If you are a luxury hotel operator, I would like to share a little life reality from the perspective of your guests — in regard to wellness. If you just rolled your eyes or made a groaning sound - I get it. I feel the same way as soon as I see the words "luxury wellness" on every other post.
But hang out with me here….
Simple question: have you ever decided to adopt a healthy routine? Maybe you've made a New Year's resolution or two over the years to eat healthy, exercise or even meditate every day.
Now tell me if this sounds familiar: you started out strong - kept that routine going for a few weeks - only to drop it and go back to your old ways time and time again.
I'm always amazed at how easy it is to do the things that aren't good for us, yet how hard it can be to maintain a healthy routine.
But maybe, just maybe, at some point, you got serious about your health and wellbeing. Perhaps you had a health scare or got tired of feeling rotten every morning when you rolled out of bed, and finally flexed some serious discipline to stick to whatever healthy, daily habit you know that you need. You waged that dirty internal street fight with yourself day after day, and now feel like a champion with your newly earned wellness routine.
Which is why those of us who have won that hard-earned battle loathe to step away from our wellness practices for even a couple of days — guarding them like a precious jewel. We don't trust ourselves to take a pause from our routine for even a week, fearing that returning to it will be a struggle — or that we simply won't go back to doing the things that are so good for us.
And I know it's not just me. I've seen this happen more often than not in my 30 years as a wellness professional. I've guided literally thousands of people in group settings and have had hundreds of private and small group clients who share this struggle.
Myself included.
Even with all of my years in the world of wellness, I still struggle with maintaining daily wellness habits.
Which is why when traveling, I always seek out the things that will help me stay on track as soon as I arrive at the hotel as do all of your wellness inclined guests. At check-in, I ask what's available for movement, including and aside from the fitness center.
I look at the room service and restaurant menus to see if they have clean options and non-alcoholic cocktails — which includes the mini bar. I have yet to find one with genuinely healthy options — and I'm not talking about highly processed granola bars.
I look for a quiet, comfortable space on the property to relax and read — sometimes I want to leave my room and enjoy the property.
I love skincare and bath products, but not when they contain carcinogenic ingredients and hormone-disrupting fragrances. I don't care how luxurious the brand is — yet I rarely find a hotel that prioritizes how healthy a product is over how it smells.
And for all that is holy…. I try my hardest to figure out the damn lighting system, knowing that I'll need a dim light when I wake up in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I don't know about you, but I find it difficult to fall back to sleep after being blasted with bright lights. I ultimately wind up lying in bed miserable and frustrated at 3am.
I literally look for everything and anything that will help me stay strong in my conviction to maintain the healthy habits that I fought so hard to establish.
Yet rarely do I find my basic wellness needs met while traveling — and when I return home, the vicious cycle begins again.
These examples are what wellness enthusiasts are looking for when they arrive at your property. They don't expect cutting-edge amenities that cost millions of dollars. You're not a wellness resort, and they know it.
They want the basics.
Upfront communication and transparency about what the property has in place to support their wellness excites guests like me.
An email before arriving — not only inquiring about "special requests" but sharing what's already available to them.
F&B:
Enjoy our protein, healthy fat and vegetable-forward menu selections — prepared without inflammation causing oils and heavy sauces.
We're proud to offer crudités instead of a bread basket at the start of your meals.
You'll find a hydration station, raw nuts, and healthy snacks in your room instead of alcohol, soda, and highly processed energy bars.
Have you seen our adaptogenic bedtime drinks to help you sleep more soundly?
Spa/Fitness:
Would you like to schedule a one-hour guest pass for our spa amenities to help you recover after long travel? Passes are limited and available on a first-come basis — please let us know in advance. We'll have a spa robe and slippers waiting in your room upon arrival.
Are there skin, body, or hair care products from our clean brands that we can have available for you in your room?
Yes, we have a fitness center — but we also invite you to join us for a morning hike. Meet us in the lobby at 7am. Too early? We also offer a late afternoon, pre-aperitivo Tai Chi class in the courtyard.
Rooms & Spaces:
Our team will show you how to operate the lighting in your room. You'll also find a simple plug-in nightlight on the desk for late night use.
The phone charging port is on the far side of the room so you're not tempted to scroll right before going to sleep or first thing when you wake up. We encourage you to put your screens away two hours before bed so you can rest well.
Please enjoy our quiet courtyard lounge — a place to relax and unwind. You'll find comfortable settees, a lending library, and a full-service menu with custom-curated teas and light bites.
Concierge:
We've arranged complimentary class passes for our guests with well-known fitness studios in the community. We're happy to book a class for you.
Are there any dietary needs we can flag for the kitchen on your behalf?
We offer a guided relaxation and sleep meditation every evening at 10pm that you can join on speakerphone from your room. Would you like the number?
We see that you booked the one-hour recovery pass — would you like us to send down our water service with Himalayan sea salt and organic lemon?
Now look at all of the above through the lens of P&L. You're not going to find much in the loss column with this type of wellness layering — because these are the offerings your guests actually want and they don't involve renovations or "improvements" to your already gorgeous property....not even close.
Is there investment in implementing wellness architecture? Yes. It all begins with an audit. Once the proprietary programming is decided upon, there's staff training, including modules for future employees, back-end communication systems that need to be mapped & built out, and follow-up tracking to measure what's generating a lift in guest satisfaction and revenue — and what needs adjusting.
Does it require major capital investment? No.
What it requires is someone who understands what your guests actually want. Someone who not only lives wellness but understands hospitality and how it works. Someone who won't implement the same programming that worked at another brand's property — but will take into account your specific location, facility, staffing, and guest profile.
We're lucky to live in a time when people genuinely want to feel well — in body, mind, and spirit. People are kinder when they feel good. More accomplished. More energized to pursue the life they dream about. They live longer and they travel better.
As a luxury hotel operator, you have the unique opportunity — and the resources — to support that in a meaningful and memorable way. Not many properties are offering this type of wellness layering. That's exactly why implementing it will make yours stand out.
