SPECIAL REPORT
Some are doing it via acquisition , as , InterContinental Hotels Group did earlier this year with its US $ 300 million purchase of Bangkok-based luxury resort and spa operator Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas .
But other tightly-niched investments could be risky : “ It is to be expected that some may fail for being too remote , or for appealing to an extremely small niche ,” according to the report .
However , the idea of wellness transformation is suited to hotels because people already are away from their routines and more open to new information . “ You don ’ t have to pay bills , clean the house or make food ,” says Anna Bjurstam , who leads wellness innovation for Six Senses . “ There ’ s more space in your brain to take in an insight .”
Mii Amo Resort in Sedona , Arizona
THE JOURNEY TO WELLNESS
Mii Amo Resort , Sedona , Arizona , doesn ’ t offer programs on sleep , yoga or detox . “ Sometimes identifying sleep or weight is more of a symptom than a cause ,” GM Jim Root says .
Instead , Mii Amo describes wellness as a journey , a process of self-discovery , making connections with other guests and “ lightening up a little .”
The 16-room resort honors the traditions of Native American nations that populated Boynton Canyon . It shares property and the spa with the more traditional 218- room Enchantment Resort , where Root is the director of wellbeing .
The Mii Amo journey begins before arrival , as a guide probes what the guest seeks and offers options . The guest may be struggling with relationships , feeling loss , or simply looking to “ reconnect .”
Once guests arrive , “ they start to relax and sink in to the place ,” Root observes . “ They talk to other people . Nobody is wearing headphones .”
A typical day could begin at 6 a . m . with stretching and tai chi . Hikes start at 7 a . m . The morning air is chilly and guests gather around a fire . Dining is open all day and there is a juice and smoothie bar . Guests may talk with a life or fitness coach , or get a massage .
One popular group activity is creating a vision board , in which guests use magazines , newspapers , string and glitter to create a personal vision for themselves . By sharing the activity , guests see “ I ’ m not alone in this ,” Root says .
The Mii Amo staff shares the perspectives of Native American tribes that honor the cycle of life directionally , with east as sunrise and birth , south as youth and possibility , west as adulthood and accomplishment and north as night sky and elder wisdom .
“ Sometimes it ’ s not about searching but accepting where you already are at ,” Root says . “ It ’ s about appreciation and giving back . When we take people through this , more often than not , you can see the light bulb go off .”
20 hotelsmag . com October 2019