Event report: Wellness hospitality in focus at Forum HOTel&SPA 2025

Forum HOTel&SPA has been a must-visit event on the spa industry calendar for 17 years. This year’s forum, held at Four Seasons George V, offered an extended programme of talks and networking opportunities.

The gathering drew delegates from over 15 countries including across Europe and from the US and Middle East.

A highlight of the day saw leading hoteliers, François Delahaye, COO, Dorchester Collection and Simon P Casson, CEO, Corinthia Hotels join the stage.

They offered their individual perspectives on industry growth and the challenges and opportunities of running wellness hospitality businesses today.

A warm welcome

Event founder Vladi Kovanic and Mark Moloney, manging director of Professional Beauty Group, welcomed delegates, inviting them to learn, connect and grow.

“True luxury is ability to choose and in our sectors of hospitality, design and wellness, this really takes a profound significance,” Kovanic told delegates. “We choose the story we want to give to our space. We choose the rituals that we offer to our guests. We choose the sustainability, creativity and human connection.”

European Spa is a proud partner to Forum HOTel&SPA, which is now part of the Professional Beauty Group.

Attendance to the event is intentionally limited to just 120 guests, ensuring quality and an intimate atmosphere. The forum took place over a single day — from 11am to 7.30pm and featured eight themed sessions led by internationally renowned experts, three networking breaks and a brand expo.

The Black, Blue & Red Diamond Awards Ceremony concluded the day, honouring the most influential figures in the industry

Black, Blue & Red Diamond Award-winners

Red Diamond Award: Marie-Paule Leblanc-Péru, president of SPA-A

Blue Diamond Award: Caroline Mahé-Léa, operations director at Thalgo

Black Diamond Award: Stéphane Reumont, spa director at Guerlain Spa Beau-Rivage Palace, Lausanne

Engaging speakers

This year’s programming raised the bar for spa industry conference programming with hotel leaders, wellness hospitality experts and international architects sharing their vision for the future.

Also on stage were:

• Roger Allen, group CEO, RLA Global
• Egle Ruksenaite, architect and founder, e-77 Hotel & Spa Development
• Ozgur Cengiz, global director of wellness development, Gurok Tourism Group
• Fabien Piacentino, director, Le Couvent des Minimes Hôtel & Spa L’Occitane en Provence
• Barbara Pruvost, manager of the Ecocert Certification “Sustainable Wellness Establishment
• Sammy Gharieni, founder, Gharieni Group

We look at the key takeaways from presenters on stage during the event.

A personalised approach with therapists leading the way

François Delahaye, COO, The Dorchester Collection

Francois Delahaye discussed the company’s ten luxury hotels worldwide, including new properties in Dubai and Tokyo. He addressed the importance of genuine care for employees, especially during Covid-19, where the company maintained full pay for staff.

Delahaye highlighted the Dorchester Collection’s commitment to personalised service, using examples from their spas and restaurants and he noted the challenges of maintaining spas, which he believes are essential for attracting guests.

“We need spa. I think it’s a need, [a property that] does not have a spa is missing something. It’s an attraction, of course, for new business, it’s an attraction for existing business, it’s an attraction within the city.”

Delahaye discussed the crucial role that spa therapists play in creating a personalised, attentive, and genuine spa experiences by truly listening to and understanding each guest’s individual needs.

“Therapists are the ones facing the guest,” he said. “When you are one to one in a treatment room with someone, of course, you can offer them a Swedish massage or a Thai massage, but you need to listen and to take the time to really, really listen. Where does he suffer? When is it? And to listen and to treat them according to that.”

Francois also touched on the use of AI in enhancing guest experiences, particularly through a company called Nexus, which provides detailed guest information to staff.

A new leadership strategy supporting employees

Simon P. Casson, CEO, Corinthia Hotels

Simon P Casson discussed his journey from Four Seasons to Corinthia Hotels, emphasising the importance of human connection in luxury. He highlighted Corinthia’s recent openings in New York, Brussels, Bucharest, and upcoming projects in Rome, Doha, Dubai, and Riyadh.

Casson noted the company’s strategic shift towards managing properties on behalf of other partners and investors.

“We own most of our hotels now. We have about two and a half billion euros of owned real estate, but we’re not deploying our own capital going forwards. We’re going to be managing on behalf of other partners and investors,” he said. Growth in the next few years will be focused in America, Europe and Asia.

Casson stressed the need for a new leadership approach, focusing on kindness, meritocracy, and employee growth, creating a supportive environment for the employees. He also underscored the significance of wellness, including quality sleep, healthy food options, and personalised wellness programmes to enhance the guest experience.

He explained how Corinthia Hotel Group aims to challenge traditional luxury standards and create a unique guest experience. He also plans to make Corinthia an employer of choice through strategic talent management and development.

With a personal interest in wellness, Casson highlighted the unique opportunity to meet guests’ wellness needs and the importance of scientific backing for wellness treatments. He notes that therapists are a “vital part of our industry” while discussing wellness investments.

“Obviously, it’s a high cost of space if it’s treatment with a therapist, but that’s a vital part of our industry.”

He also advised that careful planning should ensure that spa spaces are not underutilised, suggesting that hotels should research market demand before adding too many treatment rooms.

Adapting to changing traveller demographics

Caspar C. Wesener, general manager, Maison Messmer

Wesener discussed the evolving concept of luxury in hospitality, focusing on personalisation over standardisation and the shift from material possessions to unique experiences. He highlighted the global wellness market’s significant growth, valued at $1.8 trillion (according to McKinsey), and the increasing demand for wellbeing among millennials.

He noted the importance of authenticity, local sourcing, and meaningful connections in luxury experiences. He shared insights from Baden-Baden’s Brenner’s Park Hotel, which focuses on training young talent and maintaining a family-run, authentic atmosphere. He also stressed the need for active listening and personalised service to enhance guest experiences.

From a hotelier perspective he reflected on changing demographics, mentioning the increasing importance of India and Brazil as key markets for luxury travel. He then spoke about the need for the hospitality industry to adapt to the diverse cultural and demographic changes.

“Everyone who’s charming and hard working can make it in our industry, so you need people with the right attitude,” he said. “You need people who have the passion, and the ones that you select will be the superstars in your team down the road in the future.”