The luxury wellness table is increasingly crowded — and the likes of Six Senses, Miraval, and Canyon Ranch need to make a little more room for a new player.
Marriott International is officially moving into dedicated luxury wellness territory, announcing Tuesday a joint venture with the Leali family, founders of Italian wellness resort brand Lefay, that will bring the brand into the Marriott portfolio as its first property dedicated exclusively to that category.
The deal combines Lefay’s holistic wellbeing programming with Marriott’s global scale and arrives at a moment when luxury travel advisors are reporting surging client demand for exactly this kind of experience. According to the 2026 Virtuoso Luxe Report, health and wellness now ranks as the second-most requested experience among solo travelers, and 45 percent of advisors have seen an increase in ultraluxe travel requests overall.
Founded in Italy in 2006 by Domenico Alcide and Liliana Leali, Lefay is known for its immersive resorts in natural settings and its proprietary Lefay SPA Method, which blends scientific research with holistic wellness traditions. The brand’s philosophy centers on space, serenity, and sustainability.
Currently, the Lefay portfolio consists of two award-winning luxury resorts in Lago di Garda and the Dolomites — both in nature-rich settings in Italy. The brand also has three properties under development in Tuscany, Southern Italy, and the Swiss Alps. Under the terms of the deal, Lefay will contribute its brand and intellectual property to the joint venture, while the Leali family will retain ownership of the Italian real estate. The existing properties will operate under long-term management agreements.
“Luxury is increasingly defined by wellbeing, purpose and meaningful experiences,” Marriott CEO Anthony Capuano said in prepared remarks. “We are excited to introduce Lefay to our customers around the world and thoughtfully expand Marriott’s presence in the luxury wellness space.”
“Lefay represents a new expression of luxury, one that is wellness‑first, deeply experiential, and emotionally resonant,” Tina Edmundson, Marriott’s president of luxury, added. “As guest expectations continue to evolve, our collaboration with Lefay will allow us to thoughtfully extend our luxury offerings into a space where wellbeing is not just an amenity, but the heart of the travel experience.”
Each Lefay property is designed as an eco-resort, emphasizing architectural harmony with the natural environment, expansive indoor-outdoor spaces, sustainable materials, and wellness programs that integrate movement, nutrition, and preventative health. Guests may choose from à-la-carte treatments or structured multi-day wellness programs — a format that aligns squarely with what the Virtuoso report describes as a generational shift, with families increasingly seeking trips that foster structure and reconnection with the natural world.
For Marriott, it’s a sign the world’s largest hotel company sees a need to have a brand for all travel types to avoid ceding any ground to the competition — including the luxury wellness orbit currently dominated by the likes of IHG’s Six Senses and Hyatt’s Miraval.
For the Leali family, the partnership opens the door to global scale without surrendering the brand’s Italian roots.
“Our family founded Lefay nearly twenty years ago with a clear vision: to create destinations where wellbeing, nature and health come together authentically,” said founders Domenico Alcide and Liliana Leali. “We are deeply honored to begin this collaboration with Marriott and to further advance our vision of bringing the Lefay brand to the world.”
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