Get Well Soon
Courtesy Garden of the Gods Resort and Club
Once an optional poolside morning stretch, wellness has emerged as an essential component of many conference programs.
Wellness has taken center stage as planners note how memorable, immersive activities help attendees stay engaged and energized. As more destinations embrace the trend, they’re offering a wide range of opportunities for intentional movement and connection, whether out in nature or within meeting spaces. Some are also building custom packages for groups wanting to explore cities through their indoor and outdoor wellness options.
Here are five destinations weaving memorable wellness offerings into programs to create productive, restorative events.
Reno-Tahoe Region, Nevada
Tucked in the Sierra Nevada Mountains and boasting more than 300 days of sunshine each year, the Reno-Tahoe region offers year-round wellness activities surrounded by natural beauty, said Amanda Flangas, executive director of sales at Visit Reno Tahoe.
“At 4,500 feet in elevation, Reno-Tahoe is a unique, beautiful destination, and our outdoor experiences are really spectacular,” said Flangas.
Lake Tahoe’s legendary hiking trails are ideal for all levels. The Tahoe East Shore Rim Trail is a popular spot for a leisurely jaunt, or groups can try a more challenging climb 8,000 feet to the top of Mount Rose. On the Truckee River running through downtown Reno, there are guided walks and kayaking.
Flangas recommended pampering attendees at two luxury spas. Spa Atlantis at Atlantis Casino Resort features the Brine Inhalation-Light Therapy Lounge and an indoor atrium pool. The three-story Spa Toscana at the Peppermill Resort Casino Spa has a Himalayan salt retreat and Northern Nevada’s only caldarium — the ultimate steam experience.
For smaller executive retreats, Flangas suggested the Reno Sauna Spa at Best Bet Motor Lodge in midtown.
“It’s built inside a restored 1950s teardrop trailer and has a rainfall shower and heated day beds,” she added. “Local wellness practitioners like Luv Collective can also bring programming to your venue. They have yoga and sound bath experiences specifically for groups.”
Within 30 minutes of Reno, attendees can enjoy two natural hot springs: Carson Hot Springs has an outdoor mineral pool, private soaking pools, and group dining options; and 10 minutes further in Genoa, the historic 1862 David Walley’s Resort features natural mineral hot springs with gorgeous views, plus steam rooms, private indoor soaking rooms, and massage and body treatments.
Kissimmee, Florida
Beyond its famous theme parks, Kissimmee, Florida, has plenty of wellness options, said Juliana Leveroni, vice president of communications for Experience Kissimmee.
Kissimmee’s five main hotel convention spaces all have spas, and Leveroni noted that planners can arrange breathwork or stretching activities and even puppy therapy between sessions with local vendors. For example, the Omni Orlando Resort at ChampionsGate offers guided wildlife encounters or fishing right outside the venue — a great way to build in wellness breaks between conference sessions.
Leveroni also suggested booking a scenic group bike ride around Celebration.
“It’s beautiful; you go through conservation areas, around lakes and trees,” she said. “You can also do an airboat ride through the headwaters of the Everglades 30 minutes from your convention space to spot alligators, turtles and birds — we have the largest population of bald eagles in the world here, and an exclusive pink bird called the roseate spoonbill.”
From a beer spa soak to goat yoga on a farm, Kissimmee has some surprising offerings for groups seeking to reconnect with nature, dive into mindfulness or enjoy thrilling activities like ziplining through trees at Gatorland, said Leveroni. She also recommended booking Ette Hotel, a boutique wellness hotel where guests can request a Peloton bike for their room, sample an extensive mocktail menu and enjoy spa treatments with organic products.
“It caters to the traveler that wants to be in the Kissimmee area but not feel they’re in the middle of a convention space,” she said.
Duluth, Minnesota
With its prime location on the water offering year-round indoor and outdoor activities, Duluth makes for an ideal wellness retreat, said Caroline Routley, sales and marketing coordinator at Visit Duluth.
“They say proximity to water eases the mind, and we have ‘the freshwater effect,’” Routley said. “Duluth revolves around Lake Superior, the largest freshwater lake by surface area in the world. There’s guided paddle boarding on the big lake and guided paddleboard yoga, which is incredible at sunrise.”
Delegates can also enjoy hot yoga at Duluth Yoga or a meditation class at In Harmony Reiki. At Cedar + Stone Nordic Sauna, right next to Pier B Resort Hotel, there’s a floating sauna, and planners can book a floating barge so attendees can enjoy an exhilarating jump into Lake Superior, she added.
