Rebecca Parekh, co-founder and CEO of THE WELL, spoke with Crain Currency about the top trends she’s seeing today and the transformation of luxury wellness.
How did THE WELL come to be?
We opened the doors of our flagship club in New York City in September 2019, and our vision has always been multifold: to transform the way people think about their health, shifting from a mindset of “sick care” to “well care,” to cultivate community and prioritize it as a central component of well-being, and to help make it easier for people to take care of themselves.
My co-founders Sarrah Hallock, Kane Sarhan and I were all seeking something like this in our lives, and we saw there was a gap in the market at the time for an integrated wellness space in the urban setting. With so much conflicting information out there in wellness, on top of busy New Yorkers having limited time to see doctors who are spread all over the city, we wanted to bring world-class doctors and expert practitioners specializing in various healing modalities under one roof, where they could collaborate with one another to offer a customized plan that is tailored to each individual.
Since then, we’ve seen incredible success with THE WELL New York, which has allowed us to extend the concept into the hospitality space by launching three locations — in Connecticut, Costa Rica and Mexico — in partnership with renowned luxury hotel operator Auberge Resorts Collection. In each location, we reimagined the hotel spa concepts as fully integrated wellness offerings to provide destination wellness experiences for travelers, allowing them to maintain their wellness routines, as well as to discover new wellness experiences, while traveling.
THE WELL is a major player in luxury wellness. You’re now setting your sights on a global expansion. Why now?
We recently announced our first European location at a newly renovated hotel overlooking Lake Geneva, set to launch in 2027. Switzerland has been a leader in offering “destination wellness” for decades, and I’m so excited to bring our urban model for holistic, integrated health and well-being to the heart of Geneva with this upcoming location.
THE WELL will be the first of its kind for the Swiss city, servicing the local community as well as visitors to the region through a 30,000-square-foot club that will feature an indoor swimming pool, a state-of-the-art fitness facility and a private outdoor garden terrace, providing memberships and a la carte East-meets-West wellness services.
Tell us about THE WELL Residences.
THE WELL Bay Harbor Islands, opening in Miami in 2025, will be a first-of-its-kind mixed-use development featuring branded residences, offices and a holistic wellness club.
The Residences at THE WELL Bay Harbor Islands will reimagine the way people live, representing what we feel is the future of wellness. The project as a whole embodies this idea of truly centering wellness in daily life — in your home, in your workplace and in your social life — in ways both big and small. Residents will have the full breadth of our offering at their fingertips through membership to the club, but they will also have a home that is designed with small details that bring wellness into their day-to-day life without having to even think about it.
In partnership with the acclaimed Miami-based real estate developer Terra, we worked with Meyer Davis for the interiors to conceptualize an intuitive biophilic design that brings the outdoors in, pulling inspiration from the local landscape — water, sand and sun. We incorporated thoughtful touches throughout every home, from an affusion spa shower to help stimulate the lymphatic system, to red-light therapy panels built into the primary closet, to a skin care fridge in every unit for optimal storage of clean beauty solutions that protect ingredient integrity and efficacy.
And while these are all great selling points for a luxury condo, what it’s really all about is making it easier to take care of yourself.
THE WELL Bay Harbor Islands will also feature 96,000 square feet of Class A office space — designed and programmed around wellness — and as mentioned, our holistic wellness and fitness center. The club will be 17,000 square feet and will feature an incredible bathhouse experience including Miami’s first caldarium, a saunarium, halotherapy steam room and infrared sound dome, plus a fitness floor and mindful-movement studio, rooftop deck featuring incredible views and a rejuvenating pool and hot tub, beautifully designed treatment rooms for East-meets-West services, and more.
What are the key trends you’re seeing in luxury wellness today?
Longevity and recovery services, advanced skin health technology, opportunities to disconnect and go within, highly personalized wellness support and travel plans designed around wellness are among the trends we’re seeing right now.
What’s next for THE WELL?
As we approach our five-year anniversary this fall, our current pipeline includes more than 10 additional locations internationally over the next five years and over 1 million square feet currently under development — including city clubs, hotel integrations, branded residences and offices.
As we grow, we will continue to take a holistic, integrated and multidisciplinary approach to further our mission of helping people make wellness part of their every day.