TLC TRAVEL

TRAVEL TLC

Getaway’s tiny cabins provide undistracted time to unplug from technology and focus instead on nature, oneself, and each other. AMBER CANTERBURY

From sleepcations to digital detox, today’s getaways celebrate self-care.

by David Graver

At Six Senses Yao Noi, Thailand, guests can learn about local ecosystems while admiring the stunning scenery of Phang Nga Bay.

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NOW THAT people are becoming more comfortable with travel, and even eager to take to the road, an effervescent new attribute has woven its way into expectations: wellness. The quest for physical and mental health has been trending hard in recent years, encompassing everything from fitness and food considerations to emotional balance, relaxation, and stress relief. It now influences the decisions many people make every day at home and surrounding work, so perhaps it’s no surprise that wellness factors

The infinity pool at Six Senses in the Seychelles offers relaxation with a breathtaking view.

increasingly into vacation and staycation decisions, too.

To accommodate the growing interest among travelers who seek out self-care options on their holidays and professional trips, hotels, spas, and other destinations across the world continue to introduce imaginative amenities that do more than embrace or pamper guests. From device detoxing to healthy sleep itineraries, animal therapy sessions, and plant-based meal programs, hospitality hubs are setting a new wellness standard.

THE DIGITAL DETOX

Arguably one of the more obvious wellness necessities for contemporary travelers is the conscious unplugging, logging out, and signing off of all electronic devices, known as a digital detox. To achieve this, some locations intentionally forgo Wi-Fi. Others are popping up in cell-service-free zones. With an option in New York’s Hudson Valley and another nearby in the Western Catskills (as well as in Austin, Dallas, Los

Angeles, Atlanta, Chicago, Washington D.C., and other destinations), the Getaway hospitality brand offers rustic retreats and equips escapist guests with amenities enticing enough to convince anyone to turn off and tuck away their phone and computer.

They’re not alone: From The James New York to The Ranch Malibu and remote outposts in Alaska, the Caribbean, Thailand, and beyond, hotels and resorts are embracing the virtues of going device-free for its power to liberate guests from FOMO, screen stress, Zoom fatigue, and the infinite scroll.

THE SLEEP RETREAT

Whether or not they allow the disruptive buzzing and blue light from our devices, many hotels and resorts now unlock the power of rest through a variety of restorative sleep amenities and treatments. Mattress and bedding quality has long influenced a hotel’s reputation—but now guests can procure everything from aromatherapy to tea sessions and even scientifically backed sleep consultations through select hospitality groups. Leading the sleep-programming pack, Rosewood Hotels & Resorts (which includes NYC’s The Carlyle, Paris’s Hôtel de Crillon, and other refined establishments) introduced the Alchemy of Sleep concept across their 20 properties. Components vary from acupuncture to sound therapy. Other premier organizations—from Aman to Six Senses—have also introduced sleep-enhancing elements to the luxe retreats they offer.

A balcony and floorto-ceiling glass in the Lodge Suite at Six Senses Bhutan encourages visitors to slow down and savor the view of Phobjikha Valley.

Guests at Six Senses Shaharut in Israel can join a desert stargazing experience or visit the Earth Lab to find out about the resort’s sustainability efforts.

Hospitality hubs are setting a new wellness standard.

WELLNESS FITNESS

Beyond standard gym equipment and fitness amenities, high-end hotels have rolled out a variety of meditation options, mindfulness programs, and guided yoga offerings. Take, for example, the intentionally silly, accessible, and effective “Yoga for Bad People” presentations available at The EDITION Hotel outposts in New York City, Miami, and elsewhere. The fitness center at South Florida’s The Boca Raton resort hosts mindful ocean-view group classes both indoors and out, as well as instructor-led Orangetheory Fitness sessions. The Boca Raton, still in the midst of a multimilliondollar renovation, takes wellness to a clinical and yet still approachable level. They have a best-in-class wellness “Biostation,” which incorporates anti-aging services, as well as IV drips of their restorative B12 formula. Staff can also provide peptide therapy, hormone treatments, and more.

Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, offers cabins and cottages where guests can commune with animals in a peaceful, pastoral setting.

NURTURE BY NATURE

Writer Henry David Thoreau famously celebrated the healing power of nature immersion with the seminal Walden back in 1854. And certain hospitality outlets are tapping into the spirit of his message today. Landscape hotels like Piaule in the Catskills provide peace and quiet, as well as uninterrupted contemplation amid the beauty of Upstate New York. Picture windows in guest

Detoxifying at Sense, a Rosewood Spa in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

rooms create the sensation that the stunning natural surroundings flow right in. The seven suites, three cottages, and 21 houses of Amagansett’s The Reform Club are set in a sprawling garden and orchard, sealed off from the outside world by hedgerows. Guests are invited to wander the grounds and breathe in all the benefits of nature.

ANIMAL ENCOUNTERS

Some properties have gone so far as to incorporate animal engagement, which sparks joy and eases anxiety for many people. Although some of the best-known opportunities for travelers to interact with furry four-legged creatures are found in Kenya, Zambia, and South Africa, there are dozens closer to home. Falconry classes, for example, are offered at the Hudson Valley’s Troutbeck. Neighboring hotels provide similar birdoriented programming. Farm Sanctuary in Watkins Glen, New York, sets guest cottages on 275 acres containing more than 700 animals, all there to lend emotional support and promote a sense of well-being. On the West Coast, The Gentle Barn outside Los Angeles welcomes day-trippers to experience the therapeutic effects of hugging a cow—or simply petting one. Their animal-rescue shelter underscores a reverence for all life and the human-animal bond.

These are just a few examples of the new wellness paradigm in luxury travel. Sustainable practices, reducing tourism’s environmental impact, and “voluntourism” (where visitors take part in volunteer

Tranquility is paramount at Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth, where travelers can enjoy an immersive Alchemy of Sleep experience.

projects and engage with local communities in a vacation destination) also offer wellness components, providing psychological benefits for travelers as well as a positive world impact.

Expect to see many more TLC travel offerings in the future. At the end of 2021, the Global Wellness Institute (a nonprofit that transforms self-care research into initiatives in the sector) noted that the wellness economy had expanded to $4.5 trillion per year. The institute projected wellness tourism’s annual growth rate from 2020 to 2025 to be 21 percent.

After years spent at home sheltering during the pandemic, it is fitting that our desire to get out and explore the country or traverse the world is sparking not only a new travel boom but one in which wellness plays a vital role.

Simple, uncluttered decor at Piaule in the Catskills keeps the focus on the beauty of the landscape.