Exclusive interview with Shalin Balasuriya, Co-Founder of Spa Ceylon

Your entrepreneurial journey has been driven by both heritage and innovation. Was there a defining moment when you realised Spa Ceylon had the potential to become much more than a global brand?

When we founded Spa Ceylon, our ambition wasn’t simply to create another beauty brand. We wanted to share one of Sri Lanka’s greatest gifts with the world. The defining moment came when we realised that people everywhere, regardless of culture or geography, were facing the same challenge: increasingly busy lives and a growing need to reconnect with themselves. That made us realise we weren’t just offering products; we were bringing timeless wellness rituals into modern lifestyles. From that point on, Spa Ceylon became about making authentic Ayurveda relevant, accessible and inspiring for people around the world.

Spa Ceylon has grown from a Sri Lankan wellness concept into the world’s largest luxury Ayurveda brand. Why was now the right time to enter the UAE, and what role does the region play in your long-term global vision?

The UAE is a market where wellness has become increasingly relevant because of the pace at which people live. It’s a dynamic, ambitious environment where people are constantly balancing careers, family life and social commitments. As a result, there’s a growing appreciation for rituals that help restore balance and create moments of calm.

For Spa Ceylon, it felt like the right time to introduce a modern interpretation of Ayurveda that fits naturally into contemporary lifestyles. The UAE is also an important strategic market, connecting diverse global communities and serving as a gateway to the wider Middle East, making it a key part of our long-term international growth.

You’ve often spoken about wellness as something that should uplift rather than simply treat. Has your own definition of wellbeing changed since founding Spa Ceylon?

My understanding of wellbeing has evolved over the years. Ayurveda has taught me that, when given the right nourishment, care and environment, our bodies have an incredible ability to heal and restore themselves. Rather than simply treating symptoms, it’s about supporting the body’s natural ability to maintain balance.

My belief in these ancient sciences has only grown stronger, especially as modern science continues to validate many of these timeless principles. That’s why I continue to embrace practices such as sound healing and meditation to stay grounded and connected. To me, wellbeing is built through the small, consistent rituals that help us maintain balance every day.

Dubai has become a hub for luxury retail, wellness and lifestyle brands. How do you see Spa Ceylon contributing something meaningfully different to this evolving landscape?

Luxury is evolving. Today, one of the greatest luxuries isn’t simply owning more, it’s living well. As our lives become increasingly fast-paced and connected, wellness is becoming the new luxury, with people placing greater value on experiences and rituals that help them slow down, reconnect and restore balance.

That’s where Spa Ceylon offers something distinctive. We bring together 5,000 years of Ayurvedic wisdom with contemporary product innovation and immersive wellness experiences inspired by Sri Lanka. Rather than simply creating products, we create rituals that help people find moments of calm within their everyday lives.

Ayurveda is over 5,000 years old, yet wellness consumers today are looking for modern, convenient solutions. How have you balanced authenticity with contemporary lifestyles?

Our philosophy has always been to adapt the experience, not the wisdom. We preserve the integrity of Ayurveda while presenting it through modern formulations, elegant design and simple rituals that fit naturally into busy lives. Whether it’s a calming pillow mist, a daily skincare ritual or a home fragrance that transforms a space, we aim to make ancient wellness practices accessible without compromising their authenticity. Innovation should enhance tradition, not replace it.

Sustainability is often discussed in terms of packaging and sourcing, but Spa Ceylon has taken a broader approach through conservation and community initiatives. Why was it important to embed purpose into the business from the beginning?

At its heart, Ayurveda teaches us that true wellbeing comes from living in harmony with ourselves and the natural world. That belief has shaped Spa Ceylon from the very beginning. We couldn’t speak about balance while ignoring the environment that provides the ingredients, biodiversity and traditions that inspire everything we create.


That’s why sustainability has always been part of our thinking not simply through responsible sourcing, but through conservation and community initiatives that help protect Sri Lanka’s natural heritage. For us, caring for the planet is an extension of caring for people. One simply cannot exist without the other.

Do you think consumers are becoming more mindful about what they bring into their homes, from skincare to fragrances, and how is that influencing product development?

Absolutely. Consumers are becoming far more intentional about the products they surround themselves with, recognising that wellbeing extends beyond skincare into the overall atmosphere of the home. Fragrance, texture and daily rituals all influence how we feel emotionally. That has shaped our approach to product development. We begin by asking how we want someone to feel, then create products that support that experience through thoughtfully selected ingredients, purposeful formulations and sensory design. Wellness is becoming part of everyday living rather than something reserved for special occasions.

