Clean air act:
Mandarin Oriental
Miami purifies rooms.
Obsessing over customer
well-being is common practice within the hospitality
industry these days, but one company has taken the trend to a whole
new level. Thayer Lodging Group, an Annapolis, Md.-based
real-estate investment group with 14 properties in the United
States, has given hotel executive Haley Payne the title of director
of wellness.
Payne’s purview is the promotion of
“Pure” allergy-free hotel rooms; at least 10 percent of the
company’s room inventory is now 99 percent allergen-free. “With our
purifiers, the air is circulated about eight times more often than
usual,” she says.
To date, more than 30 properties
worldwide, in Thayer’s portfolio and beyond, now offer allergy-free
rooms. That’s welcome news for attendees with allergies or
vulnerable immune systems.
Payne’s position has evolved to include
the creation of health-conscious menus, spa treatments and
aromatherapy services during meeting breaks.
Major hotel brands have latched onto
the wellness concept, implementing and publicizing their own
methods of fostering rejuvenation and harmony. Among them: Westin
Hotels and Resorts champions the concept of “personal renewal” at
all of its properties and this summer introduced a
“health-enhancing” SuperFoods menu; Wyndham Worldwide’s new spa
program, “Renew Your Inner Rhythm,” includes a “wellness bar” for
imbibing “elixirs, tonics and teas,” soups and smoothies; and
Renaissance Hotels & Resorts has designated its spa and fitness
center areas as “wellness zones.” Look for more feel-good moves
from competitors soon.