How Palazzo di Varignana is staying at the forefront of the biggest trend in tourism
The world of wellness is a global economy. Perceptions of diet, fitness, holistic health practises and ethical consumption have boomed over the last ten years and has subsequently transformed the way we travel. Yes, wellness travel is by no means something new. Wellness tourism was already reported to be worth US$639 billion in 2017, a figure which is set to rise to a staggering US$919 billion by 2022 which represents 18% of all global tourism – so to put that into perspective that’s well over a billion individual wellness holidays that will take place worldwide.
Although most people associate wellness holidays with a particular glossy and touristic hotspot like Bali or Thailand, wellness travel is more than just a destination driven holiday. It’s about travelling with a purpose and its purpose is to improve your mind, body, and soul by literally departing from the hectic daily life (so that’s turning off your notifications and your phone altogether) and concentrating on implementing and improving core wellbeing pillars and that we can extend in our daily lives.
People don’t often associate Italy with wellness travel. But Palazzo di Varignana has created a distinct and rather important wellness bubble for itself, counteracting the daily stresses and urban ennui by opting for an integrated and dedicated wellness approach.
Planted in the middle of the Emilia-Romagna countryside, the hotel is surrounded by over 30 hectares of land, celebrating the great outdoors before it became a common denominator. The story starts with a renovated 18th century castle with 140 bedrooms (some even have their own private jacuzzi and sauna) and three independent villas, one with its own private swimming pool while the others have a private garden, which are scattered around so it feels more like a small village than a compact resort. Starting with the spa, you can expect to find traditional approaches that taps into the ancient rituals of Morocco, Japan, Turkey, and Rome to traditional Asian rituals like an authentic Japanese tea ceremony and Ofuro tub.
Then there’s the newly opened medical centre. Under the guidance of the hotel’s exclusive health coach, nutritionist Dr. Annamaria Acquaviva accompanies guests on a wellbeing journey helping to improve your immune system, nutrition, and all other daily rituals we should keep intact. Part of the medical centre’s team is also Dr. Maria Immacolata de Vicariis who practises Oxygen-Ozone therapy helping to counteract the action of free radicals, which slows down cellular aging and oxidation of tissues and IV Therapy, an infusion of three different mixes of vitamins, nutrients, and antioxidants, helping to counteract dehydration and fatigue.
The hotel’s wellness programmes are also genuine and important. Good health starts from getting a good night’s sleep. Sure, exercise and food are important, but sleep is the preeminent force in this health trinity. Routinely getting less than eight hours of sleep a night erodes our capacity to think with a clear head, challenges our emotional circuits and increases our risk of cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease. So, in other words, every aspect of wellbeing is completely eroded by our costly state of sleep neglect. Palazzo di Varignana has cleverly tapped into this with an innovative Deep Sleep programme, a 3- or 6-night retreat designed by the hotel’s health coach. Cooking worships, yoga classes, Chakra massages, sleep rituals and meetings with Dr. Acquaviva are part of the extensive programme to get you sleeping better.
Prices start from €2207 per person for a 6-night deep sleep retreat.
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