The rise of spiritual hospitality
Six Senses Shaharut
As wellness tourism keeps on growing, a new type of hospitality gains traction. The very definition of hospitality is to welcome guests into our lives with graciousness, including strangers and enemies, which in and of itself sounds like a spiritual practice. A growing number of hotels take this literal definition one step further, orienting their offering to help bring balance and harmony to your mind, body, and spirit.
The hospitality sector has been supporting mental and physical wellness for some time, but a new focus on spiritual wellbeing is emerging. As they cater to more and more guests seeking calm and clarity, travel destinations are taking a more holistic approach to wellness. Hotels are designed to feel like serene and peaceful sanctuaries to enable deep healing and personal transformation, while their offerings now include chakra classes, guided meditations, and silent retreats.
The Global Wellness Institute forecasts that the market for wellness tourism will reach $817 billion in 2022 and soar to $1.3 trillion by 2025. They go on to say that this is the fastest growth rate of any wellness market through 2025. As outlined in Colliers’ Wellness Tourism Research Report 2021, wellness tourism refers to three broad categories: beauty, lifestyle and spiritual. And spiritual tourism is the area Colliers predicts will experience the greatest growth. This makes a lot of sense if you consider that healing is at the core of spiritual practices. After the last 2 years, who doesn’t feel the need for deep healing? Beyond our mind and body, we seek healing for our soul. The pandemic (and its many lockdowns as well as huge ups and downs) have heightened our awareness that emotional and mental health have a tangible impact on our physical health. More people than ever before finally recognise that a holistic approach is necessary. Not just for ourselves but for the planet too. This is why sustainable products and solutions will be other key factors in this new, more conscious form of hospitality, promoting wellness for both humanity and the Earth.
“Spiritual tourism places emphasis on contemplation, meditation and learning. We predict a fundamental shift towards these types of wellness tourism as people place greater value on their mental health and wellbeing and have identified prevention is far better than a cure.”
__ Karen Wales, National Director Asia Pacific Hotels Transaction Services, Colliers
SPIRITUAL TREATMENTS
Hotels borrow from ancient healing traditions, from Ayurveda to shamanism, to design unique wellness menus that can balance your energy, cleanse your aura, or strengthen your sense of serenity. The just-opened OKOA spa at the new Kempinski Tel Aviv has an entire section dedicated to restoring your spiritual wellness. Called Elements, one of the treatments uses Earth, Fire, Air and Water as the inspiration for four massage techniques designed to harmonise these elements in your energetic body. It is supposed to provide a feeling of connection with the earth, as well as mental clarity, and restore your inner fire. Likewise, their Seven Chakras treatment combines traditional Chinese medicine with chakra crystal therapy as well as actual massages to rebalance the body’s energy centres.
Kempinski Tel Aviv
Kempinski Tel Aviv
Kempinski Tel Aviv
In London, The Mandrake has a Spiritual Concierge who can book you in for soul healing sessions, crystalline sound baths, gong baths, crystal facials, and tarot readings. The goal is to assist you on your journey to self-discovery and ease your path to inner peace.
The Mandrake
“It is our vision that guests of a Healing Hotel become whole again in body, mind and soul, freeing them to enjoy the sacredness and abundance of life. We are part of a growing worldwide movement for the betterment of the world. We understand that a holistic lifestyle is not only healing of oneself but supports the healing of the world.”
— Anne Biging and Elisabeth Ixmeier, founders, Healing Hotels of the World
NATURAL CONNECTIONS
Being immersed in nature is a nourishment for the soul in its purest form. Proven to relieve anxiety and decrease depression, it also vitalises the mind and ignites the spirit. Travel destinations harness Mother Nature’s inherent healing powers by designing spaces that harmonise with their surroundings, and provide a deep sense of connection with the Earth.
Built as an oasis in the desert, the new Six Senses Shaharut, in Israel, focuses on nourishing the spirit. With its thoughtful and respectful architecture, it is set deep in the Negev landscape and draws from the desert’s stillness and silence to create a quiet, calming retreat. Sleep health, mindful eating, movement, and self-discovery are at the core of the hotel’s wellness program.
Six Senses Shaharut
Six Senses Shaharut
Six Senses Shaharut
The Tulum Treehouse, in Mexico, wishes to inspire guests to live in harmony with nature, our shared human heritage, our community and ourselves. The house is equipped with a full solar setup, water treatment, and irrigation systems which work to help preserve the eco-system of the Tulum jungle.
Tulum Treehouse
Tulum Treehouse
“In times of great haste, we dare to be slow. Not a mere shift in velocity but an altered state of being. We break cycles of distraction and destruction, opening deep chasms of reflection and space for energetic insight. To be slow is not merely to decrease the pace of life. It’s about taking the time to reconsider our actions and think more deeply and responsibly about how we live.”
__ Slow Collective, Tulum Treehouse
Tulum Treehouse
CALMING RETREATS
Simplicity is key when trying to connect to yourself. Hotel rooms are designed as pockets of tranquillity to provide headspace and calm even in the heart of buzzing cities. Minimalist and neutral aesthetics create welcome retreats from the vibrancy and energy of the surrounding areas.
The Jaffa hotel, in Tel Aviv, was designed by architect John Pawson, for whom minimalism is neither a style nor even a signature, but a way of life. An aspiration toward a simpler existence that has stayed with him since childhood. Pawson's paring down is neither cold nor rigorous but honest, quiet and restful. He believes that if you seek clarity, you must get rid of anything that may interfere with it. I was lucky enough to interview him just a few years ago when the hotel opened, and I can confirm that the rooms he designed in this ancient convent retain all the solemnity of their original function.
The Jaffa
The Jaffa
The Jaffa
In a more contemporary style, K House, in the Southern Province of Sri Lanka, is another sanctuary for the body and mind. Local teak and polished cement combine with extra high ceilings and awe-inspiring proportions to create that solemn aesthetic. Tactile natural materials are worked in simple lines, for a paired-back look that leaves room for reflection and contemplation. Free of visual distractions, guests can focus on their own intimate inner journey.
K House
K House
K House
“We want our places and spaces to help you reconnect and explore what it means to be mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally happy."
__ Neil Jacobs, Chief Executive Producer, Six Senses
