For the last 40 years, Canyon Ranch has held its ground as the original pioneer in the wellness movement. In 2016, the family-run organization took a leap of faith when they tapped hospitality industry veteran Tom Klein as its first president and COO. Klein’s more than three decades of experience dedicated to hotel brands like Fairmont Hotels and Resorts and Swissotel Hotels & Resorts propelled him to transform Canyon Ranch into a modern health facility that incorporates new technology alongside cutting-edge, science-backed programs and treatments. After three years at the helm, Klein has reinvigorated and modernized the exclusive resort—while still maintaining the core family and health-minded values the ranch was built upon.
You spent much of your career in luxury hotels. How have they changed since you started out?
Since 1980, the biggest thing that has changed is the consolidation of brands. You see that with Hyatt, Marriott, and InterContinental Hotels Group buying Six Senses. You have all of these major consolidations within the brands and you lose some of the philosophical approach to the management.
How is Canyon Ranch adapting to the changing definition of wellness?
Part of what has happened as we evolved in that space is we’ve convoluted the message as to what wellness really is. I can say with a high degree of confidence that it was defined by Canyon Ranch almost 40 years ago. I see it as a fully integrated experience with our guests that is personalized, precise, and meets the consumer where they are in their mind. We’re intention-based. If you come to Canyon Ranch, we’ll give you a transformational experience. That’s at the immersive level. That, to me, is wellness. That’s how it evolved over the last four decades. Our [definition] is more of a sojourn and an experience.
What are some of the wellness movements you are paying attention to?
We don’t follow trends. Ours is more on the scientific-based side of things [and we concentrate on] what is evolving and changing in that space. What is CBD doing in the market? What are some of these other things that science is now saying will help you live longer? For now, integrative and immersive wellness experiences are one of them.
How has Canyon Ranch moved beyond the resort to implement its wellness agenda?
We partnered with Singapore Airlines on its ultra-luxury, long-haul flights from Newark, New Jersey to Singapore. It’s 19 hours in the air, so if you are on that flight, sitting in business class or premium economy, you’ll have the option to order off a Canyon Ranch menu that was planned with our chefs. We are also working on curating a program with exercises you can do in flight, too.
Since you joined Canyon Ranch in 2016, what have been some of your major goals?
I knew going in that [I would be] transitioning a family-run business into something that can become scalable—so there had to be significant changes. But I also knew that it was mission critical to preserve the core of what Canyon Ranch was and had built its reputation upon. We certainly weren’t set up for future growth. That has been a two-year process, and we are 99.9 percent there. And the other thing I knew is we needed to bring in a great technology infrastructure into the operation. If you think about it, in 2017, we didn’t have a user-friendly website. We had to make a significant investment to bring that up to a level that you at least could be competitive in the marketplace. We have a terrific team in place that can take us now to the next level.
Centered around the Bellefontaine Mansion, Canyon Ranch in Lenox, Massachusetts resides on 120 acres
With its maiden Tucson property, Canyon Ranch built its reputation on creating immersive wellness experiences
The entrance to a Canyon Ranch spa aboard a Regent cruise ship
A suite at the upcoming Canyon Ranch Wellness Retreat in Woodside, California, opening this summer
Photography and renderings courtesy of Canyon Ranch
