Heidi Gubbins is playing the sensory wellness card in Marbella

In the heart of the Boho Club in Marbella, the Boho Wellness Spa, designed by Heidi Gubbins, offers an immersive experience where interior architecture becomes a vehicle for emotion. Spanning 183 square meters, complemented by 72 square meters of outdoor space, the spa presents itself as "an invitation to another world," conceived as a structured sensory journey.

The project takes place within a constrained existing building, characterized by low ceilings and limited volumes. Far from concealing these limitations, the designer turns these apparent drawbacks to her advantage. While plays of light and reflection expand perceptions, circulation flows more smoothly, and spaces become more intimate, creating cocoons where privacy takes precedence over openness. "Each sequence tells its own story, in an atmosphere that is at once ethereal, artistic, and profoundly joyful," explains Heidi Gubbins. This narrative approach structures the entire spa, designed as a succession of micro-universes. The Cranes Passage, The School of Fish, and Moon’s Embrace punctuate the stroll, each evoking an imagery inspired by nature—birds in flight, the underwater world, mineral landscapes.

Materials play a crucial role here. Natural wood floors, hand-painted frescoes, Japanese lacquer: surfaces become expressive, almost tactile, “making each room vibrant.” This material richness is complemented by a subtle palette—aqua, powdery pinks, patinated neutrals, earthy tones—designed to guide their use. Cool hues soothe the treatment rooms, while warmer shades adorn the relaxation areas. The Waterhouse, the project’s focal point, embodies this quest for immersion. Japanese lacquer creates shifting, almost liquid reflections, contrasting with a Balinese-inspired stone floor. Wooden inserts temper the overall effect, reinforcing the feeling of warmth and natural continuity. Other spaces extend this sensitive style: The Pearl, bathed in aqua tones, celebrates introspective gentleness; The Cave plays with thermal contrasts; The Koi stages frescoes and mirrors in a contemplative atmosphere…

“I wanted to imagine a spa that defies expectations, that invites you into a world of imagination and reconnection with yourself,” says Heidi Gubbins. More than just a place of well-being, the Boho Wellness Spa thus establishes itself as a carefully crafted experience, where every spatial, material, and chromatic choice contributes to the same ambition: to make the space a tool for sublimation.

Photo credits: Charly Simon Photo