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How to Merge Wellness into the Guest Experience

The global wellness industry is a booming $4.2 trillion economy with wellness tourism at a robust $226 billion.

Hotels and resorts that want to capture more of this growing market, should implement programs for guests that provide meaningful experiences with minimal impact to operations, while maximizing impact to the bottom line. Here are a few simple steps to weave wellness into your offerings.

Understand What the Consumer is Looking For in Wellness Travel

Study wellness trends from the Global Wellness Institute and be sure to read a few years back, because some of the trends that were predicted many years ago are still very popular – such as Forest Bathing and CBD.

Look to Innovators in This Space

Hilton Hotels recently launched “Five Feet to Fitness” which places an assortment of workout equipment with accompanying videos just five feet from the bed, convenient to those who may not want to trek down to the hotel gym. La Cantera Resort & Spa in San Antonio created a naturalist program for its kids club, encouraging children 5-12 years old to get off of their devices and into nature. They partnered with local non-profit groups to donate a percentage of the daily fee back to the organizations. Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Hyatt all have programs in place for the well-minded traveler.

What Can You Offer That Makes Sense for Your Brand?

Now, comes the fun (and also hard) part. What companies could you partner with to collaborate on something innovative, memorable and meaningful?

If you are located near the ocean, you are in luck! Moving bodies of water produce negative ions that help alleviate depression and anxiety. Simply walking by the ocean, going for a swim or taking a boat ride has health benefits! You could provide this information to guests at check-in explaining this philosophy and have a tip sheet with suggestions for spending time on the water.

If you’re landlocked, there are still plenty of ways to bring in wellness opportunities. Create a night-time ritual to promote better sleep, bring in a signature fragrance to all areas of the resort (one of the 2019 trends was about aromatherapy!) or create a decompression chamber for guests to relax post arrival, with a weighted blanket and other calming apparatus for them to wind down.

If you have trouble coming up with ideas, ask your staff and your guests – have some informal discussions that could generate ideas. Ensure that what you create is in line with your overall experience so it doesn’t seem disconnected or out of place.

Tell The World

Lastly – spread the news with a concentrated PR and marketing effort. Your guests will want to know about these latest additions, which may also appeal to new guests. The press loves to hear about “new” things that hotels and resorts are doing – especially if it is an example of a bigger trend in the wellness space.

By Kim S. Marshall

Co-Founder of S’Well PR

www.swelltheagency.com

A respected travel, spa & wellness communications expert, Kim established the Marshall Plan in 1995, serving a high-end client roster of travel, hospitality and lifestyle brands. In June 2018, she co-founded S’Well Public Relations with Darlene Fiske, specializing in the booming wellness economy.

Fabiola
Author: Fabiola


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