15 Successes in 15 Years

SHA is turning 15 years old with all the vigour of youth and wisdom of those who have supported it throughout its first years of life. We like lists, and on the occasion of this anniversary, we’ve decided to list what we’ve achieved and what we’d like to achieve. We’ve made it here with more enthusiasm than when we started and with a firm belief that we’ll go even further.

After years of suffering from health problems that affected his quality of life, Mr. Alfredo Bataller Parietti received a discouraging diagnosis in 2002. Upon meeting a doctor with extensive knowledge of integrative medicine and healthy nutrition, he managed to regain his health, which sparked the need to share this treasure with others, with the support of his family for this mission.

SHA opened its doors on October 17, 2008, in an iconic building located in the Natural Park of Sierra Helada, overlooking the charming Albir Bay and near the magical town of Altea. It is a privileged location with views of the mountains and the Mediterranean Sea, blessed with exceptional weather. It is a place where the best energies for change and relaxation come together. Its ambition is to become one of the global benchmarks in Medical Wellbeing. To achieve this, it recruits top international experts in preventive medicine and well-aging, nutrition, holistic medicine, dermoesthetics, psychology, bionergenic medicine, personal trainers, physiotherapists, among others. All of them share a clear goal: to help each of our guests achieve and maintain an optimal state of health and wellbeing.

The foundations of SHA’s nutrition system are established. It is based on the nutritional pyramid promoted by the Harvard Medical School, the principles of the Blue Zones’ dietary habits (the five places in the world with the highest life expectancy), and the teachings of the Japanese master Michio Kushi, who was part of the SHA team for many years. SHA has published two books on healthy nutrition. The latest book, released in 2023, includes over 70 recipes and features a foreword by Ferran Adrià. The SHA team has had the honour of providing training in nutrition and healthy eating to the chefs of several presidential residences.

Just over a year after its opening, SHA received the Conde Nast Traveller award in London for the Best International Medical Spa. This was the first of many awards and international recognitions from the most prestigious institutions in the fields of tourism, health, and wellness. These accolades include the Best Wellness Clinic worldwide in 2022 and 2023 by the World Spa Awards.

SHA establishes a cognitive stimulation unit. In pursuit of the most integrated approach possible, SHA was a global pioneer in the creation of a brain health unit focused on cognitive stimulation in 2014. It employs cutting-edge methodology and technology to unlock the full potential of the mind, maximizing cognitive capabilities and preventing (or reversing) certain neurodegenerative diseases. To achieve this goal, SHA collaborates with leading universities to conduct research in the field.

The medical team at SHA establishes itself as a leader in integrative, anti-aging, and regenerative medicine. Their lectures become regular features at medical congresses and conferences worldwide, including the Annual Antiaging & Aesthetic Medicine Congress held each year in Monaco, and the In Goop Health Congress promoted by actress and wellness advocate Gwyneth Paltrow. Dr. Vicente Mera, a founding member of SHA’s medical team and head of the Internal Medicine and Anti-Aging unit, is named the best Antiaging Physician in Europe by the 21st Century Medicine Congress. This is how the holistic and integrative approach of SHA’s therapies begins to pique the interest of the scientific community.

SHA became the first Wellness Clinic to become a part of the leading luxury tourism networks such as Virtuoso, Traveller Made / Serendipians, and the Centurion Program, setting a new trend in the tourism industry towards wellbeing.

The prestige of SHA starts to make an impact in the world’s most important media and publications, marking the beginning of its legend. The How to Spend It supplement of the Financial Times, one of the most widely read in the world, devotes several pages to the SHA Method. Featured reports also appear in The Telegraph, The Wall Street Journal, Le Figaro, Forbes, El País, El Mundo, ABC, Reforma (Mexico), The Times of India, among many others.

SHA establishes an advanced preventive diagnostic circuit, unprecedented in the wellness industry, by integrating various technologies capable of providing a very comprehensive view of a person’s health status within a few minutes. The goal is to develop a highly personalized health plan to achieve desired objectives.

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) awards the highest honor to the Bataller family in recognition of SHA’s work in creating an integrative medical discipline that aligns with the global concept of Health Tourism.

As a result of its ongoing efforts to make a positive impact on the environment, SHA becomes the first property in Spain to receive the Green Globe Certificate, which recognizes companies that have demonstrated outstanding performance in aligning their practices with global criteria for sustainable tourism.

The fact that undoubtedly generates the most pride and motivation in the entire SHA team: over 70,000 people from around the world, representing different cultures and religions, have entrusted their health to SHA Wellness Clinic, including a long list of public figures, heads of state, and royal families.

SHA initiates its international expansion with the goal of establishing a facility on each continent in the next decade. This concept is challenging to replicate due to the level of expertise and the complexity involved in hyper-personalizing its services. However, the vision is to make this valuable method accessible to every region.

SHA is preparing for its imminent opening in Mexico. Costa Mujeres (across from Isla Mujeres) will be the next setting for SHA. It will be housed in a striking building that symbolizes the human genome in its architecture, set within seven hectares of pristine natural surroundings, featuring half a kilometer of white sandy beach and turquoise Caribbean waters. It will comprise 100 suites and 37 residences. It will be the first Wellness Clinic to open in such an idyllic setting. Achieving your best self has never been so enjoyable.

In 2025, SHA will inaugurate the world’s first island dedicated to a healthy lifestyle. This paradise spans 25 hectares in a natural refuge between Abu Dhabi and Dubai, consolidating the full SHA experience. It aspires to become the world’s sixth blue zone by hosting a healthy residential community.