Staying fit both physically and mentally has become second nature in recent years, and several hotel companies continue to cater to the ever-busy, wellness-focused traveler, including meeting attendees.
EVEN Hotels
Rapidly expanding EVEN Hotels, the newest brand from InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), focuses on four components: Eating Well, Resting Easy, Keeping Active and Accomplishing More. The brand offers nutritious menus emphasizing organic, fresh, fit and energizing meals; restful environments and a calming, open design; athletic studios and fitness classes; and guest rooms equipped with a mounted fitness trainer wall and workout gear.
“At EVEN Hotels, groups have many options for maintaining their healthy lifestyle while on the road.” said Jason Moskal, vice president of Lifestyle Brands, IHG, The Americas. “All of our properties feature flexible work spaces, meeting spaces and natural outdoor areas. They can also take advantage of in-room fitness options and healthy food and beverage options.”
Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants
IHG’s Kimpton Hotels and Restaurants has also jumped on the wellness trend.
“Kimpton understands the road warrior life and how it can take a toll on your mental and physical well-being,” said Christine Lawson, senior vice president of sales and catering for Kimpton. “Our guests continue to appreciate and love Kimpton’s philosophy and amenities focused on caring for their mind, body and spirit when staying with us. We are also committed to incorporating our wellness spin for our groups and meetings. This comes to life in more comfortable and collaborative meeting room setups, seasonal fresh menus that feed the mind and energizing yoga breaks and movement classes that offer our guests something different and outside the boardroom.”
Kimpton also offers perks like complimentary PUBLIC Bikes and in-room yoga mats.
MGM Grand Las Vegas
An early adopter of wellness for guests, MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas teamed with Delos, the pioneer of Wellness Real Estate, to launch Stay Well Meetings in mid-2014. The program has been a huge success, designed with healthy environments and nutritious food, and partnering with wellness leaders such as Cleveland Clinic and Deepak Chopra.
“Stay Well Meetings at MGM Grand continues to be a point of differentiation in our conference center,” said Ernest Stovall, vice president of sales for MGM Grand. “The ability to offer features and benefits designed to increase productivity, alertness and mental acuity for our meeting planners and attendees anchors this program.”
Westin Hotels and Resorts
Recognizing that travel can be a disruptor to one’s schedule, Westin aims to enable well-being in travel.
“Wellness is truly in the brand’s DNA, and this combination of brand identity and industry trends inspired the debut of Westin’s Well-Being Movement in 2014,” said Sarah Lipton, director, global brand management for Westin Hotels and Resorts. “This 360-approach to wellness is brought to life through our six pillars of well-being: Sleep Well, Eat Well, Move Well, Feel Well, Work Well and Play Well.”
The program also caters to business guests.
“Westin integrates wellness programming directly into meetings, from morning workouts, to healthy food choices, to group stretches and everything in between,” said Bob Jacobs, vice president brand management for Sheraton and Westin North America.
Hyatt Hotels
Hyatt Hotels just partnered with Be Well by Dr. Frank Lipman to launch a comprehensive health and wellness initiative for guests.
“Our guests are embracing healthier lifestyles and are increasingly looking to integrate healthy habits into their travel experiences,” said Maryam Banikarim, global chief marketing officer of Hyatt Hotels Corporation.
The program will be employed across all Hyatt brands globally, starting at Park Hyatt hotels in New York, Chicago and Washington, D.C. New guest experiences will include healthy refreshments at arrival, curated in-room amenities, increased fitness offerings, expanded menu options and nutritious to-go alternatives. Nutrition, fitness and mindfulness retreats are also being explored.
