Wellness Hotel
Get to know the meaning and concept of a Wellness Hotel
Spa and wellness have a long history. In this article, we will illustrate what a wellness hotel is and what its core concept. Traditionally the definition of wellness is the aspiration of a healthy body and mind. A hotel’s purpose is that of providing rooms and a bed for travellers. Over time the preferences of travellers have changed…
In this article we talk about:
- What is a Wellness Hotel? Meaning of Wellness
- What includes Wellness?
- What is the target group for a Wellness Hotel?
- What is considered to be a Wellness Hotel? What is the concept of a Wellness Hotel?
- Guidelines for the spa area in a Wellness Hotel?
- Why are Wellness Hotels so popular?
- What is the difference between a health retreat versus a wellness hotel?
- Which is the best Wellness Hotel in the world?
- How to find Wellness Hotels?
What is a Wellness Hotel? Meaning of Wellness
Wellness definition: Wellness, in its basic understanding, is a holistic lifestyle that encompasses body, mind, spirit and environment.
Wellness as a lifestyle is built on the four pillars of nutrition, exercise, social contact and relaxation. The pillars are mutually dependent in the pursuit of personal excellence. Those who “live” wellness increase their quality of life in a pleasurable way.
This includes the individual development and expansion of a basic level of fitness, the ability to actively relax and process stress, knowledge of balanced nutrition, and an increase in enjoyment of life in general.
What includes Wellness?
Wellness is based on four pillars: What’s involved and how does it work?
- Nutrition:
A healthy, balanced diet is the basis for feeling good about your body. It ensures an adequate supply of vital nutrients and is the body’s “fuel.” Exercise:
Sports keep the body and mind fit. Regular exercise, appropriate exertion, and enjoyment of and motivation for sports are the keys to long-lasting fitness.Social contacts and emotional support:
Whether digital or analog: People are social beings. Friendships and relationships therefore make people happy and provide emotional and social stability.Relaxation:
From meditation to regular walks to time out from everyday life: Relaxation breaks are immensely important for physical and mental well-being.
What is the target group for a Wellness Hotel?
What is a wellness hotel for hotel guests? From business travellers to holiday-enjoying tourists the goal is the same, relaxation for body and mind. However, why they need to relax differs.
Many business travelers experience tension and stress, mostly during their journey up until they finish their business. After a long and intensive workday, it’s nice to clear the mind in a sauna, swimming pool or gym. Tourists visit a city to discover the region, visit museums and shop until they’ve reached their credit card limits. This requires ultimate relaxation as well.
Because of the energy-consuming activities of the two different target groups the need rose for more wellness facilities in hotels. To fulfill this need wellness hotels were developed.
What is considered to be a Wellness Hotel? What is the concept of a Wellness Hotel?
Although Wellness Hotel is not a protected term and thus purely theoretically every hotel could call itself a Wellness Hotel, however, guests naturally expect some special features when booking a Wellness Hotel. Whoever does not meet these and still calls himself a wellness hotel would receive a bunch of negative reviews and of course no hotel owner wants that.
Basic requirements for a wellness hotel are therefore
- a larger wellness area with, for example, sauna, swimming pool, brine baths, whirlpools and
- numerous treatments, such as massages, mud baths, facial treatments or gymnastic exercises, between which the visitor can choose.
- But also on nutrition, as well as physical and mental relaxation should be attached great importance in a Wellness hotel. So you won’t find burgers with fries or excessive parties here.
Guidelines for the spa area in a Wellness Hotel
In addition to general criteria for the spa and wellness area, such as permanent hygiene control and proper maintenance, the changing areas must have, among other things, separate-sex showers, toilets, washbasins with hairdryers and dressing mirrors. With regard to the bathing area, different criteria apply to the size of the indoor pool depending on the category.
For example, in a top category wellness hotel, the indoor pool must be at least 60 square meters, and in a bottom category establishment, it must be at least 40 square meters. The following applies to the sauna landscape: wellness hotels in the top category have at least three indoor saunas, those in the middle category have two, and those in the lowest category have one indoor sauna. Every wellness hotel must offer cosmetic treatments such as facials, nail and foot care, peeling and relaxation massages, as well as body treatments such as tub baths or Kneipp.
The fitness area in a top category wellness hotel should be at least 50 square meters, in middle and lowest category establishments at least 20 square meters. Wellness hotel, sauna areas, fitness room, wellness treatments, spa and wellness area, wellness hotels,
Why are Wellness Hotels so popular?
Wellness hotels, however, are a more recent phenomenon. They feel more chill and mainstream, offering a broad range of wellness-focused amenities — think fitness options that transcend your typical, cramped hotel gym, a plethora of healthy food choices, and even cooling linens and silent AC units to promote sleep. And they’re often more financially manageable — not cheap, but really which nice hotels are?
