Our growing passion for health, fitness, and longevity is reshaping not only how we live and work, but also how we travel.
Hotels worldwide are undergoing a profound transformation to cater to the burgeoning demand of health-conscious clientele seeking elite experiences that enhance their physical and mental well-being.
From partnering with athletes as brand ambassadors to cutting-edge cell-regenerating longevity-enhancing treatments, the hospitality industry is embracing this fitness-driven disruption.
Fitness spaces are being reimagined with panoramic views and state-of-the-art equipment, creating environments that inspire and motivate guests to maintain their health regimens. The evolution extends beyond traditional gym spaces, with a surge in outdoor, community-driven, and social wellbeing activities.
As the lines between fitness, wellness, and hospitality continue to blur; hotels and resorts are positioning themselves as key players in promoting holistic well-being among travelers….
Equinox Hotels (www.equinoxhotels.com) were the first hotel brand to introduce high-performance fitness as its core offering. Launched in New York City in 2019, there are plans for 33 new properties over the next decade.
Equinox rooftop
With an ethos based on hospitality meets science and fitness, expect your stay to feel like ‘a temple for total regeneration’.
Everything at Equinox is tailored to optimize your wellbeing. There’s an in-room menu of AM and PM rituals with videos offering morning stretches to meditations in finding focus to managing anxiety. A reimagined mini-bar features 80+ products ranging from nutrient-packed snacks to vitamins and supplements.
Hotel guests have access to the best-in-class fitness equipment and community classes with some properties featuring indoor saltwater pools as well as hot and cold pools. At the New York property guests can join in on SoulCycle classes seven days a week.
Spa-wise, integrated circuits are themed around Beauty, Performance Healing, Sleep, Inner Body with IV drips as well as Temperature Therapy featuring cryotherapy and infrared sauna.
In Dubai, the newly opened SIRO One Za’abeel (www.sirohotels.com) is revolutionizing the hospitality industry.
Siro One | Photo by Natelee Cocks
Siro One | Photo by Natelee Cocks
Each room features a recovery cupboard with exercise balls, yoga mats, stretch bands, and a meditation cushion. Instead of televisions are projectors for in-room guided workouts. Your minibar is stocked with healthy snacks and tonics and you can even ask the staff to draw you an ice bath. Vending machines are reimagined as ‘intelligent fridges’ while meals can be personalized by the in-house nutritionist.
Journey up to the 31st floor to the ‘Recovery Lab’, a serene space dedicated to cryogenic chambers, touchless vibroacoustic therapy beds, IV therapy, Red Light Therapy, and infrared capsules.
The fitness floor spans a 900-square-meter area with purpose-built zones for training. There’s a choice of 50 workout sessions a week including some devised by AC Milan, while the spa menu features fitness-focused treatments plus Skin Workouts and Stretch Massages.
Fostering community, spirituality and celebration is the ethos of the new Six Senses Ibiza (www.sixsenses.com/en/hotels-resorts/europe/spain/ibiza) a 116-room and suite sustainable resort set across a 20-acre site. Within the resort, highlights include The Farmer’s Market all-day dining destination and a Pharmacy Bar offering fresh juices and tonics.
Six Senses Ibiza
Six Senses introduces a one-of-a-kind RoseBar longevity club with Chief Medical Office Dr. Mark Hyman at the helm. Programs blend science and spiritual wellbeing and are designed to reverse aging processes and lengthen one’s lifespan.
State-of-the-art equipment includes Full Body Cryotherapy, Hyperbaric Oxygen Chamber, IV Infusions, Biohacking, Regenerative Ozone Therapy, Red Light Therapy, Infrared Sauna, Cold Plunge and Advanced Diagnostics and Functional Medicine consultations.
Canyon Ranch (www.canyonranch.com) have also elevated their programming to include a new Sports Medicine division. This initiative is designed to provide guests with opportunities for in-depth assessments and treatment modalities that will help them overcome injury, recover from surgery, train for a marathon, improve balance and agility, or master their favorite sport.
Guests are invited to join in on ‘Health & Performance’ programs led by an integrative team of highly credentialed CED wellness professionals. These can be personalized to elite athletes, weekend warriors and general fitness enthusiasts. High-performance services include body composition and exercise screenings, hydration testing, osteoporosis bone density and aerobic testings.
Athletes as Hotel brand Ambassadors
Collaborations between hotel brands and elite athletes who serve as brand ambassadors enhance credibility and appeal. By partnering with renowned figures in the fitness world, hotels can attract health-conscious guests and elevate their fitness programs.
