Hotel Companies Make a Resolution to Get Healthier in 2014

Healthy hotels, natural hot springs, and wellness tourism are among the top spa and wellness trends for 2014, according to a company that tracks the $2 trillion wellness industry.

A wave of wellness initiatives and brands swept the hospitality industry last year, but the 2014 Trends Report from SpaFinder Wellness Inc. suggests that global chains and design properties are now introducing even more fitness programs, diet-specific menus, and spa services to rejuvenate their road-weary customers.

Hotels are moving away from using a single health-conscious initiative as a marketing tool and instead integrating the new features into all aspects of guests’ stay.

And it’s not just for the customers’ benefit. The report found that health-conscious U.S. travelers spend 130 percent more than regular travelers on domestic travel and 65 percent more on international travel.

This means attracting wellness-minded guests could also lead to higher on-site spending and more frequent returns.

Wellness tourism currently represents a US$439 billion market, or 14 percent of world tourism expenditures, according to research conducted by SRI International for the Global Spa & Wellness Summit.

How Hotels Get Healthier

What’s interesting is the speed in which hotels across all guest segments have adopted a broad range of new initiatives. Just a few examples of how hotels are encouraging guests to get and stay well are below:

Wyndham’s TRYP Hotels set up small gyms in guests’ rooms and Kimpton Hotels provide free bikes to guests at more than 50 properties. New York City’s Hotel Benjamin has a ‘Rest & Renew’ program that includes different pillow options and snacks that help guests fall asleep. And IHG wellness-branded hotel EVEN offers guests juicing menus, gluten-free snacks, and paleo-friendly meals.