How apothecaries became hospitality’s hottest accessory

At Six Senses Dubai, The Herball is developing herbal tinctures, tisanes, botanical drinks and immersive guest experiences rooted in the medicinal plants of the Gulf Peninsula. In Mexico, a botanical drinks programme for Siari, A Ritz-Carlton Reserve to celebrate the nature and culture of Nayarit. Plans for 2027 include Portugal, an alchemical laboratory with chef João Rodrigues at Na Praia to capture the surrounding dunes and Atlantic landscape through distillation and flavour.

Michael says guests are asking how extracts are made, or why certain plants are used. “They’re looking for experiences that feel rooted in place, rather than imported or generic.” He sees the future as botanical alchemy becoming part of the entire hospitality ecosystem; its techniques quietly influencing a hotel from a welcome ritual and beverage programme, through to scent throughout the property and educational experiences connecting guests with the surrounding landscape. “Instead of wellness existing in one corner of the hotel, it becomes deeply woven into the fabric of the guest journey. The destination itself becomes the apothecary.”

While Europe is rich with apothecaries, from Antwerp to Florence, travellers can turn to other continents for their take on alchemy. Shangri-La Hambantota is on Sri Lanka’s southern coast, once part of the ancient Spice Route that supplied apothecaries with cinnamon, cardamom and pepper. At Chi, The Spa, Ayurveda Doctor Piumi Madhushani practises Rasaśāstra, an Ayurvedic take on alchemy. In partnership with Siddhalepa, a Sri Lankan family healing tradition, treatments are built around herbs including Ashwagandha, Amalaki and Gotu Kola. “The real transformation is internal,” she says, “converting depletion into vitality, fatigue into energy, imbalance into harmony.”

Wherever you find an apothecary, both the old and new are far from the quick fix. As Isted says: “In an era defined by speed, technology and disconnection from the natural world, alchemy reminds us that transformation is a process; slow, sensory and profound.”