Hyperpersonalisation became a trendy word several years ago – now it’s fundamental to success.

Populations are changing and it’s predicted by 2030 the bulk of the population in the West will be between 55- and 64-years-of-age whereas, traditionally, the majority were young and productive.

In less than a decade, the hospitality and spa sectors will be catering to five decades of consumers, from guests in their 20s to those in their 70s, all contributing to the global economy and with the purchasing power to actively consume.

Each of these consumers comes with very different needs, consumption patterns, lifestyles, aspirations and wellbeing goals and the way to meet such a vast swathe of requirements successfully and sustainably is with meaningful, thoughtfully integrated and hyperpersonalised wellness.

Wellness vs wellbeing
It’s important to highlight the subtle yet important difference between wellness and wellbeing. Wellness is the tool and wellbeing the goal. Confuse these terms and you’ll end up with very short-term strategies.

Some operators still treat wellness as an amenity to support the core business of selling rooms and fail to see the value in investing in wellness concepts, however, to be successful – and profitable – wellness must become an integral part of the asset ecosystem of the business.

If you design or pivot your wellness offerings around new tools – the latest restorative therapy sensation, for example – instead of your goals, you’re setting yourself up to struggle.

Whether it’s a hotel gym or standalone spa, the offer needs to provide guests with the tools to access greater wellbeing – physical, mental, emotional and spiritual.

Transformational experiences
The pandemic has caused a seismic shift in value systems and wellness offers now need to be fluid and adaptable, always ready for the next consumer trend.

However state-of-the-art they are, spa or fitness spaces can never be personalised for every guest’s needs, however, take an in-room wellness concept – an exercise bike and/or app, for example – and suddenly a business can offer every guest a hyperpersonalised wellness experience, any time.

This might be the chance to work up a sweat on the bike or to use the app to do a yoga class, stretch or meditation session – each can be done exactly how and when they want but still with a sense of community.

This kind of set-up – which is now available from a number of suppliers, such as Technogym, Peloton Commercial, Les Mills/Stages and Body Bike, creates an affordable wellness offer that delivers those transformational experiences in a simple, yet effective way.

Additionally, offering wellness accessories in guest rooms allows the hotel or spa to increase ADR, guest satisfaction and employee satisfaction to boot.

Hilton sees the value in it. This October, it announced a deal that will see nearly all of its 5,400 hotels in the US feature at least one Peloton bike by the end of the year. This follows partnerships with Westin and Kempinski for in-room and/or fitness centre provision.

Offering an in-room wellness solution also creates the opportunity to upgrade room rates, stand out as an innovator, create a draw for repeat business and tap into a brand’s existing tribe, as well as offering guests the chance to access wellness their own way and in their own space, for minimal additional outlay.

There are other benefits to working with consumer brands, as Peloton Commercial’s Dean Wood explains, saying: “Our Hotel Finder, which allows people to search for hotels equipped with our bikes across the globe, receives 44,000 hits per month and directs users to the hotels’ own booking engines, driving hotel bookings.”

Focus on the how
This is just one example of how operators can focus not on their what, but on their how. How can you solve guests’ real wellbeing problems? What toolkit can you offer to all the guests walking through the door and aspiring to experience wellbeing during their stay?

You can treat wellness as just another operating department, choose to ignore this new era, or you can take it to another level. Every brand must embrace wellbeing in some way, shape or form to thrive well into the future.