Wellness is the new buzzword. Consumers want it and businesses across numerous industries are embracing the concept. Of course, it is not a new idea but, understandably, in the wake of COVID-19, demand for wellness provisions has increased, with consumers looking to nurture their physical and mental health and take a more responsible approach to their lifestyle choices.
Simultaneously, the pandemic has had a profound effect on the hotel industry, with the effects of the lockdowns and travel restrictions being far-reaching, as we are all too well aware.
And, as hoteliers have emerged from the pandemic and have started rebuilding their businesses, we are looking at a very different landscape. Most of a hotel’s trade used to be business travel but, even as we emerge from the restrictions and anxieties around traveling, it will still be slow to resume. Other staples, such as large group bookings and large-scale events, will also take a long time to return. Hotel owners and management teams need to look at how to replace those sources of income.
I believe that wellness is what is needed within the hotel setting to bring back previous customers, attract new clientele and, most importantly, ensure repeat and prolonged visits.
What is wellness?
There is some confusion as to the meaning of wellness, not helped by the fact that there are many competing definitions. The Global Wellness Institute defines wellness as “the active pursuit of activities, choices and lifestyles that lead to a state of holistic health,” while the National Wellness Institute describes it as “a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential.”
What these broad and generic definitions actually refer to is an individual’s pursuit of a better state of being or health.
To help explain this, consider that we also see wellness and well-being mistakenly being used interchangeably. However, there is a subtle yet important difference we must get right.
A simple way to view it is as follows: Wellness is the tool and well-being the goal.
So, wellness provides us with the tools that allow us to access different types of well-being goals, e.g. physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. These tools include therapies, alternative medicine, fitness activities, meditation and mindfulness, a balanced diet and a gamut of other services designed to enhance our mental, physical, emotional and spiritual well-being.
So, quite simply, when we incorporate wellness into our lifestyle, or into our product ecosystem as businesses providing wellness services, we provide the stepping stones towards better well-being.
Wellness and your hotel
The confusion around wellness is also present within our industry. Far too many see it as an amenity or niche product. And now that the pandemic has slowed the growth trajectory of hospitality, hoteliers are even more reluctant to invest in wellness.
Where wellness has been considered in hotels, that consideration has very often centered on the pool, the hotel spa and the gym.
But real wellness goes well beyond this. In its truest form, wellness is the method by which hoteliers can guide their guests to achieve a state of well-being, by offering them wellness in every aspect of their experience—from breakfast right until they settle down to sleep at night. Done properly, the effects of wellness, in a hotel context, are felt more deeply, reaching far beyond the physical realm of the hotel’s facilities and offerings.
When wellness is threaded thoughtfully into the hotel experience, guests can’t help but feel at ease throughout their stay.
This should start with the way they are greeted at their arrival. If they are treated politely and with respect and kindness, they will immediately feel at ease and be looking forward to their experience. If they have all the benefits of the hotel introduced to them—including access to beautiful grounds and relaxing communal areas, in addition to the gym and the pool—they will feel a sense of connection to their surroundings. If their rooms are quiet, the correct temperature and with good air quality, guests will sleep well.
Their dining should not just be about the fanciest dishes, the latest trends or showing off how talented your chefs are. Guests should, for example, be able to have any dietary requirements or wants accepted and adhered to without fuss and without taste or presentation being diminished so they feel personally, as well as physically, nurtured.
Similarly, your team should take the time to get to know what the guest is looking forward to from their stay and make sure they know how to access it. Perhaps they would prefer to find somewhere to read quietly and get a cup of tea, over a massage and Pilates session. Or do they want to take in the local sights, rather than sweat it out in the gym? If your staff knows what your guest is looking for, it can guide them in achieving their best experience.
That guest will then be pleasantly surprised by how well everything works together to provide them with the memorable experience they seek. Above all, they will be moved to share this experience with their loved ones. They will feel the effects of their stay long after they have left and will look forward to the time when they can relive the experience again.
Sonal Uberoi is a global wellness expert and founder of Spa Balance, a boutique consultancy working with hotels to help them tap into the full potential of their wellness offering. Uberoi recently moderated a panel sponsored by Peloton Commercial, as part of the Hotel Business Hot Topics series. Go to the video section of hotelbusiness.com to watch the session.
Let us know what you think… To comment on this opinion piece, or to voice your own opinion about pertinent industry topics, please email Christina Trauthwein, VP, content & partnerships, at [email protected]. We’d love to hear from you and share your point of view.
