Leary was one of the first to bring the social wellness club concept to market / photo: Remedy Place
You launched Remedy Place at the start of the pandemic, what impact did that have? We never expected to close right after opening, so the first couple of months were obviously traumatic, but one positive byproduct of the pandemic was the mass awareness of health and the trajectory of self-care. It was like the whole world woke up. The self-care industry is going to blow up. Just like there’s a gym on every corner, soon enough there will be some type of self-care facility on every corner.
As a social wellness club, your mission is to redefine social occasions: so people choose to celebrate with a meditation and ice bath over a steak and a bottle of wine. How has that played out? People are really connecting with the social side of our offering and we’re emphasising this part of our identity more in each club. Increasingly, members and guests are having meetings at Remedy Place and using it as an after-work hang-out in place of other social norms, like happy hour. This inspired us to launch Remedy After Hours, where people can rent the club at night and work with our events team to design a bespoke experience for their needs and budget.
Have you seen increased interest in social wellness? One hundred per cent. When we first launched Remedy Place the premise was a hypothesis, based on my experience in medical practice. Yet since 2019, with no paid advertising, we’ve enjoyed widespread enthusiasm and adoption, creating a buzz in the cultural conversation and attention from industry giants and being recognised as a top trend by the Global Wellness Summit.
Who are your customers? Pro-active people who prioritise their health and seek happiness. Although we host a range of guests from 18-year-olds up to octogenarians, our core is people in their 30s. It’s an almost even split (51 per cent female) showing men are now just as invested in the self-care category.
We’re inclusive, so we allow anyone to make a reservation and we cap the number of members per club, so we have fewer member visits than non-members. The split is around 35/65. Although we cater to an affluent demographic, we’re seeing many people who’ve shifted their spending to prioritise wellness with us.
What are your expansion plans? We have two clubs in construction and plan to open two a year going forward. Our third club will be in New York City’s SoHo neighbourhood. We haven’t disclosed the location of our fourth club yet, but it will be outside New York and will be our biggest footprint with the most amenities to date, setting a whole new standard for the brand.
Tell us more about your experience in the events sector We can ‘Remedy’ any event by serving workouts, meditation, breathwork and ice bath classes instead of cocktails. It’s a significant new revenue stream – last year we facilitated more than 13,000 ice baths off-site and this year we’re on track to double takings for this side of the business. We partner with a range of brands such as BMW, HBO, Coachella, Festival de Cannes and Soho House.
Why did you decide to go after the home market with the Tech-Remedy Collection? Guests asked for it over and over again. There’s a growing market for creating the type of experiences we offer in the convenience of one’s own home and as we continue to lead and innovate this new self-care industry, we also want to supply it, continuing to educate and inspire.
The Tech-Remedy Collection represents a new arm of the business in product design and is a really cool vertical which may end up bigger than our brick-and-mortar presence. However, clubs will always be our foundation, because that’s where we create authentic connections and communities with our guests.
Why did you choose the Remedy Roller as your first product and how does it work? Pain is a major issue in America, which resulted in an opioid crisis. Everyone has tight muscles and to restore motion you need to release the fascia and break up scar tissue. The Remedy Roller is a great way of restoring movement and blood flow to the muscles, fascia and joints – it can get into every crevice of the body, like the backs of the knees which frequently get overlooked in treatments.
It works by pushing the parts of the body against it, for example sitting on the bench and putting the feet on it and then moving up the legs. You can sit against it for your back and lean over it for abs and side muscles, or even straddle it to do the adductors.
At US$11,000 (€10,067, £8,598) it’s an expensive product, but it’s something which can be used every single day and will make a huge impact for anyone who is trying to move better, eliminate pain, or alleviate any tightness.
What are your distribution plans? We have a long list of contacts I’ve built over the years. It’s the first time we’ve ever done a release outside of a club, but I’ve consulted with our entire database of customers from gyms and hotels to country clubs and recovery centres.
We’re currently working on six Tech-Remedy products, with the next launch planned for later this year.
Remedy Place is the brainchild of Dr Jonathan Leary, who has a doctorate in chiropractic medicine.
Seeing firsthand how patients struggled to live a healthy lifestyle and still be social, he set about merging the two in a new business model which he called a ‘social wellness club’.
There are currently two clubs: the first opened in West Hollywood in 2019, and Flatiron, New York followed in 2022 with more under development.
