By: Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance | Oct 2026

I went to BioHack SF curious about the latest in wellness, longevity and technology and especially the people behind it.

The plan was simple. Meet a few founders. Explore some technology. Ask questions. Maybe try something new.

But somewhere along the way, I found myself on wellness machine at full intensity, wondering what exactly I’d gotten myself into.

And honestly? That’s one of my favorite things about these events.

You walk in curious about one thing and leave thinking about something entirely different.

Because behind all the devices, treatment and conversations about living longer, I kept finding something even more interesting.

People building businesses around how we want to feel.

_{Inside BioHack SF at SHACK15, San Francisco. On camera reporting & video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance}

Inside BioHack SF

On September 19, I headed to Shack 15 inside San Francisco’s Ferry Building for BioHack SF, presented by BioHack Miami.

The event brought together wellness founders, practitioners, health technology companies, and people curious about longevity and performance.

Yoga, pilates, breath work, a sound bath, keynote conversations, and an entire lineup of wellness experiences.

Basically, if there was something about your body or mind you wanted to optimize, someone probably had an idea.

But what made this event interesting was the opportunity to actually meet the people behind the products and services.

And if you know me, you know iI have questions.

Usually several.

BioHack Miami co-founders Mari Sophie Baier and Alexander Ellis brought this community together in San Francisco, creating a space where you could move between emerging technology and traditional wellness practices in the same afternoon.

What I love about events like this is getting to meet the people behind the ideas.

It’s one thing to hear about a new wellness technology or treatment. Its another to stand across from the person building the business, ask how they got started and hear why they believe in what they’re doing.

And most of the time, you get to try it yourself.

That’s usually when things get interesting.

More Than a Room Full of Wellness Gadgets

Here’s what I loved about BioHack SF. It wasn’t just a lineup of treatments and technology.

There was actual movement. Yoga, Pilates, guided breath work and a sound bath. And DJs providing the soundtrack throughout the day.

_{Video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance}

One minute you could be exploring a futuristic wellness device and the next you could be taking a class or slowing down with a sound bath.

I also came across experiences ranging from infared sauna and hydrogen therapy with Healing Saunas to the Ascension Capsule presented by Aura O3 Wellness Systems.

The event brought together instructors including Denelle and Jenny Clise for yoga, Alexis Haynes for Pilates, Kira Maekazuko for breath work and Caitlin Ryan for sound healing. Musica was part of the experience too, with Femme Fatale, Lume, and VIA on the DJ lineup.

And that combination is what made the day feel different.

It wasn’t simply about buying another wellness product. It was about bringing movement, recovery, technology and community into the same space.

Because sometimes feeling better isn’t about adding another device to your routine.

Sometimes it’s about moving your body, slowing down, listening to music and connecting with people.

When the Technology Gets Personal

Let’s talk about The G Spa.

I tried one of their machines.

And things escalated.

At some point, I had to wonder whether I was testing the machine or the machine was testing me.

Fortunately, there’s video evidence.

_{Experiencing wellness technology with G Spa at BioHack SF. Video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance}

The G Spa was showcasing technologies including Emsculpt NEO and Emsella, which use energy based approaches for muscle stimulation and related treatments.

But what caught my attention wasn’t just the technology.

It was how quickly the experience went from something I was curious about to something I could actually feel.

And that got me thinking,

We’re seeing more wellness and aesthetic businesses introduce equipment that once seemed reserved for specialized clinical settings.

But experiencing a treatment in one thing. Understanding what it does, who it’s designed for and what results people can realistically expect in another.

Because an impressive demonstration might get someone through the door.

But trust is what brings them back

The Brain is Having a Moment

Now, I’m fascinated by the brain.

Focus, stress, sleep, recovery. We talk about these things constantly. But what happens when technology enters the conversation?

The event featured brain focused wellness technologies, including neurofeedback and light based equipment.

_{Exploring Bay Area Brain Spa, wellness technology at BioHack SF. Video & hosting by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance.}

Some of the equipment looked like something you’d expect to see in a futuristic wellness clinic.

But the part I find most interesting is how these technologies are making their way into everyday wellness conversations.

And then, naturally, my mind went somewhere else.

Hotels.

Imagine checking into a beautiful resort and having access to personalized recovery experience alsongside the usual spa treatments.

Would people travel for that?

They already travel for wellness.

The bigger question is which of these technologies will become part of the hospitality experience and which will remain niche.

An Ancient Practice in a Very Modern Room

Then I met Dr. Debbie from Puzzle Acupuncture Clinic.

And I loved the contrast.

Here we were, surrounded by new technology, talking about a practice with a much longer history.

