The Wellbeing of Guests Depends on the Wellbeing of the Team

Hoteliers often set the wrong focus when it comes to wellness

Wellbeing in a hotel requires more than just a bigger spa – this was made plain by the participants in the Wellbeing Panel at ITB Berlin. The motto: think more holistically.

We all want to feel well and this objective is twice as important when on vacation. However, as participants in the Wellbeing Panels at ITB Berlin 2024 are aware, this requires more than a new pool or an even larger spa. They jointly called upon hoteliers to think more holistically.

The focus of the session was on the central role that wellbeing plays in creating authentic hospitality experiences for all those involved. Prioritising wellbeing could also promote resilience and sustainability in the industry, as Yasemin Oruc from the hotel school The Hague explained. Attention should be concentrated on a holistic experience, and the key to this is mindfulness.

The holistic architect Eileen Meyer (CoCoN by Eileen Meyer) emphasised the need for entering a dialogue with oneself and with nature in architecture too. An Italian resident with roots in Franconia, she explained that “it is important to understand that everything in our surroundings concentrates our energy”.

Michael Altewischer, Wellness-Hotels & Resorts GmbH: “On the subject of wellness, many hotels waste time and money on the latest gadgets and forget about investing in their employees.” In many cases there are not even any concrete job descriptions in the wellness sector. “If a member of staff is initially employed as a beautician and then told to work as a masseuse this is not going to lead to any satisfaction.” And if the employees are not satisfied neither will the clients be satisfied either.

Dr. Valentina Clergue, EHL Hospitality Business School: “People who feel well are more creative, successful and better at relationships. And guests who feel well are also loyal: they come back again and recommend the establishment. When you are making decisions for your guest you are also deciding on behalf of your company.” She also pointed out that authentic wellbeing begins with the employees: “The wellbeing of guests depends on the wellbeing of the team”.

For Sonal Uberoi, founding director of Spa Balance, wellness is the vehicle and the toolbox that actually leads to the objective of wellbeing. “Look at how the market leaders correctly deal with wellness, while the majority achieve only below-average results”, was her advice to the market representatives. Wellness should be seen as a core component of one’s own brand and should be adopted as such. The director, of Indian descent and born in Kenya, believes that it is of decisive importance to create a meaningful legacy by exerting a positive influence on people’s lives. “In seeking to achieve this there is no better way than improving the wellbeing of people.”