BYE BYE GOLF . HELLO SPA ! CONTINUED FROM PAGE 22
THE IMPACT OF COVID-19
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the spa and hospitality industries were severe . Similar to what was experienced at the peak of the Great Recession in 2009 , the dramatic drop in immediate demand and revenue has stalled out the trend towards retirement communities , says Griffin , primarily due to limited capital available for immediate investment . The intensity of the contraction , it must be said , has been more severe than what was experienced in 2009 . Furthermore , fear of COVID-19 has sharply dropped interest in institutional senior living facilities ; that is , large-building multi-occupant operations .
On the flipside , many believe that the pandemic has actually increased both short-term and long-term consumer interest in wellness communities . COVID-19 has brought an increased awareness of the importance of a healthy lifestyle for resilience and overall health . Arjona says , “ This is a health crisis that is in some ways exacerbated by the challenges in our own health — our nutrition , our healthy habits .” Heightened awareness of how healthy habits mitigate the effects of disease , in turn , is spurring consumers to consider more seriously the importance of a healthy life ; in Kyricos ’ s words , people are “ sacrificing less and demanding more ” when it comes to their health . Additionally , the increased acceptance of remote work in the wake of the pandemic has untethered people from physical offices , allowing them to enter wellness communities at ages well before retirement . All of this should further accelerate the wellness community trend that was surging prior to the spread of COVID-19 and continue to drive growth in the coming years . residences around an existing spa property serves as a sure-fire way to turn your most dedicated transient spagoers into full-time locals . When a spa tourist purchases a residence in the community , what was a one-week revenue stream becomes a year-round one . Says Arjona : “ One benefit of creating a neighborhood around us is that it allows us to deliver a 365-day-a-year experience that we ’ re currently only delivering on a weekly basis .” Converting tourism guests into part- or fulltime residents makes a spa ’ s revenue more predictable and consistent month-to-month , especially in highly seasonal destinations or during economic downturns .
The spa serves as the glue of the wellness community experience because , as Griffin points out , wellness communities are attempting to capture the same zeitgeist that drove the development of spa .“ Spa got hijacked by beauty somewhere along the line and people forgot that our roots are in preventative medicine and integrated health . That ’ s where I see the parallel .” Indeed , the same demographic that is currently driving the trend towards wellness communities — those who are now 55 to 75 — is the very same demographic of 25- to 45-year-olds that catalyzed the mainstream spa movement thirty years ago . Therefore , this shift is reflective of a worldview that seasoned spa directors already know well .
At both Rancho La Puerta and Amrit Ocean Resort & Residences , the spa serves as a focal point for the community — in essence slotting into a role similar to that of the clubhouse at the middle of a golf-centered retirement community . However , due to a stronger alignment of values , the spa plays a much larger role , comparatively , in uniting both residents and guests into a community . At Rancho La Puerta , the same staff that operates the Ranch ’ s spa and wellness programs will also operate the residences ’ village center , creating continuity between the two . Just like Rancho La Puerta ’ s one-week guests , residents will be able to dine at the Ranch ’ s restaurants , make use of the grounds and trails , and access the spa with a day pass . Both residents and guests will be invited to evening performances and programming , some of which will be held at the Ranch and some of which will be at the residences . In this way , says Arjona , Ranch guests and residents are “ ultimately the same ,” and spa and fitness are what bind the two groups .
In Palm Beach , Amrit has placed the spa quite literally at the center of the experience , devoting prime oceanview real estate to the 100,000-squarefoot spa facilities rather than “ the undesirable real estate ” typical of most resort spa facilities in urban environments , says Silva . The rest of the project was then designed around the core spa-going experience . The spa is responsible for the bulk of the property ’ s programming , which includes the usual lectures , classes and demonstrations , in addition to nightly satsang gatherings where residents and resort guests intermingle to discuss the day ’ s activities . Furthermore , the spa ’ s extensive hydrotherapy facilities — most of which are communal — allow for guests and residents to come together and socialize in impromptu contexts .
In both of these communities — and wellness communities in general — the importance of actively working to cultivate community cannot be overstated . The spa ’ s role is to proactively facilitate the creation of strong guest-to-guest , resident-to-resident , and guest-toresident bonds though deliberate programming and shared spaces .
24 PULSE ■ MAY 2021