Last week, I was lucky enough to attend a breakfast event at London’s Grace Belgravia hosted by Insignia Travel – a morning dedicated to discussing how the wellness industry caters to women.

So many interesting women were in attendance – I was joined by some industry colleagues and Connections attendees, including Helena Suarez from Rosewood Hotels and Priti Bhudia from Shangri La Hotels and Resorts. And of course, the wonderful Mary Steadman from Insignia, who was facilitating.

Speaking at the event was Kate Percival founder of Grace Belgravia. She shared with us her initial challenge when it came to creating a women-only health and lifestyle club, but in fact the demand was there. She referred to the huge amount of female entrepreneurs who are launching businesses in their fifties, rediscovering themselves after their children leave home and seeking a useful environment for taking care of their wellbeing.

Together, we had a really insightful discussion about the place of women’s wellness in the luxury sector, which prompted the question: “Is wellness the new luxury?” And we were all in agreement that it definitely is.

We were asked how we pictured the future of our own wellbeing, and we all felt that it was important to have surroundings that makes you feel good on a daily basis. So many interesting topics came up – the positive effect on staff when they know their employer is considerate about their wellbeing. How wellness impacts personal happiness. The contradictions that arise from technology – for example, it makes your life easier, but it’s impossible to stay away from!

My main takeaway was the importance of taking care of myself. Women in business too often forget this – we have that nurturing side within us, and we often put others before ourselves automatically. But why should we feel guilty for looking after ourselves, when it should be a given?

It was enlightening to be around so many women who understand these challenges  – and Grace Belgravia is such a fantastic space. Unfortunately I’m unable to attend its open day today (July 25th) – but I urge you to stop by and take a look if you’re yet to experience it!

Connections Wellbeing in Slovenia will take place from May 12-15. 2019. To enquire about attending, please contact Micaela on micaela@weareconnections.com