TL;DR
- Marriott and Lefay’s founding family have formed a joint venture to grow the luxury wellness brand globally
- Two existing Italian properties (Lake Garda and the Dolomites) plus three pipeline resorts join Marriott’s Luxury Group
- Lefay becomes Marriott’s 39th brand and first dedicated exclusively to luxury wellness
- Properties will stay true to Lefay’s Italian heritage, spa methods, and sustainability focus
- UK agents can now book these wellness escapes through Marriott channels with Bonvoy benefits
The Details
A lovely little update from Marriott this week. Marriott International has formed a joint venture with the Leali family, the founders behind Italian wellness brand Lefay, bringing their distinctive approach to holistic wellbeing into the Luxury Group alongside The Ritz-Carlton, St Regis, EDITION, and The Luxury Collection.
Lefay currently operates two award-winning resorts in Italy: one on Lake Garda and another in the Dolomites. Both have built a reputation for combining nature-rich settings with the brand’s signature Lefay SPA Method. Three more developments are in the pipeline for Tuscany, Southern Italy, and the Swiss Alps, with all properties operating under long-term management agreements.
“Lefay is proud to join Marriott’s Luxury Group,” said Alcide Leali, CEO of Lefay, marking the brand’s first major alliance since its founding.
Here’s What’s Useful
Marriott now has a brand devoted entirely to luxury wellness. While plenty of their properties offer excellent spa facilities, Lefay is different. Everything about these resorts centres on holistic health in gloriously natural settings.
Think of it as wellness that’s woven into the fabric of the place, rather than added as an extra floor. The Italian locations sit on Lake Garda and in the Dolomites, the kind of spots where the mountain air and lake views do half the work before you even book a treatment.
What makes this work so well is that Lefay keeps its soul. The Italian heritage stays intact, along with the sustainability commitments and that proprietary spa approach they’ve become known for. But now it comes with Marriott’s booking systems and Bonvoy benefits, which makes life considerably easier for you and your clients.
For Your Client Conversations
If you’ve got clients who take their wellness travel seriously, this is worth flagging. Lefay’s approach blends traditional Chinese medicine principles with Western techniques, delivered in properties built around natural materials and energy efficiency. For the client who cares as much about sustainability as their spa menu, that’s rather appealing.
The existing Italian properties work beautifully for European itineraries. The upcoming Swiss Alps location will add a winter wellness dimension, perfect for clients who’d rather spend February restoring themselves in the mountains.
These aren’t places you’d recommend for a quick city break add-on. But for clients planning a trip where wellness sits at the heart of things, Lefay now comes with all the ease of Marriott’s booking system and loyalty programme.
The Practical Bit
You can now book through Marriott’s agent channels, with Bonvoy points and status benefits included. The Italian locations work particularly well for clients seeking a European escape that prioritises nature and genuine restoration. The three new properties in development mean your options will grow over the next couple of years.
For clients who’ve been asking about wellness travel that feels authentic rather than trendy, Lefay offers something with real depth, and now it’s considerably easier to book.
