Wellness Round Up: Digital Detox, The Sleep Doctors, Accor's Latest Acquisition
Wellness Weekly Round-up
Each week we pull together our top articles on the latest in the spa, wellness and hospitality industries.
Innovation: Digital Wellness Treatment
Mandarin Oriental is not going to let the technological revolution destroy our health. In an innovative collaboration with the Mayo Clinic, the New York City spa is offering a “Digital Wellness Treatment”. The process begins with a 20-minute soak in a Shungite carbon bath which is composed of fullerenes that will attach to the free-radicals caused by radiation from constant cell phone and computer use. The bath is then followed by deep breathing exercises and a massage in either an open sky room or a completely blacked out room. Each treatment is designed to target areas that regular technology use put stress on. The powerful conclusion to this already avant-garde treatment protocol includes the option to journal, colour, meditate, and letter write or learn from the experts on how to create boundaries with your technology beyond the spa.
Article Link: Harper's Bazaar Arabia
Photo Credit: Mandarin Oriental
Groundbreaking: Digital Well Being
For hotels still hesitant to jump on the digital detox trend, it is time to step up. On May 9th, Sameer Samat, Google’s VP for Android and Google Play, announced Google’s new collection of “digital well being” features designed to counter the addiction to technology we all face. From onscreen time tracking to wind down mode to an app timer to limit your time in certain apps and a gesture called “shush” to automatically send your phone into do not disturb mode when you put it down, these initiatives are groundbreaking for our mental well being. Consider this the fitness tracker for phone use. While this seems promising, our team still thinks you should just put down your phone and check out the Digital Wellness Treatment instead.
Article Links: Wired
Image Source: Emily Waite
Trending: The Sleep Doctors
According to The Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, one third of Americans suffer from sleep deprivation. It is without a doubt that business travellers are amongst the bulk of them. This unfortunate statistic has inspired many hotels to reconsider their rooms as far more than a simple place to crash after a big night out. Now, top hotel rooms have transformed into sleep sanctuaries and some hotels, such as The Benjamin in New York, Six Senses, are going so far as to consult sleep doctors for insights on improving sleep for their guests. From custom mattresses to sleep programs to blackout curtains to essential oils, the new luxury is high quality sleep. The Westin Hotel, famous for its “Sleep Well” menu, is launching a new room model this month focused on biophilic design - otherwise known as the integration of the natural world into design aspects such as furnishings, lighting, rain showers and more. We love this trend and anticipate it expanding across big and small hotels.
Article Link: Conde Nast Traveller
Image Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Acquisitions and Mergers: Accorhotels Acquires Movenpick Hotels and Resorts
This week’s most talked about merger comes from Accorhotels, who has agreed to acquire Movenpick Hotels and Resorts, increasing its number of hotels by 84. As a leader in the European market, this acquisition deepens Accorhotels presence in emerging markets including the Middle East, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Considering Movenpick does not have one consistent branded spa concept, we cannot wait to see what will become of the hotel spas implicated in this merger.
Article Link: Spa Business
Image Source: Movenpick Hotels & Resorts
Check back every other Friday for our Bi-Weekly Wellness Round-up. Do you have comments or questions? We would love to hear from you — contact our team at connect@coreessence.ca if you are interested in learning more about what we do and how we can help your business.