Q&A with Mike Marburg of Simply Shenandoah
Founder
Principal Series:
Simply Shenandoah is developing a revolutionary 120-key wellness destination that reimagines the traditional resort and spa experience. Blending rest and relaxation with ancient wisdom traditions and modern therapeutic modalities, Simply is designed from the ground up to deliver a regenerative approach that blurs the lines between vacation and transformation. Leisure and corporate guests will enjoy nature-based luxury accommodations with panoramic mountain and valley views, including a world-class spa (20 treatment rooms), aquatics, yoga, fitness, outdoor adventure, meetings, and fine dining facilities.
Join us for a private Family Office Insights Webinar/Teleconference featuring Mike Marburg, Founder and CEO of Simply Shenandoah – a ~$170M transformational wellness resort being developed 90 minutes from Washington, DC on 640 forested acres. Wellness Tourism is the hottest trend in hospitality real estate, and Mike will discuss disrupting our current mental health epidemic by complementing our broken healthcare system with an innovative self-care paradigm. Join this former hedge fund manager to hear about breaking the cycle of chronic illness, resolving trauma and the future of vacationing. Investors Only Please.
May 01, 2024 at 2:15pm-3:15pm EST
RSVP & Confirmation Required
Investors Only Please
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Why is wellness the hottest trend in hospitality? {demand side}
Our population’s mental health has substantially deteriorated over the past fifteen years, reaching "epidemic" status today. Mental health is an underlying driver related to all chronic illnesses, and 82% of US consumers now consider wellness a “top or important priority” in their everyday lives (McKinsey, Jan 2024). However, the traditional healthcare market is failing to address this megatrend, and consumers are now engaging in a more proactive “self-care” paradigm. Vacationing that blends recreation with self-care and personal growth has resulted in the Wellness Tourism market achieving a 16.8% CAGR, expected to exceed $1T globally in this decade as hospitality’s fastest growing subsector (GWI, 2003).
What does transformational wellness mean? {differentiation}
Hospitality typically addresses wellness via healthier menus and outdoor activities, with some offering spa services and/or a small selection of holistic activities. However, three weeks after a vacation, the guest is back to the “rat race” and feelings of stress, anxiety, frustration, etc. For more impact, “transformational wellness” occurs when resort experiences stimulate a new worldview. The impact is that guests are incented to change their behavioral patterns and daily lifestyle within an accountability framework. Importantly, this is also accompanied by a durable neurophysiologic impact whereby the guest feels lighter, brighter, more connected and fulfilled.
Where can I go to experience transformational wellness? {supply side}
The Destination Spa market has existed in the US for over fifty years. However, it is dramatically underpenetrated versus Europe (40% on a per capita basis) and there are none found in the mid-Atlantic. While brands like Miraval and Canyon Ranch have proven the business model, there are only about a dozen Destination Spa resorts with the size and scope of Simply Shenandoah – leaving considerable white space for a next-generation entrant. As the needs of Millennials become dominant and social habits continue to evolve, taking a wellness vacation will increasingly normalize. If an incremental 1% of U.S. adults decide to take a 3-night wellness vacation, an additional 225 more resorts the size of Simply Shenandoah would be required. Substantial barriers to entry will prevent commoditization.