Each Remedy Place has four main components:
• The Lounge
A ‘gathering space’ for working or socialising where healthy food is served and non-alcoholic happy hours reign supreme
• Tech Remedies
Mostly touchless offerings such as cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and ice baths
• Holistic Practitioners
Ranging from functional medicine specialists to those focusing on gut health
• Group Classes
Includes breathwork, sound bath meditation and stretch/mobility
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2024 issue 1
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
An opportunity to reimagine one of the UK’s most recognisable towers has been formally
opened by Rivington Hark, as St Johns Beacon invites operators and partners to shape its
next phase. [more...]
Leary was one of the first to bring the social wellness club concept to market / photo: Remedy Place
You launched Remedy Place at the start of the pandemic, what impact did that have? We never expected to close right after opening, so the first couple of months were obviously traumatic, but one positive byproduct of the pandemic was the mass awareness of health and the trajectory of self-care. It was like the whole world woke up. The self-care industry is going to blow up. Just like there’s a gym on every corner, soon enough there will be some type of self-care facility on every corner.
As a social wellness club, your mission is to redefine social occasions: so people choose to celebrate with a meditation and ice bath over a steak and a bottle of wine. How has that played out? People are really connecting with the social side of our offering and we’re emphasising this part of our identity more in each club. Increasingly, members and guests are having meetings at Remedy Place and using it as an after-work hang-out in place of other social norms, like happy hour. This inspired us to launch Remedy After Hours, where people can rent the club at night and work with our events team to design a bespoke experience for their needs and budget.
Have you seen increased interest in social wellness? One hundred per cent. When we first launched Remedy Place the premise was a hypothesis, based on my experience in medical practice. Yet since 2019, with no paid advertising, we’ve enjoyed widespread enthusiasm and adoption, creating a buzz in the cultural conversation and attention from industry giants and being recognised as a top trend by the Global Wellness Summit.
Who are your customers? Pro-active people who prioritise their health and seek happiness. Although we host a range of guests from 18-year-olds up to octogenarians, our core is people in their 30s. It’s an almost even split (51 per cent female) showing men are now just as invested in the self-care category.
We’re inclusive, so we allow anyone to make a reservation and we cap the number of members per club, so we have fewer member visits than non-members. The split is around 35/65. Although we cater to an affluent demographic, we’re seeing many people who’ve shifted their spending to prioritise wellness with us.
What are your expansion plans? We have two clubs in construction and plan to open two a year going forward. Our third club will be in New York City’s SoHo neighbourhood. We haven’t disclosed the location of our fourth club yet, but it will be outside New York and will be our biggest footprint with the most amenities to date, setting a whole new standard for the brand.
Tell us more about your experience in the events sector We can ‘Remedy’ any event by serving workouts, meditation, breathwork and ice bath classes instead of cocktails. It’s a significant new revenue stream – last year we facilitated more than 13,000 ice baths off-site and this year we’re on track to double takings for this side of the business. We partner with a range of brands such as BMW, HBO, Coachella, Festival de Cannes and Soho House.
Why did you decide to go after the home market with the Tech-Remedy Collection? Guests asked for it over and over again. There’s a growing market for creating the type of experiences we offer in the convenience of one’s own home and as we continue to lead and innovate this new self-care industry, we also want to supply it, continuing to educate and inspire.
The Tech-Remedy Collection represents a new arm of the business in product design and is a really cool vertical which may end up bigger than our brick-and-mortar presence. However, clubs will always be our foundation, because that’s where we create authentic connections and communities with our guests.
Why did you choose the Remedy Roller as your first product and how does it work? Pain is a major issue in America, which resulted in an opioid crisis. Everyone has tight muscles and to restore motion you need to release the fascia and break up scar tissue. The Remedy Roller is a great way of restoring movement and blood flow to the muscles, fascia and joints – it can get into every crevice of the body, like the backs of the knees which frequently get overlooked in treatments.
It works by pushing the parts of the body against it, for example sitting on the bench and putting the feet on it and then moving up the legs. You can sit against it for your back and lean over it for abs and side muscles, or even straddle it to do the adductors.
At US$11,000 (€10,067, £8,598) it’s an expensive product, but it’s something which can be used every single day and will make a huge impact for anyone who is trying to move better, eliminate pain, or alleviate any tightness.
What are your distribution plans? We have a long list of contacts I’ve built over the years. It’s the first time we’ve ever done a release outside of a club, but I’ve consulted with our entire database of customers from gyms and hotels to country clubs and recovery centres.
We’re currently working on six Tech-Remedy products, with the next launch planned for later this year.
Remedy Place is the brainchild of Dr Jonathan Leary, who has a doctorate in chiropractic medicine.
Seeing firsthand how patients struggled to live a healthy lifestyle and still be social, he set about merging the two in a new business model which he called a ‘social wellness club’.
