Sitting down with Emlyn Brown, eight months into his role as global head of wellbeing at Mandarin Oriental, he gets straight to the point. It’s the eve of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and the brand is about to announce that Simone Biles will become its first global wellness ambassador, coinciding with her appearance as a spectator at the event. Staying, of course, in the Mandarin Oriental Milan and donning a custom-made robe.
The collaboration with one of the world’s most decorated gymnasts and vibrant personalities signals the calibre of the group’s ambition as it looks to cement its position as a worldwide authority in modern, holistic wellbeing.
In the late 1990s, Mandarin Oriental was one of the first hospitality brands to make spa a key differentiator in the luxury sphere and has been influencing the industry ever since. Now, as it’s set to double its global footprint in the next 10 years, it’s applying that same intent to a far broader wellness agenda.
Brown, who’s been in the spa sector himself for more than two decades, tells us more about his personal journey and where he’s looking to take the brand.
What was your route into the spa and wellness sector?
I’ve been in the hospitality and spa industry for nearly 25 years. Originally, my career was in health clubs, working for brands such as Holmes Place. I then transitioned to hospitality and have held director and operations roles at Jumeirah, Six Senses, GOCO and Resense Spa. Prior to Mandarin Oriental, I led Accor’s 500 luxury spas globally (see www.spabusiness.com/eb_accor).
Costa Navarino, Greece, hosts one of Mandarin Oriental’s 35 spas worldwide / Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino
Why join Mandarin Oriental?
It’s like the Real Madrid of spa! Mandarin Oriental was one of the first [luxury hospitality] brands to prioritise spa – offering Eastern, Western practices, fitness, yoga, tai chi, gyrotonics and Pilates. And it still remains at the forefront of that.
Coming to Mandarin Oriental was exciting because of the compelling vision presented by our group CEO, Laurent Kleitman. Working with Andrea Lomas-Gong, VP of spa and wellness operations, and the team, we’ve got 35 spas globally and can really get into the operational delivery of ‘say it, see it, do it’. I believe we can have a real impact and move the wellness needle in luxury hospitality.
I had an incredible seven years at Accor, however the scale of business was very different and my work was more focused on brand and marketing, thought leadership and wellness and spa design.
How does wellness influence your own life?
I’m as challenged as anybody else, particularly with all my travelling and being in my early 50s. I work with a personal trainer for accountability and to hit my daily movement goals. I keep my protocol simple. I do active breathwork and try to incorporate some form of exercise and movement every day. Ollie Patrick from Pillar Wellbeing says to ‘try to sweat every day in some way’ and I think that’s a great idea – whether that’s through yoga, exercise or something else.
What broader areas of wellness are you looking at?
Mandarin Oriental’s spa heritage dates back 25 years and is iconic, but it was time to venture into other areas to give us a more robust and rounded offer. As part of our brand refresh, we’ve identified seven additional pathways to wellbeing which we’ll prioritise. These are nutrition, sport and leisure, movement and mindfulness practice, regeneration and aesthetics. However, it’s important to stress that this is an evolution, not a revolution in our approach. The spa experience remains absolutely fundamental.
I want to future-proof our business model
What will these new approaches look like?
Regeneration is a good example. This is our take on longevity and we’re looking at what’s core and meaningful to support our guest’s health rather than following fads on social media.
We’ll incorporate long-accepted technologies, solutions that have been in the marketplace for 30-40 years and are clinically proven, such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy, red light therapy and compression therapy. We may also partner with local medical practices in some instances to offer services such as IV therapy. Does this mean we’ll be offering full-blown diagnostics with medical doctors to interpret the results? Probably not.
Contrast bathing also comes into play and we’re looking to improve our hydrothermal experiences, because the resurgence of sweat culture is happening in every market globally. We’ll expand bathing facilities in resort locations, but we’ll also carve up thermal spaces differently where footprints are limited in urban locations. Rather than having a huge pool, can we have smaller hydrotherapy pools and fit in a sauna, steamroom and cold plunges as well to create a more effective circuit? Or instead of multiple saunas, can we have one big one with a high ceiling and then offer socially engaging aufguss ceremonies?
Brown is looking at how to expand or switch up bathing facilities / Mandarin Oriental, Bodrum
You’ll be getting into aesthetics as well?
Yes. We’ll be introducing equipment-driven face and body care in a considered way, working with specialists to offer results-based services, as that’s what our customers want – especially those in urban settings.
Hands-on spa delivery will always be our centre point, but aesthetic technology is getting better and better, so we’d be remiss not to incorporate it.
What wellness pathways excite you the most?
There’s a significant, growing appetite for more exercise and movement. People on holiday at our resorts want it, but there’s a particular demand for it in our urban locations.
In London, for example, 80-85 per cent of our spa guests are external and local clients who create a wonderful sense of community. Yes, you need to balance the hotel guests’ needs, but people are craving more dynamic and engaging elements – they want a gym where seven, eight, or 10 people are working out, as it creates a welcoming, comfortable atmosphere. Memberships also make a stronger business model because of the predictable revenues – and it’s becoming increasingly challenging to make money purely from spa treatments.
So, you’ll introduce branded memberships?
No. While we do offer memberships at some properties, the Mandarin Oriental brand is already strong enough. There will be a notable change in how we develop and design our exercise experience. From the size and scale, equipment selection, layout – you won’t see banks of cardio machines; we’ll offer free motion flooring, kettlebells and flexibility for ‘movement selection’.
This is an evolution, not a revolution
In certain locations, we’ll work with third parties to deliver boutique experiences – an incredible Pilates or Hyrox-style offering, something that’s flexible, because boutique fitness moves so fast.
When will you roll out the new pathways?
We’ll gradually introduce them over the next 12 to 18 months. Towards the end of this year [2026], there’ll be a significant number of openings that really showcase these new elements.
