Today, I’m joined by Robert Hammond, president & CSO of Therme Group US.
After co-founding New York’s High Line, Robert is now helping Therme bring thermal bathing to America through large-scale wellness destinations.
In this episode, we discuss reimagining social bathing culture across US urban centers.
We also cover:
- Creating affordable wellness spaces for the masses
- The social and spiritual benefits of communal bathing
- Building destinations that generate tax revenue and jobs
The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities.
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:15) Robert’s background and Therme’s scale
(03:00) How Therme’s model differs from American wellness concepts
(05:00) The three main areas: Play, Relax, and Restore
(07:15) Creating an indoor tropical experience year-round
(08:45) Bathing as a universal cultural experience
(10:45) The social aspect as the “sticky” part of the bathing business
(12:30) Using scale to keep prices accessible
(14:15) Working with cities to develop urban locations
(16:30) Creating new downtown destinations and tax revenue
(18:30) The Peter Attia effect on wellness adoption
(21:15) How different bathing businesses serve different needs
(24:15) Making bathing inclusive and body-positive
(27:00) Marketing wellness vs. marketing fun
(29:45) The social value of bathing experiences
(31:30) The meditation-like quality of bathing
(33:30) The beginning of a bathing movement
(35:15) Democratizing wellbeing through scale
(37:00) Conclusion
