Aspen Center for Environmental Studies
The luxury market expanded wildly in the post-housing bubble era, spurring developers to compete for the 1% with the most lavish—and sometimes outlandish—amenities. Who could possibly think of purchasing a new home without a pet washing station or a car elevator?
Now, just when you thought we couldn’t get any more luxe, here comes a new amenity that’s beginning to catch on: forest therapy. (You can take that with a side of energy cleanse!)
That’s what the Residences Viceroy Snowmass condo development in Colorado began offering this summer, as a companion to its normal slate of amenities (you know, the mundane spa, pool, and slopeside ski valet).
Forest therapy, based on the Japanese wellness phenomenon shinrin yoku (or “forest bathing”), includes “gentle, guided walks that support well-being through sensory immersion in forests and other naturally healing environments,” according to the Association of Nature & Forest Therapy. (Yep, there’s a whole association devoted to this stuff!)
Researchers in Japan and South Korea said forest therapy can work health wonders, from reducing blood pressure to improving immune system function, helping kids with ADHD focus to accelerating recovery from surgery.
On the emotional side, they said, it gives “deeper and clearer intuition” and an “increased capacity to communicate with the land and its species.”
Refuge from fast-paced city life
The Residences Viceroy Snowmass offers forest therapy in the form of a “dedicated Naturalist Guided Hike that follows a babbling creek through fir forests, and features information about Rocky Mountain animals, plants, local ecology, and more,” according to its brochure.
And many of the condo dwellers from fast-paced cities could use a little relief on the ol’ blood pressure.
“Part of the allure of Aspen Snowmass is the natural majestic beauty,” said Leticia Hanke, director of marketing for the 152-unit ski-in/ski-out condo hotel. But, “a lot of our buyers are from New York and Miami, so it’s not as easy for them to throw on a backpack and wander off into the wilderness.”
So the condo development helps, quite literally. Each resident gets a backpack with picnic materials (disposable plates, napkins, cutlery, and salt and pepper), a Swiss army knife, and a water bottle.
The hikes are tailored to whoever’s on the docket for the day.
“If it’s just adults who want to learn but also really get some exercise in, it’s a harder hike,” Hanke said.
For families, especially those who have novice hikers, it might be a gentler walk along the stream.
Body, soul, and home—all wiped clean
While residents are rejuvenated by the natural flora and fauna, stories of local history, and the picturesque views, their homes are getting wiped clean of the blues, too—in the form of an energy cleanse.
“A staff member goes up to the room and does a cleansing experience with sage and opens up the windows, getting all the negative energy out,” Hanke said.
Yes, the old smudge stick—once reserved for the hippie set—is now a luxury amenity.
And, while it might be considered a luxury amenity, the therapeutic experiences come at no extra cost—the program is complimentary to all owners. On the other hand, you might be paying a premium on your home there, as well as hefty condo association fees.
A one-bedroom condo is listed at $869,000, and a three-bedroom unit goes for $975,000. On average, a one-bedroom home pays around $10,000 in HOA dues, $26,000 for a two-bedroom, and $40,000 for a three-bedroom.
But think of how much you’ll save in therapy bills.
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