PERSPECTIVE
How wellness is helping reshape the luxury hotel experience
LUXURY USED TO MEAN ROOM SERVICE AND OVERNIGHT SHOE-SHINE SERVICE. NOW, IT’ S AN INFRARED SAUNA AND A COLD PLUNGE.
Contributed by JACOB ROSENBERG, FOUNDER AND CEO OF KRETE
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he past few years have seen a rise in something beyond indulgence in hospitality: wellness. From AI-enhanced mattresses and performance skincare to vitamin-C showers and deprivation tanks, guests today don’ t just want to rest; they want to reset. The smart hotels are meeting the moment.
At the Santa Monica Proper, wellness goes beyond the spa. The hotel offers a private Recovery Suite with cold plunges at varying temperatures, full-body red light therapy, compression boots and a dry sauna. Add-ons include an infrared sauna and the Ammortal Chamber, a pod that combines infrared light, pulsed electromagnetic field therapy and oxygen therapy. It’ s less pampering, more performance.
It’ s not just about add-on amenities designed to support wellness. Many consumers are making travel decisions based on the ability to restore body and mind, where wellness has become the purpose of the trip. For this new generation of travelers, the hotel is the experience.
The Ranch Hudson Valley in New York strips wellness down to its essentials— daily hikes, breathwork and high-end recovery treatments— in a minimalist estate designed to reset from the inside out. It’ s the East Coast sibling of The Ranch Malibu, a secluded California retreat known for its weeklong guided programs that focus on movement, mindful nutrition, nature immersion and total restoration of body and mind. With group sizes kept intentionally small, both destinations are built to deliver deep, lasting impact on guests’ health, energy and sense of purpose.
HEALTHY MOVES At the same time, wellness-first companies are expanding into hospitality as a natural extension. These aren’ t traditional hotel brands retrofitting spas into their buildings— they’ re lifestyle leaders
38 hotelsmag. com Sept / Oct 2025