Where Can We Take Wellness?

Beneath all the media scaremongering regarding COVID-19, there’s been a silent revolution taking place in the medical and nutritional communities. Namely, there has been a remarkable ramp up in the research regarding holistic wellness, anti-aging and improved drug delivery systems. What this means for hotels is that there will soon be a host of opportunities to advance a property’s wellness footprint in order to build incremental revenues.

Importantly, as with any evolution, it’s all about staying one step ahead of the curve. Some of these ideas may appear far-fetched, but in a first-past-the-post manner the early adopters will benefit from new customer acquisitions and brand defensibility. Moreover, wellness as a whole is one area where hotels and resorts can stave off the growing encroachment of home sharing platforms in that such facilities help prevent apples-to-apples comparisons with the latter’s purportedly low-cost messaging.

Some ideas for developing your wellness program include:

• Digital detox – mobile devices pervade our lives and it’s exceedingly stressful;
• Meditation classes – again, as a respite from the constant distraction of a hyperconnected life;
• Smart watches and smart rings – more than just steps, wearables can monitor sleep or heart rate to give holistic lifestyle advice;
• Tech-aided physiotherapy – using AI analysis to look at a person’s gait or exercise mechanics to ameliorate chronic injuries or improve sports performance;
• Cannabis and psilocybin – these are reaching the forefront in terms of mainstream acceptance, legality and utilization in a variety of therapy techniques;
• Surgery recovery centers – many resorts now double as tranquil places for those on the mend, whether that’s from something rehabilitative or purely cosmetic;
• Anti-aging and biohacking – lots of new research is demonstrating how diet and supplements can extend one’s Healthspan, and clever hotels can act as the conduit for this lifestyle change;
• Stem cells and soon CRISPR-based gene therapies – once reviled, the conclusion nowadays is that these are as close to a panacea as we’ll ever get for life extension.

Mind you, many of these programs would be expensive to set up. Still, they are worth considering because again you have to constantly innovate or else you may get left behind. Even broader, you have to first answer in a binary sense whether wellness is the best vehicle for your specific needs and what has already worked because a half-hearted entrance into the wellness space simply won’t cut it anymore. That said, if you are committed and the forecasts show that there is profit to be had, then keep track of the above ideas so that you can devote budget at the appropriate time in the near future.

Credit

Larry and Adam Mogelonsky

Together, Adam and Larry Mogelonsky represent one of the world’s most published writing teams in hospitality, with over a decade’s worth of material online. As the partners of Hotel Mogel Consulting Ltd., a Toronto-based consulting practice, Larry focuses on asset management, sales and operations while Adam specializes in hotel technology and marketing. Their experience encompasses properties around the world, both branded and independent, and ranging from luxury and boutique to select-service. Their work includes seven books: “In Vino Veritas: A Guide for Hoteliers and Restaurateurs to Sell More Wine” (2022), “More Hotel Mogel” (2020), “The Hotel Mogel” (2018), “The Llama is Inn” (2017), “Hotel Llama” (2015), “Llamas Rule” (2013) and “Are You an Ostrich or a Llama?” (2012). You can reach them at adam@hotelmogel.com to discuss hotel business challenges or to book speaking engagements.