development that integrates hotel guests , residents and local members .“ Many of our new hotels have a residential component , and they all have world class wellness amenities ,” says McCarthy .“ We don ’ t just want a hotel with a spa and fitness center — we want the hotel to be a hub of the local community , with a thriving membership and a fullfledged sports club .”
Another example of a hybrid concept is Auberge Beach Residences in Fort Lauderdale , Florida , a residence with a standalone spa on the first floor . One wing is devoted to a BioStation center , where residents and the local community can get Botox and fillers , blood work , IV infusions , PRP and hormone therapy to optimize wellness .
“ The spa operates as a revenue center and is open to the public . It is a free-standing entity because the HOA does not do the assessments and are not contributing to anything with the spa . The Spa at Auberge Beach caters to 20 percent residents and 80 percent from outside the building ,” says Spa Director Linda Higgs .
Big City Wellness New York and Miami are the indisputable hubs for residential spas — with activity in secondary markets like Chicago , Atlanta , San Francisco and Charleston .
Wendy Bosalavage , president and chief revenue officer of LIVunLtd , manages wellness amenities in 60 luxury residences in New York City . “ Almost every property we manage has at least one treatment room and extensive wellness services and amenities . Developers recognize how
important it is to have the amenities that increase the value of what they can get per square foot in either a rental or condominium environment .”
Arch Amenities manages 15 spas in luxury residences in Miami .“ Developers started telling us back in 2017 that wellness was the direction to be competitive . Miami has become a hotbed for New Yorkers that are coming down from their luxury penthouse apartments and they expect the same amenities that they would have in the Northeast . We are working with a lot of new units being built and pretty much all of them have a spa and fitness component ,” says Warren .
Discerning Dwellers Residents of luxury buildings want tools for healthy living at their fingertips . They want to be educated and have new experiences . People want to live in a place where they don ’ t have to leave home to maintain a healthy lifestyle . This is truer than ever post-Covid .
In contrast to resort spa-goers , residents choose privacy over socialization .“ The upper echelon is looking for privacy and discretion — especially our units that have celebrities , sports stars and international aristocrats ,” says Warren . According to our experts , residential spa-goers and transient spa guests are like apples and oranges .“ They are very different audiences looking for different experiences ,” says McCarthy .“ The biggest difference , at least for us , is our residents are looking for high levels of privacy and services exclusively tailored to their needs . It is much more
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24 PULSE n NOVEMBER / DECEMBER 2022