(Photo Credit: Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort)

Start Your Queer New Year with Trendy Wellness Retreats

January 2, 2024 Vacationer Staff

According to the Global Wellness Institute’s report, Global Wellness Economy Monitor 2023, wellness tourism is projected to cross $1 trillion in 2024 as it continues its dominance as one of the top travel trends. Legacy hospitality brands like Hilton have gone so far as to dub 2024 “The Year of the Great Recharge” and Marriott revealed in its 2024 Travel Trends Forecast that wellness will remain a significant focus with travelers craving more experiences beyond the typical spa.

Boutique hotels and hospitality operators are responding in kind with both traditional treatments and unique offerings that cater to the burgeoning wellness-focused traveler. So, here’s a round-up of unique and trending wellness offerings from hypnosis amenities to a spa tent immersed within acres of Northern Arizona forest to a Turkish Hammam spa aboard a luxury yacht in Los Cabos as you look ahead to stories on New Year wellness and beyond.

Forest Spa Tent + Yoga Retreat at Backland Luxury Camping (Williams, Arizona)

Backland Luxury Camping is a luxury eco-resort that features luxury glamping tents, on-site dining, and a wellness-focused spa tent amongst other luxe amenities. The resort is spread across 160 acres of private land, at 7000′ elevation, surrounded by a pristine National Forest, and located only 20 minutes outside Williams, Arizona lending itself a nature lover’s paradise.

Forest Spa Tent: Guests can indulge in a nature-infused wellness experience where 60-minute and 90-minute massages for singles or couples are designed to rejuvenate the body, revitalize the skin, and refresh the mind.

Grand Canyon Hike + Yoga Retreat with Ali Matt (May 22-24, 2024)

Let unspoiled nature and restorative yoga invigorate your mind, body, and soul on this three-day, two-night retreat led by renowned yoga instructor, Ali Matt. In addition to great yoga, get ready for a day of adventure with a professionally guided Grand Canyon hike led by Grand Canyon Adventures. Sleep and relax in Backland’s fully climate-controlled luxury tents with panoramic glass providing views of the surrounding mountains, forests, and meadows. Dine in our glass-walled restaurant and enjoy amenities like kayaking, hiking trails, guided stargazing, and more.

Hypnotherapy at Park Terrace Hotel (New York, New York)

This city may never sleep but guests at Park Terrace Hotel, located in Bryant Park and featuring sweeping views of Manhattan. will be able to courtesy of the hotel’s hypnotherapy amenities. Park Terrace Hotel is offering guests access to exclusive hypnosis recordings from acclaimed Hypnotherapist Ginger Gibson for calm, confidence, and sleep. Park Terrace Hotel’s Wellness Package and programming features an array of wellness-focused offerings aimed at promoting health and sleep, including:

90-minute in-room or virtual Hypnotherapy session with acclaimed HMI Certified Hypnotherapist Ginger Gibson
The option of a 45-minute private in-room or on-property (fitness center) yoga class with acclaimed NYC instructor
Rituals Cosmetics’ Ritual of Jing soothing in-room amenities that enhance and support sleep
Dinner for two at La Pecora Bianca (off the hotel lobby)
New beverages at its Terrazzo Coffee bar, among other elements designed for a balanced lifestyle

Restorative Sleep Studio at Park Terrace Hotel (New York, New York)

Park Terrace partnered with Bryte to create a distinctive sleep experience package showcasing Bryte’s AI-Powered Restorative Bed™. The Restorative Bed introduces a new standard of sleep for today’s travelers with dynamic, real-time technology that intuitively adjusts based on the individual’s needs and preferences.

The Restorative Bed provides the ideal sleep experience by learning each individual sleeper’s needs and adjusting every aspect in real-time, throughout the night. The sensory network inside the Restorative Bed™ detects heart rate and breathing patterns to identify when the first sleep stage has begun. Then cooling features engage to lower the body’s core temperature gently, guiding you into the critical stages of deep sleep.

By Invitation Only – Park Terrace is introducing the Restorative Sleep Package. Our traditional Studio View Room is now upgraded with the AI-powered king-size Bryte Restorative Bed™.

Fall Asleep Faster. Sleep Assist gently lulls you to sleep naturally.
Sleep Deeper & Longer. Air-cooled and warmed to optimize deep sleep for each individual sleeper.
Rejuvenate Body & Mind. Proactive Pressure Control reduces discomfort, stiffness, and nighttime waking.

To experience the Restorative Sleep Studio, please call or email Angela Pina at 646.805.4705 or angelap@parkterracehotels.com.

