MEMBER PROFILE
MONT ALBO MASSAGE HUT Bringing Hilot
onto the Global
Wellness Stage
BY MAE MAÑACAP-JOHNSON
“Offering a different
spa concept and
focusing on Filipino
healing traditions, with familiar
services, have helped us grow and
flourish. Soon, with the help of ISPA,
we will bring Hilot to the world.”
— DR. NOL MONTALBO, FOUNDER
MONT ALBO MASSAGE HUT • MAKATI CITY, PHILIPPINES
16
PULSE
■
September 2016
B
y all accounts, the story of Dr. Nol
Montalbo—the young entrepreneur behind
the widely successful franchise spa chain in
the Philippines called Mont Albo Massage
Hut—is a tale of rags to riches. His journey toward
becoming a successful spa owner started with a piece of a
watch, a personal item he used as collateral in exchange for a
loan worth Php1,500 (roughly US$80) from a friend, which
he invested to start his organic soap business. “The family
was financially in distress,” he recalled, detailing the
hardships after the family business had to deal with an array
of challenges.