by Pamela Tames
According to the Global Wellness Institute (GWI), the global wellness industry will reach $7.4 trillion in 2025. For Anissa Mendil and Ben Meyer wellness is not only big business, it’s a way of life. Through the work they do at Mendil + Meyer Design Studio, they have been infusing principles of wellness into the creation of conscious, purposeful spaces for the hospitality industry. Their goal is to delight, relax, and heal. As Principal Designer, Anissa achieves modern, yet relatable spaces that both excite and soothe visitors, while fostering a sense of balance and health. Ben is an architect with a passion for repurposing existing places and spaces with the goal of making a truly meaningful impact on the environment as well as the community. I talked with both of them to learn more about how wellness is transforming the world of design and architecture in hospitality and beyond.
What I thought was a trend that would soon disappear seems to be here for good. Why do you think wellness has become so important?
Ben Meyer: The pandemic definitely awakened people to their priorities, focusing on self-worth, future goals, and finding purpose. Wellness has emerged as a central part of that conversation. This increased awareness combined with targeted marketing has created a massive explosion in the trend.
Anissa Mendil: I actually believe wellness is more than a trend; it's a movement that’s attracting more and more people for whom wellness becomes a way of life. The pandemic was like a spotlight. It forced us to pause and become more aware of what's really happening with our lives and health. People experienced emotions they hadn't acknowledged, realizing how much they were neglecting their needs in their constant busyness. Wellness is about paying attention to ourselves. It’s incorporating various practices into our lives to feel better and achieve more. Why would we abandon something that makes us feel good and produces results?
Both of you are experts in bringing aspects of wellness into design and architecture, particularly in the hospitality space. How does the focus on wellness change your approach?
Anissa Mendil: There are tangible, scientific concepts you can integrate into a space beyond aesthetics, such as, air, water, and light quality that adjusts to the natural rhythms. Biophilic design elements, like bringing nature indoors with plants or mimicking natural textures, also contribute to a sense of well-being. We also pay attention to how space affects the subtle energies, which in turn influences how you feel in that space. It involves aligning the building with the sun's rhythm and its location. This creates a sense of harmony because the building is built in accordance with nature, not against it.
Ben Meyer: Architecture and design are often separate disciplines, but we believe the magic happens when they're considered together from the start. This has been our key philosophy since we began collaborating in London, England, in 2007. Our approach starts with the basics—ensuring the design functions well and looks good—but then we go further to incorporate subtle nuances and elements that support people on their wellness journeys. Some of these are obvious features and functions, while others are more hidden, such as the energies we want to infuse into a space. We refined our purpose over the last couple of years through doing a lot of coaching to clarify our intention, purpose and what we want to get out of life. I've always loved helping people, taking our skill sets and transferring them into ways that hopefully transform lives for the better. When it comes to design, we are always looking to not just create great buildings and spaces and interiors but to do so in a way that can truly impact somebody's life by igniting wellbeing.
Can you describe a project where you brought in wellness components?
Anissa Mendil: Civana in Scottsdale, Arizona, is an example I love because it combines nature, respect for the land's history, cultural integration, functionality, and aesthetics. It shows what can be done with the right approach. The courtyard in front of the spa we designed serves as a portal leading to an inner courtyard, which is based on the Native American medicine wheel. Each direction has a color and energy associated with it, translated into specific plants with those colors or medicinal effects. We planted raised beds with these plants in each direction, and the spa originally used those herbs for treatments. In the center, instead of a traditional totem pole, we designed a space for crystals and rocks to capture energy in the space.
Ben Meyer: We're now working on a meditation garden, a new swimming pool complex with an outdoor restaurant and bar, restrooms, showers, and a dedicated pavilion area. A key feature of our design approach is the use of sacred geometry to contribute to a total experience in which you feel grounded, peaceful, and deeply connected to place.
Are these wellness aspects incorporated into the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system?
Ben Meyer: There are various governing bodies focused on sustainability and human health in buildings. LEED, for instance, focuses on building sustainably and minimizing environmental impact. While important, it can be difficult for occupants to relate to these benefits as they are not directly experienced. For instance, people don't necessarily understand how an extra foot of insulation or triple-glazed windows benefit them personally even though it may be sustainable.
