Wellness has been highlighted as a priority for Accor guests, with a new white paper looking at how this trend could transform hotels in the future.
The white paper, entitled Making Waves: rethinking Spa and Wellness Design for a Modern Era, found that 79% of 7500 of the hotel giant’s consumers across six countries identified wellness as a priority.
Itdrew together insights, predictions and analysists drawn from a recent symposium held by Accor’s Global Wellbeing, Strategy, Design and Development team.
“Wellness has become a leading driver and differentiator for us, particularly in the areas of luxury and lifestyle design,” Global Chief Design & Technical Services Officer – Ultra Luxury & Luxury Anne Becker Olins said.
“With Making Waves, we aim to educate, inspire and innovate the ways in which the hospitality industry approaches wellness and well-being design.”
The report backs up the findings of ISPA’s 2024 spa-goer survey which highlighted spa memberships as “a significant trend in the wellness and hospitality industries”.
One key theme is the shift toward membership clubs among hotel spas and fitness clubs. This is supported by Accor’s own push to lead the industry in building hotels not just for travellers, but for its local communities.
“We are approaching spa design in the same way – for the people who live next door or who work down the street,” Accor Global SVP of Wellbeing, Strategy, Design and Development Emlyn Brown said.
“We are creating clubs, thermal facilities, wellness centres, and fitness offerings that are on par, or better, than the local gym. Our hotel spas are where the locals want to go to get fit, to be social, and to feel better.”
In particular, thermal wellness has emerged as a key trend, with hot and cold plunge circuits proving especially popular and a new range of hotel offerings catering to this rise such as the highly anticipated BASIN Glacial Waters facility set to open Summer 2025 at Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise.
Wellness socialising is another key trend revolutionising the delivery of spa and fitness in the hospitality industry, with a new generation of spa-goers enthusiastically pursuing social wellness experiences. These include group bathing, sauna, and water-based therapy clubs, which are gaining popularity as healthier alternatives to socialising in bars or nightclubs, according to the white paper.
“Hoteliers around the world are shifting their focus to define their wellness strategies, ensuring they align with their brands and their guest demographics,” Brown said.
