As health eating takes the world by storm, many people are adopting strict or esoteric diets that are becoming commonplace in any urban area. Vegetarians, vegans, paleo, raw diet – all must be appeased. As a staunch meat-lover, I can't fully grasp those who stave off cow and lamb entirely. But if I had to, I could give up red meat and poultry, but never fish.
Fitness Centers have become the new 'gold' in the hospitality industry, with a recently published Hospitality Report Nigeria by Jumia Travel showing the Gym as one of the most sought after amenities by customers booking a hotel stay. The growing trend from home based fitness programs to local fitness memberships, now includes the need for travelers to keep fit even when on their trips, be it leisure or business. In this regard, most hotels have adopted to the trend and incorporated gym/fitness facilities in their properties, while those with existing ones have gone a notch higher to renovate in a bid to create a better impression.
The numbers from the American Hotel and Lodging Association are sobering. Many of us in the resort and hotel spa sector have come to think we are in an endless cycle of growth. The reality is starkly different and uglier. AHLA reports that today just 5% of hotels have on-site spas that include dedicated treatment rooms. That is down from 17% in 2012.
This year has to count as a transitional year in US hospitality. We can now see the end of the boom and that's not to say bad times are ahead but that guaranteed good times look to be coming to an end. What that means is that those who succeed will have to work harder - and smarter - to claim their wins. Authenticity, commitment, passion and hard, focused work will be drivers of 2017 success. And the fast track to those successes is knowing what is going to be hot before everybody has gotten the memo. Here are the three mega trends I believe will be transformative to many resorts in the year ahead.
I remember my early post-college days working for a Fortune 50 firm where there was limited regard for one's health. Meetings held in a haze of tobacco smoke; cholesterol and calories were mere words undeserving of their accounting ledger; and trans-fats weren't even known let alone demonized.
I can understand frustration of decision makers in the hotels industry, as Airbnb is taking more and more of their clients. Many hotels face uncertainty and need to reevaluate costs of multiple marketing, advertising and social media campaigns, as they compete not only with new hotels nearby, but with this new game changer - Airbnb.
Long a refuge for hands-on, personal service and a haven away from the constant connection of today's technology, spas are discovering that they, too, have a need for high-tech. From offering the latest modern treatments to connecting with guests on social media, technology has a role in almost every aspect of the spa experience.
Resort and hotel spas make up only about 20% of the global spa market but are often a source of inspiration and leadership in the spa industry while facing unique challenges. In addition to changing workplace dynamics as new generations enter the workforce, they must constantly search for ways to find and retain qualified staff. Staying current with trends in a rapidly evolving industry, as well as marketing to both hotel & resort guests and the local market, represent ongoing challenges.
In simple words, the term Medical tourism means the act of traveling to another country in search of better, affordable and sustainable medical treatment. This can be either because the treatment in question is unavailable in the home country, is expensive or illegal. While conventionally this kind of travel was from the less developed to high developed nations for medical treatment, the trend has in recent past taken a new twist with people traveling from high to less developed countries for the same purpose. The former is however still common.
The future is now. A new report from the World Health Organization quantifies how bad our global lack of exercise is. WHO researchers, in describing their findings, decried "a pandemic of physical inactivity."
We Interviewed Alison Ainsworth, Senior Director of Golf, Leisure & Spa Operations Europe for Marriott Hotels. Alison overseas about 36 Health and Beauty centers located within their membership-based fitness centers in Marriott Hotels across Europe. Alison is currently rolling out SpaSoft Online Booking at several spas in Europe. We talked to Alison about what makes an incredible spa experience and other spa topics.
Call this a tale of two numbers. More than two in three adults in the US are obese or overweight. Gym, club, fitness center membership in the US now tops 50 million. Put the numbers together and what we see is the early stage of what I believe will be a massive, highly profitable resort trend that will dwarf what we have seen in the spa business over the last 20 years.
Count Phoenicians lucky in the summer. Yes, the mercury routinely crests above 100+ F but it is at that time that many of the best resort amenity spas in the Valley of the Sun roll out terrific deals and discounts - 40% off is the norm - through Travelzoo, Groupon, Amazon Local, you name it. And this summer that is how I spent my vacation: I took many up on their offers.
A spa or wellness center can be a tremendous profit maker for a hotel or resort property. Indeed, various estimates put wellness tourism in or around half a trillion US dollars worldwide, more than one-seventh of all travel bucks spent. Hardly a loss leader, but I nonetheless ask: how can wellness tap into the other six-sevenths?
The headlines tell the story. Spas in 2015 are plunging forward with big refreshes. The flipside: to stay in place is to fall behind. Complacency = stagnation = a slow death. But the good news is that little - inexpensive - steps can put a spa on the winning track.
What makes a destination spa among the best in the world? Location, high caliber of therapists, and the overall spa experience all certainly play into the mix, but there is one simple formula for putting and keeping a destination spa on the path to success - read on to learn it.
Business is back for hotels across the United States with occupancy levels surpassing long-run averages and hotels raising room rates more aggressively. According to PKF Hospitality Research (PKF-HR)'s forecast, occupancy is estimated to be above the long-run average in 49 of the 55 U.S. markets they track, 14 of which are achieving their highest occupancy levels in the past 25 years. By 2015, the U.S. lodging industry will experience six consecutive years of increasing occupancy, the most since 1988. The hotel industry has finally climbed out of the recovery period following the Great Recession as people are traveling more than ever before, and at higher prices.
Nineteen (19) hotel waterpark resort projects opened in the USA during 2014, a 7.5% increase over last year. This compares with 25 in 2013, 20 in 2012 and the record high of 40 in 2007. Twelve (12) projects were brand names such as Lego, Great Wolf, Royal Caribbean, Ramada and Four Seasons and 7 projects were independent owner projects. Seven (7) projects were all new openings, and 12 were additions or conversions of existing properties.
Having spent most of my career presenting sales training for hotel front desk and room reservations agents, it has been interesting these last few years to see an increasing number of upscale hotel and resort spa managers reaching out for the same type of sales and guest service excellence training.
Over the past decade the spa industry has been booming all over the world. Many spa associations, spa certifications, spa academies, and spa awards have flourished. The goal is to guarantee the best spa experience to customers and to deliver the best service based on strong policies and procedures. A story about my most recent Spa Experience