“We have something for every need,” said Routley. “If it’s getting out into the wilderness and feeling like you’re the only person on the planet, we have many hiking opportunities right in town. Groups can have breakfast at Sarah’s Table and walk a block down and hike right next to a beautiful creek with waterfalls.”
“Wellness means different things to people,” said Routley. “If you want to go for a hike near moving water, stroll next to the big lake, or sit in a flotation tank in a spa you can do all that here. You can have a wild experience or calming respite.”
Colorado Springs, Colorado
As a wellness resort destination dating back to the 1800s, Colorado Springs has long been a coveted spot for those seeking improved health, said Alexea Veneracion, director of communications at Visit Colorado Springs.
“People would come here to heal from consumption or tuberculosis, making use of our sunshine, natural minerals, dry climate and fresh mountain air,” explained Veneracion. “There are some old tuberculosis huts still up around the city that were converted into restaurants or entryways into parks.”
Resorts prioritizing wellbeing include the 75-year-old Garden of the Gods Resort and Club; its wellness center, Strada, can incorporate various services into meetings and events.
“They’ll do everything from meditation in the outdoor plaza to sound baths, cycling classes and med spa services,” said Veneracion.
Hotel Polaris’ Ascend Spa & Wellness features reflexology, red light therapy, facials and a HIIT-style boot camp. Mobile companies like Elke Modern Massage can provide onsite chair massages in between meetings.
Veneracion recommended guided hiking tours through Garden of the Gods Park or with companies like Adventures Out West. For smaller groups, there’s horseback riding or paddleboard yoga classes with Dragonfly Paddle Yoga from mid-April through late September.
Wellness retreats just outside the city include Arcadia Villa Ranch and Retreat in Lake George, which recently opened a 4,000-square-foot event center with meeting space.
“They have equine coaching, fly fishing, yoga, Pilates, meditation and hiking, and overnight glamping accommodations for groups that want to get off the beaten path,” said Veneracion.
Visit Colorado Springs recently launched the Wellness Pass, a free web-based platform that lists 15 partners offering discounts for massages, sound baths or the Colorado Salt Cave.
Asheville, North Carolina
“Combining the beauty of our rivers and mountains with wellness in nature is one of the things that makes the Asheville area special,” said Edward Silver, Explore Asheville’s vice president of business development.
Silver suggested planners look into booking yoga tours, which combine sunrise hikes with yoga in the mountains just 15 minutes from downtown.
“You can mix the scenic area of the Blue Ridge Mountains with yoga and stretching,” he said. “We’re finding almost every event we host is adding wellness experiences.”
Silver’s team sent one recent group to the spa at the Omni Grove Park, where attendees chose from various treatments including massages, facials and steam rooms. The Wake Foot Sanctuary offers restorative foot soaks, and groups of up to 25 can reserve the Asheville Salt Cave & Spa for private sessions and exclusive retreats.
“They do massages and a meditative labyrinth and aura therapy, where you smell your way to wellness,” said Silver. “We’re bringing that team with us to IMEX so event planners can experience it.”
The company also offers mobile wellness activations including guided mindfulness sessions, sound baths and chair massage.
Silver also recommended Shoji Spa & Retreat, an outdoor experience with rustic lodging, and group buyouts at Drip Sauna, a wood-fired Nordic sauna and cold plunge experience overlooking the French Broad River.
Traverse City, Michigan
Surrounded by the waters of Lake Michigan, Traverse City is ideal for meetings and corporate retreats that include year-round outdoor activities. Delegates can spend downtime soaking in a hot mineral bath or have a hot-stone massage in one of the area’s growing number of luxury spas, said Trevor Tkach, president and CEO of Traverse City Tourism.
“We revel in active outdoor recreation for health and wellness; people love going to the beach or hitting the trails,” said Tkach. “The Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore is a stunning stretch of Lake Michigan shoreline that includes trails, outdoor opportunities and scenic overlooks that rival anything in the country.”
Attendees can enjoy open water, be it the Grand Traverse Bay, inland lakes, or on the rivers for paddleboarding, kayaking, and canoeing, he added.
“Black Star Farms does goat yoga, so if you want to get more connected to nature, they have baby goats jumping and running around while you’re doing yoga, which is fun and different,” Tkach said.
The Grand Traverse Resort and Spa and Crystal Mountain Resort both offer curated spa experiences along with excellent golf.
At Spa Grand Traverse, attendees can choose massages that enhance muscle function; a magnesium body scrub and hydrating mud mask; or a stress relief wrap with essential oils. One new treatment, the Sleep Reset, is ideal for traveling delegates who want to recharge. There’s also a hydrotherapy circuit that includes an LED rain shower.
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