Event to take place on 11 November at LAUFEN Roca Lisboa Gallery
Piscina Barcelona brings the latest hospitality and wellbeing trends to Portugal
Piscina Barcelona will bring together international experts in design, architecture, technology and tourism in Lisbon on 11 November to explore the emerging trends reshaping hospitality and wellbeing. The event, Slow Travel, Slow Hospitality and Wellbeing through Design – The New Art of Slowing Down in Portugal, to be held at LAUFEN Roca Lisboa Gallery, will examine how the design of spaces can contribute to healthier travel experiences that foster a stronger connection with destinations.
The event will focus on the rise of slow travel and a new approach to hospitality that prioritises slower-paced stays, experiences rooted in local culture and identity, and a greater emphasis on wellbeing. The discussion will explore this shift through Portuguese hospitality projects that bring together landscape, architecture, design and guest experience.
The session builds on Wellbeing Through Design, the initiative developed in partnership with Roca Gallery, which was launched in Barcelona in October 2025 and is now coming to Lisbon. This strategic collaboration is taking the debate on the role of design and architecture in creating spaces that support wellbeing to different international markets. The event will explore an approach that goes beyond adding specific wellness services, instead integrating wellbeing into the very design of hospitality spaces from the outset.
Architecture, interior design, lighting, materials, indoor air quality and healthy building principles are therefore becoming increasingly important in creating environments that support physical, emotional and cognitive wellbeing. This approach is also closely linked to a new understanding of luxury, increasingly associated with quality time, a connection to place and the opportunity to slow down.
International experts
The discussion will bring together experts from across design, technology, sustainability and hospitality. Speakers will include Amber Case, founder of the Calm Tech Institute; Saskia Wheeler, a researcher and strategist specialising in neuroaesthetics, sensory design and environmental psychology; Ana Beatriz, founder and CEO of ABC Sustainable Luxury; Cédric Etienne, interior designer and founder of Studio Cédric Etienne and Studio Corkinho; Ulf Bohman, Executive Director of Urban Quiet Parks Stockholm and Quiet Stays (Quiet Parks International); and Vitor Santos, founder of AHAVA Collective and an executive specialising in hotel management and operations.
The session will be moderated by David Cámara, Director of UNEX and a specialist in the international development of the contract sector, together with Motti Essakow, an entrepreneur specialising in regenerative and wellness tourism and sustainable, responsible hospitality, and one of the international pioneers of the Slow Hospitality concept.
Participants will discuss how architecture and design can respond to travellers seeking more mindful experiences, and how hotels and other hospitality spaces can embed wellbeing into their design from the outset, rather than simply adding services traditionally associated with wellness.
The event will take place on Wednesday, 11 November, at 6 pm at LAUFEN Roca Lisboa Gallery. Through this initiative, Piscina Barcelona is strengthening its commitment to connecting the pool and wellness industry with architecture, design and hospitality, creating new opportunities for collaboration and innovation around wellbeing while further developing its links with the Portuguese market.
About Piscina Barcelona
Piscina Barcelona is one of the leading international trade shows for the pool, wellness and outdoor industries. Organised by Fira de Barcelona in partnership with the Spanish industry association ASOFAP, it brings together companies, manufacturers, architects, designers and other industry professionals to showcase products and solutions, share emerging trends, drive innovation and generate business opportunities.
Its next edition will take place from 15 to 18 November 2027 at Fira de Barcelona’s Gran Via venue and is expected to bring together more than 450 exhibitors from 30 countries and over 20,000 trade visitors.
Barcelona, November 2026
VIEW THE PROGRAMME here
Maria Dolores Herranz
Tel. +34 93 233 25 41
[email protected]