Hotels and resorts across the board are hearing a resonant meeting professionals’ hue and cry: Help us be healthier.
Spa directors at hotels and resorts are fielding requests for everything from custom morning fitness classes to healthy “coffee” breaks that get their attendees moving.
And Florida’s spa directors are ready.
“Requests for custom fitness have increased more than 60 percent, which is not surprising,” said Jodi Sullivan, senior director of fitness and wellness at the Boca Raton Resort & Club, A Waldorf Astoria Resort.
“Groups are requesting wake-up yoga and stretch classes, and with our beautiful grounds, including the spa gardens, the croquet lawns or the beach as a backdrop, it’s easy to do,” Sullivan said.
For groups that want something more challenging, the hotel also offers boot camp.
“We’ve had 50 attendees with four trainers on the beach,” Sullivan noted. “From the feedback we got, they all had a great time. It’s a great way to get the endorphins flowing; get the blood flowing.”
After a workout, the Waldorf Astoria Spa at Boca Raton Resort & Club offers a Ritual Bath, waterfall showers, whirlpool, steam sauna and inhalation rooms at the spa. Its decor is inspired by Spain’s legendary Alhambra Palace, with its grand arches, carved stone and elaborate mosaics.
In Miramar Beach, Hilton Sandestin Beach Golf Resort & Spa’s Serenity by the sea Spa features 16 treatment rooms and a Serenity Lounge with zero-gravity chairs, which position the body to make it feel weightless, stress-free and energized.
“Groups like to rent out the Serenity Lounge, which is also a great area for dining,” said Shanelle Lucas, director of spa operations at Serenity by the sea Spa. “We also offer discounts for groups based on the amount of services, day of the week and time of year.”
Medical and pharmaceutical groups are especially conscious of health and wellness at meetings, said Amanda Perales, senior conference services manager at Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate.
“Cigna is the perfect example of a group focused on health and wellness,” she said. “We provided multiple group exercise options that included tai chi, Zumba, lap swimming and a ‘Fun/Run.’ They also had a health-screening trailer on-site parked in the parking lot that has Quest Diagnostics inside of it that reads your BMI (body mass index) and blood pressure.”
In the spirit of mental wellness, the Omni has even offered cuddle breaks in which the resort works with local animal shelters to bring in rescue dogs for attendees to play with during their breaks.
Reunion Resort in Kissimmee also works with meeting planners to createcustomized packages that cater to group needs, said Stephanie Wise, spa director of The Spa, Reunion Resort. “Attendees love when we bring chair massages to meeting breaks, giving them the opportunity to stretch their legs, disconnect and unwind for a bit before getting back to work.”
Nutrition Addition
Herbs such as ginseng, rosemary and Ginkgo biloba are ingredients that are incorporated into cookies, smoothies and granola for breakfast and breaks at the Nobu Eden Roc Hotel in Miami Beach.
“These herbs help boost the brain activity and improve focus and memory,” said Michelle Stewart, spa director at Eden Roc.
The hotel has also recently launched a wellness program that offers a variety of physical and mental wellness options, including wellness speakers, herbal medicine, natural remedies, nutritionists and cooking classes.
At the Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami Beach, the two-hour Chakra & Meditation Workshop introduces groups to the philosophy of Ayurveda, during which the instructor explains the importance of learning and practicing meditation in order to truly understand the mind and body, and how to keep them in balance. Participants join in a mantra-based meditation practice to create the experience in person.
Yoga is the most requested activity at the Bonita Springs Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort and Spa—even for men, according to Jennifer Licciardi, spa director for the 20,000-square-foot Stillwater Spa.
“We just had a group from the trucking industry from Canada that had a 6 a.m. sunrise yoga session on our rolling green lawn overlooking our estuary,” Licciardi said. “There were more men than women. They had egg white omelets for breakfast, but they also had organic cookies we locally source that are more healthful and cleaner.”
Spa Party
According to Teresa Roberge, spa manager at the Mission Inn Resort & Club’s Spa Marbella in Howey-In-the–Hills, the resort offers a Spa Tapas party with a menu that features six mini (25-minute) treatments, including head, neck and shoulder massages; foot treatments and leg wraps; foot reflexology treatments; aroma bliss facials; lift and glow micro-current treatments; and express manicures and pedicures.
“The Tapas Party is great for a group because when we do 25-minute treatments we can have a larger number of guests who gather together in a fun atmosphere and experience a spa treatment in a two-to-three-hour time frame,” Roberge said. “Our guests love the spa party.”
Guests can gather in the relaxation lounge and sip on champagne, wine or mimosas while rotating through their mini treatments. They can select from one to three treatments and may enjoy the use of the eucalyptus-infused steam room.
Chef Robert Ash from Omni Orlando at ChampionsGate offers a Brain Food Breakfast and a Healthy Living Lunch for groups coming to the property, and the resort’s spa is ready when meeting professionals want to include wellness on the menu.
“We have a large group coming in and they’re doing a spa event by the pool,” said Caitlin Arpin, spa director at the Omni. “We’ll have chair massages, hand reflexology and a create-your-own-scrub bar that will allow guests to choose their own scent for a scrub and mix it into their own container to take home.”
Spa products to take home are an added bonus at The Grove Resort & Spa’s Escape Spa. Interactive workshops are designed to teach guests how to create their own essential oils and body scrubs.
Using all natural products, guests work with spa therapists to learn the steps in making citrus and honey-based scrubs (with seasonal scents and ingredients also available) that deliver body-boosting benefits.
Therapists also help to identify specific scents and blends that correlate with individual needs, producing a customized essential oil. Finished scrubs and oils can be packaged for attendees to take home or may be used in services booked at Escape Spa.
