A new type of spa model has arrived. The Well, a modern membership-based wellness club, is opening in the heart of New York City.
Just like destination spas across the world, The Well offers “both the benefits of western medicine and the wisdom of eastern healing”. It has a “science backed ecosystem of wellness” where people have access to doctors, health coaches and 50 practitioners working across a range of modalities – from bodywork, food as medicine and mindful movement to Chinese medicine, ayurveda, vibrational energy healing and emotional wellbeing. Unlike destination spas, however, this is all available in the middle of one of the busiest cities in the world.
The Well is a first of its kind, says co-founder and CEO Rebecca Parekh. “Consumers are becoming more conscientious about their health,” she tells Spa Business, “but with so many different offerings in the health and wellness space, they find themselves running around town and often receiving conflicting advice.” Instead staff at The Well “work together under one roof to build customised plans to suit each member and their goals”.
Parekh is no stranger to the wellness world. She was a COO for Deepak Chopra for five years working to secure federal funding for integrative health research. As a former Deutsche Bank executive, she’s also a shrewd businesswoman.
The Well will help “busy New Yorkers to live healthier, happier, more balanced lives,” she says. And demand is there. Although it’s not due to open until September, there are already 400 members and there’s capacity for 2,000. Each member pays US$375 (€334, £302) a month, plus a registration fee of US$500 (€446, £403).
For this, they get a monthly session with a dedicated health coach, unlimited yoga and meditation classes and are privy to a variety of classroom programmes. They can also access the skilled practitioners, but pay for sessions – a 60 minute massage starts at US$180 (€161, £145) for example.
In addition, they can enjoy amenities at the 13,000sq ft club which include a 10-treatment-room spa with steam and sauna rooms, an organic restaurant and vitamin bar, reflexology lounge, yoga and meditation studios and a private training gym. “We have something for everyone,” concludes Parekh.
