Spa and Wellness Zones in Contemporary Hotels in Europe: Typologies

A crucial factor in shaping the character of a spa and wellness hotel’s character is the design and functionality of the recreational area. This element is linked to other areas in the hotel, such as dining, accommodation, and conference facilities. The spatial layout of the spa and wellness zone, along with its location, programming, size, and style, greatly affects the overall operation of the establishment. Few European publications analyze the architectural design of contemporary spa and wellness hotels in the specialist literature. These publications are often concerned with general programming-related assumptions rather than specific functional and spatial research. The aim of this research is to create a well-organized taxonomy of spa and wellness zones in the region. The set of typologies presented was developed based on spatial and functional analyses, as well as descriptions of European objects found in the literature, and the author’s research. This research results in the discovery of six typologies and a total of seventeen independent types of spa and wellness zones found in hotels.