MIAMI—When Global Wellness Summit (GWS) delegates meet at The Breakers Palm Beach from November 8 to 11, they will experience a number of new technologies and creative moves that are “meeting firsts” and all designed to keep them as safe as possible. The GWS has been working overtime to invent new standards for a hygienic and healthy conference, and while it includes the “givens,” such as a smaller gathering (150 in-person attendees according to Beth McGroarty, V.P. of Research for the Global Wellness Summit), physical distancing, masks and temperature checks, the organization has gone much further: deploying cutting-edge air...

SARASOTA, FLA.—Purlin, LLC, maker of recyclable linens for the hospitality industry, has won the Lee School Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the Hospitality category. The Lee Business School at UNLV and Ted and Doris Lee Family Foundation created a worldwide $1,000,000 Lee School Prize for Innovation and Entrepreneurship with the goal of discovering and funding innovative technologies and solutions that make the food and beverage, hospitality, casino, sports and entertainment and travel industries a safe place for employees and guests in the post pandemic world. Purlin’s prize in the hospitality category is $250,000. There were 250 submissions from...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the multitrillion-dollar global wellness economy, announced an impressive roster of keynotes, presenters and panels for the 14th annual GWS taking place both in-person at The Breakers Palm Beach November 8 to 11, and worldwide via the recently announced Virtual Access Package. Below is a snapshot of the presenters and their topics; the full list can be found at this link and is updated frequently: Ophelia Yeung, Katherine Johnston, Tonia Callender, research team from The Global Wellness Institute, will present a groundbreaking report: “Defining the Mental Wellness Economy.” James...

CHICAGO—Guided by its purpose of care, Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Hyatt Together—a digital platform for guests, members and customers featuring curated wellbeing experiences created by Hyatt colleagues from around the world. Aligned with Hyatt’s holistic approach to wellbeing, Hyatt Together content is focused on three pillars: Feel (emotional and mental wellbeing), Fuel (powering the body, including food, sleep) and Function (how you move and function in work and life). Hyatt is premiering expanded video content designed to bring its engaging, signature experiences outside of Hyatt hotels so that more people can have access, whether at home, or when they’re ready, while...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As all industries tackle the ongoing effects of COVID-19, the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) has sought to understand the resiliency of the design industry and profession through times of uncertainty. The 2020 ASID Interior Design Resiliency Report has released the results from its first phase, conducted during the summer of 2020 in partnership with Cosentino, Benjamin Moore and Emerald to further investigate interior design resilience by examining the impact of the pandemic, the response from the interior design community and the changes necessary in design to move forward. “In their day-to-day work, design professionals are creative problem-solvers...

As the travel industry slowly starts to recover from the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic, it is time for hoteliers to begin thinking about ways to entice cautious travelers who now value health and wellness above all else. Priorities have changed and guest expectations need to be considered moving forward. Prior to the pandemic, wellness was having a moment in the hospitality space, but now the crisis has intensified this priority, putting wellness and the awareness of personal health and well-being at the forefront of guests’ minds. However, the idea of wellness has changed and is now less about superficial spa...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—ADERO Scottsdale will open as a Marriott International Autograph Collection Hotel on October 1, 2020. With its elevated views of Arizona’s famed Four Peaks and McDowell Mountain Range, ADERO will be Scottsdale’s only Dark Sky Zone resort with a modern guest experience inspired by the surrounding Sonoran Desert. The complete development is led by Allen + Philp Partners Architecture and Interior Design, MONOGRAM Hospitality Interiors at BBGM, branding agency Epiphany and Aqua-Aston Hospitality, a leading hotel and resort management group. ADERO joins Autograph Collection’s diverse and dynamic portfolio of more than 180 independent hotels carefully crafted with vision and passion. Just like ADERO,...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced a new collaboration between Hyatt’s Exhale brand and Amazon Halo, a health and wellness membership that uses technology to provide personal wellness insights and offers ways to improve users’ everyday health. Powered by a mobile app and accompanying wristband, the newly launched Amazon Halo service combines science-backed tools and Exhale’s streaming video platform, Exhale On Demand, to help users build healthier habits for life. Available for early access now, the Amazon Halo service gives users and Exhale members greater accessibility to Exhale On Demand’s fitness programs. Exhale On Demand fitness-focused Labs offered on Amazon Halo are one-to-four-week trackable challenges—like...

DENVER—Scott Milne*, Lead Energy Auditor and Commercial Consultant for Denver-based Rocky Mountain Efficiency Group, has launched the Elite Room concept to give hoteliers—“even the Days Inns of the World are looking for a solution,” he says—a leg up on their competition in the race to provide the safest and cleanest rooms for guests. “You have got to make people think your guestrooms are cleaner than their own home,” says Milne, a LEED GA. Now available, the Elite Room package consists of elements ranging from air purification to room disinfection to filtering chlorine from the shower you bathe in. “I came up...

NATIONAL REPORT—Over the past few decades, environmental and social factors, such as modernized living, have been driving the growth of wellness. While hotels are finding different ways to engage in this trend by incorporating wellness-related elements into the guest’s journey, destination spas are taking wellness to the next level with their unique offerings. This article takes a deep dive into wellness-hospitality development and discusses its distinguishing characteristics and key success factors. This article provides an overview of the underlying factors that are driving the growth in the spa-and-wellness hospitality sector. HVS has been tracking demand and growth patterns within this...