Kempinski Hotel Mall of the Emirates , Dubai - UAE
RLA coined the phrase ‘ wellbeing hospitality ’, can you tell us what this means and how is it relevant to hotel investors and operators ?
Wellbeing hospitality is an overarching approach to improving health , happiness , and contentment within hospitality and destination assets via forms of wellness , leisure , recreation , travel and healthcare .
We believe the integration of broad-based wellbeing activities are fundamental to the success of a hotel whilst the understanding of how ‘ wellbeing ’ activities influence the value of real estate i . e . hotels , puts the ‘ hospitality ’ into wellbeing hospitality .
The influence wellbeing activities have on real-estate needs to be tangible and measurable . Recognizing that wellbeing activities can be expansive and expensive particularly in a resort development , where they can require considerable real estate such as sport and recreational facilities . It ’ s fundamental that owners and operators evaluate what activities contribute to tangible value and deliver an ROI .
The hospitality industry cannot deliver the same conceptual wellness experiences that make-up , for example , hotel brand standards that were formulated decades ago . Technology alone has made consumers much more knowledgeable about their health with a variety of devices such as smartphones , electronic calorie counters , movement and sleep trackers , and the launch of health apps on wearable health / fitness watches .
Online streaming workouts are all further revolutionizing how informed and engaged people are actively pursuing activities to support their daily wellbeing .
How can a luxury hotel apply wellbeing hospitality principles ?
Luxury hotels tend to invest tremendously in space , décor or other tangible elements , whereas wellbeing hospitality recognizes the actual needs of ‘ luxury ’ travelers in terms of their consumption patterns , lifestyles , expectations , and perceptions . These intangibles provide hotel groups an opportunity to design all-encompassing guest experiences at every touch point from arrival to departure . Crafting wellbeing service concepts with corresponding brand