Puzzle Acupuncture was introducing visitors to techniques including cheek acupuncture and Fu’s Subcutaneous Needling, also known as FSN.

_{In conversation with Dr. Debbie of Puzzle Acupuncture Clinic. Interview & video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance.}

What interested me was how practitioner introduce something unfamiliar to people who’ve never experienced it and also how your organs are connected to parts of the cheek.

How do you explain what it does? What makes someone comfortable enough to try it? And how do you build trust?

Because whether it’s a new machine or an established practice, people want to understand what they are signing up for.

Preferably before they’re sitting in the treatment chair.

The Business of Feeling Better

As I continued exploring, I started noticing something.

Everyone was talking about wellness.

But they weren’t necessarily talking about the same thing.

Seflishly Aesthetics was presenting personalized skin analysis.

_{On camera reporting by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance}

Pause Wellness Clinic brought recovery focused vitamin injections.

_{In conversation with Pause Wellness Clinic. Interview & video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance.}

Be Well IV Medical Spa presented medical wellness services along with Vitamin treatments

_{In conversation with Be Well IV. Interview & video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance.}

Dr. Gonzalez Chiropractic showcased spinal alignment assessment and chiropractic treatments

_{In treatment with Dr. Gonzalez. Video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance.}

And the wider event lineup included women’s health technology, Petal, saunas, and immersive wellness equipment.

_{On camera reporting with Petal. Interview & video by Laura Hidrobo | The Provenance.}

Different services. Different audiences. Different business models.

But a shared ambition: helping people feel better, perform better, or understand their health differently.

And here’s where I started thinking about the business behind it.

What makes someone try a service for the first time?

What makes them tell a friend?

Because having interesting technology doesn’t automatically mean you’ve build a successful business.

The real challenge is creating something people value enough to come back for.

What I’m Watching

Will more hotels and resorts introduce recovery technology into the guest experience?

Will personalized wellness services become something people expect rather than something occassionaly splurge on?

And which of today’s biohacking trends will actually become part of everyday life?

I don’t know the answer yet.

But I suspect the business that last will need to offer more than an interesting experience.

They’ll need to give people a reason to return.

The Provenance Note

I came to BioHack SF curious about the technology.

I left thinking about the people.

The founders who see an opportunity.

The practicioners introducing their work to new audiences.

And the organizers bringing everyone into the same room.

Because sometimes the most interesting part of an experience isn’t what you’re trying.

It’s discovering who’s behind it.

Thank you to Marie Sophie Baier, Alexander Ellis and the Biohack Miami team for welcoming me to BioHack SF, and to the participating brands and practicioners who shared their work with me.

Would I go again?

Absolutely.

Although, next time I might ask about the maxium intensity before volunteering.

If you’re building something intersting in wellness, hospitality, sport or technology, I’d love to hear about it. Hit reply.

And if you know someone who would enjoy The Provenance, forward this issue.

Laura Hidrobo

The Provenance | People. Places. What They’re Building.

Sources & Reporting

• BAYDREAMING X BIOHACK SF event program, September 19, 2026.

• Original event photography, video, and on-camera hosting by Laura Hidrobo.

• Treatment descriptions to be checked against the respective providers’ published information before publication.

In mid-December, M Social Hotel Sunnyvale opens in the hear of Silicon Valley. you check yourself in at a kiosk, your phone is your room key, there’s an AI assistant in your room, and robotic service assistants handle the routine jobs so the staff can focus on guests. Rooms start at $239 a night. There’s even a beehive on the roof.

Its not the only one. In China, robotics company Pudu is building a 44-room hotel where robots handle every role, from check in to cleaning. A public trial starts in late 2026, with a full opening in 2027.

But the first robot hotel is a cautionary tale. Japan’s Henn na Hotel opened in 2015 with 243 robots including two robot velociraptors at the front desk. By 2019 it had retired more than half of them after guest complaints. The lesson: robots work best behind the scenes, not at the welcome.

My repost covers all three hotels, plus four rules for using hotel tech like a pro:

• Download the hotel app before you land

• Use the kiosk when you just want your room

• Send the robot fro the small stuff

• Still talk to a human for the things that matter

Download the Free Robot Hotel Report (PDF)

Robot Hotel Report

737KB ∙ PDF file

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For the daily version, follow me on Instagram at @fit.play.travel.

Sources: The Points Guy and Travel Binger (Oct 2026), New Atlas (June 2026), Hotel Technology News (Jul 2026), NPR (Jan 2019)

I research with AI tools; the picks and opinions are mind unless otherwise stated.