Anissa Mendil: As a WELL Accredited Professional (WELL AP), I adhere to a building standard that focuses on the performance of building features and their impact on health and well-being. It addresses air quality, natural light, water quality, fitness, nourishment, and comfort. There's also FITWEL, another standard that encourages interaction with the built environment. For example, elevators might only stop on every other floor, prompting people to take the stairs and move more. WELL AP is now developing a residential version, bringing the commercial focus on well-being to homes. Beyond the WELL AP standard, we often consider 6 pillars of well-being: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, social, and environmental. Achieving holistic health and well-being involves focusing equally on all these aspects. Within the physical pillar, sleep has become increasingly important, even surpassing physical activity in recent times, given its impact on all other aspects of well-being.
Can the spaces we live and work affect us that much?
Anissa Mendil: Absolutely! We create spaces that either ignite or support your wellness journey. Igniting involves creating spaces that encourage specific behaviors or mindsets. For example, this could mean a dedicated yoga or strength training area in your home, or a designated reading corner for relaxation. Supportive aspects in your space that reinforce healthy habits could be a kitchen equipped for healthy cooking with ample fresh food storage, dedicated areas for technology detox, or built-in features like a "gratitude bowl" to encourage positive rituals. I’ll give you a recent example. We have been studying a field called Sacred Geometry. It involves designing buildings and room layout based on frequency to create specific energies. It mainly involves mathematical calculations on dimensions based on the solar rhythm. Then it's implemented in the space, either when building new with specific foundations, or by placing heavy objects strategically in existing spaces. People can really feel the difference but they have no idea we’ve used sacred geometry to help achieve it.
What about outdoor spaces?
Anissa Mendil: Outdoor spaces are crucial. Consider the "Blue Zones" documentary on Netflix which highlights the importance of activities like gardening. Even in small spaces, growing your own herbs or vegetables can connect you with nature, promote physical activity through gardening, provide fresh food, and encourage healthy food choices. Additionally, simply being outside in nature, near trees or sunlight, contributes to relaxation and well-being. If you’re in an urban environment, maximizing the available outdoor spaces or incorporating biophilic design elements indoors becomes even more important.
Modern building code and the use of, say, fire retardant materials and synthetic chemicals in building materials seem to be contrary to creating wellness spaces. Is it becoming more difficult or expensive to achieve this vision?
Ben Meyer: While everyone, including big hotel brands, might share the goal of sustainability and using healthier materials, aligning standards and overcoming cost barriers can be hurdles. Large brands have complex systems, and updating standards takes time and effort. Smaller boutique hotels, however, can implement such changes more easily. Fortunately, many manufacturers are now offering sustainable alternatives like recycled materials or materials with a "cradle-to-cradle" lifecycle, meaning they’re recycled back into their original form after use. However, these options often come at a premium cost. I do believe the price will come down eventually, and using sustainable materials will become standard practice. There’s no question the market demand is there to drive this trend. Younger generations, in particular, see sustainability as a given, not a choice.
What drew you both to this field and why does it matter so much to you?
Anissa Mendil: I just feel like I grew up with it. I was raised with a health-conscious lifestyle. My mom introduced me to alternative medicine, aromatherapy, Eastern medicine and organic food at a young age. Later, studying interior design exposed me to the concept of how spaces can affect well-being, similar to food choices. Back in 2017, I was exploring the idea of "superfoods for interiors" before it became popular. Extending my studies into Feng Shui and the use of sacred geometries gave me more opportunities to express my creativity in such a way that it aligned with my values around health. I saw how everything is intertwined and how living in a sustainable, balanced and wellness-focused way can allow us to reach our full potential and experience life to the fullest. At its core, my commitment to wellness really comes from gratitude for the opportunity of life and the desire to support becoming the best version of ourselves.
Ben Meyer: My background is different from Anissa. I didn't understand, or even know about architecture until my step Dad came into my life when I was around 10. I saw him create drawings on the dining room table with tracing paper and ink pens, and I was hooked. I loved the precision. As for my journey into wellness, wellness for me was always about friendship and social connections. Growing up in England, sports were the center of my world, with the weekend revolving around games and the social side that came with it. I wasn't thinking of it as wellness at the time, but between the activity and the camaraderie of being in a team, it was there.
