‘There has been a 30% surge in bookings’

Sachin Mylavarapu, General Manager, JW Marriott Mussoorie Walnut Grove Resort & Spa talks about wellness travel boom and maintaining the balance between environment and development

More than ever before, travellers are now more looking to treat themselves to a wellness staycation, focussing on their health and looking for ways to improve their spiritual and fitness levels. Mylavarapu says that there has been 30 per cent surge in bookings owing to the location of the resort and also being at a comfortable driving distance from major north Indian cities in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR. “The lead time of bookings has reduced, from an earlier 15 days to an average of four now. There has been a significant increase in the minimum length of stay from two days to four as people want to stay in a safer environment for a longer duration,” he says.

WELLNESS AND SPA

Mylavarapu says The Cedar Spa by L’Occitane is ‘haven for Mediterranean wellness’. The spa treatments and beauty services are inspired by “Uttarakhand’s ancient healing techniques”. Along with this, the hotel offers handpicked therapies from the East and West with Swedish, Hawaiian, Lomi Lomi, Balinese, Shiatsu and Ayurveda combined in exclusive L’Occitane sequences. 

Commenting on the USP of the spa, Mylavarapu says, “The USP is L’Occitane signature techniques blended perfectly with its own products. The cedar trees dominating the ridge line of the hill station are used to create the signature treatments which is the perfect blend of native flora, amalgamated with natural L’Occitane products. The spa ambience allows more natural light to come in but on the other hand has a provision to make the treatment room dimly lit.”

The spa is filled with the soothing aromas of essential oils, scented candles and music based on the sounds of birds, river and spring water. Immortelle and lavender bunches are scattered across. Soft lights and candles lead the guests to indoor treatment rooms.

Keeping up with the trend to stay connected with their guests online and provide them the wellness experience at their home itself, the hotel initiated a digital series called ‘Discover the Hills – Postcards from Mussoorie’ wherein they also recently held an immersive wellness session for all their guests  in collaboration with a leading wellness expert keeping a constant sense of engagement and value addition to their guests virtually.

CUISINE

On the changes in the menu in the wake of Covid-19 with guests asking for healthy cuisine, Mylavarapu says, “Our focus is on providing a revitalised experience from the perspective of discovering The Whole You, starting from immunity-boosting welcome drinks made with indigenous Himalayan spices and herbs that provide nourishment to the soul.” The other innovative F&B offerings include The Pahadi Social, a pop-up in the hotel’s greenhouse, offering unique indigenous products with the hotel’s culinary team curating a menu that celebrate these mountain flavours. Then there is ‘The Botanical Café’ that has offerings which showcase ‘Implant Health’ – nutrition extracted meaningfully from plants. The menu offers select food and beverage made with ingredients sourced 100% from plants. The hotel grows unique herbs and botanicals in their greenhouse to support this menu as well as in their highest vegan-friendly Mediterranean dining venue, ‘The Wisteria Deck’.

Mylavarapu further elaborates the hotel supports small-scale farming businesses that grow seasonal crops protecting biodiversity. “Our focus remains on procuring ingredients best suited to growing locally by the season so that farming stays beneficial to the plants, animals and environment. The packaging provided by our vendors aids a healthy environment. We promote sustainable farming within 200 km of the resort by supporting, empowering and facilitating the local community in promoting self-employment for farmers in 26 local villages.”

PERSONALISED WEDDINGS

The property provides the experience of ‘safe is the new luxury’ on the basis of which they have launched a new genre of weddings called the ‘Petite Weddings’ where the focus is on a personalised wedding event within the safe environment following all the necessary hygiene and safety protocols. “We let our guests create their dream ‘Petite Wedding’ adorned with details so personal and unique that it is an event to cherish forever. We offer various genres of wedding styles, ranging from Himalayan wedding to adventure wedding. There has been a definite surge in wedding events that are coming in for the current month itself as against the earlier trend of future demand,” says Mylavarapu.

STAYING IN TUNE WITH NATURE

Mylavarapu says they have curated a unique environmental experience as part of the Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy offering called ‘Implant Nature’ for guests. It is in direct conjunction with environmental measures and giving back to the local Himalayan community while they promote the concept of creating the JW Garden brand activation through Family by JW. “We look at conserving Nature and this green belt for the generations to come and experience the greenery of the Himalayan belt. By doing so, we support and balance the biological ecosystem, preserve the soil and vegetation and instill the sense of accountability and ownership in the guest by letting them own the sapling they plant and celebrate yearly anniversaries reminding them of their contribution is conserving environment.”

SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS

“We have developed and supported local vendors to grow and supply all our requirement of oilseeds, hemp seeds, millets and millet flours and turmeric. Basmati rice from Selaqui is procured to support the local farmers and also reduce the travel time of sourcing rice from other states. Low transportation usage helps reduce carbon footprint. We helped another local vendor to grow microgreens and supply it to the hotel. Our aim is to reduce travel of ingredients, seek seasonal produce, packaged in eco-friendly ways and support local businesses in and around Dehradun. Most of our menus are designed with this thought process in mind,” shares Mylavarapu.

Travellers look forward to relieve their stress and anxiety induced by Covid-19 by going for staycations, especially at places which focus on wellness. According to a survey by GlobalData, health and wellness tourism trips to Asia will touch 128.3 million by 2022. This highlights the fact that wellness tourism is here to stay and there will be a huge demand for it in the coming months.


This article was published in BW hotelier issue dated '' with cover story titled 'RESPONSIBLE HOTELIERING ISSUE VOL 7, ISSUE 3'



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