07 Dec 2019
Words Ben Hall Informer Issue 96

TOP SPA & WELLNESS TRENDS

Today’s resorts and hotels have a dizzying array of wellness and spa treatments on offer from fully immersive health retreats to meditation and yoga and massage and facials. But if you’re looking for something a little bit different, there’s also plenty of new experiences to consider. Here’s our top pick of what’s trending across Australia right now.

MEDITATION

Meditation is one of today’s most powerful wellness trends. In just a short time, it has become one of the three pillars of wellbeing, breaking through inner wellness circles and fast becoming the wellness trend that yoga was 20 years ago. Although there are a number of meditation techniques, some spas are raising the bar with different styles on offer.

CUSTOMISED FOOD

As Sharon Kolkka of Gwinganna says: A key area will be food, and increasingly guests will demand chefs understand their dietary requirements. We believe this is already happening and predict this will escalate. This is a big paradigm shift for chefs, as it requires them to not only understand the different allergy diets such as FODMAP, it also requires them to create recipes and menus that are both delicious and safe for guests to eat. We will see an increased demand for chefs trained in this specialised area.

ON-DEMAND FITNESS

On-demand fitness is a new trend and takes the work out of walking to a hotel gym. It gives guests the ability to workout from the comfort of their own room. Properties let guests customise their workouts.

YOGA

Yoga is part of a healthy lifestyle and is considered a peaceful way to exercise. It’s also a legitimate form of physical activity that provides participants with a wide range of health benefits. These benefits include weight management, lower blood pressure, better memory, and improved sleep quality. Offering yoga classes at your property gives you a leg up when it comes to wellness appreciation.

IMMERSIVE HEALTH RETREATS

Retreats spanning a long weekend to a week or more are also becoming more mainstream, offering lifestyle makeovers as well as intensive relaxation. A growing number of resort spas are offering retreat options combining accommodation with healthy eating programs, health education, spa treatments and more, with your days planned from dawn until dusk, and they focus solely on your health.

WELLNESS HOTEL ROOMS

The future of the industry, these would give hotel guests space for recovery. Rooms would be designed for the best night’s sleep and would include a soundproofed environment, providing a calm atmosphere for guests looking to relax. A big part of this is optimising the sleep environment as consumers demand the perfect setup for shuteye.

DIGITAL DETOX

With studies showing a massive rise in stress and anxiety caused by social media, we’re seeing more people wanting to turn off, tune out and shut their phones and laptops down. Does this mean we can expect to see hotels shunning the iPad-controlled everything in a bid to give traveller’s a tech-free service? Probably not, but providing an environment where guests have this option is becoming an in-demand feature.

CRYOTHERAPY

Cryotherapy’s popularity has also been surging in recent years. Originally used by athletes to aid recovery from injury or fatigue, it has recently found its way into spas to help reduce pain, remove toxins, rejuvenate the skin, and combat cellulite. A full-body treatment involves standing in a cryotherapy chamber for several minutes, while high-tech cryo facials are said to help restore radiance, soothe inflammation, and improve skin tone.

CUSTOMISED SPA TREATMENTS

While drooling over a menu of spa treatments is enough for many while on holiday, having the option to fully customise your experience is a growing option. More spas are offering customised experiences to clients, combining two or more treatments to suit individual needs. 

SALT THERAPY

Salt isn’t just for adding flavour to your food; it can also spice up your spa experience. Salt therapy has been used for centuries as a cure for many respiratory problems. The negative ions in salt are said to help people breathe easier; it also has a calming and detoxifying effect which improves mood, and moisturising properties which can give the skin a healthy glow. 

HIGH TECH FACIALS

Facials have come a long way from mere cleansing, removing blackheads and applying a mask for 20 minutes. Today’s high tech facials are more than just a temporary, if indulgent, quick fix. Many are about long term skin care and flaw correction, from smoothing out fine wrinkles to reducing acne scarring and pigmentation. 

BESPOKE MEN’S FACIALS

It’s not just women’s facials which have come a long way; when it comes to men, they were largely unheard of in the past. Fast forward to 2019, however, and facials for him are a hot ticket item, with more men feeling comfortable about seeking aesthetic treatments at a spa and more spas having bespoke treatments on menus. 

PRECIOUS METALS

Gold, silver and diamonds are not just used in jewellery. Many top spas around the world use precious metals in indulgent treatments, with face masks and body wraps being the most popular. The reason why is that they offer deeper hydration, increased collagen production, and they can give the skin an unmistakable glow.