You specialize in the hospitality industry. What are the latest wellness trends?
Ben Meyer: There are multiple layers to it. There are specialist wellness retreats designed for people seeking a transformational experience, and they’re becoming more prevalent. One company with properties in Hawaii and Palm Springs is collaborating with the company, Whoop. As part of your stay, they would request your data a month in advance, so they could start putting together a plan tailored to your metrics and goals. More mainstream hospitality venues are now looking at ways of layering in some of these kinds of retreat offerings or modalities, often with a focus on helping people maintain their wellness lifestyle while traveling. That's always a sort of chink in the armor, isn’t it? We might be very disciplined at home, but as soon as we're on the road and our schedules get messed up, everything falls apart.
Anissa Mendil: It’s an evolution to what you could call, lifestyle hotels. We’re also seeing the emergence of urban hubs that are membership-based. These hubs could be extensions of a retreat brand or places you can go in a city to experience things such as sound meditation within a social context. We’ve heard so much about this loneliness pandemic so these wellness hubs are ways to connect, combining self-care with community creation. The other thing that we’re seeing is people traveling to places because they're seeking a specific kind of transformation. It could be to partake in an ancient ritual, for instance.
People want to travel to the destinations that are the source of that ancient knowledge and experience. It's not just going to a resort locally that uses these modalities.
There's definitely a growing interest in slow travel, where people prioritize mindful exploration and avoid over-scheduling their trips. They want to truly experience the destination, not just tick things off a list. It's also about experiencing the destination authentically, which can involve things like taking the train instead of flying or immersing yourself in local activities.
Sleep tourism is also becoming increasingly popular. This is where people take vacations specifically focused on improving their sleep. They visit resorts with specialized sleep programs, often involving sleep doctors and wearable technology. This may involve using sleep trackers to understand your sleep patterns, working with sleep doctors to develop personalized sleep hygiene strategies, and even trying out special sleep environments like AI-powered mattresses that adjust to optimize your sleep quality. Biometric trackers, sleep trackers, and other technologies are not only helping people personalize their wellness experiences but also providing valuable data to further refine and improve these offerings.
Are you using technology to further your wellness?
Anissa Mendil: I always sensed intuitively what my body needs, but sometimes it helps to measure things so you can measure effects. For example, I knew alcohol wasn't good for me, but seeing my heart rate changes on the Oura ring helped me understand what I was doing to my body. It also helped me understand my sleep patterns and the phases of sleep, and how much physical activity affects my resilience score. I absolutely love it because it helps me make better choices.
Ben Meyer: I had a Whoop for a while but didn’t stick with it. Maybe it was the electromagnetic field but I stopped wearing it though I see the benefits.
Ultimately, I believe in keeping wellness simple. I start with the basics: sleep, exercise, nutrition, community, doing some sort of meditation or self-reflection are the foundation. Then I think about adding other additional layers on top of that to help refine and define. This might be things like tracking devices and cold therapies. You can have all the facilities and technology in the world, but if you don't show up and take it upon yourself to incorporate the basics in your life, then the best tools won't matter. If you're not sleeping well, eating terribly, and not exercising, then it all goes out the window. There are no quick fixes.
Give us some tips for creating wellness-focused homes and other spaces
Anissa Mendil: Probably the easiest thing to start with to support your well-being at home is to declutter to create a calming environment. Also, prioritize sleep since it brings so many benefits. At our office, we encourage employees to take breaks and avoid eating at their desks, both concrete actions that highlight the importance of well-being within the company culture.
Ben Meyer: For me, I think it’s important to identify your purpose and have a clear "north star" to achieve lasting wellness changes. Extrinsic motivations like "feeling we should do" things often fade, and connecting to a deeper purpose sustains commitment. We launched a podcast, called 292 Wellness, that dives into these ideas. It explores the intersection of well-being and the built environment and features guests from diverse backgrounds like the medical field, sound therapy practitioners, architects, and hoteliers. You can find 292 Wellness wherever you listen to your podcasts.
By Pamela Tames
Pamela Tames is a health journalist actively researching the rapidly growing world of medical, dental, and wellness tourism with the goal of creating a docu-series. If you work in the field or represent a country that is promulgating such services, please contact her on LinkedIn: pamelatamesbrands
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