Yoga at Moana at Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa (Maui, Hawaii)

(Photo Credit: Sheraton Maui Resort & Spa)

Set atop Puu Kekaa (Black Rock), Sheraton Maui Resort’s coveted Moana Oceanfront guest rooms offer the most awe-inspiring seascapes in all of Kaanapali. Floating above the ocean like a majestic waa (canoe), Moana reinvigorates guests with a renewed connection to the ocean’s timeless rhythm. Rise to a new day with a self-guided yoga experience on Moana’s oceanfront lawn with complimentary yoga mats while taking in panoramic views. Prefer a guided class? The resort also offers three yoga course levels – sunrise yoga, slow flow, and stretch and release.

Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa (Oahu, Hawaii)

(Photo Credit: Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa)

Located at the former site of Queen Lili’uokalani’s summer home, Waikiki Beach Marriott Resort & Spa is situated in the heart of walkable Waikiki and steps away from the world-famous Waikiki Beach. Should guests be looking for traditional wellness opportunities, they can venture to the Royal Kaila Spa which is based on traditional Hawaiian methods of healing and beautifying, or they can participate in a morning yoga or HIIT class.

The resort also features the Ohana Surf Project with personalized water sports instruction that’s customized to age, skill level, and personal goals. At the brand-new Heritage Center, guests can sign up for the new hula classes for all ages, where they will work with the resort’s Cultural Advisor, Leilani Kūpahu-Marino Kaho’āno, and learn the contemporary hula where they’ll leave with a basic lesson of hula and a dance.

Release Well-Being Center (Boston, Massachusetts)

(Photo Credit: Release Well-Being Center)

Introducing the unveiling of the Release Well-Being Center—an avant-garde wellbeing center set to revolutionize the realm of contemporary wellness. Nestled in the heart of Boston’s opulent Back Bay neighborhood, this state-of-the-art wellness center is set to debut in January 2024, perfectly aligning with the spirit of the New Year, New You season. At the helm of Release Well-Being is Linda Townsend, founder and president, whose remarkable journey from a distinguished career in corporate America to becoming a certified yoga instructor and executive coach serves as the driving force behind the center.

Release Well-Being takes an innovative approach to wellness, combining cutting-edge facilities with Linda’s genuine passion for creating a community where individuals find not just treatments but a transformative journey toward balance, purpose, and overall well-being. Release Boston will offer lifestyle medicine and wellness coaching programs to achieve an optimal state of living through an all-encompassing, holistic approach and will be equipped with the latest and most unique healing therapies including but not limited to:

Contrast therapy featuring infrared and traditional saunas and cold plunge tubs
Eucalyptus steam rooms
Massage and esthetic services
Alternative healing services such as cupping, reflexology, and reiki
The signature “Bliss” Experience, where holistic remedies and cutting-edge therapies combine to immerse guests in total wellness

Reconnection Retreat at Saratoga Arms Hotel (Saratoga Springs, New York)

Tailored to each individual couple or guest, this experience allows you to explore or re-discover all the key elements and dimensions of your relationship, whether it is with your significant other or yourself. Together with Saratoga Arms Hotel’s in-house sex and relationship expert, you will be challenged to go inward and deepen your connection with your partner and/or yourself.

The property’s certified clinician will guide you through the process of rekindling your relationship with a variety of sensory techniques rooted in neuroscience. The Reconnection Retreat will arm guests with practical yet playful tools and exercises to take back home and will offer each participant a much deeper understanding of their partner and themself.

Package inclusions:

Virtual intention setting session with a therapist
3-hour in-person reconnection session with a therapist
Welcome champagne
Intimacy kit
$200 spa credit
Gourmet lunch boxes
A special gift to take home

Available for the following weekends only: Jan 5-7; Feb 9-11; Feb 16-18; March 29-31

Wine Hikes at Windy Hill Farm & Preserve (Loudon, Tennessee)

(Photo Credit: Windy Hill Farm & Preserve)

Enjoy a balance of wellness and indulgence at this luxury farm resort, situated on 650 acres of idyllic countryside near the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains and Knoxville. The Windy Hill Farm & Preserve offers a unique Wine Hike that allows guests to escape amidst the beauty of nature. The resort’s expert culinary and activities teams will come together to create an experience where guests have the opportunity to sample five wines while exploring a guided, mindful stroll along the property’s five miles of hiking trails.

Snacks are also prepared by the award-winning culinary team, which sources seasonal ingredients from the property’s working farm and garden. Guests who don’t wish to imbibe can also enjoy their unguided traverse along Windy Hill’s trails through the woods and along the Tennessee River.

