And indeed wellness is a new status symbol, as thin, well-muscled bodies are the must have especially on Instagram.
Where would you rather stay? A resort that has wellness baked into its operations – or one celebrating the excesses of prior iterations of luxury?
Today’s upscale consumer – increasingly – is opting for the wellness track and that is why smart hospitality operators are finding how to personalize their wellness offerings.
At every operational turn ask: how can we offer a wellness track?
It gets easy once the commitment is made. Really just a handful of changes are needed to win over wellness seekers.
Where to start? Easy: breakfast. Look at your property’s breakfast menu. So often what I see as the wellness offering is fresh fruit juice, typically orange, and know that many nutritionists put the hex on OJ as just another over-sugared drink. You have to do dramatically better than offering fruit juice and thinking that checks the wellness box.
How easy is it to get a freshly made, bespoke smoothie? A good, delicious smoothie takes maybe two minutes to make. The key is having the right ingredients on hand – from kale to housemade almond milk, frozen mango chunks to fresh bananas – and then let the guest customize the exact smoothie he/she wants. The last is key. Personalization and customization reign with smoothies and smart hotel/resort operators make very sure that the guest gets the smoothie they want.
I just don’t see fresh, housemade, personalized smoothies on many resort and hotel menus and that is an opportunity lost.
Do you offer kombucha in your bar? In the mini-bar? Well + Good taps kombucha (a flavored, fermented tea) as a real 2018 trend and they have that right. It fizzes, aids in digestion, and is a hot consumer product. Sales are up 12 times over three years ago. It is wildly popular with the wellness set.
As an alternative to a hotel happy hour with free wine, offer a group meditation session. Bring in a rotating cast of local meditation teachers – every style, from Shambhala to Zen, has different shadings.
Also offer yoga classes, at least one daily. Again, use local yoga teachers.
Offer spa products in the in-room mini-bar.
Let guests order personalized aromatherapy treatments for their rooms. It’s easy to train an aromatherapy butler who delivers, sets up, and offer pointers about particular aromatherapy treatments.
Revisit the dining options and make very sure that at every meal there are vegan options and that means without involvement of animals. I mention that because I had one client where the chef dressed “vegan” salads with grated cheese and also used honey as a sweetener. If you call it vegan, make sure it is.
Have wellness favorite spices readily available such as turmeric, cinnamon, black pepper and also have today’s favorite “super foods” such as maca, baobab, and chia seeds. Make up a condiment tray – available to diners – with portions of all for use as food toppings.
Do you offer a sauna? Sauna just may be emerging as a key 2018 trend and, outside Finland, they just are not common. But many physicians point to a range of health benefits. Where can you put in a sauna room or three? That’s really showing a wellness commitment.
Push the wellness boundary off property too. Make deals with local fitness gurus that will let your guests work out for free and give guests a list.
Highlight local jogging and walking routes – and why the ones you name are ideal for visitors.
If there are any nearby, especially fashionable wellness-oriented clothiers – such as Bandier in New York and Dallas – point guests to them.
While you are at all this, doubledown also on protecting the planet – a trend many experts believe will emerge as a central concern in wellness initiatives. It makes sense. What good is personal wellness if the planet around us is dying?
Mark it down: 2018 is the year to make a wellness resolution. It’s how to make more profits by doing very good indeed. And just a few steps put you on the right, profitable path.
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Babs Harrison
Babs Harrison + Partners
Phone: 602.334.5350
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