It is no secret that wellness and lifestyle have made their way into and established their value through the upper-upscale and luxury hospitality segments. In some cases, this has trickled down into extended stay and economy lodging markets. The momentum and demand for wellness programs has fast-tracked new programs that not only serve market and growth, but also create distinction, enhance market positioning, and mitigate risk while optimizing the performance of the business, amid wide and evermoving change. Some of these may be obvious, and many of these may not be popular, but nonetheless, I felt they were worth sharing.

Domestic Travel and Global Tourism

We may see radical declines in travel and tourism sectors such as urban core, major metropolitan areas, and international travel abroad. As costs for lodging, destination activities, and food continue to increase, alongside social turbulence and extreme weather, these factors will inevitably impact and shift current travel preferences.

TIP: Focus efforts on creating new local and regional engagement strategies. These are well worth the investment of money and time.

Local Groups, Events, and Organizations

Take a new look at, and a fresh approach to integrations with local groups, seasonal events, and different organizations. Community building and social support is a fast and effective way to embark on new traditions and add local partnership value.

“Everyone Needs a Greenhouse”

I’ve been singing this song for a while, but it bears repeating. Grow it, if you can. There are tons of reasons investing in a greenhouse makes sense beyond the benefits for F & B programs, in-room amenities, and managing supply chain issues. An asset like this can deliver true and unexpected value.

TIP: If you have underutilized square footage or interesting adjacent space, run an analysis to understand if this makes sense. Most times, it does.

Create Valuable New Partnerships

Taking a new approach to form healthy long-term supplier partnerships can significantly reduce costs, alleviate partnership and product challenges, and add stability to guest expectations, operating costs and annual budgets.

TIP: Partnerships formed at the ownership and executive levels, carryover. These aren’t subject to the nuances of rotating employee preferences and transient sales relationships.

Habits, Learning, and Creativity

The wellness and lifestyle markets include a massive range of new opportunities. From a hospitality standpoint, the list of potential roads to new growth are tremendous. We typically consider fitness, food, rooms, sleep, and spa. Leaning in, consider, personal life programs such as interpersonal growth, new habits, learning, cooking, inspiration, art therapy, and creativity.

TIP: Who is your guest and what do they need? What ways can you challenge them, inspire them, and impart lasting impact on them?

Pop Up Social Activities

Adding fun activities such as show-and-tells, social meet up themes (seasonal or on brand), afternoon tea-time, mid-day stretching (not yoga), or other social opportunities for guests to meet and interact with each other. These activities are ideal for using small unused meeting and group spaces.

TIP: Make these occasional, pop ups “come as you are”, easily available and free.

Balancing Technology

While technology adds incredible value to our lives, balancing these ever more complex applications is vital. This is a big topic, so there is a lot to say about this. My tip is short, genuinely better balance the benefits of technology with the beautiful interactions that happen in-person.

TIP: Balancing administrative and service efficiencies while intentionally improving personalized, social, guest care, can enhance the overall experience for everyone.

Employee Well-Being

Carving out time for this can be challenging. But consider, once a month dedicating 1-2 hours for a program that deeply nurtures employee well-being. This doesn’t mean fitness, mediation, or yoga. This is something that will fuel their own lives, enhance their purpose, and elevate their thinking about their life, work, and Self.

TIP: These groups should be small, tactical, and include a broad range of topics.

Crisis Care

How prepared is your property for a crisis? These are unpredictable and come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but they happen. How prepared is the staff, BOH functionality, and organization to manage this? Depending on the location of the property, crisis care is often an elephant in the room often missing from operational protocols.

TIP: Risk management and Crisis Care are not the same. It’s essential to conduct an internal audit to assess the proper due diligence that may uniquely apply to every property. Needs and necessities are likely to vary a lot.

Heartfelt Hospitality

It’s long been said, living from your heart, leads to the best outcomes. The emerging challenges and changes that the world faces through 2025, make this an even more important time to live and lead from the heart. Compassion and sincerity go a long way when people, everyone, everywhere, needs more unity and care.

Mia Mackman
MACKMAN|ES