TLEE Spas + Wellness recently shared its perspective on what has shaped their ideas and inspiration throughout 2023, and several key drivers that influence their approach to wellness in 2024 and beyond. “Our clients are recognizing the need to distill and personalize wellness offerings in accordance with their brand identity and project location,” says Tracy Lee, president and founder of TLEE Spas + Wellness. “The past few years have seen exciting advancements in wellness technologies, encouraging spa and hospitality brands to lean into this emerging shift to leverage tech with human touch. In 2024 and beyond, we can expect to see thoughtful use of resources and technologies to accommodate guests’ desires for functional music and sound, self-directed experiences, nature and adventure-driven wellness, and conscious consumption.”
The Rise of Functional Music and Sound
Curating unique experiences that integrate the healing properties of music and sound has become an area of growing interest, particularly in spas where their intentional use can elicit different moods to bolster recovery, augment fitness goals, and help guests downshift to a more mindful state. At a forthcoming project in Las Vegas, conceived by TLEE Spas + Wellness, an entry portal conceived as a decompression space will leverage different forms of music and soundscapes to help guests shift gears into a broad spectrum of experiences. This will include wellness-inflected pool parties with DJ sets, live music performances, and the Sound Room, an immersive studio space for fitness classes, mind-body modalities, and social events that explores the boundaries of sound and music to distinguish spaces and encourage distinctive emotional and physical responses.
Given growing recognition of the diverse benefits of sound, TLEE anticipates a rise in fitness offerings infused and energized by live music. Implemented annually in Careyes, Mexico, Ondalinda offers a robust lineup of yoga and movement classes set to DJs and live guitar. As participants tune into diverse expressions of sound, they forge deeper connections to their minds, bodies, and practices, attesting to sound’s power to improve spirituality, cognition, and performance.
Spontaneous Wellness
The modern hospitality guest wants to access wellness at their own pace, without being hampered by the structure and time constraint of a scheduled appointment. Increasingly, however, chronic therapist labor shortages are precluding flexibility, forcing people to book treatments far in advance. Self-directed wellness offers an alternative, allowing guests to tap into wellness offerings as frequently as they like in inclusive, less formal settings.
Integration of Touch and Technology
Historically, the North American spa experience has principally been driven by therapist-driven services, but, in recent years, the industry has been undergoing a significant shift. The focus has transitioned from touch-based therapies, like massage and manual bodywork, toward a more integrated and tech-savvy approach that leverages the latest advancements in sports medicine and bio-harmonization to enhance therapeutic outcomes. This shift has given rise to a new generation of spas that are redefining the limits of self-care, recovery and performance in the digital age. Today, TLEE is designing menus that seamlessly integrate traditional touch and technology, to ultimately cultivate a more impactful and meaningful guest experience.
Adventure Wellness
Due to the pandemic and further influenced by our sedentary and over-scheduled lifestyles, the lure of outdoor adventure has hit a critical mass, and many hospitality and wellness brands are responding with programming that immerses guests in nature. Set to launch amid three iconic National Parks and grounded in the primal landscape of Southern Utah, the forthcoming luxury hospitality brand offers countless opportunities to explore the wild with expert guides curated to individual interests and personal goals. Diverse wellness offerings are sprinkled throughout property and extend into the wilderness beyond, including an extensive network of hiking trails, fresh-air fitness classes, and climbing courses nestled into the natural geology. For those who do not climb but want to challenge their emotional and physical limits, year-round contrast bathing is available at the outdoor Sauna Garden at The Lake House Canandaigua in Upstate New York, where the winter climate is extreme. By moving guests out of insulated environments, pre-conceived notions of comfort and into the natural world, they can push out of their comfort zone to fully stimulate their senses and unleash their innate vitality.
A Movement Toward Conscious Consumption and Sustainable Design
Wellness is no longer confined to its traditional domain – namely the physical and mental – as the collective consciousness and conversation has shifted toward environmental stewardship, careful consumption, and sustainable design. Within this dynamic, operators have an opportunity to make a big impact on both the environment and the bottom line by leveraging sustainable design and enlightened operational standards. TLEE Spas is spearheading this movement through elevated design solutions that reduce energy consumption and evolved guest experiences that promote sustainable consumption, while reducing operational burden and labor costs.