THE MOST IMPORTANT SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE
GLOBAL UPDATE
“ Earthing ” promotes direct contact with the electron-rich surface of the earth via techniques such as walking barefoot .
THE FUTURE OF WELLNESS
From more mindful massage to healthy hotels and a broader range of services tailored to men , the 10th annual spa and wellness trends report recently released by SpaFinder Wellness , New York City , highlights movements in the spa and wellness arena that go far beyond a simple facial or mani / pedi .
SpaFinder Wellness focused on trends such as the proliferation of hotels branded around wellness , “ mindfulness massage ” using breath work and body scans to bring attention to all parts of the body , inclusive wellness dedicated to serving people of all ages and abilities , the development of more for-men beauty menus at spas and “ earthing ,” a movement promoting direct contact with the electron-rich surface of the earth via techniques such as walking barefoot . “ People are more stressed than ever , and a lot of what they need is to get their feet on the ground , get into nature , harmonize themselves with nature and synchronize the modern-thinking brain with the ancient wisdom of the body ,” explains Amy McDonald , president of Under a Tree Consulting , Tucson , Arizona .
Ingo Schweder , chief executive officer of Goco Hospitality , Bangkok , notes that wellness trends vary around the world , but overall , he points out , “ Consumer knowledge of how effective wellness services can be has substantially increased . Guests today know what they want , and ‘ evidence-based ’ services are gaining strength as consumers have learned to differentiate and self-analyze their needs .”
THE MOST IMPORTANT SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE
It seems like there ’ s a new hot social media website every few months , so given all the options out there , HOTELS would like to find out which ones our readers are prioritizing .
Which social media website is the most important for your hotel company ?
A . Facebook B . Twitter C . LinkedIn D . TripAdvisor E . Other
Check HOTELSMag . com the first week of April for the results of this poll .
Scan the QR code below or visit http :// hotelsm . ag / USAI5p to answer the question .
RENEWABLE
Element Hotels promises to be “ green from the ground up ,” and now its entire portfolio
FOCUS is demonstrating that commitment in a new way : by using 100 % renewable energy .
Element hotel owners purchase renewable energy credits from their local utility or other energy provider . The credits guarantee the energy the hotel uses is added to the power grid from a renewable source such as wind , hydroelectric , solar or geothermal . Credits also fund development of renewable energy facilities .
Paige Francis , vice president of marketing for specialty select brands for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide , says owners have been “ extremely positive ” about the renewable energy initiative . She notes that because Element properties are built to achieve LEED certification , they are a bit more expensive up front — a premium of 1 % to 2 % of the building cost — but that investment can be made back within the first couple years of operation . “ They ’ re built in a much more efficient manner from an energy standpoint , so the hotel owners do see returns on that ,” Francis says .
Element is constantly testing new ways to reduce energy and water consumption , Francis adds , and is committed to Starwood ’ s overall goal of reducing energy consumption 20 % and water consumption 30 % by 2020 . There are currently 10 U . S . Element properties open , and the brand has four hotels in the pipeline — two in Canada , one in Germany and one in California .
All Element hotels now use 100 % renewable energy .
14 HOTELS March 2013 www . hotelsmag . com