Can the Wellness Movement Make Room for Booze, Too?

Author: David McMillin       

If you’re looking to get in shape, you don’t have to look very far. Orangetheory, SoulCycle, CrossFit, CorePower — the list of brands looking to build your body into a lean machine is endless. Pay a membership fee, and you’ll find access to classes that fit into your morning routine. You can probably even find an option with a workout instructor who is willing to yell at you, too. But what if one hour of sweating it out before or after work isn’t enough? W Hotels & Resorts wants to welcome you and other exercise-addicted individuals for a full weekend.

The brand, a Marriott hotel, announced a slate of five FUEL multi-day experiences that feature a cast of celebrity trainers and wellness gurus. The W describes these weekend-long body-building binges as “not your typical wellness retreat.” That description seems apt, if you follow the commonly held belief that drinking booze and running on limited sleep are not two activities that belong in the wellness bucket. At FUEL Weekends, though, attendees can expect “dance parties with beats by epic DJs” and plenty of late-night activities.

“Our guests work hard, but they play even harder,” Anthony Ingham, global brand leader, W Hotels Worldside, said in a release about the event series. “Our FUEL Weekends are designed specifically for this type of lifestyle — one that starts at 7 a.m. and ends with one last round while dancing at midnight.”

Plenty of medical professionals might question whether it’s a wellness initiative when people are double-fisting fresh-squeezed organic juices and tequila shots, but it could be a very healthy move for the properties’ bottom lines. The group rate for the first FUEL event at the W Costa Rica — Reserva Conchal is between $442–$670 per night. While that rate includes workout classes, any attendees on the Retox bandwagon will most likely add on quite a few incidental charges: The package includes two daily drinks.

For those attendees who indulge beyond those two cocktails, they’ll want to pack plenty of Tylenol. The motto for the weekend — “Detox. Retox. Repeat.” — doesn’t leave much room for hitting the snooze button. Making it to the morning classes might be an exercise in and of itself.

Of course, there are those who say imbibing is good for the spirit — and the mind. Check out “Can Drinking Alcohol Make You a Better Problem-Solver?”

Another FUEL Promotional Video

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