Exclusive interview with Rohollah Rohparwar, Managing Director & Founder, First Class Property Management

As the Managing Director and Founder of First Class Property Management, how would you define your core role in shaping the company’s strategic direction?

Luis Santos and I are equal business partners and co-founders of First Class. We have known each other since 2018, when we worked together at a leading management consultancy firm and collaborated on major transformation projects across the petrochemical, automotive, and hospitality industries.

That background in engineering and industrial transformation is the blueprint for how we run First Class.

We share a strong mutual respect and operate with complete parity. There is no fixed division of responsibilities; every key decision is discussed and evaluated together to ensure the best possible outcome. This collaborative approach has been fundamental to our success, enabling First Class to become the market leader in both quality and volume, as well as the most trusted partner for short-term lets in the UAE.

We remain deeply hands-on in all areas of the business and are actively involved in its daily operations, 24/7. Our role is to ensure our ‘Operating System’ stays agile enough to handle a fast-growing portfolio while maintaining the highest review scores in the region.

What inspired you to establish First Class Property Management, and what gap in the market were you aiming to address?

My path to real estate was somewhat unconventional. I began my career as an aeronautical engineer at Airbus, working as an internal Lean consultant on the company’s long-range program, which included the A380, before moving to the UAE and entering management consultancy. When I looked at the Dubai property market, I didn’t see it through the lens of a traditional landlord. I saw it as a massive, complex system that lacked technical precision.

The gap was clear: Most property management was reactive, relying on manual processes, vibes, and gut feel rather than data-led strategy. There was a lack of professional-grade operations capable of managing the entire value chain in-house. I wanted to bring in engineering logic, treating a property portfolio like a high-performance aircraft where every part of the system works in harmony, offering investors a level of stability and ROI that simply wasn’t available from fragmented, smaller operators. We moved away from being just a rental agency to becoming a vertically integrated ‘Operating System’ for real estate.

As a long-standing player in the market, how have you seen investor expectations evolve over the past few years?

When I moved from Germany to the UAE in 2014, my friends and family were shocked by my decision. Dubai and the UAE were still relatively unknown, especially compared to today, while Germany was considered the benchmark for a strong economy and stable political environment.

Over the past decade, however, the situation has changed dramatically. The same circle that once questioned my move are now eager to relocate to the UAE as quickly as possible. Investors who previously lacked confidence in the UAE property market are now entering with full conviction. Everyone wants to be part of Dubai’s remarkable success story.

Tourism-driven sectors often experience fluctuations tied to global events. How can property stakeholders build resilience against such volatility?

Resilience in this market comes down to one thing: vertical integration. If you rely on third-party contractors for your cleaning, maintenance, and laundry, you are vulnerable to their price hikes and their timelines. When a global event disrupts the market, those external costs don’t disappear just because your occupancy has dropped.

Stakeholders need to own the “shield” that protects their assets. At First Class, we internalized our entire supply chain. Because we own our laundry facilities and our maintenance teams, we were able to re-engineer our operational costs by 90% at the very start of the current regional situation. This allowed us to keep investor payouts on time and in full even when average daily rates were under pressure. For me, resilience means building a business structure that can pivot its cost base in 24 hours.

Can you share how leveraging data and market insights helps property managers and investors make more informed decisions during periods of disruption?

Data is the only way to separate reality from the headlines. During the disruptions of early 2026, the general sentiment was one of panic, but we focused on the methodology behind the numbers. For instance, while official registration data showed a 0.5% price increase in March, we knew that was a lagging indicator. Real-time valuation data, like the ValuStrat VPI, showed a 5.9% price correction.

Understanding this “registration lag” is critical for investors. It allowed us to see that the market was re-pricing instantly, which actually created a floor for capital to return. By April, transaction volumes surged by 20% to AED 68.56 billion as investor conviction returned.

On the operational side, our data identified the “Resident Migration” early on. While the tourist booking window collapsed to under three days, demand for stays of 29 nights or more skyrocketed, eventually making up over 90% of our bookings. By shifting inventory immediately to capture this resident demand, we were able to drive occupancy back up to 85% (and we are targeting 90% for May) while the wider market struggled at 20%. This level of market intelligence allows us to inform investors exactly where to put their capital, specifically in prime hubs like Downtown and Dubai Marina, which our 12-year dataset proves recover 30% faster than emerging areas, to ensure a safe landing regardless of the external noise.

In your opinion, how does the role of adaptability and data-led decision-making in maintaining performance during uncertainty?

Adaptability is often mistaken for guesswork, but true adaptability is actually a very disciplined process. In a volatile environment, a wait-and-see approach is often a strategy for failure. You have to be able to re-model your entire business in a single day.

