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Spa, wellness hotel and longevity clinic: genetics as an offer for guests and clients

Reviewed by Dr. Daniel Wallerstorfer, molecular biologist and founder of Novogenia · Updated: 12 October 2026 · Reading time: 9 min

Same genes, faces of different ages

At the twins festival in the small US town of Twinsburg, Ohio, 186 pairs of identical twins filled in a detailed questionnaire and had their photos taken. A panel then estimated how old each twin looked. Same genes – and yet many siblings looked different ages. The longer a twin had smoked, the older they looked. More sun exposure was also associated with an older appearance, and this effect increased with age; the same applied to a lot of time outdoors without sunscreen (Guyuron et al., Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2009).

A study of 298 women aged 30 to 78 painted a similar picture: the authors estimate that UV radiation is responsible for about 80% of visible signs of aging in the face (Flament et al., Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2013).

Genes provide the canvas; sun and lifestyle paint the picture. That is precisely the strength of a genetics-based wellness offer: it shows what one’s own canvas is like – and turns attention to what everyone can influence themselves.

Three settings, three roles

Switzerland has stricter rules. There, tests of physiological traits, for example on nutrition and metabolism, may only be ordered by certain health professions, such as physicians, pharmacists or nutritionists (FH). The saliva sample is taken in the presence of that professional; self-test kits for home use are not allowed. A Swiss spa or hotel therefore only offers on-site sample collection if such a professional orders the test and is present. For longevity clinics with physicians, this is easy to arrange. Analysis in the lab in Austria requires written consent, and medical genetic tests may not be advertised publicly. More in Who may offer genetic tests?.

In the spa: skin analysis as the basis for treatments

In the spa, skin takes center stage. Genetic tests on skin aging, hydration, collagen and skin protection give individual treatments a scientific basis. Personalized skincare builds on this, taking into account the genes behind collagen, UV protection and hydration – as your spa’s own brand. Personalized supplements for skin, hair and vitality add care from the inside to care from the outside.

Two points need a clear explanation in the conversation:

• UV genes do not replace sun protection. They show how well the skin defends itself against UV damage. Daily sun protection remains important for everyone – more in the gene story UV protection and the MC1R gene.
• Telomeres are not measured. The Beauty analysis contains a chapter on telomeres. It describes genes linked to skin cell renewal, such as TERT – not the length of the telomeres (Telomeres and the genetics of skin renewal).

You do not need specialist staff; Novogenia supports your team with the launch and integration into consultations and treatments. More under Spa and wellness and Beauty.

In the wellness hotel: sample during the stay, result afterwards

In a hotel, time is limited – and that is what makes the planning interesting. This is what a guest’s journey can look like:

1. Booking or check-in: the guest chooses the package, receives information and consents in writing.
2. Saliva sample in the spa: it takes only a few minutes and fits into a consultation or check-in conversation.
3. Analysis: the lab needs 4 days, plus shipping to the lab.
4. Report: digital via a secure portal, in up to 18 languages – depending on the length of stay, only after departure.
5. Follow-up conversation: for example a video appointment with your spa team.
6. Supplements: matched to the genetic profile, as a personal takeaway or as a subscription after the stay – under your hotel brand.

A report after departure is not a drawback. It is a second point of contact: your guest remembers the stay at home, and the relationship with your hotel continues. Combined with treatments, it becomes a bookable premium package.

A purely fictitious, typical example: a wellness hotel starts with a small pilot batch under its own brand and first offers the package in the off-season, when the spa team has more time for conversations. More about the offer under Wellness hotels.

Discretion: genetic data in the guest experience

With a genetic analysis, guests entrust your hotel not only with their vacation but also with particularly sensitive data. Under the GDPR, genetic data belong to the specially protected categories of data. So clarify in advance:

• Who sees the report? Only the guest – or also the spa team that runs the follow-up conversation? This belongs in the consent.
• Where are the results kept? The report arrives digitally via a secure portal. Printed reports have no place at the front desk.
• How is the sample assigned? Clearly, and as the saliva kit intends.