Novak Djokovic
The upscale Aman Group (www.aman.com) recently announced tennis legend, Novak Djokovic, as their first Global Wellness Advisor. This multi-year partnership will bring Djokovic’s expertise to the Aman guest experience, enriching their approach to health, fitness and wellbeing. Aman resorts have also collaborated with five-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova to offer year-round wellness recovery retreats. Drawing on her decades of experience as a professional athlete, these retreats combine physical and mental endurance sessions to help participants navigate life’s daily demands and pressures with grace.
Last year, world renowned tennis champion Rafael Nadal entered the hospitality business to form ZEL (www.melia.com), a collection of 20 lifestyle hotels set to open globally over the next five years. Similarly, Lionel Messi operates several MiM hotels across Majorca, Ibiza, and Sitges, featuring high-end wellness centers with detox and hydrotherapy services.
Hugh Jackman is an investor in Australia’s Gwinganna Lifestyle Retreat: (www.gwinganna.com), a popular destination for detox, cognitive, and fitness retreats. Meanwhile, BodyHoliday: (www.thebodyholiday.com) in St. Lucia features nine sports-themed months, led by professional athletes like NFL star Randy Moss and Olympians Daley Thompson, Alix Klineman, and Angie Akers.
Longevity is the new wellness
Technogym – ‘Discover Your Wellness Age’
According to real data collected by international fitness brand Technogym, the next frontier of wellness is longevity. This explains the brands focus on longevity. Technogym is set to revolutionize the fitness industry with its new AI-powered diagnostic station, the Technogym Checkup.
Technogym
The cutting-edge technology represents a significant leap forward in personalized fitness assessment and training prescription offering a level of customization previously unavailable in most gym settings. At the heart of Technogym Checkup is the concept of ‘Wellness Age’, a metric that provides users with a clear gauge with their overall fitness and health status.
Key features include comprehensive scanning, strength, flexibility, cardio, balance and cognitive metrics.
In other news, Hotelier Sam Nazarian has partnered with US-based Fountain Life (www.fountainlife.com), a leader in disease detection, prevention and reversal medicine co-founded by Tony Robbins. Together, they plan to establish a global network of 15 luxury longevity resorts and residences plus 10 urban preventative centers by 2030. This initiative focuses on combining luxury hospitality with advanced wellness solutions to enhance health and well-being.
Is GEN Z driving the fitness trend?
Yes! The GEN Z (born between 1997-2012) are said to be driving the changing landscape of developments. This generation prioritizes health and fitness, understanding how our environment contributes to our lifespan.
This digital generation’s value for health and longevity is also reshaping the residential real estate landscape. Real estate developers are responding to Gen Z’s passion for wellness by integrating fitness amenities into new projects ranging from affordable to mid-market and high-end properties. Expect to see a rise in mixed-use apartment buildings featuring on-site fitness studios to attract this health-conscious generation.
Real estate developers report that when they highlight wellness touchpoints such as saunas, gyms and cold plunge pools; they are seeing significant increases in interest and market potential.
Pickleball is on the menu at hotels and resorts
Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in the US with an estimated 36.5 million people playing pickleball regularly within the states. Just some of the benefits include improved mental and emotional health as well as social interaction – all of which extend our lifespan.
A recently released 25-year study by Copenhagen City Heart Study (CCHS) followed close to 9,000 people and found that playing racquet sports added years to their lives.
The study revealed that low- impact racquet sports are especially beneficial for health and longevity because they combine balance, cardiovascular endurance, mental engagement, and brain-body coordination.
Hotels and resorts offering pickleball courts include Wylder Hotel Windham New York, Four Seasons Maui at Wailea, The Tryall Club in Montego Bay Jamaica, Ojai Valley Inn California, Rancho La Puerta Resort & Spa Mexico and the Nobu Hotel Los Cabos to name a few.
Pickleball is also multi-generation sport so the whole family can play. How good is that?
GAME. SET. MATCH! ☐
Sports find its footing in hospitality
With the wellness economy’s rapid growth poised to reach $7 trillion by 2025, there’s little doubt we are making our health and fitness a priority.
Fueling The Global Trend
The global sports hospitality market was valued at $4.75 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 23% to reach a market value of $20.24 billion in 2027.
Sports-related travel amounted to $39.7 billion in 2021, and generated 66.5 million nights booked.
Post-pandemic, 180 million people traveled for junior, collegiate and recreational sports events in 2021.
The athleisure market, comprising athletic and workout clothing, is expected to grow from $411.02 billion in 2021 to $793.46 billion by 2028; it is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 9.9% from 2021 to 2028 (Insight Partners).
Judy Chapman is an International Spa Designer and consults for hotel, spa and wellness brands around the world including Menla in the USA. Judy also develops white label skincare products for spas and individuals. She is the former Editor-in-Chief of Spa Asia magazine and author of several books on wellness and spas. Judy is currently based in Bali, Indonesia.
www.judychapman.com.au
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