From the ritual warmth of an Istanbul hammam to riverside mindfulness in Bangkok and a subterranean sanctuary in London, The Peninsula Hotels is redefining wellness as something far deeper than a spa menu. It is an invitation to reconnect with place, culture, community and the self.
With 12 hotels in leading gateway cities worldwide, The Peninsula has long been synonymous with gracious service, impeccable design and a distinctive sense of occasion. Now, its wellness proposition is evolving through Life Lived Best, a global platform that brings together physical fitness, mental wellbeing and nutrition, while allowing each property to express these ideas through its own local character.
At the heart of this evolution is Benjamin Vuchot, who joined The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited as chief executive officer in 2025. Drawing on a career in global luxury retail, he sees a decisive shift in what guests now value.
“Luxury hospitality is evolving. It is no longer just about hotel rooms, restaurants or bars. It is also about wellness offerings, lifestyle experiences and access to the cultural life of each destination,” says Vuchot. “Coming from luxury retail, I see very clearly that people are moving from owning beautiful things to seeking meaningful experiences. Our guests are looking for trusted brands, but they also want relevance, discovery and moments that stay with them.”
That perspective is increasingly visible across the group. Guests can access guided meditations, aromatherapy rituals, in-room fitness equipment and exercise videos through dedicated Wellness Portals, alongside a growing range of sleep-supportive treatments, restorative bath rituals, nourishing cuisine and local experiences.
Rather than applying a uniform wellness template around the world, The Peninsula is creating experiences shaped by each destination’s rhythm, rituals and community. The result is an approach to wellbeing that feels both on brand and unmistakably local.
For Vuchot, this emphasis on balance is personal as well as professional. “I believe deeply in the power of meditation,” he says. “For leaders, especially in a fastmoving world, the ability to pause, breathe and create a sense of calm is not a luxury; it is essential. It helps us make better decisions, listen more carefully and bring a steadier energy to the people around us.”
ISTANBUL: RITUAL AND RENEWAL
At The Peninsula Istanbul, wellness begins with the city itself. Set along the Bosphorus in Karaköy, the hotel combines restored heritage buildings with contemporary refinement, framing one of the world’s most dynamic cities through a lens of calm, water and light.
The centrepiece is the traditional Turkish hammam. Within the marble-clad Peninsula Spa and Wellness Centre, guests discover private treatment rooms, saunas, relaxation areas, a tea lounge and separate hammams for men and women. Treatments range from therapeutic massage and aromatherapy to face and body rituals, while the hotel’s Wellness Retreat includes daily breakfast, a 60-minute Istanbul Essence Massage, detox drinks and access to the fitness centre and pools.
“The hammam is not an imported wellness trend. It belongs to Istanbul. That is what makes it so powerful,” says Vuchot. “Our role is to honour the authenticity of the ritual while presenting it with the comfort, privacy and refinement our guests expect. It connects ancient practice with very modern ideas of recovery, renewal and balance.”
Beyond the hammam, wellbeing unfolds across the property. There is a 24-hour fitness centre, a 25-metre indoor pool set beneath illuminated domes, an outdoor pool overlooking the Bosphorus and a programme of waterside yoga, tai chi and guided mindfulness. Sleepsupportive experiences, Ayurvedic aromatherapy and detoxifying treatments add further layers.
Here, wellness is not confined to the treatment room. It is embedded in the pace of the stay: the quiet of a lowerlevel sanctuary, the restorative power of water and the opportunity to encounter Istanbul through one of its most enduring rituals.
‘Our role is to honour the authenticity of the ritual while presenting it with the comfort, privacy and refinement our guests expect. It connects ancient practice with very modern ideas of recovery, renewal and balance’
BANGKOK: WELLBEING BY THE RIVER
If Istanbul speaks through ritual, Bangkok offers wellness as urban recovery. The Peninsula Bangkok sits on the Chao Phraya River, a serene counterpoint to the energy of the Thai capital. Its riverside setting immediately changes the tempo, offering guests a place to slow down without stepping away from the city.
The hotel’s spa occupies a three-storey Thai colonialstyle building with private suites, steam showers and whirlpools overlooking the water. Treatments draw on European, Oriental and Ayurvedic traditions, with bespoke therapies tailored to individual needs. The wider wellness offer includes a fitness centre, sauna, steam room, hot and cold vitality pools, plunge pools and Naturally Peninsula dining by the pool.
