How this award-winning Brussels spa is building a culture of care for expats, professionals and visitors seeking balance
Just a stone’s throw from Brussels’ bustling Place Stéphanie is a little corner of calm: SERENDIP. Opened in 2005 and further expanded under new ownership in 2012, it’s wellness landmark that’s seeking to redefine wellbeing.
“We’re all about creating a culture of care,” says SERENDIP co-owner Melissa Rancourt. “What really speaks to me is how wellbeing should be part of our everyday lives – available to all at any moment and expressed through the way we interact with both others, and ourselves.
“My dream is to see everyone becoming their own Chief Wellbeing Officer, and that’s the ethos we live by here at SERENDIP – so don’t be surprised if you’re greeted with a hug when you walk in the door!”
Melissa initially trained as an engineer and wears many caps – including that of founder of NGO Greenlight For Girls that seeks to encourage girls to study sciences and enter the workforce in a sector that is in desperate need of female representation.
Co-owner and hospitality expert Helena Mahuas previously worked as a sports coach and global events & marketing specialist, completing a leadership duo that is in constant search of reinvention.
“As an endurance athlete who also leads intenational projects, I understand what it takes to reach ambitious objectives and build true resilience – and much of that comes down to finding the right balance between mind and body – a mindset that naturally flows into everything we do at SERENDIP,” says Helena.
The team is completed by over 30 therapists and teachers from 14 different countries speaking 20 different languages, including expert therapists in disciplines such as Ayuverdic, Sports and Thai massage, as well as visiting therapists like Ukrainian facialist Olga Loresh bringing Brussels clients the MAGIA Touch method – guaranteed to shave years off your biological age in just one session (I tried – it works!).
SERENDIP is also the recipient of no less than 21 hospitality and service excellence awards and generates a truly international environment in the centre of a truly international city.
“We really have a diverse set of clients here at SERENDIP,” says yoga studio head Joy Albano. “We have our spa area and then the yoga and Pilates studio that cater to a lot of expats thanks to our international staff and classes taught through English. We also get people just passing through Brussels of course – looking for a moment of peace and reconnection.”
Marcin Szala – one of their massage therapists – recently took part on the Nations Massage Tournament in Paris as part of the Belgian massage team, coming in second in the Sports Massage category.
“You can look at massage as a preparation for whatever you chose to embrace – whatever your intention for the day, goal for the future, or direction in life. Through massage you can experience where you are at the present moment and regulates the nervous system – what better place than a calm mind to start any journey,” says Marcin.
SERENDIP is also embarking on its own journey – most recently branching out to offer tailored services to corporate clients. 
With today’s pressures, their offerings of seated yoga, self-massage, restorative sleep techniques and walking facilitation to name but a few, are specifically designed to increase employee wellbeing and productivity and, in turn, the health and longevity of the companies they work for – and the timing couldn’t be better.
Europe and the US are seeing depression rates soar at an alarming rate. Add to the mix the fact that happiness indicators have been slowly declining over the past decade, that health metrics are falling with the rise of sedentary lifestyles, and that social isolation becoming the norm – taking care of both our physical and mental health has never been more important.
SERENDIP’s name is rooted in the ancient word for Sri Lanka – famously used in the Persian story The Three Princes of Serendip. A story that saw three young princes embark on a journey that would bring them to transform small clues into brilliant discoveries, it’s hailed as the father of detective fiction, influencing many early writers of the genre. After reading the story in 1754, English writer Horace Walpole distilled the word Serendip into the notion of ‘serendipity’.
Perhaps that notion of accidental happy discovery is exactly what SERENDIP can offer its clients today – a serendipitous invitation to feeling just that little bit better – taking care of ourselves and others at a time when care can be rare.
“Bringing a smile to people’s faces motivates our entire team,” says Head of Concierge Olaia Turrillas. “We’re always paying attention to the smallest of details that could make each of our clients happier or more comfortable.”
Check out SERENDIP to discover more about their culture of care.
