For years, spa design focused primarily on aesthetics and ambiance above all else. More recently, we’re seeing a new standard emerge, one where accessibility and flexibility matter just as much as atmosphere. The global wellness economy hit a record $6.8 trillion last year, and wellness real estate, or spaces designed around how people actually live, move, and age, is projected to be its fastest-growing segment, expanding nearly 16% annually through the end of the decade. (Source: Global Wellness Institute)
As spas and hospitality properties look to serve a broader, more diverse clientele such as guests with mobility needs, older adults, multi-generational families, and small groups training or recovering together, hotel and luxury property operators are rethinking single-use treatment rooms in favor of spaces that can serve more people and offer more ways to heal. Infrared therapy, long valued for its wellness benefits, is now at the center of that shift, with a new generation of rooms built to welcome everybody, not just the average one.
The Clearlight® Sanctuary™ Professional Retreat is one of the clearest examples of where spa design is headed. Part of the brand’s signature Sanctuary line (featuring the only true Full Spectrum infrared saunas on the market), the Clearlight Retreat was engineered with a larger cabin and a 60-inch or 67-inch turning radius, giving all guests, including those using wheelchairs or mobility devices, the room to comfortably maneuver. A removable ramp, a wide door, an extended handle, and a lower keypad make the space usable independently, while two removable benches mean the same room can convert from a multi-person relaxation retreat into an open floor for stretching, mobility work, or light training. For spa directors, this type of flexibility solves a real operational problem: rather than building a separate accessible room and a separate multifunctional studio, one space now does both and expands the guest base a single square footage can serve.
That flexibility is resonating well beyond the spa floor. “We’re seeing teams, athletes, celebrities and entertainers turn to the Clearlight Sanctuary Retreat as their place to reset, recover, and simply be,” said Danielle Yanke, VP of Marketing at Clearlight. “It’s been especially meaningful to see it embraced by teams like the WNBA’s Las Vegas Aces and the NFL’s Baltimore Ravens, alongside individual athletes and real estate personalities who’ve made our Clearlight infrared saunas part of how they take care of themselves.” Former MLB pitcher and three-time World Series champion Jeremy Affeldt and San Diego Padres third baseman Manny Machado have both turned to Clearlight for recovery, underscoring Clearlight’s growing footprint in athletic performance and Recover Like a Pro® culture, which spas can lean into as they market infrared programming to sports-minded guests and recovery-focused memberships. On the lifestyle side, Bravo’s Tracy Tutor, star of “Million Dollar Listing Los Angeles” and co-host of “Mansions & Martinis,” has also embraced Clearlight as part of her own self-care routine, bringing a luxury-lifestyle audience into the conversation.
Jeremy Affeldt shares his thoughts from inside his Clearlight Sanctuary Retreat here.
The Rise of Flexible Wellness Spaces: How Multifunctional Infrared Rooms Are Changing Spa Design
One luxury resort already putting this thinking into practice is the Spa at Grand National, part of the Auburn Marriott Opelika Resort. Set among the natural landscape of Alabama, the spa is designed to echo its surroundings, which include an understated, elemental retreat built around Earth, Water, Air, and Fire, with a warm fireplace, oversized windows, and locally sourced natural materials that give the space the feel of a secluded treehouse rather than a typical resort spa. Guests start their wellness visit at the Clearlight Sanctuary Retreat infrared sauna and hydrotherapy whirlpools before moving into the property’s full menu of treatments, massages, and salon services. The Sanctuary Retreat offers a real-world look at how a larger, accommodating infrared sauna room has helped the resort spa expand programming, increase utilization, and serve small groups, older guests, and multi-generational parties, all within the same spa setting.
The spas and hospitality brands that get ahead of the trend of building rooms that flex for bigger groups, offer easier mobility, and accommodate a wider range of guests are the ones that stand to capture a wellness audience that’s only growing more diverse. The Sanctuary Retreat, and the range of people already using it, from world champion athletes to septuagenarian couples, makes the case that inclusive wellness isn’t a niche offering. It’s becoming the standard the rest of the industry will be measured against.
Learn more about The Clearlight® Sanctuary™ Retreat and connect with a Wellness Innovations Expert here.
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