The Health and Wellness Industry in Hotels

  • Healthier Meal Options
  • Upgrading Workout Equipment
  • Using Sleep Science
  • Encouraging Unplugging
  • Light and Air

The wellness industry is growing in leaps and bounds, and hotels are responding to that by catering to their guests’ health and wellness. This includes remodeling, revamping menus and listening to guests about what they prefer. A focus on health and wellness in a hotel can also mean encouraging guests to slow down, unplug and take better care of themselves.

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1. Healthier Meal Options

Most business travelers are unfortunately familiar with the heavy, stuffed feeling they get while eating too much restaurant food on the road. Increasingly recognizing that many people may have a number of allergies, food restrictions or preferences, including gluten-free, vegan and low-sodium, many hotels are responding by revamping their menus to offer this. Some hotels have made an effort to offer guests meals that are closer to the types of things they would eat at home. Overall, improved menu choices are one of the main ways hotels are catering to the health and wellness of their guests.

2. Upgrading Workout Equipment

Many people have probably also stayed at hotels that advertise a workout room only to find the equipment and the room poorly maintained. Hotels are going beyond just revamping these rooms. Forbes reports that some hotel chains are offering the option to book a room with exercise equipment in it, placing yoga mats in rooms and giving guests a 5-pound kettlebell and other equipment if they request it. Some hotels are also offering guests the option to watch workout videos in their rooms.

3. Using Sleep Science

Getting a good night’s sleep regularly is a critical element of health and wellness, and hotels are increasingly looking at the science of sleep to help guests get the best night’s rest possible. Guests’ expectations are also higher in general since high-quality mattresses for the home have become more affordable. Among the approaches hotels have taken are hypoallergenic bedding, cooling gels, memory foam and smart mattresses that adjust based on the sleeper’s patterns.

4. Encouraging Unplugging

It sounds almost counter-intuitive since hotel guests are likely to prioritize having wifi access, but some guests are signing up for retreats that specifically encourage unplugging from email and social media. While most guests aren’t willing to turn over their phones or forgo wifi access, hotels can encourage people to unplug more with soothing designs and offerings that are incompatible with staying online, including yoga and meditation classes. Helping people unwind by giving them permission to disconnect is another way hotels are catering to their guests’ health and wellness.

5. Light and Air

In addition to all of the above initiatives, hotels are also looking at other changes they can make to cater to their guests’ health and wellness. Some are using neutral colors and natural materials to make the environment feel calmer and more soothing. Lighting can be an important element in making sure guests sleep well and that they feel good. In some hotels, lighting is calibrated to respond to the individual. Increasingly, hotels are also including air purifiers in their rooms. Others are adding features such as vitamin C showers and self-care items, like coloring books and bubble bath.

The shift in the hotel industry is toward good health rather than overindulgence. As more hotels cater to their guests’ health and wellness, it is likely that guests will come to expect expanded healthy options when they travel.