During this period, we rebounded to 85% occupancy while the wider market struggled at 20%. That didn’t happen by accident. It was the result of using data to bridge the gap between what the market used to be and what it is now. We introduced flexible packages with full refunds and weekly payment options because the data told us that guests were seeking liquidity above all else. When you combine that kind of flexibility with a vertically integrated operation, you create a system that can withstand a stress test. Uncertainty is always part of the market, but data provides the structural support to navigate it.

What role will technology and AI play in shaping the future of real estate operations?

AI has become the most critical focus in our operations. Recently, I attended two major industry exhibitions in London, where I had the opportunity to experience live demonstrations of the latest AI agents. I was genuinely impressed by their advanced capabilities.

We are now actively implementing AI agents across all areas of our business. This strategic move allows us to efficiently manage our fast-growing portfolio without expanding our team. AI agents are helping us minimize errors, respond to guest and client requests within minutes, and significantly enhance customer satisfaction, which ultimately drives higher sales.

Furthermore, back-office operations such as payroll, financial statements, insurance management, listing optimization, and many other tasks are now being handled by AI agents. It represents a true step change for both First Class and our sector as a whole.

A comforter is one of the few things in your home you interact with every single day, often for a third of your life. Yet it’s easy to treat it as an afterthought, something you buy once, forget about, and replace only when it looks worn out. The comforter you choose has an outsized effect on your sleep quality, your comfort night to night, and even your health. Here’s why getting it right matters more than most people think.

It Directly Affects Your Sleep Quality

Temperature regulation is one of the most overlooked factors in getting a good night’s sleep. If a comforter traps too much heat, you’ll wake up sweaty, kick off the covers, and cycle in and out of light sleep all night. If it’s too thin or breathable for a cold climate, you’ll wake up chilled and reaching for a second blanket. Either way, your sleep gets fragmented, and fragmented sleep affects everything from mood to memory to immune function the next day.

Modern bedding brands have leaned into this science. For example, Rest’s Evercool® comforter line was built specifically around fast heat absorption and release, and an independent SleepScore Labs study found that a majority of users experienced better temperature regulation and improved overall sleep quality compared to a standard comforter. That’s a good illustration of the broader point. The right comforter isn’t just a comfort upgrade, it’s a sleep-quality upgrade.

Material Matters More Than Aesthetics

It’s tempting to shop for a comforter based on color or pattern alone, but the material underneath the cover is what actually determines how it performs:

• Down offers excellent warmth-to-weight ratio but can trap heat and isn’t ideal for hot sleepers or allergy sufferers unless it’s properly treated.
• Down alternative (synthetic fill) is often hypoallergenic and easier to care for, though quality varies widely.
• Cooling fabrics (like those engineered to have a high rating) are designed to feel cool to the touch and wick moisture. This matters a lot for people who sleep hot or deal with night sweats.
• Cotton and linen breathe well but may not insulate enough for colder climates.

Choosing based on how a comforter performs for your body and your bedroom environment, not just how it looks in photos, is the difference between a comforter you love and one you tolerate.

It Impacts Health, Not Just Comfort

For people with allergies or sensitive skin, comforter material is a health consideration, not just a comfort one. Certifications indicate a product has been tested for harmful substances, and hypoallergenic fill can reduce dust mite and allergen buildup. If a comforter doesn’t wick moisture effectively, it can also become a breeding ground for bacteria and odor over time. That’s another reason “does it feel nice” isn’t the only question worth asking.

Seasonal Versatility Saves Money and Space

A well-designed comforter can work year-round rather than requiring a seasonal swap. Fabrics that regulate temperature (cooling in summer, retaining warmth in winter) let you avoid buying and storing multiple comforters. This is both a practical and financial win: fewer purchases, less closet space dedicated to bedding, and one high-quality item instead of several mediocre ones.

It Sets the Tone for Your Bedroom

Beyond function, your comforter is often the visual centerpiece of your bedroom. It’s the largest textile in the room and the first thing most people notice. A comforter that fits your space well, in color, texture, and weight, pulls the whole room together in a way a mismatched or worn-out comforter simply can’t.

Choosing the right comforter isn’t a trivial decision. It’s a decision that touches your sleep quality, your health, your budget, and the feel of your home. Investing a bit more thought (and research) into this one purchase can pay off every single night for years. Whether that means prioritizing cooling technology for hot sleepers, hypoallergenic materials for sensitive skin, or simply a well-made, versatile option for year-round comfort, the right comforter is one of the highest-impact upgrades you can make to your home.