How did 432 come about?
Having started my career with Holmes Place and David Lloyd Leisure – relocating to Asia to run Six Senses’ spa division and then launching my own wellness consultancy – I saw there was a gap in the market between fitness and wellness.
Jonathan Fisher, CEO of Holmes Place and Tribute Brands, is co-founder of 432 with me, while Emlyn Brown – a wellbeing industry veteran and expert, and vice president of wellbeing at Accor, has joined us on the journey as a non-executive director, advising on the strategic development of the concept and vision.
We all started out at Holmes Place together and are good friends.
What's the offering?
It’s a social wellbeing concept. The name comes from 432 hertz – the natural frequency of the earth, which has healing and mindfulness benefits. However, we haven’t leaned in too much to the woo or the transformational piece, it's an experience that changes people's physiology in a way that’s meaningful for them.
The curated journey starts with breathwork, led by an instructor and complimented by 432 HZ-tuned soundscapes.
There are different types of classes – for example relaxing, energising or mindful – which incorporate a variety of breathing techniques.
This is followed by the sauna experience. Lasse Eriksen, who runs Farris Bad in Norway, consulted on this to create a multi-sensory, aufguss ritual, which makes a real experience out of the sauna, while touching on the traditions. It involves gradually intensifying the heat and the experience is amplified by the lighting, music and towel work from an aufguss master, which circulates the hot air and animates the experience.
After the sauna is the cold plunge. For hygiene reasons, we went with a cold pool for 12 to 15 people, so the water can be pure and professionally filtered for commercial use. The temperature will be controlled and range from eight to 12 degrees, depending on the journey.
The breathwork is about the inward journey, the sauna is the purging element and the cold brings you back to the conscious space. There will be times when people can use the facilities at their own pace, and also a number of curated journeys each day that will take anything from 45 minutes to two hours.
What is the look and feel?
We worked with interior designers to create a premium feel, using ambient lighting and earthy colours. There’s a welcoming reception area, a retail area and a cafe. It's not going to be a huge food and beverage offering – very much based around health and wellness, such as organic juices, just to give people some refreshment before and after.
It’s designed to be 300 square metres – capacity for 40 to 45 people at one time – as we believe this is the sweet spot for scaling the brand and we want it to fit into high street locations for the convenience factor. However, it will be able to flex up and down, depending on the location and demographics.
What are the membership options?
We'll sell packs of three, 10 and 20 sessions – at around €25 per visit – and offer founder memberships, giving unlimited access for €199 a month.
When do you launch?
The first one is in the centre of Amsterdam and will be opening in summer and we’re currently looking at locations in London, Helsinki, Dubai and Saudi Arabia. Europe is the primary focus, as many of its countries already have a sauna culture, which we identify as being ripe for innovation.
Who is the target audience?
With democratised pricing, 432 is aimed at people who don’t see themselves as a “fitness person” or a “meditation person,” but are interested in something wellness related. It’s a concept which could sit on the high street, but also an amazing solution for hospitality brands wanting to try something more wellness orientated alongside their existing offering without going too far.
We think it will be most appealing to 25- to 40-year-olds. I have three adult children in this age group and they’re much more health orientated than my generation. They’re not so interested in drinking alcohol, but they still want to meet and have social experiences. We see this is a social platform, where people can come and be, rather than going to the bar to meet.
We won’t be serving alcohol. Many spas have leaned into the indulgence perspective by serving alcohol, but we’re moving away from that. This is about doing something for your health which is extremely pleasurable. It’s fun, engaging, social and non-elite and you can't help but feel amazing afterwards.
