By Kacey Bradley
It’s no secret that the hotel industry is one the world’s largest industries. They’re consistently being utilized by travelers from all over the world – some more than others. Hotels are special because they become a home away from home for those who continuously travel or those who take a vacation. Either way, visitors want a safe place at the end of each day where they can decompress and relax.
Wellness has become its own booming industry. Everything from spin studios, fitness boutiques, organic meal services and more play such an integral part in people’s everyday lives, they want to continue their focus on wellness even when they travel. That’s why hotels with an emphasis on wellness are in more demand than ever.
A hotel can make or break an experience, so it’s important to ensure your hotel is up to par with the latest and greatest, especially when it comes to wellness. To do that, you’ll need to keep up with the latest and most relevant global news, trends, products, and services.
It’s more than a small gym with a few cardio machines. It’s a lifestyle. Your guests not only crave access to a gym or fitness studio while away from home, but they also look for healthy meal options and classes like yoga or pure barre. A meditation room is another great amenity that guests can certainly appreciate.
Many hotels conglomerates are already onboard with on-the-road wellness, like Wyndham’s TRYP, Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, and EVEN Hotels, to name a few. These establishments offer a variety of amenities such as aromatherapy and air purification systems, nutritional therapy programs, personal training, healthy snack bars and more, becoming a great role model for future hotels or those with plans for redesign. In addition to the above amenities, there are a variety of other ways you can promote wellness.
Read on for five ways hotels use tech and design to expand within the wellness world.
Hotel Super Gyms
Hotels are jumping on board with the super gym. More specifically Equinox, a luxury fitness brand, that recently announced its first hotel in New York, with plans to open a second in Los Angeles. Initial renderings disclose a massive tower, which will become home to a 60,000 square foot super gym, complete with indoor and outdoor swimming pools. Their focus is to move, nourish and regenerate the body, so in addition to their super gym, they’ll also offer a spa for guests.
Super Gym Hotels
Not only are hotels building super gyms, but super gyms are building hotels. Midtown Athletic Club in Chi-Town is adding a 55-room hotel to its club. The redesign, led by Evanston, a Chicago-based DMAC architecture group, is heading up the redesign which will make the complex a whopping 575,00 square feet. It will include 15 indoor tennis courts, four pools, a basketball court, multiple fitness spaces, locker rooms and more.
Focus on a wellness design, and less on fitness to successfully transform your club into a full-on retreat for your guests.
On-Site Meditation
The Midtown Athletic Club also has a meditation room that’s built with specific punctured lighting to help guests relax. The space is carefully designed to have a mind-body effect using its horizontal and vertical progression.
In addition, other hotels like the W New York – Union Station, host free bi-weekly meditation sessions led by certified instructors. On-demand meditation satisfies guests and their need to stay calm and present after a day of travel or nonstop meetings. The Mandarin Oriental, New York offers a one-on-one in-room mediation journey with professional guides, and the Benjamin NYC offers a service where guests can press a button on their room phone to receive a complimentary 10-minute guided meditation.
Nourishing Lighting
It may seem unimportant at first thought, but lighting is crucial when it comes to setting the tone for your guests. In fact, the lighting you choose for your hotel has a significant impact on the mood and health of your guests. Transform moods upon entry lighting that provides comfort and evokes emotion. Natural light is aesthetically most pleasing, so create spaces in which you can let natural light in. The more, the better.
Natural sunlight nourishes the body and its cells and is a critical component of health and wellness. It can also trigger healing by stimulating a natural flow of energy throughout your body. Add windows that open to rooms so guests can enjoy fresh air and sunshine. If you’re working with tighter spaces, work with your architect to enhance the space with light.
Another great benefit of natural sunlight is you’ll easily reduce energy consumption and lower operating costs. If you don’t have the ability to take advantage of natural lighting in redesign or architecture, consider adjusting the brightness of your lighting. Stay away from hard fluorescent lights, and opt for dimmer lights, so that guests can choose their own ambience in their rooms. Dimmer lights also offer more versatility throughout your establishment, like in meeting rooms, ballrooms, and other common areas.
Light Color and Strength
It’s believed that color has the power to heal, and this belief goes back to ancient times. Violet soothes and calms. Orange arouses energy, and green conjures serenity. Multi-colored LED strips are a new modern and cost-efficient way to improve wellness through colored lights. Since costs have dropped significantly in recent years, there are even more brands and options to choose from.
Strategically place cooler bright lights in bathrooms to wake your guests up. Dimmer lights are better in guest rooms, so they’re better able to unwind and relax.
Room Furniture and Accessories
Many hotel rooms are designed with wellness in mind, as they strive to offer guests premier bedding and pillow options, room blackout ability, and designs focused on increasing space. The Marmara Hotel is a great example of this, with rooms that work on enhancing functionality with Swing wall beds and other impressive features that open the room. Design bathrooms with spa-like fixtures, rain shower-heads and other improvements that will enhance the guest experience.
Guests don’t have to compromise their commitment to wellness and fitness just because they are away from home. With health-boosting technology and ambient design elements, hotels can improve the wellness of their guests.
Special lighting, spa-like bathroom features, and on-demand meditation options will transform guest’s experiences into one that focuses on their wellness, which will enhance their overall experience away from home. Give guests the opportunity to feed their mind, body, and souls with healthy food options, effective workouts and a relaxing place to come home to after a long day. A great experience can bring guests back again and again, ranking your hotel one of the best.