The Peninsula Bangkok Wellness Festival extends this philosophy beyond the spa, with year-round yoga, hybrid training, sound healing, breathwork, mindfulness and nutrition workshops. Daily activities invite guests and local residents to take part in experiences ranging from singing-bowl meditation and Muay Thai to alms giving, aqua exercise, cooking classes and kombuchamaking sessions.
“Hotels, particularly in Asia, remain important gathering places for local families,” says Vuchot. “We do not only serve visitors; we also serve our local communities. Food and beverage and wellness experiences are excellent ways to engage both audiences, because they create reasons to come together in a meaningful way.”
That sense of welcome is central to Bangkok’s appeal. Wellness here feels social as well as restorative: a morning by the river, afternoon treatment, mindful workshop or a relaxed meal designed around seasonal ingredients and balance. It is wellbeing without austerity, rooted in pleasure, connection and generosity
LONDON: STILLNESS BENEATH BELGRAVIA
At The Peninsula London, wellness takes a more architectural form. Conceived by Peter Marino, the Peninsula Spa and Wellness Centre occupies the hotel’s lower levels, creating an elegant retreat beneath Belgravia.
Its centrepiece is a 25-metre heated swimming pool set within a double-height subterranean chamber. Mosaic landscape scenes line the walls, while overhead light panels shift throughout the day to evoke natural daylight. Guests can swim with music playing through underwater speakers, rest in semi-private cabanas or retreat to treatment rooms designed for complete discretion.
The spa features seven treatment rooms, including a couples’ suite, separate steam and sauna facilities, a relaxation lounge with heated chairs and a 24-hour fitness centre. Its treatment menu combines ancient and contemporary therapies, including Ayurvedic aromatherapy, personalised massages, facials and fullbody rituals. Partnerships with Margy’s Monte Carlo, Subtle Energies and Errol Douglas Hair Salon further elevate the experience.
Current offerings include the Revitalise & Restore Escape, centred on a 90-minute Subtle Energies Personalised Holistic Massage, and the Indulgent Relaxation experience, which combines massage, an anti-pollution facial, body wrap and time in the pool, vitality pool and sauna.
“The Peninsula brand is a tremendous asset,” says Vuchot. “Because of that strength, we have opportunities to build experiences that extend beyond the traditional stay. Wellness is one of the areas where that ambition can be felt most naturally.”
For a city defined by movement, London’s wellness proposition is a considered descent into stillness: immersive, private and beautifully executed.
‘There is clearly an appetite for travel and experiences. Guests are looking for brands they trust. The opportunity now is to keep making that trust meaningful for a new generation’
TOKYO: THE NEXT CHAPTER
Tokyo points to what comes next. The Peninsula Tokyo already offers a sixth-floor Spa & Wellness Centre, expert therapists, a health club and a 20-metre indoor heated pool in the heart of the Yurakucho business district. Its Life Lived Best Room Package combines personal training, fitness evaluations, Subtle Energies bath rituals and Naturally Peninsula cuisine made with seasonwal local produce, nutritious oils and non-refined sugars.
Guests can also experience Japanese acupuncture with Akiyo Shiraishi, with treatments focused on circulation, sleep quality, scalp health and deep relaxation. Future programming offers an opportunity to build on these foundations with experiences that feel distinctly Tokyo: precise yet serene, deeply urban yet attuned to nature and ritual.
“Old school has never been so cool!” says Vuchot. “There are powerful strengths in experiences that endure over time. Our strategy is intentionally focused on retaining the qualities that made Peninsula strong while incorporating the aspirations and preferences of newer generations.”
A MORE PERSONAL LUXURY
Across Istanbul, Bangkok, London and Tokyo, The Peninsula’s wellness story is not one of standardisation. It is about creating room for different needs and different states of mind: a hammam ritual, a sound-healing session, a restorative facial, a guided run or simply uninterrupted sleep.
“People are shifting from owning products to spending quality time with friends and family,” says Vuchot. “There is clearly an appetite for travel and experiences. Guests are looking for brands they trust. The opportunity now is to keep making that trust meaningful for a new generation.”
For The Peninsula, this means making wellbeing feel effortless rather than prescribed: woven into an early swim, considered meal, restorative treatment or an unhurried afternoon. It is a philosophy that gives enduring hospitality a new relevance, one centred on how a guest carries the experience forward long after check-out.