Las Vegas is the entertainment capital of the world, and more recently dubbed the sports capital of the world. Could it also be a wellness capital?
If you wake up a little earlier, you can see the Strip in a whole new light—one that isn’t colored by gambling, drinking and partying. Venues are taking on a new identity as destinations for moderation, health and restoration. That’s obvious on a Sunday morning at Caesars Palace.
Walking from the self-parking garage, where locals get complimentary parking for three hours with Nevada ID, two friends in workout clothes greet each other with a warm embrace, their yoga mats slung behind them. It’s a wholesome scene compared to what might have been there the night before—cliques of gussied-up partiers loudly bickering as they head to the nightclub. Going down the elevator to the casino floor, these small groups of friends seem to multiply, all making their way to long but fast-moving lines outside of Omnia Dayclub.
Sunday Circuit
At the door, greeters offer hugs instead of the resting bit-- face I’ve come to expect from the staff at these establishments. With hundreds in attendance, it takes a while to find empty space for a mat on the pool deck. Everyone is friendly and welcoming—not at all territorial, happy to make room for new arrivals.
Coaches gently announce the exercise is about to begin and ask attendees to settle down. Over the club speakers, peaceful music and spoken word ensues, guiding listeners through a meditation on the identity of Las Vegas—one that they have a role in.
“We want Las Vegas to be a place where you come to get better. It’s going to take every single one of us to push this forward,” Mikey Margolin, founder of Etho Wellness Club and producer of the event, says into the mic.
The workout begins, and everyone seems to understand the assignment. They find humor in having their neighbor’s foot or armpit in their face, and they make new friends. It’s not an atmosphere of competition, but rather one of encouragement and mutual support.
Enthusiasm is contagious and surprising. Rather than groaning when the coach says, “Let’s do those reps on the left side now,” I hear cheers. This is not something they have to do; it’s something they get to do. Amid the gratitude and good vibes, people pause to take selfies with their friends.
Most remarkable is the absence of alcohol. Ice buckets filled with health tonics and electrolyte drinks line the bars. Bartenders are slinging fresh fruit smoothies. And people start forming dance circles with coffee and matcha in hand as the workout transitions into a sober dance party.
The scene is a 180-degree turn from what Vegas is known for. It’s a new beginning—a second chance for a city built on vice and excess.
Beyond Superficial
Wellness is trending. A slew of Strip resorts this year have started offering social fitness programming for guests and locals (see page 20).
Although Vegas taking on these initiatives may come as a surprise, it’s not so unusual considering consumer behavior. Scientific studies show younger adults are consuming less alcohol than their older counterparts did when they were their age. There are several theories to explain the trend, including a greater awareness of mental health among younger generations.
While the wellness movement on the Strip is commercially driven, its origin is much more holistic and homegrown. Many of the attendees at events like the one at Omnia Dayclub are locals who take advantage of free parking and pool and club access that comes with admission. And their motivation comes from a genuine desire for health, inside and out—not just aesthetics.
BLVD
“This is not about being skinny. This is about being well, because wellness for everyone looks different,” says Hendersonian Dina Linette. “I was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. And I was told I was not going to walk. I’ve found the only way I’m going to stay out of a wheelchair is to keep moving my body.”
The 49-year-old attributes her mobility to frequent exercise, healthy eating and abstaining from alcohol. She says she has no problem sticking to her guidelines, but fitness events offered on the Strip and by various local businesses provide an opportunity to meet likeminded people.
“I’ve seen this trend of these community events. I have been really engaged with them, because it’s a way to be connected without alcohol and without the bad lifestyles,” Linette says. “I stopped drinking nine years ago. I believe we can still be involved in this community and not be involved with that excess.”
Linette and about 100 others attended a recent event at BLVD, where coaches from ISI Elite Training led a high-energy boot camp, followed by a 50-minute vinyasa yoga class with instructor Veronica Dugan. Other partners offered cold plunges and chair massages, as well as “energy cleansing” from The Salt Room, a local business.
“A lot of people still see Vegas as a city that’s built around nightlife. But that’s people outside of this community,” says Laurie Bach, franchise partner with ISI Elite. “When you really look at what people who live in Las Vegas want, there’s a demand for experiences centered on health, fitness and meaningful connection.”
Bach, a veteran of the Air Force and longtime local, expects ISI Elite Training Centennial to open later this year. The franchise, which has 60 locations, has a focus on “athletic-based training,” accessibility and accountability. Bach hopes that translates in the one-off events it hosts on the Strip.
“ISI’s main theme is train for life. As we get older, we need to have that muscle to be able to maintain independence and live a healthy, strong life, and so it’s just so important to our livelihood,” she says.
As for the accountability piece, Bach says events like the one at BLVD have a social dimension that can help with that.
“When you’re with like-minded people and people that want to get stronger and healthier, they make you better,” she says. “I think the mall [BLVD] and other places around town have really done a good job of opening that door for so many brands to bring people together, get fit, have fun, and just get their mind off daily life a little bit.”
A Wellness Destination
Vegas changes with the times, and the times, they are a-changin’. According to a recent Gallup poll, the number of U.S. adults who reported using alcohol fell to 54% in 2025—the lowest rate since the Great Depression. According to Gallup, this coincides with an increased belief that even moderate alcohol consumption is bad for health.
At the same time alcohol consumption seems to be plummeting, social activities have been in hot demand. It’s what consumers were craving especially after COVID lockdowns, says Kim Key, Resorts World’s director of spa and fitness.
“People wanted more coed activities. They wanted to experience all the amenities of the spa, but they wanted to experience it with their friends or family,” Key says. Resorts World’s Awana spa answered that call with an environment that allows all genders to mingle in plunge pools, a healing salt room and an event sauna.
Awana Spa at Resorts World
Key, a Vegas hospitality veteran of 16 years, adds that she sees resorts stepping up their game in offering fitness activities and programming, healthy dining options and space for guests and locals to simply have downtime and connect. What that looks like at Resorts World is weekly Poolside Pulse classes in partnership with the local pilates studio The Good Place, as well as spa discounts and packages.
“Anything we have is available for locals. We have a locals discount Monday through Thursday. That’s 20% off any service [and] gives full access to all of the amenities for the entire day,” Key says. “We also have our Fountain of Youth Passport. So if they are looking to just come in, enjoy the facilities and utilize our circuit of heat therapies, cool mist showers, cold plunges, they can use that passport.”
It’s no coincidence that all but five major casino resorts on the Strip offer a full-service spa facility, catering to consumer demand for experiences that leave them feeling relaxed, grounded and re-energized.
Thanks to such amenities and new events, serenity is possible on the Strip. Returning to the locals’ perspective, Linette offers a secret for how to tap into that.
“I like to get up really early in the morning, between 6:30 and 7, and head to the Strip and park my car for $15. I’ll go for a walk or jog on the Strip, and then I’ll go support a coffee shop after exercise. … It’s a whole different experience in the morning, when you have people going to work, people getting off night shifts, people still sleeping off their hangovers. It’s very peaceful,” she says.
“I have nothing against the bars and the restaurants, any of that. But people should know that Vegas is more than just alcohol. People travel to other countries like Switzerland to resorts, just to relax and get healthy. … It’s definitely an eye opener to feel good and experience this place, and not feel like a tourist, but just feel like somebody who’s getting healthy on an otherwise not-so-healthy strip of land in Las Vegas.”
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