Dolores Burgos
May 2, 2022
People are looking for wellness outside of the home. In a September 2021 American Express survey, 76% of respondents said they wanted to spend more on travel to improve their well-being, and 55% said they’d pay extra for wellness activities on future vacations. This trend should continue to expand: Wellness tourism will see a 21% annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025, according to a December 2021 report from the Global Wellness Institute.
Taking note of this demand, hotels have made sure that finding wellness on vacation means more than simply hitting the spa. Instead, a new crop of getaways caters to every aspect of your well-being. On the Hawaiian island of Lanai, Sensei Lanai, A Four Seasons Resort uses a scientific approach to help you on a path to all-encompassing wellness. After your sensei (a health expert who oversees your stay) tests everything from your blood pressure to functional movements, you get a personalized itinerary of classes and activities that could include a full-body strength circuit, a lakefront meditation session and a treatment in the indoor-outdoor hales (individual spa villas), all of which take place on lush, tropical grounds dotted with sculptures. You may also enjoy off-site activities, such as an e-bike ride through the red mountains. Building on the wellness trend’s momentum, the new brand is set to open another hotel, Sensei Porcupine Creek, this year in Palm Springs.
Over in the Maldives, at JOALI BEING, which debuted last November, you undergo an integrative lifestyle assessment whose results help you choose a personalized journey that includes workouts (everything from yoga to muay thai), nourishing food (subtle suggestions might include adding ginger and turmeric to your meals to improve digestion), targeted spa services and individualized blends at the herbology center (it’s like an inviting tea lounge, where an herbalist will prepare a soothing cup to help what ails you). At the end of the day, your wellness journey continues, retiring to a breathtaking overwater villa with its own infinity pool and swing, proving that one of the best treatments is traveling to tranquil locales away from everyday stresses.