A Weekend at Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie Doha

Written by: Asma AlMulla 

I have often heard about Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie and what this renowned hub from Switzerland entails. Now that it has opened its doors in Doha, so close to home, I wanted to experience it in person.

For those who are unfamiliar with Clinique La Prairie, it was founded by Dr. Paul Niehans in 1931 and has since established itself as one of the premier health and wellness destinations in the world. On March 4th, 2023, Alfardan Hospitality announced the launch of Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie at The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl - Qatar. This exciting development promised to bring the state-of-the-art experiences of the Clinique La Prairie to Doha.

Upon arriving to Doha in the afternoon, I headed straight to The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, The Pearl - Qatar, and instantly felt as if I had been transported to a different world. The Island is an art enthusiast's dream, with exceptional art pieces adorning every wall, corner, and hallway. The bespoke chandelier "Between Heaven & Earth," ascending through the spiral staircase to NAR, Contemporary Turkish Cuisine, was particularly unforgettable. As I ascended to my suite (yes, because The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island only offers suites), we settled in before embarking on our wellness program.

Day 1

My first day at Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie began with a longevity index assessment. and a nutritional consultation with Yasmine Maroush, the resident nutritionist and longevity coach. The consultation included a skin test, an overall wellness test, and most uniquely, a social and happiness test, which I found incredibly interesting.

Next, I moved to the Himalayan Salt Lounge for a private breathing session. This session put me in a meditative state, making my lungs feel deep and clean. The benefits of the Himalayan salt lounge, including stress relief and relaxation, were exactly what I needed.

After enjoying a lovely lunch at Babel, a fine dining Lebanese restaurant, I continued with my second set of scheduled treatments for the day. I was particularly excited about the Neuro Wave Stimulation session, an acoustic vibrational therapy that calms the brain and induces a deep state of relaxation that I never thought I could reach. Upon awakening from my deep, relaxing sleep, I moved on to see Dr. Rasha Fouad, the resident dermatologist at the Longevity Hub by Clinique La prairie for an aesthetic consultation and skin assessment, I learned that my skin’s state was almost ten years younger than my actual age which felt amazing. I have also discussed with Dr. Rasha the many ways I can include some aesthetic therapies to maintain a healthy-looking skin.

I then moved to my last therapy for the day, the cellular body exfoliation, which provided the refreshment I needed to end the day.

Day 2

Waking up fully refreshed and energized, I embarked on my second day of what I like to call my wellness trip to Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie. I started with breakfast at NAR restaurant at The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island, and I must admit that I consider breakfast to be a crucial part of the hotel experience. Nar's breakfast exceeded my expectations and set a positive note for the rest of my day.

Following breakfast, I headed to the Senaptec and Fit3D assessment, which scans the mind and body to measure various types of fat, metabolic age, and sensory reactions. I learned that my body is in decent shape, I honed in on the instructor's guidance, emphasizing the importance of maintaining my current approach.

After the assessment, I embarked on an afternoon outdoor yoga class. As a Pilates girlie, I was pleasantly surprised by how energized and refreshed I felt after the outdoor Vinyasa flow session on the marina deck.

Returning to The Longevity Hub, I tried my favorite treatment, Cryotherapy which involves exposing the body to sub-zero temperatures (in this case, standing upright in a -110 Celcius degree cabin) for three minutes. The benefits include muscle relief, collagen boosting, BMI restoration, stress relief, and instant energizing, were exactly what I needed. I made it to one and a half minutes out of the three, the cold has always been my weakness, but I was determined to do the full three minutes, so I booked a second session for the next morning.

Next, I enjoyed a light lunch before returning to the The Longevity Hub for my final two treatments of the day. The first was Abhyanga Shirodhara, a full body traditional Ayurvedic massage followed by a Shirodhara ritual, where organic oil is poured across the forehead, scalp, and continues to the hair. The treatment was so relaxing that I actually fell into a deep 30-minute nap.

Following this, I experienced a warm far-infrared therapy that helped further detoxify my body. It was like sitting in a sauna, but in a capsule with my head outside the dome. I spent about 45-minutes in this warm and cozy state. I ended my second Wellbeing Day at the relaxing lounge, sipping hot tea and soaking in the calmness before heading to bed.

Day 3

Day three marked my final day at Longevity Hub. I started by packing my light luggage and heading to my Nutrition test with the lovely nutritionist and longevity coach Yasmina. The Nutrition test is an assessment of the body's food intolerances, where a drop of blood is taken from the fingertip and, within an hour, determines what the body can tolerate from the food ingested. I discovered that I have intolerances to most of the food I enjoy, but Yasmina helped teach me how to navigate my intake and manage my meals to both enjoy and maintain good health over an amazing and smart breakfast at NAR that definitely helped set the stage.

Before heading to the airport, I attempted Cryotherapy for the second time and successfully completed the full three minutes in the freezing -110 Celsius degree therapy room. I felt proud of myself for not shying away from a challenge, no matter how small.

Overall, my trip was amazing. Everyone I met at The Longevity Hub went above and beyond to make my experience unforgettable. The accommodation at The St. Regis Marsa Arabia Island was incredibly elegant and comfortable, and the food was exceptional. I learned a lot about my health and the state of my body, including what has been working well and areas for improvement.

Walking away from Longevity Hub by Clinique La Prairie Doha, I felt equipped with valuable information and tools to continue my own personal health journey. Most importantly, I left feeling like the most refreshed human on earth.