How Meliá Desert Palm made wellbeing part of the working week
2025 WINNER STORY · MELIÁ DESERT PALM DUBAI · HOSPITALITY
At a hotel, looking after other people is the job. Meliá Desert Palm Dubai’s HostWell programme asked what it would mean to extend that same care to the people delivering the guest experience.
The hotel calls its employees Hosts. Its Award Force submission describes a year-round programme built around five areas: Mind, Body, Growth, Community and Purpose. Recognised in the hospitality category at the mentl awards 2025, HostWell made wellbeing part of the working week.
The starting point: listening to Hosts
Online feedback and the hotel’s annual anonymous employee survey identified wellbeing as a priority. The team tested wellness sessions before committing to a structured programme. According to the entry, the response to those sessions helped confirm demand.
Planning took two months and involved HR, the General Manager, the Executive Assistant Manager and the Spa & Recreation Manager. Employees helped shape the content, while Wellness Champions were introduced to encourage participation and keep the programme connected to colleagues’ needs.
A weekly calendar with different ways to take part
HostWell combined physical activity and recovery with opportunities for connection and development. Its calendar included yoga, swimming, fitness sessions, meditation, nutrition workshops, ergonomic exercises and spa access. Mental health seminars and assessments sat within the Mind pillar.
The Growth pillar linked wellbeing to career planning, soft-skills training and leadership talks. Coffee&Connect gatherings, cultural celebrations, potlucks and peer appreciation activities supported the Community pillar. Purpose connected the programme to the hotel’s mission.
One practical feature was access to wellness experiences also offered to guests. A stamp-card reward system encouraged participation, with incentives including wellness kits, spa treatments and a wellness day off.
What the entry reported
More than 80% of Hosts actively participated each month, according to the submission. The entry also described consistent feedback about improved energy, morale and balance.
The hotel reported that its Booking.com score rose from 8.5 to 9.3 in under a year, and that guest reviews commented on the team’s positive energy. This is a business measure reported alongside the programme; the entry does not establish that HostWell alone caused the increase.
It also reported reduced stress-related absenteeism, but did not supply a numerical reduction or comparison period. The strongest quantified programme measure in the submission is therefore its monthly participation rate.
Why the design matters
HostWell brought together employee input, a regular timetable, peer encouragement and tangible access to activities. That combination gave colleagues repeated opportunities to participate in ways that suited them.
It also treated development and belonging as part of wellbeing. Career conversations and social connection appeared alongside fitness and recovery, making the offer broader than a calendar of exercise classes.
A practical lesson for other employers
Start by listening, test what people respond to and make participation possible throughout the year. Champions and incentives can help sustain interest, while a predictable schedule makes the programme easier to recognise and use.
For organisations building on this model, participation is a useful first measure. Tracking employee experience and absence consistently over time would help show how that activity translates into sustained change.
Based on Meliá Desert Palm Dubai’s Award Force entry, “HostWell: The Pause That Powers Your Purpose”, pages 1–2. Programme details and results are reported by the entrant.
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