If you reside in one of Aotearoa’s major cities, you may have encountered the new name on the spa circuit: Endota. Founded in 2000 by Melanie Gleeson in Victoria, Australia, Endota has recently taken over Forme Spa’s nine former locations in Auckland, Hamilton, Christchurch, Wellington and Queenstown. To celebrate the transformation, FQ’s art director Georgia Bramley was invited in to experience Endota firsthand. Making her way to their Ponsonby location, Georgia was set to receive a personalised facial treatment by Gleeson herself. But before she did, she spoke with the founder on their launch. Below we recount how the Endota story began and their wellness-first approach to their treatment offering.
How Endota all began...
Having been in the industry for many years, Gleeson took the leap to start her own business after identifying a gap in the beauty and wellness market. “When I started, it was either you went to a physio clinic or you went to a beauty salon. There wasn’t a blend of both,” she explains to FQ. “So to create somewhere where you could go for professional services that were evidence-based, that also made you feel good and were in a beautiful clean environment, that was something that we wanted to do.”
With a sustainable and environmental focus at its core, Endota was created to help people to feel their best.“It’s never been about how you look – it’s about how you feel, and it’s a bonus if you look good,” she says. “And we do do results treatments, but the driving force is about how you feel.” With 220 of their own skincare and wellness products available for purchase in addition to their extensive treatment offerings, Endota is something of a wellness haven.
It was during the series of COVID-19 lockdowns several years ago that Gleeson first considered bringing her highly successful spa chain across the ditch. “[We thought] New Zealand was a really good option for us because we share similar values,” says the founder. When the opportunity arose last year for Gleeson to acquire Forme Spa’s locations across the country, she jumped at the chance. “Hady [Olt] (Forme’s founder and managing director) was interested in doing something different. She’d had the brand for 20 years here and she’s got older kids and she wanted to go do something else,” says Gleeson. “It was a really good fit. So we’ve worked with [Forme] for 12 months and we’ve ‘Endota-rised’ it.”
The Endota difference
One of Gleeson’s main objectives with Endota is altering people’s perceptions of self-care and wellness, reframing them as essential factors of overall well-being. “We’re slowly changing the narrative that [wellness] is not something that’s a luxury or something that you need to feel guilty about,” she says. “If you want to live full and amazing lives where you’re contributing to your community and your families, you need to be well. You can’t do that if you aren’t feeling your best.”
Before wrapping up her interview with FQ, Gleeson also shared the treatments she’s currently loving the most at Endota, as well as the treatments she considers to be the most sought-after by her clients. “I do love the New Age Light Therapy because that’s got the LED lighting,” she explains, “But I can also never go past a really good massage. They’re really great therapists that understand connection and energy and all of that.” With society’s ever-growing reliance on technology, Gleeson also thinks that massage will continue to remain a popular treatment amongst Endota’s wider clientele. “The desire for connection and touch is growing,” she says, “People want to look after themselves and feel well.”
