In this week’s Our Take, the world is taking the plunge when it comes to wellness, a life admin concierge service is about to change how you holiday, the UK is brainstorming with sci-fi writers, and a group of hotels offers a reward for some unusual missing items.
WELL, WELL, WELLNESS
The Global Wellness Summit has released its Future of Wellness report for 2025 and it’s full to the brim with Zen-packed moments that consumers are loving. For us, the standout trend is the sauna renaissance. No longer just a place to sweat out last night’s mistakes, saunas are being reimagined as cultural hubs. From Norway’s floating sauna marvels to Canada’s forest retreats, these communal spaces are becoming destinations where heat, social connection, and even performance art collide.
Key to the movement is an event format called The Aufguss ritual. It’s a theatrical blend of steam, scent, and storytelling and is attracting a younger, experience-hungry audience, proving that wellness isn’t just about solitude anymore.
This reinvention of the sauna is part of a larger movement pushing back against hyper-optimisation. While one side of the wellness industry races toward AI-driven supplements and genetic biohacking, the other is stripping things back to the essentials—human connection, nature, and tradition.
In a world obsessed with progress, the biggest wellness flex might just be slowing down. Whether you’re embracing the ‘softcare’ revolution or tracking your hydration levels via microchip, one thing is clear: wellness is no longer one-size-fits-all.
A HOLIDAY FROM LIFE ADMIN
Time off should be about recharging, not running errands—but for many workers, annual leave is hijacked by life admin. New research finds that the average worker is losing four days of their hard-earned holiday tackling tasks like cancelling subscriptions, arranging appointments, and sorting household maintenance. Instead of paddling in the Mediterranean, they’re knee-deep in paperwork.
Enter easyJet Holidays’ ‘Life Admin Concierge Service.’ This innovative package provides a personal assistant to handle the chores while customers are off enjoying a well-deserved break. Need to schedule a dental check-up? Pay bills? Organise your child’s birthday party? Done. Done. Done.
The stats tell a clear story: 42% of consumers say life admin stress has increased over the past three years, while 40% resent using their annual leave for anything but true relaxation. Even more striking, 59% support the idea of ‘Life Admin Days’ as a designated break separate from holiday leave. And half of respondents argue it’s time to retire the phrase ‘I’m on annual leave’ in favour of the simpler, more definitive ‘I’m on holiday.’ So, the next time you jet off, let someone else tick off your to-do list—because a real holiday should never feel like work.
THE CASE OF THE MISSING MANNEQUIN—AND OTHER HOTEL HEIRLOOMS
Forget swiping hotel toiletries—travellers are apparently upping their thieving game. At BWH Hotels across Scandinavia, it’s not just mini shampoos disappearing; it’s life-size mannequins, porcelain rabbits, and even suits of armour. And now, the hotel group wants its treasures back—no questions asked.
BWH Hotels has launched a playful yet determined campaign with NORD DDB to track down its missing décor. The offer? A free night’s stay for anyone who helps return these beloved (and bizarre) pieces to their rightful places.
Among the most missed is Kent, a mannequin in a sailor suit who once stood proudly at the reception of Hotel Norra Vättern in Sweden. Guests loved him, staff adored him, and now—he’s vanished. “We really miss Kent,” says hotel owner Jörgen Jacobsson. “Both children and adults were charmed by him. We just want him home.”
It’s not just Kent—BWH Hotels is searching for 18 unique stolen items, including a horse statue, Indian decorative elephants, a suit of armour, and even a flagpole finial. While standard hotel chains focus on uniformity, BWH’s independently run properties thrive on their individuality.
BWH’s tongue-in-cheek campaign taps into the growing appreciation for hotels with personality. While some guests might see the quirky furnishings as collectibles, the campaign reminds us that these treasures belong to everyone who walks through the doors.
For those who know a thing or two about Kent’s whereabouts—or any of the other missing gems—tips can be submitted anonymously via the BWH website. A free stay and a lifetime of bragging rights await those who step forward.
UK Gov Consults Sci-Fi Writers—Because Reality Just Isn’t Scary Enough
Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) has officially enlisted sci-fi writers for help, because let’s face it—our dystopian future is probably going to be written by them anyway.
At a recent event organised by RBOC (Resilience Beyond Observed Capabilities), sci-fi authors brainstormed terrifyingly plausible scenarios, from cyber meltdowns to AI uprisings.
Author Emma Newman highlighted why sci-fi minds are perfect for the job: “A power cut means one person misses their morning tea. Someone else loses access to life-saving medical equipment. Fast-forward to 2050, and it’s thousands of people trapped in Teslas.”
Comforting.
This isn’t the first time governments have turned to sci-fi. The US once had Hollywood screenwriters pitch post-9/11 threat scenarios, and Ronald Reagan’s infamous “Star Wars” missile defence plan had sci-fi fingerprints all over it.
While some authors worry about the ethics of working with military strategists, others see it as a chance to help humanity prepare. After all, if blockbuster movies have taught us anything, it’s that ignoring the warnings of sci-fi writers never ends well.
So, next time you scoff at a Black Mirror episode, just remember—somewhere, a government think tank might be taking notes.