“It is not a single wellness hotel, but a major international hotel brand that has committed itself to the concept of longevity – Accor’s Novotel brand. In Paris, it has now unveiled ‘The Long Game’ in collaboration with its sports partner, Paris Saint-Germain. The Bleisure Traveller was there.” Sylvie Konzack
Longevity is a major buzzword on everyone’s lips these days, ranging from simple tips for better sleep or more exercise to full-body MRIs or stem cell therapies. Whether you like it or not, the fact is that, at present, only measures such as the former are comprehensively proven to help people stay healthy for longer. And these can be easily incorporated, particularly whilst travelling – especially on ‘bleisure’ and ‘workation’ trips.
According to an international study by Novotel, it comes as little surprise that more than one in two respondents (51 per cent) feel more relaxed on holiday than in their everyday lives. 24 per cent sleep better whilst travelling than at home. On average, this increased sense of well-being is said to last for 5.6 days after returning home.
At the same time, according to the study, interest in long-term health is growing significantly. A clear 71 per cent stated that they now place greater value on their future wellbeing than they did five years ago. They cite a balanced diet (64 per cent), restful sleep (62 per cent) and regular exercise (60 per cent) as the most important foundations for a long life. However, another finding suggests that many find it difficult to integrate these habits into their daily lives on a permanent basis.
Accor’s founding brand – the French hotel group operates around 400 hotels across various brands in Paris alone – has therefore made ‘Longevity Everyday’ its global mission: business and leisure travellers, as well as families, should be able to cultivate small, everyday habits whilst on the move, such as restful sleep, a balanced diet, exercise and social interaction. For example, the Novotel Longevity Week took place in September 2026: during daily talks, masterclasses and live sessions broadcast via the Novotel Instagram and YouTube channels, a British food creator, amongst others, demonstrated just how simple and delicious a plant-based diet can be. An Australian sleep expert offered tips for better sleep and more energy in everyday life. And Javier Pastore, a former professional footballer for Champions League winners Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), spoke about performance and the importance of interpersonal relationships for a long, healthy life.
PSG and Longevity
Javier Pastore was also on stage last week in Paris, high up at the Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse, alongside other cheerful PSG legends such as Pedro Pauleta, Gregory van der Wiel, Nenê and Blaise Matuidi (photo above).
Accor and Paris Saint-Germain have been working together since 2024 – on a range of exciting projects. For example, Novotel has its own suite at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris, where guests can even stay overnight during matches, complete with a magnificent view of the pitch. The “La Suite Novotel by ALL Accor” (pictured) is primarily available to members of the free ALL Accor loyalty programme during special promotions.
In 2025, the ‘Novotel Legendary Rooms’ – guest rooms designed by club legends – were introduced in selected hotels. And now, Novotel and PSG have combined the theme of longevity with ‘The Long Game’ – because this brings together what both organisations do best and offer: hospitality, sport and wellbeing through experiences. This has resulted not only in real-life room concepts, culinary offerings and sports options inspired by selected PSG Legends, but also in online content centred around the four pillars of the longevity philosophy.
In ‘his’ room in Paris, for example, Gregory van der Wiel spoke quite openly about what he does to ensure a good night’s sleep. For him, the most important things include low lighting, no mobile phone and, above all, no checking social media near the bed. In the hotels featuring ‘his’ room, guests will therefore find, for example, blue light-filtering glasses and a diary in which they can write down their dreams and thoughts. Gregory explains more in three videos, which can be accessed via a QR code.
Blaise Matuidi’s room was all about community, family and fun. The father of four talked about how much he enjoys travelling with his children, playing games with them in the hotel – simply having a good time together. In three videos, Blaise explains how, in his view, to build meaningful connections, embrace different cultures and keep fun as part of a happy, balanced life.
Pedro Pauleta and Nenê were the faces behind the classic hotel themes of food and sport. In Paris, at his own breakfast station, Pedro served up a genuinely unsweetened banana bread and a ‘Morning Boost’ drink featuring his favourite fruits. In the hotel’s gym, Nenê promoted his three workout videos. What he finds easiest to do himself – and does frequently – is simply going for a jog round the block.
Participating hotels worldwide
Seven hotels across all continents are taking part at the launch of the campaign, with more set to follow soon. Alongside the Novotel Paris Vaugirard Montparnasse in France, the participating hotels include the Novotel Madrid Feria and Airport in Spain, the Novotel Rio de Janeiro Leme in Brazil, the Novotel Abidjan Marcory in Côte d’Ivoire, the Novotel Xiamen Downtown in China, the Novotel Jakarta Mangga Dua Square in Indonesia and the Novotel Bangkok Platinum Pratunam in Thailand.
However, thanks to the wide range of digital resources available, anyone interested can already access practical tips at any time. Novotel says: “With ‘The Long Game’, we’re helping people apply the principles of excellence to their everyday lives.” It’s already clear that this is ‘What a Good Game’.
Sylvie Konzack …
… was surprised at just how much enthusiasm and enjoyment the PSG heroes showed last week in Paris when talking about these topics. But then again, it wasn’t about a new product to be sold, but about topics that are even more beneficial to us all, especially when travelling.
Photos: © Novotel
