“Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group
believes that travelers are looking
for more robust wellness experiences.
Working with the world-renown
expertise of Mayo Clinic helps the
group deliver this in a way that
upholds the authenticity
and quality that the
brand is known for.”
JEREMY MCCARTHY
Group Director of Spa • Mandarin Oriental
Hotel Group • Causeway Bay, Hong Kong
The Birth of an Idea
The seed of the idea was first planted at the 2014
ISPA Conference & Expo. At the event, a casual
conversation among Spa & Club Ideations LLC
Chief Operating Officer Jeff Kohl, Mandarin
Oriental Hotel Group Director of Spa Jeremy
McCarthy and ISPA Medical Director Dr. Brent
Bauer sparked discussions of a new type of spa
offering that focused on wellness for the growing
number of health-conscious travelers.
The timing of the conversation was perfect. At
the time, Mandarin Oriental was exploring options
for enhancing its wellness offerings, while Mayo
Clinic was looking for channels through which to
deliver its medical expertise and educate the global
population on issues related to health and wellbeing. Recognizing the synergistic opportunities
that existed with the relationship—and the
potential for satisfying an unmet market need—the
team began exploring options for co-developing an
on-site wellness program.
“This collaboration represents a new paradigm
in the hospitality and medical industries. For the
first time, a leading academic medical center has
entered into a strategic relationship with a premier
hotel brand to approach the market with a joint
vision for ‘preventive wellness,’” says Kohl.
McCarthy agrees. “The complementary nature
of Mandarin Oriental’s holistic spa approach and
Mayo Clinic’s wellness philosophy will serve to
make the guest experience more meaningful,
memorable, and effective for improved long-term
health.”
Mutual Benefits
From a branding standpoint, the Mandarin Oriental
and Mayo Clinic partnership is a strategic collaboration. As two well-reputed international brands,
the joint venture between Mandarin Oriental and
Mayo Clinic ensures that both brands are able to
deliver a menu of healthy lifestyle products and
services that aim to reach the health-conscious
traveling consumer through a “destination
wellness” concept.
According to Kohl, the Healthy Living Program
at Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum offers guests a
choice of tailor-made experiences—from one-day
assessments to five-day retreats, as well as á la
carte services, that will benefit all guests by giving
May 2016
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