Source: Accor

The ongoing global pandemic has only reinforced the importance of wellness in our lives, and the hospitality sector has a major role to play in encouraging people to live better. To coincide with Global Wellness Day, in this article we focus on several of our brands’ wellness offers.

In recent years, several global markets have seen a sharp rise in the prioritization of wellness—between 27% and 65%*. This global trend has simply been amplified by the health crisis. With the increase in stress, anxiety and loneliness caused by the pandemic, the mental wellness market (meditation, sleep and brain health) has strong growth potential and is worth US$ 121 billion**. For most people these days, the adage “a healthy mind in a healthy body” is actually a way of life. Wellness is no longer an option; it is a basic daily necessity. Other core trends, such as the quest for new experiences, the search for meaning in everyday life, the spectacular acceleration of digital technology, the public’s growing commitment to sustainable development, and the influence of social networks, simply confirm this global mindset and foster new ways of consuming.

Accor is a recognized leader in the hospitality wellness segment. We take a holistic approach based on fundamental pillars that foster wellness for our guests when they visit our spas and hotels, but also remotely through digital technology. These six pillars are: Nutrition, Design & Environment, Physical Activity & Sport, Spa, Mental Wellbeing & Mindfulness and Digital Wellbeing. This holistic vision of wellness is brought to life by our brands in their more than 570 spas, over 1,000 in-hotel fitness rooms and gym clubs, and 12 Thalassa Sea & Spa destinations.

“More than ever before, guest wellbeing has become even more important, with the pandemic accelerating the global push towards wellness and healthy living. There is a growing awareness that “Health is Wealth” - ¾ of our guests across all demographics and hotel segments are taking a daily step to improve their physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Wellness is an additional business accelerator for our properties and hotel owners, representing a growing opportunity to fuel business and boost hotel performance. We continue to look at innovative solutions that enhance our position as a wellness leader in hospitality, creating new wellness experiences for our brands, bringing greater value to our clients, business partners and employees as we make wellness a company imperative”said Emlyn Brown VP Well-Being Luxury & Premium Brands.

Ensuring that the hospitality sector actively contributes to physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing, our Group has imagined new wellness experiences which are brought to life in a distinctive way across our diverse portfolio of brands. Around the globe, our brands offer purpose-designed, innovative programs that anticipate and better respond to growing wellness needs. Global Wellness Day offers you an opportunity to rediscover some of our brands’ most emblematic initiatives.

Emotional Wellbeing by Raffles makes the brand experience a moment of emotional fulfilment through three pillars. Rituals for Serenity invites guests to enjoy bath and sleep rituals prepared by Raffles Butlers. Nutrition for Pleasure offers carefully curated recipes that support a healthy balance between body and mind. Design for Harmony applies Feng Shui and Biophilic principles to create peaceful sanctuaries. At Raffles, the wellbeing experiences deliver serenity, harmony, relaxation, revitalization, and pleasure.

From heart-racing workout routines to heartfelt moments of peace, Fairmont Fit offers a host of ways to strengthen the body, clear the mind and fulfill the spirit. Fit Gear provides sports apparel for guests so they can stay strong while packing light. The brand also offers immersive spa experiences, pure local cuisine, green spaces to reconnect with nature, pure and plastic-free water in its hotels, and meaningful, authentic local experiences to connect with its destinations. Future brand wellness flagships opening in 2021 include: Fairmont Century Plaza Los Angeles (US), Fairmont Windsor (UK) and Fairmont Taghazout (Morocco). To mark Global Wellness Day, Fairmont Monte Carlo (Monaco) will be offering its teams a number of activities to help improve their daily lives, both professionally and personally: discussions, moments of relaxation, morning exercises, beauty tips, yoga sessions, etc.

The wellness experiences at MGallery nourish the soul and empower a balanced lifestyle by focusing on self-care and personal development. The aim is to ignite each guest’s inner spark with tailored sports activities, yoga classes, signature spa treatments, bespoke programs, and more.

At the end of 2020, Pullman launched Pullman Power Fitness Fueled by Les Mills , a bold, artful, social approach to fitness that replaces the one-size-fits-all hotel gym environment with an innovative platform that offers on-demand fitness classes, exercises via an app, boot camps and more. The result: a holistic fitness experience with a dynamic, like-minded community. Across the globe, 55 of the brand's properties are offering a 30-day free access to Les Mills On Demand to their guests upon check in, i.e. a free access over 1,000+ Les Mills workouts. Other hotels have also launched their own initiatives to spread the word about the partnership, such as at Pullman Zhouzhuang (China) with a dedicated Boot camp held in early May. This August, the first Power Fitness gym will also open at Pullman Paris Montparnasse (France).

At Swissôtel, Vitality is both a philosophy and a program that focuses on wellbeing and quality of life. The concept has also given its name to Vitality Room, a signature guest room designed as a sanctuary, with materials, fittings, technologies, and services that foster a bespoke wellbeing experience. The brand also has a podcast series that offers listeners a few minutes of vitality for the mind. For Global Wellness Day, Swissôtel is launching a "Vitality Week" in its hotels and headquarters: a full wellness ritual program combined with a delightful and healthy diet. Its motto? “Eat well - Live well”.

In support of the brand’s make time, take time philosophy, Novotel has teamed up with Calm , the number-one app for sleep, meditation and relaxation. Through this partnership, the brand offers its guests guided meditations, atmospheric music, nature soundscapes, and over 150 Sleep Stories, allowing them to press pause and take time out for themselves. This avant-garde collaboration emphasizes the vital role of sleep, full consciousness meditation and wellbeing when travelling.

* Source: McKinsey survey conducted in Brazil, China, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – April 2021

** GWI, 2021 study based on data from 2019

About Accor, a world-leading hospitality group

Accor is a world leading hospitality group offering experiences across more than 110 countries, over 5,700 properties, 10,000 food & beverage venues, wellness facilities or flexible workspaces. The Group has one of the industry's most diverse hospitality ecosystems, encompassing more than 45 hotel brands from luxury to economy, as well as Lifestyle with Ennismore. Accor is focused on driving positive action through business ethics, responsible tourism, environmental sustainability, community engagement, diversity, and inclusivity. Founded in 1967, Accor SA is headquartered in France and publicly listed on the Euronext Paris Stock Exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and on the OTC Market (Ticker: ACCYY) in the United States. For more information, please visit group.accor.com or follow us on X, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram and TikTok.