Spas will now deliver longevity and machine-based aesthetic treatments / Mandarin Oriental, Istanbul
How involved will Simone Biles be?
She won’t just be a figurehead. She’ll have an active role in shaping our wellness philosophy.
Mandarin Oriental is famous for its fan campaign, highlighting international celebrity supporters including Morgan Freeman and Helen Mirren, and extending that to a board of wellness experts is a natural move. Simone is our first global wellness ambassador, our lead, and she’ll help select more experts to head up each of our seven pathways.
She’ll share her insights and perspectives to help shape future programmes and experiences – especially those that build on her strengths of movement. She’ll also support and participate in global storytelling, campaign activations and the development of wellness initiatives.
Simone Biles is the first global wellness ambassador for Mandarin Oriental / Mandarin Oriental
What qualities does she contribute?
Our new tagline is Strength in Motion, Grace in Poise and Simone epitomises that. Obviously, she demonstrates determination and grit, female empowerment and fitness. But she also openly discusses mental health for athletes and high performers, which is a vital conversation to be having. There’s also a sense of curiosity and fun to Simone, which makes her very relatable.
So, where does spa fit in all of this?
It’s still a vital element at Mandarin Oriental and we’re really doubling down on our spa experts in our hotels, because fundamentally, that power of human connection and exceptional treatment delivery is still what people want in the luxury segment. There’s no move away from that, we’re actually strengthening it – Andrea and the team have released a full menu and suite of new treatments and protocols to modernise and elevate our therapy delivery.
How important are spas to the business?
At Mandarin Oriental, we have three main divisions – Rooms, F&B and Wellbeing – and wellbeing is viewed as a standalone division, not a sub-department. All of our spas are individual profit centres and successful businesses in their own right.
However, you also have to look at the wider value that these types of guests bring. Firstly, we know that a spa user in our properties spends more and stays longer.
Secondly, from our Mandarin Oriental Fans loyalty programme perspective, internal surveys show that wellbeing is the number one priority for our top 5 per cent of customers, who represent a significant part of our global revenues. And the higher their net worth, the stronger their bond is towards wellness, activation and activity.
Thirdly, we know that if a guest has a spa experience at a property, there’s a far higher likelihood that they’ll join our loyalty programme and that they’ll also refer to us positively in the marketplace.
Fourthly, spas link to the overall zeitgeist of wellness – a highly aspirational element from a marketing and brand perspective.
What’s driving the move towards broader wellness?
It’s what our guests want and in the hospitality industry, the idea of what a spa is, is significantly changing. Younger generations entering the luxury landscape are incredibly demanding and older generations are realising they need to do more.
I don’t know any other sector that has such a strong push-pull factor. The push factor is being unwell, being overweight and job stress, which drives consumers searching for wellbeing. The pull factor is Erewhon’s US$45 Hailey Bieber smoothie, doing Pilates at Barry’s Bootcamp and celebrities posting online in their athleisure wear. You’ve got Dua Lipa doing yoga videos, Diplo doing running clubs, Kith launching a wellness club in New York with a restaurant, the Giorgio Armani spa and padel courts.
Mandarin Oriental was an early adopter of spa and wellness, so why wouldn’t we be absolutely poised to capitalise on this incredible movement that’s happening?
Do you think you’re slow to stake a claim in the wellness hospitality space?
I’m not looking to claim it. I’m looking to serve our guests. Am I keeping an eye on competitors? Of course. But I’m also watching other industries to get ideas. I’m inspired by how restaurants and bars are fun, dynamic, thematic and spontaneous on socials, for example, and by experiences we’re seeing in the retail sector.
What else is on the horizon?
Mandarin Oriental will double its portfolio over the next 10 years – taking us up to 100 sites – so you can expect an incredible array of diverse locations around the world.
We’re scheduled to launch in Cortina in Italy, our first ski resort in the mountains, this year. This will have 1,500sq m spa, nine treatment rooms and elements of the new regeneration and aesthetics pathways we’ve talked about. Similarly wonderful openings are coming in Rome, the Maldives and Tel Aviv.
Significant renovations are also underway at our landmark location in Hong Kong, with more to follow.
The spa at Mandarin Oriental Istanbul / Mandarin Oriental, Istanbul
What’s the overall goal?
I want to future-proof our business model. Part of that will be introducing club concepts (see p98).
But at a resort level, we need to service what I call the third guest profile. In wellness tourism, we talk about primary and secondary consumers. Primary being around the 8 per cent of guests who proactively seek wellness at places such as Lanserhof and Chenot. The other 92 per cent might take in some form of wellness when travelling. However, there’s a big chunk in the middle uncatered for – those who want extended services, maybe some detox programming, a juice fast or super healthy food, or great yoga. They might not stay for seven days, but they want deeper options.
We’re already recognised as a market leader within wellness and luxury, but I want to build on that and lead the evolution – challenging norms and moving in new directions.
Mandarin Oriental is looking to significantly elevate its fitness offering / Mandarin Oriental Downtown, Dubai
All Mandarin Oriental spas are successful businesses in their own right, says Brown / Mandarin Oriental Shenzhen
The idea of what a spa is, is significantly changing in hospitality, says Brown / Mandarin Oriental, Costa Navarino - Ormos Beach Club Royal Cabana
The new spa in Cortina, Italy, will have improved hydrothermal experiences / Herzog de Meuron
Mandarin Oriental will double its portfolio in the next 10 years / Herzog de Meuron
Internal surveys show spa users spend more and stay longer / Mandarin Oriental, Bangkok
Mandarin Oriental Tel Aviv is due to open later this year / Mandarin Oriental
There’s a new type of wellness guest that is largely underserved, says Brown / Mandarin Oriental, Bosphorus Istanbul
