Chi, The Spa at Shangri-La

The Chi concept was developed by Shangri-La Hotels & Resorts as a response to a question: what would a spa look like if it were designed not around services, but around an entire philosophy of wellbeing? The answer began with the Himalayas. The design team spent three months in Bhutan, Nepal, and Tibetan regions studying the traditional wellness practices of mountain communities — the use of heat and cold, mineral-rich water, herbal steam, and the meditative quality of altitude itself.

When Chi at Shangri-La BGC opened in 2016 as part of the brand's first Philippine property, it brought that Himalayan philosophy to the heart of Metro Manila's most dynamic district. The contrast was intentional: a sanctuary of stillness in the city's busiest quarter. The 1,200-square-meter space was built across the hotel's 8th floor, with rooms oriented to minimize sound transmission from the street below.

The treatment team trains for a minimum of six months before serving their first independent guest. Therapists are recruited primarily from provinces renowned for traditional healing practices — Batangas, Cebu, and the Mountain Province — and undergo continuous education in the specific modalities of each signature treatment. The result is a consistency of skill and spirit that defines the Chi experience.