in a very real and practical way.
We are an adults-only, all-inclusive resort where guests are invited to slow down, reconnect, and step away from daily distractions through our digitally mindful approach. The environment itself, the landscape, the space, the rhythm, plays a central role in that journey. What makes Miraval truly unique is the breadth of what we offer: meditation and mindfulness, fitness, creative expression, culinary workshops, outdoor adventures, spa treatments. But the intention is never to prescribe wellness. It’s to create a safe, supportive space where guests feel free to explore what resonates with them, and begin or deepen a journey that continues long after they leave.
It was very important to us to approach this destination with deep resonance, for the land, the culture, and the people. We built an international wellness team representing 18 nationalities, which allowed us to bring an extraordinary range of expertise and perspective into the wellness space. At the same time, we ensured the concept remains closely connected to the region.
This is reflected across everything we offer, from traditional Moroccan and Turkish hammams to treatments inspired by regional spices, scents, and traditions. Our creative workshops, such as calligraphy and mosaic art, are not simply activities; they carry stories and cultural meaning. Even our culinary experiences reflect this integration, from fermentation and umami exploration to storytelling around dates and local ingredients. Every element is designed with intention, blending global knowledge with local authenticity.
Miraval is renowned for its “Life in Balance” philosophy; how are you adapting this global ethos to resonate with the specific cultural and geographical landscape of the Red Sea?
One of the most meaningful parts of my role is the opportunity to stay curious, to learn, understand, and respectfully integrate the culture and heritage of this region into everything we create. Adapting Life in Balance to The Red Sea felt very natural, because so many elements of wellness are already deeply rooted here: connection, ritual, community, and a profound respect for nature.
Our approach was to thoughtfully blend Miraval’s global expertise with genuine regional inspiration. In our Ember & Essence experience, for example, we draw from Scandinavian contrast therapy while weaving in a sensory journey inspired by local scents, rose, orange blossom, frankincense. It’s about creating something that feels truly authentic to this place, where international wellness meets the essence of the Red Sea in a way that is respectful, meaningful, and alive.
The Miraval Red Sea Philosophy
If a guest only had 24 hours at Miraval Red Sea, what three experiences would you recommend?
It’s always a difficult question, because every guest arrives with a different intention. There is no single path at Miraval, each journey is personal, and we are here to guide, not prescribe.
But if someone arrived curious, ready to relax and truly arrive, I would suggest beginning the morning with something soft and grounding, Rise with Intention or a Sensory Beach Walk, simply breathing, moving, and connecting with where they are. In the afternoon, something more reflective, the Empowering Gratitude Workshop, followed by a deeply immersive Solace Spa treatment, where they can let go completely and reconnect with themselves on a quieter level. And in the evening, something atmospheric and unhurried, Bedouin Storytelling or Stargazing, closing the day in stillness, connected to culture, nature, and the particular magic of this place.
One day. Movement, reflection, restoration. It’s enough to feel the difference.
Will the surrounding natural environment influence the mindfulness and movement programs you’re developing?
Absolutely, nature is at the heart of everything we create here. The Red Sea environment is not just a backdrop. It is an essential part of the experience itself.
Many of our offerings are designed to take place outdoors, allowing guests to reconnect with the natural elements in a very organic way. Experiences like Sensory Beach Walks, Grounding in Nature, Miraval Challenge Course activities, and creative sessions like Sensory Sketching and Paint Your Desert are all born from the surrounding landscape. The scale and beauty of this destination naturally encourage guests to breathe, move, and slow down. At the end of the day, we are part of nature, and our role is simply to guide guests gently back into that connection.
How do you define “holistic wellbeing” in a luxury hospitality context, and how does it move beyond the traditional spa experience?
Holistic wellbeing, for me, is about creating experiences that are not only enjoyable in the moment, but meaningful and lasting beyond it. At Miraval The Red Sea, we move away from a purely service-driven approach and focus instead on human connection, authenticity, and transformation.
We don’t simply offer a yoga class or a spa treatment, we design each experience with depth and intention, so guests carry something home with them into their daily lives. Our therapists are trained not only in technical skill, but in intuitive touch, truly listening, feeling, and understanding each guest’s needs. Holistic wellbeing is not about perfection or quick fixes. It’s about small, consistent steps toward a more balanced, conscious, and fulfilling way of living. For me personally, it’s about living happier and more aligned.
Inside the Spa
The 3,000-square-metre Life in Balance Spa is a remarkable undertaking. Is there a “hero” treatment or feature you believe will become the resort’s true signature?
Our spa offering is consciously diverse, designed to support a wide range of needs and intentions. But if I were to highlight something truly defining, it would be our Solace and Surrender treatments in the Solace Spa Suite. These are not treatments in the traditional sense, they are immersive journeys. Water-based experiences designed to support deep emotional and physical release, where guests feel held, safe, and free to fully let go.
Alongside these, our Unwind and Ease experiences, inspired by Thai massage and using silks to gently support the body, create a unique sensation of lightness and safety that allows tension to dissolve in the gentlest, supported way. Together, these experiences embody the very essence of Miraval: where care, intention, and transformation meet.
Can you tell us more about the Private Spa Majlis Suite and how it integrates local Saudi heritage into the wellness journey?
The Private Spa Majlis Suite is one of the most special spaces in the spa. Inspired by the traditional concept of Majlis - a place of gathering, of connection - it is designed to bring people together in a meaningful way. It allows us to host intimate group experiences: women’s circles, meditation sessions, workshops, while also offering privacy across five dedicated treatment rooms, including a hammam. This space reflects both cultural heritage and modern wellness thinking. It creates an environment where community, connection, and mindfulness can unfold naturally and without effort.
