Luxury hotels are intensifying the "wellness" amenities they offer, with many now veering closer to traditional healthcare services, The Wall Street Journal reports.
"As travelers reemerge from their fugue states, ready to attend to out-of-whack immune systems, thickened waistlines and scarred psyches, the race to win the wellness war is on," Lauren Mechling wrote for The Journal.
Her article details services offered by the Peninsula New York and Four Seasons Resort Maui and the wellness companies high-end hotels have partnered with to expand their offerings.
Four Seasons Resort Maui's partnership with Los Angeles-based preventive and diagnostic healthcare center Next Health leaves guests with a menu of IV drips (the 45-minute ozone treatment involves fortifying blood with oxygen ) and hourlong stem cell therapy sessions for $12,000 per session.
The FDA has issued multiple warnings against unapproved and unproven stem cell therapies. Next Health President Kevin Peake told The Journal, "At Next Health we only utilize these services for the purpose of health optimization and general wellness. We do not claim any benefits. We are able to explain to customers the science of these treatments, but beyond that they must do their own research to decide if the services are right for them."
Internationally, Austrian medical spa Lanserhof will open a new getaway on the German island Sylt. The outpost's services are centered on something called the Mayr Cure program, which involves multiday fasting, chewing lessons and abdominal massages. Lanserhof Sylt Medical Director Jan Stritzke told The Journal that MRI machines and CT scanners will soon be fixtures of the resort for preventive diagnostic sessions.
The Ranch Malibu offers luxury wellness retreats in Malibu, Calif., and Italy, with bloodwork being the big draw. Participants have access to the medi-spa's eight on-site physicians, who conduct medical diagnostics. Alex Glasscock, CEO and co-founder of the Ranch, told The Journal guests have gone from booking their stay a couple of months in advance to booking up to six month in advance since COVID-19. He also reported an increase in stays from two to four weeks, especially among European and Middle Eastern visitors.
Read The Journal's report in full here.