Miami's Acqualina Resort & Residences has launched an exclusive co-branded apparel collection with Back Wellnesswear, the Italian wellness brand found at a select circuit of five-star hotel spas worldwide. Available now at the Acqualina Spa Boutique, every piece in the range has been designed specifically for the resort, making Acqualina the label's sole Miami partner.
The Collection
The debut edit spans approximately 20 styles for women and men drawn primarily from Back Wellnesswear's Performance line, constructed from 80 percent Supima cotton and 20 percent elastane. The fabric blend keeps soft, breathable cotton against the skin while elastane woven at the core allows unrestricted movement — positioning the pieces as athleisure that transitions from the fitness studio to a beach run to the airport. The range includes high-waist and short leggings, shorts, long- and short-sleeve tees, racer-back tanks, cropped tops, hoodies and high-neck zip jackets, along with cashmere ponchos and wraps. Pricing runs from $115 for signature tees to $450 for cashmere wraps, in sizes XS through XXL. Each garment carries the resort's logo in red and gold; select jackets feature the phrase "Take me to Acqualina" at the back hem.
Why It Matters for Hospitality
For spa and hospitality operators, the partnership illustrates a growing retail strategy: exclusive, co-branded merchandise that extends the guest experience beyond the treatment room and creates a tangible souvenir of the stay. Because the designs are produced solely for Acqualina, they cannot be purchased anywhere else — a scarcity dynamic that reinforces both brand loyalty and boutique revenue. Back Wellnesswear has built its reputation on the same principle of exclusivity, distributing only through five-star hotel and resort spas globally, with placements at properties such as Villa d'Este on Lake Como, The Dolder Grand in Zurich, and Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.
Lana Labrecque, Director of Spa at Acqualina Resort & Residences, framed the collection as a natural extension of the spa's ethos. "These are garments made with the same care and intention we bring to every ritual: natural, beautifully crafted and designed to feel sublime on the skin," she said. "They are created for Acqualina alone, which makes each piece a genuine keepsake of time spent with us."
The partnership also aligns with Acqualina's broader Italian aesthetic — the resort's dining program includes Il Mulino New York, and its spa incorporates Tuscan botanicals through the Seed to Skin product line. Back Wellnesswear, designed and manufactured entirely in Bergamo, Italy (a UNESCO World Heritage city), is ICEA/GOTS certified, entirely polyester-free, and has held Certified B Corporation status since 2021 — credentials that resonate with wellness-focused luxury guests and operators building sustainability narratives. This kind of curated retail activation is increasingly relevant to hospitality spa programming as properties look for differentiated revenue streams beyond food and beverage.
The 20,000-square-foot Acqualina Spa features 11 treatment rooms, a Royal Spa Suite, multiple saunas, a crystal steam room, an arctic ice fountain, and an outdoor terrace with a spa pool, heated jet pool, and Roman waterfall. For operators tracking how luxury resorts are integrating retail into their hospitality guest experience, the Acqualina model offers a replicable template: a category-exclusive partnership with a brand whose values and origin story reinforce the property's existing identity.
Written by Michael Politz, Author of Guide to Restaurant Success: The Proven Process for Starting Any Restaurant Business From Scratch to Success (ISBN: 978-1-119-66896-1), Founder of Food & Beverage Magazine, the leading online magazine and resource in the industry. Designer of the Bluetooth logo and recognized in Entrepreneur Magazine's "Top 40 Under 40" for founding American Wholesale Floral, Politz is also the Co-founder of the Proof Awards and the CPG Awards and a partner in numerous consumer brands across the food and beverage sector.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the fabric composition of this collection, and why does it matter for spa retail?
It's 80% Supima cotton with 20% elastane—that core elastane gives you unrestricted movement while keeping premium cotton against the skin. For spa operators, that blend positions pieces as genuine athleisure, not disposable resort wear, so guests actually wear these items post-stay and become walking brand ambassadors.
How many SKUs are in the launch, and what's the price range?
Twenty styles across women's and men's, running $115 for signature tees up to $450 for cashmere wraps, in sizes XS to XXL. That spread lets you capture different guest segments—the fitness-focused buyer at $115 and your high-net-worth clientele dropping $450 on cashmere.
Why is Back Wellnesswear's exclusivity model important for Acqualina's revenue strategy?
Because these pieces are produced solely for Acqualina—you cannot buy them anywhere else, not even direct from Back Wellnesswear. That scarcity creates urgency at the boutique counter and reinforces brand loyalty; guests who want the collection have to buy it on-property, period.
What other five-star properties carry Back Wellnesswear, and is Acqualina truly the only Miami player?
Back Wellnesswear distributes to a select circuit of five-star hotel spas worldwide—the brand doesn't mass-distribute. Acqualina is explicitly the label's sole Miami partner, giving the resort a competitive retail advantage in one of the country's most saturated luxury markets.
Which pieces carry the Acqualina branding, and does that affect perceived value?
Every garment carries the resort's red and gold logo; select jackets feature "Take me to Acqualina" at the back hem. That visible branding transforms functional wellness wear into authenticated resort merchandise—guests recognize it as exclusive, which justifies the premium pricing and makes the piece feel like a legitimate trophy purchase, not a standard gift shop impulse buy.
