Hot Springs Bring Happiness The Springs Hotel & Spa (Pagosa, CO) Users’ Study
2026
Meet the Guests of The Springs Resort & Spa (Pagosa, CO). HTWWLife In partnership with the Balneology Association of North America (BANA) has started to collect information about the impacts and benefits of visiting hot springs. The pilot location was The Springs Resort & Spa (Pagosa, CO). Altogether 638 guests shared their insights about the benefits of visiting hot springs. At more than 1,002 feet deep, Pagosa has the world’s deepest geothermal hot spring, feeding all of the 45+ soaking pools, with temperatures ranging from 45 –114 °F (28–46 °C). That’s more than pools with 45 different moods, personalities and endless experiences. When you combine them, guests get something that is unlike any hot springs experience you’ve ever had.
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Key Take Aways
✓ A hot spring is a happy place. ✓ A valued way of spending time. ✓ A unique blend of green and blue spaces. ✓ Hot spring bathing triggers interest for exploring other ways for improving wellness.
© HTWWLife All rights reserved.
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Soaking & Wellness
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Soaking
Soaking Meets Wellness Pagosa visitors’ No1 motivation is enjoying the hot springs, soaking in the numerous thermal pools. Wellness as a motivation also has defining role in visiting The Springs. Most visitors arrive with their partner or with their family, although 10% visited solo!
Wellness Visiting Friends & Relatives Sport
Health/Medical Treatment Visiting Second Home Celebration Culture & Heritage Event, Festival 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
30%
35% 5
Happiness & Health
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Pagosa Visitors’ Enjoy Life.
I enjoy a good quality of life
I feel happy most of the time
Guests reported good quality of life as well as health status.
I travel regularly (at least 2-3 times a year) since it makes me happier
They travel regularly, i.e. they understand the power of Vitamin T – Vitamin Travel!
I lead a generally healthy lifestyle (e.g. good diet, regular exercise,… I feel healthy most of the time 0,0
1,0
2,0
3,0
4,0
5,0
6,0
7,0
Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
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Spending Time Well
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Time Well Spent Several days
Guests dedicate significant amount of time to soaking: most visitors spend several days at Pagosa. Day guests allocate some 3 hours for their visit. Every third guest live withing driving distance from Pagosa, most driving more than 200 miles, whereas every 10th guest live on location.
A whole day Half a day Around three hours
Upto two hours Around 90 min Around one hour
Less than one hour 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
9 Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
Happiness & Health
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Green & Blue Spaces Improve Quality of Life
Recreation in green landscapes Visiting spas/hot springs Dining out Recreation in blue spaces
Most Springs’ guests actively use green (e.g. forests, mountains) and blue spaces (e.g. rivers, lakes, ocean/sea) to improve quality of life.
Doing sports and fitness Watching TV Going to performing arts Cooking or gastronomic experiences Visiting museums and exhibitions Cinema/watching films Playing music or singing Watching sports Practicing holistic activity, e.g. yoga Going shopping 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
They live an active and vibrant life, i.e. they engage in more than 6 different recreational activity on average to keep themselves happy.
Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
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Visiting The Springs Resort & Spa Makes Me Feel …
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A Happy Place Guests confirm that visiting hot springs make them feel more relaxed, calmer as well as happier. They appreciate the visit’s positive benefits that are more of psychological and mental nature than physical.
Relaxed and calm Happy Rejuvenated
More mental or psychological harmony Healthier 5,70
5,80
5,90
6,00
6,10
6,20
Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
6,30
6,40
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6,50
Came To The Springs Resort & Spa To …
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Blue Relaxation The Springs’ visitors No 1 pre-visit expectation is the anticipated relaxation in and from the waters. It is closely related the beautiful natural setting.
Relax in the waters Enjoy the beautiful natural environment Have fun Benefit from healing properties of the waters 5,40 5,60 5,80 6,00 6,20 6,40 6,60 6,80
Guests agree that visiting The Springs Resort & Spa brings fun to their lives and they will remember to this visit for a very long time!
Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
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Guest Mix
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56 Most guests belong either to Gen X or a more senior cohort. The average guest is 56 years of age. The age distribution of guests highlights the low representation of younger guest segments!
71+ years old 61-70 years old 51-60 years old
41-50 years old 31-40 years old 19 - 30 years old 0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
17 Data analysed on a 7-point Likert scale, 7 meaning the highest.
35%
Hot Springs Increase Demand for Wellness
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Growing Interest & Demand I will look for wellness options
Visiting a hot spring destination may not convert every guest a wellness traveller but most certainly increase their interest and also demand for wellness services and options.
I will actively take part in wellness activities I will try wellness services for the first time I will book wellness-focused trips 0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
Data suggest that guests will look for another hot spring locations since they agree that visiting hot springs improve their quality of life. 19
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The Balneology Association of North America (BANA) has been championing the field of mineral water health and wellness practice since 2011. BANA supports the research, education, and information delivery of the science and culture of Balneology across North America and the world. https://www.balneology.org/ info@balneology.org PO Box 40235, Austin, Texas 78704
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