Hotel guests expect more than spa treatments and other standard wellness services; they want wellness and fitness to be integrated into their whole experience, and they want the freedom to curate it themselves.
More broadly, the rise in wellness hotels reflects consumers’ growing prioritization of personal wellness in their overall quality of life. Guests are traveling more for work and need a hotel offering that allows them to maintain their wellness routine, whatever that means to them, while on the road.
“These hotels reflect a pushback against the notion that travel has to be stressful, or that it leaves you no choice but to abandon your fitness routine.”
What is the Difference Between a Health Retreat Versus a Wellness Hotel?
The term ‘wellness hotel’ is not an entirely new concept, although there is still perhaps some confusion around what it is. More and more hotels these days are calling themselves wellness hotels, as this concept is becoming increasingly popular amongst clients. Generally, a wellness hotel is a luxury hotel that offers wellness facilities, such as a spa or fitness centre.
A health retreat, however, offers a purposefully designed program of therapies and activities, guided by leading health and fitness experts.
Which is the best Wellness Hotels in the world?
We are showcasing three beautiful Wellness Hotels. If you want to explore our list of the top Wellness Hotels please click here.
SHA, the Wellness Clinic from Alicante, Spain, is expanding to Mexico and will open SHA Mexico, Playa Mujeres in 2022. The family that owns SHA Wellness Clinic has long dreamed of taking the SHA method, developed over 12 years ago, to new continents so that even more people can benefit from a state of full health and well-being.
The search for a suitable location came to an end when they discovered the coast in Cancun. North of the Riviera Maya, off Isla Mujeres, a unique structure is being built that will be at home on seven hectares of unspoiled nature. Located on half a kilometer of white sand beach and the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean Sea with the largest coral reef in the Northern Hemisphere, this place is a paradise for people and animals.
Every detail of the new Sha Wellness Clinic in Mexico is designed to improve the health and well-being of guests.
The Mexican architects and interior designers commissioned designed an iconic building that is built to the highest environmental standards. Three aspects are particularly important to the owners. 1. the maximum use of renewable raw materials and materials. 2. the implementation of renewable energies and 3. excellent equipment and the best possible trained staff.
The SHA Residences are a special highlight, all of which feature ocean views. Spacious living areas, kitchens and terraces with pools promise ample space for large families and friends traveling together. They offer you the opportunity to continuously embrace a healthy lifestyle while being with your family. Spend a vacation or extended getaway at SHA Mexico, Playa Mujeres and transform your life for good.
Badian Island Wellness Resort is a luxurious and therapeutic brand of reclusive open-air relaxation is internationally recognized for the past 30 years. The luxury resort uniquely offers Thalasso or ionized seawater outdoor pools that can ultimately heal and revitalize the body. Today, the upscale resort focuses on sharing the gift of holistic well-being by introducing natural spa treatments, yoga exercises, and organic eating and drinking lifestyle.
The exclusive resort offers first-class room accommodations, Wi-Fi Internet access, international cuisines, fine dining entertainment, exciting excursions, yacht cruising, scuba diving, and fun beach activities. Earning itself as one of the premier tourist resort destinations in the world, Badian Island Resort and Spa vows to carry on that legacy for more decades to come.
MY ARBOR Plose Wellness Hotel is a tree hotel, built on stilts, high up in the tops of the surrounding trees. A refuge on the wooded slopes of the Plose, in the midst of nature. Located just 10 minutes from Bressanone, the hotel opened in May 2018. Dynamic and modern in its architecture and the services offered to guests, yet firmly rooted in the traditions and values of the region.
My Arbor, my tree. The name of the hotel is full of expressiveness. A tree with strong roots, firmly anchored in nature and its history – and yet open to the world. A tree that survives wind and weather as well as time and trends. A natural retreat that gives its guests security and safety. Living and sleeping as if in a soft nest in the treetops.
My Arbor guests are invited to find there what often comes too short in the hectic everyday life: time for arriving, time for being, time for the surrounding nature, time for oneself. This time can be arranged individually, because in line with the My-Thought of My Arbor, every guest will find the answer to his or her own personal needs.
Vacation without constraints with the greatest possible freedom for the guest’s own rhythm. Breakfast until noon. Swimming after sunset. Yoga or hiking. Massage or skiing. Culture in the bishop’s town of Bressanone. Biking or shopping. The I may simply be I. In the tree hotel on the Plose.
How to find Wellness Hotels?
Wellness hotels or Wellness Resorts can be easily found through major platforms like Booking.com, Adoda, Hotels.com, or Tripadvisor.
They are usually listed together with most hotels and might be a little tricky to find as these platforms do not have a separate category for wellness hotels.