Lanserhof Readies Spanish Health Resort

Austrian wellness operator Lanserhof will enter the Spanish market in 2026.

What’s happening: The medical spa specialist will open its first health resort on the estate of Finca Cortesin in Marbella. It will offer 70 suites and wellness facilities across a 24K-square-metre space.

With a €100M investment from AltamarCAM and Inbest-GPF in hand, the new development will bring Lanserhof’s portfolio to six, joining one health resort in Austria, two in Germany and day resorts in London and Hamburg.

Why it matters: Reeling from physical inactivity, poor nutrition, burnout and Long Covid, more Europeans are choosing health over hedonism on holiday. Meanwhile, the $7T wellness market continues to blend with the boom in medical tourism.

Currently worth $31B, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 14% between now and 2027, partly fuelled by the fallout from overwhelmed healthcare systems.

Spa Wars. Competition is heating up in Europe as high-end players vie for market share at home and overseas.

• In December 2023, Lanserhof’s Spanish rival SHA Wellness Clinic will open in Mexico.
• Last year, US wellness operator The Ranch debuted its first longevity-focused retreat at Italian medispa Palazzo Fiuggi.
• Italy’s Palace Merano renovated its Revital Spa before opening a new longevity programme this February.
• Swiss spa giant Clinique La Prairie partnered with Sunjoy Group to launch in China.

Of note, Clinique La Prairie’s forthcoming site in Saudi Arabia’s AMAALA destination will have a neighbour in form gym group Equinox’s first wellness resort.

Takeaway: Once a niche, Europe’s medical tourism is rising as market forces influence consumers’ well-being behaviours. With luxury health resorts offering preventative health solutions amidst a healthcare crisis, demand for their service – from detoxing to age-hacking and cognitive stimulation – will continue… from those who can afford it.