More in Genetic data and the GDPR.

In the longevity clinic: Novogenia as an outsourcing lab

Longevity clinics do not need their own genetics lab. As an outsourcing lab, Novogenia analyzes genetic markers relevant to individual longevity strategies – from sample to structured report:

• Logistics from a single source: sample kit, shipping, incoming inspection, analysis in our own EU lab and report delivery.
• Your own brand: reports and products entirely in your clinic’s branding; only your clinic is visible to the outside. More under White-label genetic analyses.
• Personalized supplements: based on the analysis and as your clinic’s own brand, with galenics such as slow-release pellets or gastro-resistant capsules.
• Joint development: analysis and product concepts that fit your longevity approach, with capacity from individual clients to high case volumes.

The lab in Eugendorf near Salzburg is CLIA-certified and works according to ISO 15189. Professional interpretation and counseling remain the responsibility of your clinic. Wherever the law requires it, medical analyses go through physicians. For the future, Novogenia is also planning a longevity line that is intended to be available as a private label too; market launch is planned for 2026, and formulations, quantities and availability may still change until then. Details under Longevity clinics.

Biological age: what you can honestly say

Many guests and clients ask about their “true” age. The best-known measurement method is epigenetic clocks. In 2013, Steve Horvath developed such a clock from about 8,000 samples and 353 measurement sites in the genome. He describes it as a tool for developmental biology, cancer research and aging research (Horvath, Genome Biology, 2013).

For your offer, this means: such clocks are exciting research tools that are still evolving. Novogenia does not offer any biological-age measurement. A genetic analysis shows predispositions that do not change during a lifetime – so it can neither determine a biological age nor show that it has changed. More in Measuring biological age.

Getting the wording right: wellness language and advertising law

The sauna offers an object lesson. In a Finnish study of 2,315 men aged 42 to 60, 49.1% of those who used the sauna once a week died during a median follow-up of 20.7 years, but only 30.8% of those with 4 to 7 sauna sessions per week. The association remained after taking risk factors into account (Laukkanen et al., JAMA Internal Medicine, 2015).

A remarkable result – and a good example of choosing the right words. Correct: “In a Finnish observational study, frequent sauna bathing was associated with lower mortality.” Not correct: “The sauna extends life.” The study describes an association, and the researchers want to investigate the mechanism behind it further. The same applies to every wellness offer: what studies describe, you can explain factually in conversation – but it is not a promise you can make to your guests in advertising.

• No promises of cure and no statements on preventing or treating diseases – neither for products nor for treatments.
• No promises that a package makes people younger, extends life, detoxifies or lowers biological age.
• For supplements, only authorized health claims.
• Never use animal studies as evidence that a product works.

What you can say instead is shown in Advertising longevity.

Checklist for spas, hotels and clinics

• Role clarified: experience in the spa, package in the hotel, or outsourcing lab for the clinic.
• Analysis chosen to fit the setting: skin, nutrition and vitality, or longevity markers.
• Realistic timeline: 4 days of analysis plus shipping; follow-up after departure planned.
• Consent and data protection settled, including who sees the report.
• Products defined: takeaway, subscription or the clinic’s own brand; start with a small pilot batch.
• Team involved and trained.
• Advertising copy free of promises of cure and of claims about biological age.

Frequently asked questions

Related: Offer for wellness hotels · Partner lab for longevity clinics · Offer for spas and wellness

Note: This guide is general information for businesses and professionals and does not replace medical or legal advice. Novogenia longevity products are food supplements and not a substitute for a balanced, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle; statements in this guide are not promises of cure and not statements on the prevention, treatment or healing of diseases. Recommendations derived from genetic analyses are logical conclusions, not scientifically proven. Regulations can change; errors and changes excepted.