LONDON—The global wellness industry is worth $4.2 trillion, and hoteliers are in one of the best positions to grab a piece of that revenue. But hoteliers said hotels that provide unique wellness experiences are the most likely to be successful.
Independent hotels can provide the necessary time and space for guests to pause and reflect, which gives them an innate advantage.
“For guests to be able to switch off, often we do not have do anything. We had a power cut recently, and we did not need to apologize. Guests loved it, and they chatted,” said Rohaise Rose-Bristow, owner and director of the 18-room The Torridon in Annat, Scotland, during “Unpacking the wellness traveler” at the recent Independent Hotel Show.
Rose-Bristow said in decades past her guests often would take two days to get to her property, but they would stay for a week with no TV, and the experience was naturally organic.
“Wellness might be more of a buzzword today,” she said. “It is almost as though today we have to be reminded to go for a 90-minute walk.”
Harry Cragoe, owner of the 20-room The Gallivant in Camber, Sussex, said hotels need to encourage experiential wellness for their guests to truly unwind.
“The key differentiator is all about experiences,” he said. “If you have beds and some F&B only, if that is your only aspiration, you will be left behind.”
Cragoe said he now sees wellness incorporating the entirety of the guest.
“People increasingly want to take their head on holiday, not just their body, and reconnect with themselves,” Cragoe said, who added he offers free yoga classes to staff so they can fully appreciate what the hotel offers to guests.
“We offer everything free to our staff, and that is the best way of establishing the culture you want,” he said. “We provide wild swimming to connect with nature, even with the sand on the way to the swim. This type of thing is brilliant for hoteliers who cannot afford to have spa.”
David Connell, GM of the 88-key South Lodge, an Exclusive Hotel, in Sussex, also allows his staff free wellness enrichment.
“We did not want the spa to be separate but an inclusive part of the business, but if you wish to see occupancy move up from 50% to 70%, then this is the type of investment needed,” Connell said, referring to his asset’s £14-million spa, which opened last February.
Cragoe agreed that wellness investment can be minimal and yet yield high returns.
“We also have a hut, a very beautiful hut, in the garden as our spa, and that does not come at huge expense. It is about the value you provide your guests,” he said. “A walk on the beach is not a weird thing, so have staff accompany them, but make sure you have a clear intention in delivering something of interest and value.”
No hard sell
Healthy living is intrinsic to some guests’ routines, but for others, wellness must not be a hard sell, panelists said.
“Although most businesses have wellness in their mission values and company brochures, when they come to a hotel for a conference, they run that conference just as they always have done,” Connell said. “Therefore, we do not ram the spa down their throat, but for them to see the ROI of using it.”
Rose-Bristow said since 98% of her guests are leisure travelers, she is marketing more to corporate groups.
“For them to go kayaking, bag their first Munro (climbing a Scottish mountain of at least 3,000 feet), go star-gazing, write a journal. Perhaps just to give them these little nudges,” Rose-Bristow said.
Cragoe said some level of tact is required.
“Never preach,” Cragoe said. “We already are a platform. If you had a friend who had a house on the beach and practiced yoga or meditation, how would she or he offer it to his or her friends? You do not need to pigeonhole.”
Cragoe said The Gallivant has a guest happiness director, who is responsible for making sure guests are as happy as they can be from the moment they arrive to the moment they check out.
“Make sure wellness is not just a buzzword,” Cragoe said.
Bin it
Hoteliers said guest sleep and detoxification are more important than ever in a busy, chaotic world.
Cragoe said his hotel offers talks on sleep.
“How to prepare to go to sleep and how to wake up, and then there are things we can do to improve the sleep experience—pillows, mattresses, quiet,” he said. “Many guests probably do not have the best beds or the quietest environments, but hotels do often have that.
“Not everyone wants a cocktail when they arrive, maybe a cup of tea, so it is getting the small things right,” Cragoe added.
Connell said ultimately what guests want comes down to personal choice. Cragoe agreed.
“Have someone present, too, so that wellness is not just an idea on paper. Fifty percent of the time it is the person in the front of house who makes things accessible,” Cragoe said, who added he is due to start the idea of having guests, if they want to, place their mobile phones in a box at the entrance to get a credit for some other amenity.