Stop Wellness Washing in Hotels: 5 Fixes That Drive Revenue

Most “wellness washing” happens when hotels promote wellness but do not change operations or measure outcomes. The fix is simple: clarify a wellness mission, localize offerings, integrate departments, track usage weekly, and measure guest wellbeing so leaders can fund what works.

Key facts:

• The global wellness economy reached $6.3T in 2023 and is projected near $9T by 2028 (Global Wellness Institute, Nov-2024). Global Wellness Institute
• Hotels with major wellness offerings delivered 56% higher TRevPAR than minor wellness and 108% above hotels with no wellness in 2024 (RLA Global/HotStats, May-2025). Hospitality Net
• Rest and sleep remain top drivers of trip decisions in 2024; nearly 20% of travelers pack their own pillow (Hilton Trends, Jan-2024).
• Spa industry revenues recovered to 118% of pre-pandemic levels by 2023 (Global Wellness Institute, Nov-2024).
• Wellness real estate doubled from 2019 to 2024 to ~$548B and is forecast to reach $1.1T by 2029 (GWI, Jun-2025).

If your property says “wellness” 20 times but cannot show one measurable outcome, guests notice. The good news is you do not need a bigger menu. You need clarity, integration, and a scorecard.

Start with a one-page wellness mission and train every department on it. Cut generic treatments and create three place-based signatures with local practitioners. Set weekly usage targets for amenities and repurpose anything below 30% occupancy into guided sessions. Measure guest outcomes with a simple pre and post stay survey on sleep, stress, and energy, then report a monthly scorecard to leaders. Hotels that treat wellness as an operating system, not a label, capture stronger total revenue and guest loyalty. Data shows well-executed wellness correlates with higher TRevPAR compared with hotels with no wellness income.

Wellness is not niche. It is a multitrillion-dollar economy growing across travel, fitness, spa, and design. Guests want rest, restoration, and proof it worked. Sleep is a leading decision driver, which means simple investments in bedding, noise control, and pre-sleep rituals can outperform expensive, underused rooms.

Mini case study:

A 60-room coastal boutique hotel simplified a 28-item menu to 12 focused rituals, added a guided forest-bathing walk, launched a sleep concierge with pillow selection and scent options, and trained housekeeping in light aromatherapy. In six months, the property saw a 9-point lift in post-stay “rested” scores and a 34% revenue increase across spa and experiences. Results came from doing fewer things better and measuring weekly.

Checklist you can apply today

• Clarify wellness in one page and share it in every pre-shift.
• Replace copy-paste menus with 3 local signatures guests cannot get elsewhere.
• Run weekly cross-training between Spa, Rooms, and F&B.
• Track usage of every amenity and repurpose anything under 30% utilization.
• Survey sleep, stress, and energy pre and post stay and publish a monthly scorecard.

Try this in 5 minutes

1. Write your one-sentence wellness promise and read it in the next stand-up.

2. Pick one underused amenity and schedule a 30-minute guided session this week.

3. Add three questions to your post-stay email: sleep quality, stress, energy, each on a 1–5 scale.

Common mistakes and fixes

• Mistake: Buzzword wellness on the website with no operational change. Fix: Train every department on one promise and give teams behaviors to model.
• Mistake: Copying competitor spa menus. Fix: Build signatures with local healers and nature assets.
• Mistake: Siloed teams. Fix: Chef and therapists co-design a recovery menu and referral cues.
• Mistake: Dead rooms that look pretty but sit empty. Fix: Convert to hosted workshops and track fill each week.
• Mistake: No outcome data. Fix: Pre/post surveys and a monthly EXCOM report. Data earns bud

FAQs

Q1: What is wellness washing in hotels and gyms?
A: Wellness washing is when a property markets wellness but does not change operations or measure outcomes. Guests see a label, not a lived experience. The remedy is an operational wellness system with training, usage tracking, and outcome surveys.

Q2: Do wellness investments really impact hotel revenue?
A: Independent benchmarking shows hotels with significant wellness offerings can more than double TRevPAR vs hotels with no wellness income when programs are integrated and managed well.

Q3: We are a small luxury home or villa. Where should we start?
A: Start with sleep. Upgrade bedding and blackout, offer pre-sleep rituals, and add a simple feedback loop. Sleep remains a top travel driver and a clear guest value signal.

Q4: What should we measure to prove guest wellbeing?
A: Use a 3-question survey scored 1–5 for sleep quality, stress level, and energy level, sent pre-arrival and 24 hours post-stay. Report a monthly property score and link actions to changes.

Q5: Do spas still matter post-pandemic?
A: Yes. Global spa revenues have recovered to above pre-pandemic levels, with continued growth as travel rebounds and guests seek restoration.

Q6: How do we avoid expensive amenities sitting empty?
A: Track weekly utilization. If an amenity is below 30% occupancy, schedule guided experiences, bundle with F&B, or repurpose the room to hosted classes. Treat space like a program, not a fixture.

Q7: Is wellness real estate still growing?
A: Yes. Wellness real estate roughly doubled from 2019 to 2024 and is forecast to reach about $1.1T by 2029, reflecting sustained demand for wellness-forward spaces.

Q8: What is one quick win this month?
A: Launch a sleep concierge with pillow menu, light scent options, and a 10-minute wind-down script. Promote it at check-in and measure post-stay sleep scores. Sleep is a high-impact driver.

Do you require specialist assistance with a new wellness project, or seeking to improve the operation of your existing space? Book a free strategy call and let our team help you design experiences that transform members into advocates.

By Daryn Berriman. Last Updated 2025.10.02.

Further reading on our blog: 'Specialist wellness resorts beat buffet brands.'

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