Why luxury hotels are partnering with pro athletes

“I need a vacation.” That used to be a way of saying we need a break from the day-to-day to kick back and relax, to slow down. Now? Going on holiday, staying at a luxury hotel and switching focus to our wellbeing is no longer centred on just R&R – it’s also about active personal growth. For some, that means training, performing and recovering like an athlete.

Across the world, high-end properties are partnering with elite athletes, celebrity trainers and performance brands to turn hotel stays into training labs, recovery clinics and longevity retreats. One such brand is Hyatt, which is now the Asia Pacific hotel partner of global indoor fitness and lifestyle company Hyrox.

Tammy Ng, Vice President of Brand & Marketing, Hyatt Asia Pacific attributes the shift to a broadening definition of what luxury wellness means. “What’s changed is that wellness today also includes movement, performance, discipline and personal achievement,” she says. “For many travellers, working towards a goal and achieving it can feel just as rewarding and meaningful as slowing down.”

Meanwhile, Aman collaborates with tennis stars Novak Djokovic and Maria Sharapova to develop wellness programmes for guests. For Lillian Cheam, Global Head of Spa Operations, Aman, the value of these partnerships is in making the insights of a professional athlete more accessible for a wider audience – one that’s increasingly mindful of health and wellbeing. 

“Athletes have helped bring greater awareness to the importance of recovery, mental fitness, mobility, sleep and longevity. These concepts were once largely associated with professional sport, but are now recognised as essential components of everyday wellbeing,” says Cheam.

Through Aman’s wellness programmes, guests can experience how Djokovic and Sharapova’s unique insights extend far beyond professional sport. Drawing on years of competing at the highest level, the programmes explore physical performance, mental strength, recovery and sustainable habits that can be incorporated into daily life.

Ultimately, whether guests are looking for rest, growth or performance, Ng believes in supporting guests in their quests for success – no matter what that may look like. “Travellers increasingly want their trip to actively support what they’re trying to achieve. Wellness does not look the same for everyone. Our role is to give guests the choice and support they need to feel at their best.”

Here are some of the leading hotel names which have partnered with athletes or sports brands to offer wellness programmes. 

Luxury properties offering performance programmes 

Hyatt and Hyrox 

Over 110 Asia Pacific properties under Hyatt are offering Hyrox-associated stays, which feature special rates for onsite spending, dedicated in-room amenities and exclusive experiences. Members of World of Hyatt – the brand’s loyalty programme – who choose the Hyrox room offer get savings on room rates, onsite dining and spa treatments; a nourishing race-day breakfast; and thoughtful post-race touches like complimentary laundry service and ice for recovery. In select locations, members can also enjoy access to exclusive experiences, including training sessions and workshops hosted by Hyrox ambassadors. 

Various properties across Asia Pacific destinations including Mumbai, Singapore, Shanghai, Seoul, Melbourne and Hong Kong 

Aman and Novak Djokovic, Maria Sharapova

Five Aman properties , including Aman Nai Lert Bangkok, Amanoi (Khanh Hoa) and Amanpuri (Phuket) offer a three-day mobility- and recovery-focused programme curated by tennis star Novak Djokovic and tailored to each destination. The experience includes a lifestyle assessment and consultation, followed by several sessions of mindfulness, movement, fitness and treatments to aid recovery.  

Meanwhile, Djokovic’s detoxification programme, also a three-day retreat, is available at three properties, including Amanbagh (Rajasthan) and Aman New York. Guests undergo calming treatments and activities influenced by different practices around the world, from Banya to cryotherapy and from Pinda Sweda (a traditional Ayurvedic massage treatment) to yoga.

Aman New York also offers a half-day programme curated by world champion Maria Sharapova focused on strength and recovery. The experience begins with a nutritious breakfast, followed by an hour of strength and conditioning, and ends with a spa treatment. 

Fairmont and Kylian Mbappe

Fairmont Hotel and Resorts’ renewed approach to wellness features football star Kylian Mbappé as an ambassador, a guarantor of the brand’s commitment to wellness that allows travellers to maintain their wellbeing even on the road. Examples include their Nike gear lending programme, which allows guests to have workout clothes and shoes delivered to their room; access to recovery tools like Hyperice’s range; and fresh non-alcoholic drinks.

Various locations around the world including Los Angeles, Vancouver and Hanoi

Explora Journeys and Jannik Sinner 

Explora Journeys partners with Grand Slam champion Jannik Sinner to launch a half-day wellness programme at sea, centred on physical and mental vitality and defined by Sinner’s discipline on court. The programme, available on Explora I and Explora II, revolves around four pillars that each represent an aspect of performance, including working on precision and control during a workout, re-centring through breathwork and renewal through contrast therapy. 

Explora Journeys offers several journeys to and from destinations across Europe 

Samara Lombok and Rafa Nadal 

The first Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre in Southeast Asia is set to open in upcoming coastal destination Samara Lombok , alongside boutique hotels, villas, dining concepts, a marine biology and watersports centre and a football training centre. The tennis centre will have four courts for tennis and padel, offering training programmes for all ages and abilities that follow tennis great Rafa Nadal’s methodology. Co-founder Steve Ebsworth says the partnership fulfils his vision of Samara as a playground where guests can be active for as long as they wish, and keep returning again and again.

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