For more than three decades, I’ve watched the spa and wellness industry evolve — sometimes forward, sometimes in circles. I’ve led hotel teams, opened spas across continents, and walked more half-finished corridors in steel-capped boots than I can count. And yet, for all the luxury branding, for all the talk of “wellness,” something fundamental has gone missing in our industry.
It’s not design. It’s not product. It’s not even profit.
It’s purpose.
Wellness has become a buzzword — a line in a brochure, a marketing checkbox, a trend to capitalise on rather than a culture to build. I see developers building spas as amenities rather than experiences. I see hotels handing over wellness departments to under-trained managers or outside operators with little alignment to brand ethos. And I see the same mistake repeated, again and again: Wellness is treated as a “department.” But it’s not. It’s a philosophy.
If you want to build a business that lasts, wellness must be embedded — not added. It should shape design, inform guest flow, guide leadership, and define culture from the inside out.
That’s why I’ve decided to disrupt.
After years of consulting behind the scenes, I realised it wasn’t enough to keep designing beautiful spas that didn’t perform. I wanted to challenge the way hotels, resorts, and retreats approached the entire wellness journey — from concept to construction to culture.
Because most of what we call “wellness” today is actually stress in disguise.
Overbuilt, under-managed, and missing the quiet, functional intelligence that makes true wellness feel effortless. That’s what The Spa Side was born to explore — a platform for real conversations about what’s working, what isn’t, and what needs to change. It’s my unfiltered space to speak to the leaders, owners, designers, and consultants who know that hospitality doesn’t need more hashtags — it needs more humanity.
The truth is, disruption doesn’t always look loud. Sometimes, it looks like refinement. It looks like smarter design flow, better operational systems, and leadership that values people as much as performance.
So, as we step into a new year — and a new chapter for spa and wellness — I’m not here to repeat what’s already been said. I’m here to say what others won’t. Because the future of wellness won’t be found in a treatment menu. It’ll be found in the way we build, lead, and live.
— Marie Adele | Dare to disrupt.
Let’s start the conversation. Connect with me and share your thoughts or an idea for the next issue.
