Guests and Westin staff, above, kicked off the hotel chain’s new Wellness Movement with a 2.22-mile run/walk in Great Cruz Bay last week led by Julius Jackson, below, with Westin GM Mike Ryan.
Westin St. John Resort and Villas launched its year-long Well-Being Movement in style on Wednesday morning, March 26.
More than 30 hotel associates, including Westin St. John general manager Mike Ryan, and guests hoofed it up the hills of Great Cruz Bay in a 2.2 mile run/walk led by Virgin Islands Olympic boxer Julius Jackson.
The event marked the kick-off of Westin’s year-long Well-Being Movement, featuring new collaborations and programs dedicated to health and wellness. The $15 million campaign will introduce a string of innovative partnerships and programs across Westin’s six brand pillars: Sleep Well, Eat Well, Move Well, Feel Well, Work Well and Play Well.
The Westin St. John run certainly had people moving well, as the fastest runners completed the 2.2 mile course in exactly 16 minutes. Westin staff also supplied runners and walkers with a “SuperfoodsRX break,” full of nutritious foods to keep them fueled throughout the day.
“We’re proud to lead this global movement for our guests right here in St. John,” said Westin St. John general manager Mike Ryan. “We hope you’ll join us for our upcoming new activities moving forward as we continue our efforts to celebrate wellness on our sunny shores.”
The hotel group’s Well-Being Movement launch, which coincided with the International Day of Happiness, also marked Westin’s partnership with Headspace founder and former Buddhist Monk Andy Puddicombe, widely hailed as a meditation pioneer.
“Puddicombe will lead the charge as the authority for the brand’s ‘Feel Well’ pillar and is the first appointee to the Westin Well-being Council; a diverse advisory board composed of renowned thought leaders, each of whom aligns with a specific wellness brand pillar,” according to information provided by Westin St. John Resort and Villas.
Headspace is a program accessed through a smart phone application and website dedicated to bringing meditation to the masses.
“Here at Headspace we’re on a mission to get as many people in the world as possible to take 10 minutes out of their day, to practice a simple and easy-to-learn meditation technique,” according to www.getsomeheadspace.com. “And if you like the way it makes you feel, then we’d love to show you how to make that a life-long skill. This is meditation for modern life — simple, scientifically-proven techniques, that you can use every day to experience a healthier and happier mind.”
As part of the partnership with Westin, Headspace will provide customized content through a dedicated space on www.westin.com, which will include videos as well as seven custom meditation exercises.
“Specifically curated for Westin guests, the program was designed to address the needs of both leisure and business travelers, pre and post-stay and including programs to help guests get ready for the journey, sleep, switch off from work, how to use technology mindfully and more,” according to the press release from Westin St. John Resort and Villas.
And, the hotel chain is not forgetting about its associates’ needs either.
“Westin will also introduce Headspace modules that were developed exclusively for its associates around the world to help promote wellness in the workplace,” according to the release.
For more information on the Westin Well-being Movement and Westin St. John Resort and Villas, check out www.westinresortstjohn.com. For more information about Headspace, go to www.getsomeheadspace.com.
