Whether enjoying a weekend break, soaking up a resort holiday or commuting to meetings in another time zone, today's guests are no longer satisfied with time away from home meaning time out from healthy living. Delos senior vice-president Jaloyn Fockler tells Hotel Management International how the company's Stay Well programme allows hotels to support guests' physical and emotional well-being while travelling.
It's 7pm when she checks in, but the flight was draining and at home it's already 1am. Though the memory foam mattress is softly tempting, she knows keeping pace with the time difference is her best bet, and there are emails to look through before tomorrow. Sipping a white tea, it's a relief to breathe some clean air after the plane and the taxi; she taps 'energize mode' on the room control, and the cool white lighting emulates the sun to help her forget her tiredness until it's time to put her laptop away.
Feeling human again after a chlorine-reducing shower, she listens to a meditation session on her phone before turning the control to 'relax mode' and settling down for the night, comfortable in the knowledge that a perfectly timed dawn will wake her.
"Guests are increasingly looking for ways to maintain their healthy lifestyles while on the road, and we continue to see a growing demand for healthy travel accommodations and wellness programming," comments Jaloyn Fockler, senior vice-president of Delos. "The Stay Well programme satisfies this demand by introducing features and amenities that are designed to enhance the quality of air, water and light, and to promote better sleep, comfort, mental acuity, nutrition and overall health."
It's an undertaking that Delos takes seriously. In the nearly ten years since the company was founded, Delos has carried out extensive R&D, partnering with leaders from medical, scientific and architectural practice to introduce wellness solutions into the built environment across diverse real-estate sectors. Research collaborations have included the Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic and a board of doctors from the Columbia University Medical Center.
"As we now spend more than 90% of our time indoors, it is becoming increasingly important to harness the built environment as a tool to contribute positively to human health and well-being," Fockler says. "Delos was created with this mission in mind and seeks to marry the best innovations in technology, health, science and real estate."
Designed specifically for the hospitality industry, Delos's Stay Well programme allows participating hotels to implement evidence-based wellness features in guest rooms and meeting facilities. Advanced technology and health-oriented amenities are designed to optimise guests' physical and emotional well-being while travelling, supporting better rest and increased energy.
To develop the programme, Fockler reveals, Delos focused on four core concepts that impact a traveller's physiological state: relax, sleep, wake and sustain. With these in mind, carefully balanced in-room features include circadian lighting and dawn simulation; a 'Healthy Stay Well Mattress' derived from plant extracts; and advanced air and water purification systems.
Meanwhile, the Stay Well app provides guests with further information about these features, as well as a jet-lag tool, and complimentary access to Cleveland Clinic Wellness programmes on nutrition, sleep and stress.
Suitable for business and leisure guests alike across a range of market sectors, the programme can also be tailored to suit the specific demographics of individual hotels.
"Stay Well is designed to complement existing hospitality brands, seamlessly integrating with partner hotels to create a wellness experience that distinguishes and elevates the partner's existing brand experience," Fockler explains.
Following on from initial implementation, ongoing support is readily available to help brands ensure that guests enjoy the full benefits of the Stay Well offering.
"We are committed to continual education and training with all key stakeholders of a property," Fockler says. "We provide training seminars and manuals featured in multiple languages to ensure understanding, and accommodate diversity and all needs."
Stay Well rooms are currently available in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino and at six Marriott locations throughout the US.
