Hotels are finally catching up on the trend that’s sweeping the nation – wellness! It’s true, wellness is just so super hot right now, your supplements are on a juice cleanse. And now it’s time for wellness to travel. We don’t need to tell you this is becoming profitable business, we yogis are already hip to the retreat as a vacation move (ah and some of you remember eau du Om by Rodney Yee?).
But it seems the hotel industry is taking this shift seriously and at least one major company, the InterContinental Hotels Group (Holiday Inn, Crowne Plaza) is investing $150 million to cater to the movers and green shake drinkers.
Financial Times reports that IHG is working on a health-focused hotel chain called EVEN, and is hoping to build up to a 100 hotels in the US over the next 5 years. Says Richard Solomons, chief executive of IHG,
“A lot of people in the mid-market feel they fall off the wagon when travelling health-wise – EVEN hotels are about exercise, eating healthily and sleeping well and not just a better gym.”
Designed to capitalize on the “wellness” trend these new fitness fancied hotels will feature in-room exercise balls, clothing racks that double as pull up bars plus “open access, well lit” stairwells to encourage guests to march themselves up a few flights rather than use an elevator.
But that’s not all!
The company said that, in addition to in-house yoga mats, all rooms would be large enough to enable personal exercise routines, the food on offer would be healthy and receptionists could dole out nutritional advice and organise group circuit training.
Hm, you had us until “receptionists could dole out nutritional advice.” Still, the move to healthier travel, whether for business, pleasure or otherwise, is a refreshing development. Now if only they were greener and could invest some money in something other than gross carpet and thicker-than-paper walls. Because a pull up bar is nice, but a rope wall would be that much nicer!
[FT]
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Earlier…
- San Francisco Airport Unveils First of Its Kind ‘Yoga Room’
- Room Service Yoga and More Hybrid Combos for Big Yoga Business
- Star Wars ‘Yoga Galaxy’ Indulges Dorkiest Fantasies
- Lululemon, Runway Fashion? Ask Versace
- William J Broad on John Friend Scandal: Yoga is a Sex Cult and We’re All Ignorant Minions
I wouldn’t call this a yoga trend, this is primarily focused on general fitness
And General Fitness serves along side Cap’n Crunch