Phuket wellness forum highlights hotel shift beyond spas
Executives at BEING Thailand 2026 said hotels are integrating fitness, food, recovery and social activities into conventional luxury stays as wellness demand broadens.
Hotels are broadening wellness offerings beyond spas and dedicated retreats, integrating health, fitness, food and social experiences into luxury stays, executives said at BEING Thailand 2026 in Phuket on 7 September 2026.
Ingo Schweder, founder and chief executive of GOCO Hospitality and managing director of Horwath HTL Health & Wellness, said hotel developers should avoid designing around short-term trends. He said emerging concepts such as ice baths and sound healing could still introduce consumers to wellness and generate future demand for established operators.
The discussion pointed to a shift from dedicated wellness resorts, where guests pursue specific health goals, towards hybrid models that allow visitors to choose how deeply they engage during a conventional hotel stay.
Jael Fischer, Six Senses’ head of development for Asia Pacific, said guests could select structured programmes or incorporate elements such as healthier food, fitness, sustainable practices and social activities into their stay.
Schweder said millennials account for 41% of global wellness spending, with younger travellers increasingly willing to pay for experiences that support health and wellbeing. He also said wellness facilities that once occupied hundreds of square metres were expanding to several thousand square metres in some high-end hotels and resorts, covering fitness, recovery and social wellness.
Food is becoming a central part of the offer, with operators moving away from restrictive menus and developing healthier versions of familiar dishes. Fermented foods and adaptogens are also gaining prominence. Six Senses combines everyday dining with menus tailored to programmes including detoxification, fitness and weight management.
Wellness is becoming more social, with community tables, shared saunas and group activities challenging the idea that it must be a solitary pursuit. Matthew Brennan, chief financial officer of Kamalaya, said the resort’s community table was popular with guests travelling alone.
Running, swimming and outdoor activities are providing another way for hotels to connect health and movement with the destination. The trend is also spreading into cities, where Six Senses has developed concepts combining fitness, spa, food and social spaces.
The executives said Thailand must expand its wellness sector without losing its identity. They highlighted the country’s hospitality expertise, medical infrastructure and traditional health practices, and argued that Traditional Thai Medicine should have a larger role in future offerings.
“Thailand has to protect its uniqueness and its heritage and its traditional medicine,” Brennan said. Fischer said the country’s ability to combine Eastern and Western approaches, alongside its hospitality culture, gave it an advantage as global wellness became more sophisticated.
The panel also warned against “well-washing”, or adding wellness branding or fashionable equipment without integrating wellbeing throughout the guest journey. The event was organised by C9 Hotelworks, QUO and Mrs B Group.