With 39 treatment rooms and specialised spaces like salt rooms and hammams, how will the team ensure the experience remains intimate and personal at such scale?
Scale never has to mean impersonal. Our focus remains deeply individual. We carefully curate each guest’s journey, weaving treatments with facility experiences to create a seamless, meaningful flow. In our salt room, for example, we offer guided meditation, breath-work, and sound sessions, transforming it into a multi-dimensional experience rather than a standalone facility.
It’s not about how many offerings we have. It’s about how intentionally each moment is designed to feel personal, relevant, and supportive for the guest in front of us.
How will the sensory experience of the spa — the scents, sounds, textures — reflect both the Miraval brand and its new Red Sea home?
The sensory experience is built through layers of considered detail: scents, textures, sound, visual elements. We’ve incorporated locally inspired ingredients and collaborated with regional brands, while honouring our long-standing Miraval partnerships.
From the moment guests arrive, through welcome rituals, treatments, and small thoughtful touches, they experience a quiet, immersive blend of Miraval’s heritage and the essence of The Red Sea. It’s never heavy-handed, it’s felt, not announced.
The People Behind the Practice
Miraval is known for its specialists. Can you tell us more about the team you’ve built?
Building this team was both one of the greatest challenges and one of the most rewarding experiences of my career. We conducted over 700 interviews to find individuals who not only bring exceptional expertise, but who truly align with the Miraval philosophy and way of being.
Our team is wonderfully international and diverse, instructors and specialists from all over the world, each bringing unique knowledge, cultural perspective, and depth. Our Saudi Creative Art Instructor and Wellness Counsellor bring authentic cultural depth and meaning into our experiences that cannot be manufactured. We are also proudly multilingual, connecting with guests in Arabic, Russian, Spanish, Mandarin, and more. And it was deeply important to us to integrate and nurture local talent.
What makes this team truly special is their curiosity, their genuine openness to grow, to learn from one another, and to explore beyond their individual roles. That spirit elevates everything we offer.
Creative expression is a wellness pillar at Miraval. What kinds of workshops can guests expect?
Creative expression at Miraval always carries meaning beneath the surface. In our Coral Clay Workshop, guests learn about coral ecosystems while creating their own pieces, mindfulness, sustainability, and creativity woven into one. In Sensory Sketching, art becomes a way of slowing down and reconnecting with nature. Our perfume workshops explore regional scent traditions and invite guests to create something entirely their own. Even Beach Sand Sculpting becomes a mindful sunset ritual, where creativity meets presence, and presence meets stillness.
Each experience is simple in form, but intentional in depth.
How do you balance more intense movement sessions with restorative practices like sound healing within a single guest’s itinerary?
Every guest journey begins with understanding their intention. Our Experience Planners help guests shape a personal itinerary, but the most beautiful thing is how that evolves during the stay. Guests naturally begin exploring beyond their usual choices, discovering new experiences and sides of themselves.
Our daily schedule is designed to follow the body’s natural rhythm. Mornings begin softly, grounding, mindful, easing guests gently into the day. Energy builds through movement, fitness, and outdoor experience. Afternoons invite reflection through workshops and more introspective practices. And as the day closes, we guide guests back into stillness, through meditation, sound, Bedouin Storytelling, or gentle movement, preparing body and mind for deep rest. Balance emerges not by force, but by design.
Pre-Opening, The Future of Miraval The Red Sea
Drawing on your pre-opening experience in the Middle East, what have been the unique rewards and challenges of launching a wellness concept of this scale in Saudi Arabia?
Saudi Arabia is a deeply inspiring place to build a wellness concept. The culture itself is already aligned with so many core wellness values, community, generosity, tradition, and a profound connection to heritage and the natural world. That alignment made the work feel meaningful from the very beginning.
Being part of The Red Sea Global project adds another layer of purpose entirely. This is a destination conceived with sustainability, wellbeing, and nature at its very core, and that intention permeates everything. The untouched beauty of the landscape, the commitment to environmental preservation, the vision for meaningful experience - all of it is deeply consonant with Miraval’s own philosophy.
The early challenge was building the largest team in the resort. But that challenge quickly became the greatest opportunity. With an extraordinary pool of local curiosity here, people who are genuinely open, eager to learn, and ready to grow. Supporting that development, contributing to the evolution of wellness in this region, that is one of the most fulfilling aspects of this entire journey.
How do you see the wellness industry in this region evolving over the coming years?
Wellness in the region will continue to grow - and grow quickly. But I believe the future belongs to experiences that are human, authentic, and deeply connected. Technology will support the industry, but people will always return to the fundamentals: nature, movement, mindfulness, and genuine human connection.
At its core, wellness has a simple goal, to help people live happier, more aligned lives. That doesn’t come from trends or quick solutions. It comes through education, awareness, and consistency. In many ways, we already know what serves us. What we need is a space that gently reminds us, guides us back, and helps us make those practices part of who we are. That is where true wellness lives, not in complexity, but in returning to what is essential
What are you most excited about when Miraval The Red Sea opens to guests?
People. Always the people.
I’m excited to witness guests fully immersing themselves, reconnecting with nature, with culture, and with themselves. We have created a space with everything needed to support real transformation, and there is something extraordinary about watching someone follow their own light within it.
And equally, I feel deeply moved to share what we’ve built with our team. Because this vision doesn’t live in the walls of the resort, it lives through people. Through them, it grows, evolves, and becomes something even greater than what any of us imagined at the start.
Miraval The Red Sea is now open and taking reservations
Shura Island, Umluj, Red Sea, Saudi Arabia
Make a reservation here
@miravaltheredsea
miravalresorts.com
