Patrick will be the emcee at the International Luxury Hotel Association’s INSPIRE conference, taking place at the Arizona Biltmore on December 14 & 15. We catch up with him on new trends in wellness and his At the Podium podcast.
You have spent most of your career emersed in the wellness space. How do you think it has evolved over the last few years?
I think the last two years have been a critical time for the wellness space, particularly regarding how wellness functions within hospitality. The biggest change is that guests within hotels are highlighting for hotel brands the necessity for being able to provide services that speak to the importance of wellness to the overall guest experience. Many top-tier brands are addressing wellness-driven experiences like sleep and fitness within the guest rooms. Also, we have seen the spa industry come roaring back since the pandemic. We can barely keep pace with the demand for services. A sphere that was once viewed as a “nice to have” by the broader hospitality industry is now viewed as a “must have” in order to remain current with the times.
Are guests looking for a new kind of wellness?
Yes, they are. They are looking for results-driven wellness experiences that are based on facts and science. They are expecting businesses and therapists to be truly knowledgeable about the services they are providing. They can smell a gimmick a mile away. They are also looking for services and offerings that are personally relevant to them and not wellness solutions that are off the shelf. Their needs focus on training and knowledge for the industry in ways that we have not seen before.
What are the differentiating factors in your programming at We Care Spa?
The entire experience at We Care Spa is built around the idea that the health of our bodies is related to having a clean dietary experience, a clean gut/intestinal tract, and a clean and healthy colon. And while we focus on the physical aspects related to this cleanse, much of the experience is built to guide the guests on a spiritual and emotional cleanse and rejuvenation as well. We are bringing together the mind and the body, and the spirit in a very intentional way. This is THE focus of the property.
What inspires you both as a leader and a human being?
I’m inspired by excellence and authenticity.
Can you tell us about your At the Podium podcast? Who have been a few of your recent guests?
At the Podium is a podcast that I began at the beginning of 2021 that focuses on raising the voices of people who have taken leaps of faith in their lives and had extraordinary results on the other side of taking that leap into the unknown and the unexpected. There has been so much fear and negativity in the world that this was my way to add to the conversation in a positive way. Recent guests? They have all been amazing! Some include Kathryn Hahn, who, if you are a fan of the Marvel Universe, you will know from her role as Agatha Harkness in Wandavision. We talked about her journey to becoming one of the most in-demand actresses today and her commitment to training, excellence, and authenticity that has allowed her to build an exceptional career in Hollywood. I also talked with a gentleman named David Ambroz, who is the Head of External Affairs & Community Engagement at Amazon. He recently wrote a book called A Place Called Home that chronicles his journey from being homeless in New York until he was 12 years old when he went into the foster care system, and how he pulled himself out of that to become a lawyer and now his work with Amazon. A couple of highlights that demonstrate the range of guests who’ve come on the show.