The flex has changed. It used to be the watch, the bottle service, the table everyone could see. Now it’s your sleep score.

This September, Equinox opened its first resort outside the U.S., on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. The headline amenities aren’t a nightclub or a pool party. They’re 128 rooms designed around your body clock, a rooftop, magnesium pool and a seven circuit longevity spa. And Equinox is targeting 33 more hotels in the next 10 years.

Luxury travel insiders say travelers now treat longevity centers like a new private club membership. Quiet luxury was about what you wear. The next era is about how rested you look when land.

So I out together my shortlist of recovery first hotels:

• Equinox Resort AMAALA, Saudi Arabia: sun, training and recover in one trip

• Equinox Hotel New York, Hudson Yards: a city reset with cryotherapy, plunge pools and a sleep circuit

• SHA Wellness Clinic, Spain: sleep studies and longevity testing, from about $4,550

• Chenot Palace Weggis, Switzerland: the classic Swiss detox, from about $10,300 for 7 nights

• Lanserhof Tegernsee, Germany: the deepest medical look at your health

Download the Recovery First Hotel Edit (PDF)

Recovery First Hotel Edit

955KB ∙ PDF file

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For daily versions, follow me on Instagram @fit.play.travel. Prices are starting rates, converted from British pounds and rounded. Check with each hotel before booking. I research with AI tools; the picks and opinions are mine unless otherwise stated

Hi, I am Laura. Welcome to The Provenance.

I spend a lot of time in rooms I wasn’t sure I’d get into. Founder breakfasts. Wellness events. Conversations with people building something new.

I’m interested in people behind these experiences, the decisions that shape them, and the ideas that might change what comes next.

The Provenance is where I’ll follow those stories; across travel, culture, sport, wellness, business and innovation.

For our first issue, we’re looking at a fitness brand that’s taking its ideas of performance far beyond the gym.

^{01 | THE EXPERIENCE}

When Recovery Becomes the Destination

On September 3, 2026, Equinox Resort AMAALA on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coast. It is only the brand’s second hotel, after New York, and its first outside the United States.

The details caught my attention: 128 rooms and suites designed around sleep and recovery, a rooftop magnesium salt pool, and a spa spanning approximately 17,200 square feet.

The spa introduces the Equinox X Circuit, a wellness concept organized around seven categories: Scientific Beauty, Performance Healing, Contrast Therapy, Inner Body, Sleep, Mineral Water Therapy, and Mind: Body Equilibrium.

There are also 21 branded residences. You can now own a home associated with a company best known for its gyms.

Here’s what I find interesting: recovery used to be what you squeezed in after a workout. Now it can be the reason you get on a plane.

At this resort, the spa isn’t simply an amenity. It’s central to the pitch.

^{02 | THE DESTINATION}

Why the Red Sea and Why Now?

AMAALA is being developed by Red Sea Global as part of Saudi Arabia’s broader effort to expand it’s tourism industry.

And Equinox isn’t arriving alone.

Four Seasons Resort and Residences AMAALA opened on June 15, 2026. Six Senses AMAALA followed with its opening announcement on July 8, ahead of welcoming its first guests in mid July.

Together, these properties point to a larger bet: that travelers will cross borders for experiences built around sleep, performance, recovery, and well being, not just a beautiful hotel room.

But it also raises questions worth asking.

How much of the wellness programming is supported by strong scientific evidence? Who can afford this version of recovery? And what does a large scale luxury tourism development mean for the surrounding environment and communities?

^{03 | THE OUTLOOK}

What I’m Watching

Will other fitness brands move into hotels and residences? Will travelers start comparing destinations by their recovery offerings? And can AMAALA compete with established wellness destinations such as Bali and Tulum?

I don’t know the answers yet, but, I’ll be following the people and businesses trying to find them.

^{04 | EDITORS NOTE}

The Provenance Note

What fascinates me isn’t just the rooftop pool. It’s the shift in what luxury travel is selling.

The promise is no longer simply to get away. It’s to come back feeling different.

Whether these experiences deliver on that promise is a story worth watching.

If you’re building in wellness, hospitality or travel, I’d love to hear what you’re seeing. Hit reply.

And if someone you know would enjoy The Provenance, forward this issue. That’s how an independent publication grows.

Follow the reporting and behind the scene stories @fit.play.travel

Want to go deeper? I put together a free guide to five recovery first hotels, from AMAALA to the Alps. Get the Recovery First Hotel Edit

Sources & Futher Reading

Equinox opening details: Opening Announcement

Equinox X Circuit categories: Equinox X Circuit spa concept

Four Seasons opening: AMAALA Opening

Six Senses opening: Six Senses AMAALA