Luxury wellness must go ‘beyond spa’ to meet evolving expectations

While food and beverage (F&B) and wellness go hand-in-hand with luxury hospitality, operators need to execute concepts that meet the evolving expectations of luxury travellers.

Holistic wellness is playing a bigger role in driving the destination choices of ultra-luxury travellers, says Gonzalo Etienne Aguilar, CEO of Minor Hotels, Europe & Americas. The group has 560 hotels globally with luxury brands including Anantara and Tivoli, the latter of which recently saw the addition of the Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel in Portugal. The group also launched Layan Life by Anantara wellness retreat in Phuket, Thailand, last year. “Both F&B and wellness are at the core of luxury travel,” he adds.