There are currently two clubs: the first opened in West Hollywood in 2019, and Flatiron, New York followed in 2022 with more under development.
Each Remedy Place has four main components:
• The Lounge
A ‘gathering space’ for working or socialising where healthy food is served and non-alcoholic happy hours reign supreme
• Tech Remedies
Mostly touchless offerings such as cryotherapy, hyperbaric oxygen chambers and ice baths
• Holistic Practitioners
Ranging from functional medicine specialists to those focusing on gut health
• Group Classes
Includes breathwork, sound bath meditation and stretch/mobility
Read more from this issue of Attractions Management magazine
View contents of Attractions Management 2024 issue 1
Profile: King of Bhutan
Plans for a 'mindfulness city' nearly as big as Hong Kong have been unveiled by the King of Bhutan. Katie Barnes takes a closer look
Destination focus: London
Major hotel brands from Mandarin Oriental and Raffles to Six Senses are all investing in the UK capital, but how will they differentiate themselves asks Katie Barnes
Sponsored: Beltrami – made in Italy
Beltrami has more than 50 years’ experience creating bespoke textile products for spas around the world, with a focus on quality
Jeremy McCarthy: Details matter
Attention to detail is a superpower and necessity in the luxury spa arena, says our contributing editor
Interview: Esin Güral Argat
The owner of Joali Being tells Neena Dhillon what inspired her to create an island dedicated to transformative wellbeing in the Maldives
Family matters: The Wilhelmis
The father and son duo behind the Buchinger Wilhelmi fasting method share their exciting plans for research and innovation with Megan Whitby
First person: By royal appointment
Lindsay Madden-Nadeau has a hypo-healing experience at Atlantis The Royal, Kerzner's sister property to the iconic Atlantis The Palm
Interview: Lyndell Nelis
The wellness director for Atlantis Resorts explains how its two Dubai properties are 'smashing it' when it comes to spa performance
New opening: Kilolani Spa
Grand Wailea's famous Hawaiian spa has been transformed into a moon-inspired, open-air haven
Event report: Hotting it up
Jane Kitchen reveals the thermal spa issues and trends delegates were talking about at this industry gathering in California
Sponsored: High end
Hoar Cross Hall has a new gym to match its award-winning hotel and spa. We find out more about the transformation
Software: Building relationships
Using personal data to create tailored experiences is paramount for spas, but operators have been fined millions for breaching GDPR. How can software systems help navigate this?
Sponsored: Add life
Increasing life expectancy is one of the great achievements of our
times and Starpool is working to bring real meaning to longevity
Experience design company, BRC Imagination Arts, has completed a transition that sees founder
Bob Rogers pass ownership of the business to four long-serving senior executives, while
remaining actively involved with the company.
Movie Park Germany has opened a new Paramount Pictures-themed attraction as part of its 30th
anniversary celebrations, using immersive storytelling and adaptive reuse to reinforce the park’s
longstanding “Hollywood in Germany” positioning.
Therme Manchester’s 28-acre development, which will include interconnected glass pavilions
that measure 65,000sq m, will be the largest bathing and wellbeing attraction in the world once
complete, according to prof David Russell, CEO of Therme UK.
Efteling has opened Hooghmoed, a new family drop tower designed to broaden the appeal of its
recently launched Sirene Island themed area and introduce younger visitors to thrill attractions.
A proposed Puy du Fou development near Bicester and Universal Destinations and Experiences’
planned resort in Bedford are emerging as part of a wider transformation of the Oxford–
Cambridge Growth Corridor into a major centre for UK leisure and tourism inv
Shedd Aquarium has opened the Immersion Theater developed in partnership with SimEx-
Iwerks, as part of a wider strategy to enhance the guest experience and create additional
revenue opportunities.
The UK government has announced a temporary reduction in VAT on visitor attractions and
children’s meals as part of a summer cost-of-living support package designed to stimulate the
visitor economy and encourage family days out.
As designer Yinka Ilori prepares for his first solo gallery show in London, he speaks exclusively
to CLADmag about his mission to spread joy, the power of play, and his bold approach to using
colour (including the colours you won’t see in his work).
The government of Thailand is exploring plans for a THB300bn (£6.3bn, US$8.3bn)
entertainment complex in the country’s Eastern Economic Corridor (EEC), with officials
proposing a large-scale theme park and sports destination as part of a broader tourism and
economic development strategy.
Royal Caribbean has revealed its Hero of the Seas cruise ship, home to the most pools at sea
(nine), and a record-breaking 28 dining venues, as well as attractions including a waterpark
with two new family raft slides.
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