Hotels rolling out the yoga mat

Combo yoga is an easy way for resorts to set themselves apart from the competition. The Four Seasons Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, for example, offers Aqua Yoga in the resort’s saltwater pool. In April, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa in California will offer Ai Chi/Water Yoga classes in its geothermal mineral pool by combining yoga with Ai Chi, a tai chi-based exercise performed in water. And in March, the Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec will offer a Laughter Yoga class, which combines laughter exercises and gentle yoga breathing with the aim of improving happiness.

Still, more traditional yoga offerings continue to be a draw for hotels and tour operators alike, as nutrition and wellness become a larger part of the social fabric of the United States. “More people are worried about their health and well-being,” said Professor Dev of Cornell. Baby boomers, in particular, he said, are “looking at what’s happening not just outside of their body but at what’s happening inside.”

Hotels typically don’t track yoga as a separate revenue stream. Rather it’s often lumped into spa services. In luxury hotels, for example, yoga classes are increasingly being offered through the spa, often for a fee. “To have a spa can mean 5 to 10 percent incremental occupied rooms and an even greater amount of incremental revenue as those guests tend to spend more than the average guest,” said Bjorn Hanson, a hospitality professor at New York University.

Nearly 7 percent of Americans, or 15.8 million people, practice yoga, according to a 2008 study by the magazine Yoga Journal. While that’s down from 16.5 million in 2004, spending has continued to grow as devotees increasingly view yoga as a lifestyle choice rather than a fad and incorporate it into their fitness or wellness routines. Americans spend $5.7 billion a year on yoga classes and products, including vacations, nearly double what was spent in 2004, according to Yoga Journal.

“We are continuing to see strong interest in the yoga component, even through the bad economy,” said Nancy Mertz, co-owner of Sea Kayak Adventures in Loreto on the Baja Peninsula. Sea Kayak has a $1,095 Yoga, Whales and Kayaks tour, in which each day begins with yoga on the beach, followed by whale-watching and kayaking outings with naturalist guides. The outfit, which started with one yoga and kayak trip with 13 guests in 2006, is now up to three trips a year, one of which is already sold out for 2010.

Whatever the form, however, yoga seems to be here to stay. “We wouldn’t build a spa or gym today without planning a space for an area where you can do yoga,” said Christopher W. Norton, chairman of Four Seasons’ Global Spa Task Force. “It’s a very important component.”

Part of its staying power may have to do with its low overhead. “I’d say there’s a demand for yoga,” said Niki Leondakis, chief operating officer at Kimpton Hotels. “It’s also something that’s operationally easy to offer, relatively speaking. “It doesn’t require expensive gear or lots of space. The beauty is in its simplicity.”
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If you go…

Here are some hybrid programs involving yoga created by hotels and resorts to attract guests.

Yoga and Wine Getaway Weekend at the Savannah House Inn, Himrod, N.Y. From $200 for the two-night stay savannahhousevacation.com.

Ski to Live: Yoga and Skiing at Alta Ski Area, Utah. The four-day camp is $510 kristenulmer.com/programs/ski-to-live.

Yoga & Horses at Chezacut Wilderness Adventures, Redstone, British Columbia. The five-day retreat is $1,799 chezacutwildernessadventures.com.