Wellness on the Water with BookBaja Los Cabos, Mexico)

The sun sets in the west so there is arguably no better place to soak in a wellness getaway than the waters of the Pacific. BookBaja has curated a selection of Baja, Mexico’s most lavish yacht charters to showcase the luxury and beauty of yacht travel in Baja Mexico. Catering to each client, the BookBaja team can provide private chefs, curate excursions, or simply allow the rugged mountain landscape that meets the blue water to do all the talking.

Two of BookBaja’s most popular yacht charters with amazing wellness offerings include:

La Datcha – a 252ft Damen superyacht combining the highest level of onboard luxury with incomparable on-the-water capability. La Datcha was originally designed with major expeditions in mind, from the Arctic to the Antarctic but is equally at home in any tropical paradise. Travelers can watch whales breaching mere meters away from their front-row seat in the Observation Lounge or jump into one of three tenders for an even closer encounter. Other stand-out features include:

Elevator/lift and helipad
Jacuzzi on deck
A wellness center to warm up in the Turkish Hammam, take an invigorating shower under the ice fountain, or unwind with a massage in the dedicated treatment room.
Fully-serviced gym with sea view

Rule No. 1 – a 130ft Westport featuring a brand new 2022 refit that makes it the ideal Baja adventure yacht. This yacht takes luxury to the most desolate parts of the peninsula so more adventurous travelers can enjoy the spoils of fishing, off-roading, and much more in total comfort. Stand-out features include:

A Master Suite
A hot tub on the sundeck for epic views
Workout equipment to turn the bridge deck into a private gym
A bar and dining table on each of the top 3 decks to enjoy meals and drinks

Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort (Rapallo, Portofino Coast)

Reopened in spring 2023 as a five-star property, Grand Hotel Bristol Spa Resort has undergone an impressive renovation. Features include wellness at the Erre Spa, the largest hotel spa (22,000 square feet) in Liguria with multisensory areas and custom treatments, and rooftop dining with sweeping views of Portofino.

Imagine immersing yourself in soothing, warm waters, surrounded by breathtaking natural beauty, while the calming tones of the singing bowls wash over you. Aquasoma consists of a journey in a heated swimming pool using the Singing Bowls, to rebalance the body’s vibration through the water that supports and relaxes you. If you’re seeking a one-of-a-kind experience that will leave you refreshed and rejuvenated, this is it. Book through the hotel spa directly, click here.

Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa (Menaggio, Lake Como)

(Photo Credit: Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa)

Built on the architectural structure of an ancient convent, the newest five-star hotel in Lake Como has a unique lakefront location in Menaggio. The Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa features beautiful gardens and a 16,000-square-foot spa (the biggest on Lake Como) with personalized treatment programs, a swimming pool, and signature scents handcrafted in-house, it’s surrounded by breathtaking views of the lake and its mountains.

The Lake Como Wellness Ritual promises to be an evocative journey for both body and soul, transporting you to the tranquil shores of this iconic Italian lake. This ritual begins with a warm body wrap, infused with the essence of our local plants: Camellia, Geranium, and Melissa. This ceremony nourishes and oxygenates your skin, leaving you feeling refreshed and revitalized. The ritual ends with a slow and deep aromatherapy journey, emulating the rhythm of Lake Como itself. This experience is designed to release tension and provide you with a deep sense of relaxation. Let the spirit of Lake Como wash over you!

Creating Healthy Habits that Stick at Aleenta Resorts & Spa (Thailand)

(Photo Credit: Ayurah Wellness & Spa Centre)

(Photo Credit: Aleenta Hua Hin Pranburi Resort & Spa) — (Photo Credit: Ayurah Wellness & Spa Centre)

Set out on an inner path to the core of your well-being with Ayurah Wellness Retreats in Thailand. All retreat programs are designed to set participants up with an improved mindset and long-lasting habits to incorporate into everyday life. Experienced experts in yoga, Ayurvedic therapies, and alternative medicine inspired by the East lead the way as you embrace a deeply personal healing journey to a healthier, happier, and more harmonious you. Programs range from 3 to 21 nights and may have the option for a home extension curriculum to help integrate new habits once home.

Aleenta Phuket Phang Nga Resort & Spa – Cleanse Life Retreat (assists with tobacco/alcohol dependency), Fitness & Weight Management, Healthy Living – Lifestyle Evolution, Endurance Sports Training, Companion Yoga, Cleansing & Detox, and Mind Balance & Self Love.
Aleenta Hua Hin Pranburi Resort & Spa Signature Retreats – rest, create healthy sleep habits; Active, encourages movement and exercise; and Nature, find respite and embrace the healing powers of the natural world.
Aleenta Retreat Chiang Mai (opened Spring 2023) – Signature Retreats Spa & Rest Recovery, Yoga & Mindfulness, Nature’s Cleanse, and Mind & Body Renewal.