When it comes to hospitality trends, consumers have demonstrated that their interest in wellness is here to stay. Condé Nast Traveler reports that “travel has become our fountain of youth,” as travelers seek wellbeing, longevity, and community in equal parts. Research from Booking.com found that more than two thirds (67%) of surveyed travelers want new wellness activities to mix into their daily lives, creating a more balanced version of themselves. More than half (58%) agreed that they would pay for a vacation that’s sole purpose was to extend their lifespan and wellbeing. Hospitality venues are adapting to meet this demand.
Successful hospitality venues are no longer relying on the gym to meet guests and club members’ needs. Instead, they’re incorporating an emphasis on wellness into every aspect of design. From food to design finishes and beyond, hotels are delivering wellness—and seeing a powerful return on this investment.
Guest Wellness Starts with Healthy Materials
The most forward-thinking hotels and clubs are already prioritizing locally sourced, organic, artificial additive-free, and fully traceable ingredients in everything from the soaps to the “grab and go” food options. Even the bar is getting a wellness-forward upgrade, with alcohol-free adaptogenic cocktails, crafted from functional herbs and botanicals, designed to restore, not deplete.
This approach can be reflected early in the design phase as well, through the use of toxin-free materials and finishes to enhance indoor air quality. To support this sense of wellbeing, hospitality designers can embrace the use of natural materials and warm organic palettes to enhance sensory layers through the use of soft ambient lighting, herbal scent diffusion, and thoughtfully designed acoustics in common areas.
Hospitality Takes on Longevity
For a more transformative approach to this hospitality trend, some resorts and private clubs are integrating longevity-focused spaces that cater to high-performance recovery, medical grade biohacking offerings, and proactive health management. Spas are incorporating amenities such as IV therapy lounges, cold plunges, red-light beds, and hyperbaric recovery chambers that speak to this interest in longevity without commanding a significant amount of space. Fitness areas, too, are adapting to embrace a focus on recovery as a key element of fitness.
This shift demands rethinking hospitality fitness spaces with a focus on creating open, fluid environments that encourage varied movement styles, from high-intensity training to yoga, meditation, and functional recovery.
Design can help guests to seamlessly blend performance with relaxation. Temperature-adaptive flooring, soft lighting gradients, and kinetic-inspired furniture can enhance movement. Zoned fitness layouts can intuitively guide guests between cardio, strength, and recovery areas. Spa-quality recovery suites, guided breathwork spaces, and post-exercise rejuvenation zones can help guests replenish energy and leave the gym feeling rejuvenated. Hospitality brands can meet this expectation by transforming dated locker rooms and under-utilized fitness space into full-scale wellness retreats.
Club Renovation Embraces Wellness Inside and Out
When Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, made the decision to update its historic building and programming, it looked for opportunities to emphasize hospitality trends with staying power. Club operators opted to dedicate space to amenities that support training and recovery for golf, tennis, and other sports offered by the club. By relocating primary food and beverage programming to a new facility, the building’s existing lower level was available to rededicate to these health and wellness services.
Reprogramming this space demanded the architectural design team to modernize offerings within the design constraints of the existing storied architecture. Fortunately, many of today’s wellness amenities can be easily integrated into even historic buildings. The new design brings dedicated workout zones for golfers and tennis players within the main fitness area. Two workout rooms give members space for private training sessions and small group workouts as well as larger group classes. A private Pilates room and trainer treatment room round out the space.
The new design calls for expanding locker areas to create space for a red-light therapy treatment room and massage rooms. A new spa blends spa treatments, massage, a recovery lounge, and physical therapy with a fresh retail space. The result seamlessly blends Colonial’s timeless legacy with contemporary offerings.
Adapt and Compete
Hospitality owners and operators know they must evolve to keep up with the expectation of modern guests and members, but don’t want to throw money at costly hospitality trends that fizzle out before return can be realized. The good news is that this emphasis on wellness has proven to have staying power. In fact, younger generations tend to prioritize wellness at a higher rate than older peers, making it essential to update amenities today to capture this market segment.
This is an area where Thiel & Team can help. Our team holds unique expertise in helping hospitality owners and operators adapt existing spaces to deliver the healthy experiences that their guests and members want. If you’re wondering how you can create more opportunities for wellness within your property, then reach out to our team today.
