According to luxury travel advisors surveyed for Strategic Vision’s 2026 Pulse of the Industry Survey, today’s travelers are increasingly prioritizing restorative experiences, with 56% of advisors reporting spa and pampering as the fastest-growing wellness category, closely followed by stress recovery and mental reset.
As demand for restorative travel continues to grow, luxury hotels are finding new ways to stand out in the space. Below, I’m sharing a roundup of experiences that go beyond the traditional spa, giving travelers unique ways to recharge and reset. Highlights include equine connection in Riviera Nayarit, in-room spa treatments for guests and their pets in Napa, and Banff’s first luxury hydrothermal wellness experience.
Luxury Spa Suites at Bardessono Hotel & Spa – Napa, California
Bardessono is a serene, wellness-oriented luxury property in the heart of Napa Valley, offering a distinctive approach to restorative travel. Bardessono holds two MICHELIN Keys and has been included in Vogue’s Global Spa Guide for three consecutive years, recognized among the top 100 spas in the world. The first Spa Suite concept in the region, wellness is seamlessly woven into the guest experience, with each guestroom transforming into a personal spa where guests can enjoy customizable b Spa treatments in the privacy of their room or spacious courtyard. Private pampering even extends to guests’ four-legged friends through the property’s recent partnership with HigherDOSE to bring its PEMF Dog Beds to b Spa through Paws & Reflect with HigherDOSE. This is a first-of-its-kind pet wellness service in Napa designed to promote relaxation, recovery and overall well-being.
Poolside Spa Treatments at Hotel Yountville Resort & Spa – Napa, California
Hotel Yountville is a vineyard estate-inspired retreat, set amidst Napa Valley wineries and the charming, walkable town of Yountville. Quietly luxurious, the property evokes the feeling of an elegant Tuscan countryside home reinterpreted for modern comfort. All accommodations feature spa-style bathrooms and fieldstone fireplaces, with select rooms offering vaulted ceilings and French doors that open to private patios or balconies. 80 rooms and suites are thoughtfully arranged around the pool courtyard, where plush daybeds rest beneath towering cypress trees. The courtyard also serves as an extension of The Spa at Hotel Yountville, where guests can book select treatments poolside, turning a traditional pool day into a more restorative wellness experience. A seasonal pool bar (April through October) adds to the experience with cocktails and light bites served poolside. Intimate and residential in feel, the setting stands out as a refined take on the classic hotel pool, ideal for unwinding between tastings or carving out time to fully enjoy the property.
“Wine Down” Ritual at Appellation Healdsburg – Healdsburg, California
Recently named the #1 Resort in the Continental U.S. by Travel + Leisure’s 2026 World’s Best Awards, Appellation Healdsburg offers an immersive expression of Sonoma wine country where wellness, culinary excellence, and a sense of place converge. Terroir Spa celebrates the landscape through highly personalized treatments curated for each guest, drawing on locally sourced botanicals, seasonal ingredients, and holistic rituals that reflect the region’s vineyards and orchards. Every experience is designed as a sensory journey of restoration, incorporating grounding elements such as aromatherapy inhalation, sound bowl resonance, heated weighted packs, and a complimentary foot bath ritual with magnesium salts and seasonal herbs. Available upon request, the “Wine Down” experience ritual serves as a gentle transition from dinner at Folia into rest, inviting guests to soak their feet, enjoy light massage elements, and unwind beneath warm blankets with cozy neck wraps while sipping a glass of Sonoma wine or bubbles. Optional enhancements, including a sound bath, hand treatment, or even dessert delivery, create a quietly social yet deeply calming end to the day before retreating to their guest room.
Celebrity Esthetician Treatments at The Little Nell – Aspen, CO
The Little Nell, Aspen’s only Five-Star, Five-Diamond hotel, takes a holistic approach to mountain wellness, blending restorative experiences with unrivaled access to Aspen’s iconic outdoor adventures. This summer, The Spa at The Little Nell has extended its exclusive in-residence partnership with renowned celebrity esthetician Georgia Louise, with The Little Nell serving as the only destination for new clients to experience her sought-after treatments. The spa delivers a highly personalized, results-driven approach rooted in “The Aspen Idea,” a holistic lifestyle philosophy that integrates mind, body, and spirit. Treatments are thoughtfully designed around three core pathways: high-altitude recovery, post-adventure restoration and high-performance living, reflecting the natural rhythm of time spent in the mountains. With a devoted celebrity clientele that includes Anne Hathaway, Jennifer Aniston and Emily Blunt, guests can schedule appointments with Louise herself during scheduled residencies or with The Little Nell’s expert estheticians trained in her methods.
The First Adult-Only Experience in Maui at Wailea Beach Resort – Wailea, Maui, HI
Closest to the ocean’s edge in all of Maui and nestled between two golden-sand crescent beaches, the newly renovated Wailea Beach Resort is the epitome of scenic luxury, spanning 22 acres with four spectacular pool experiences. Its newest addition, Olakino, is the first adults-only experience of its kind in Maui, featuring daily wellness themes designed to refresh and rejuvenate. “Ola” means life and health and “kino” means the body; together, Olakino means “for the health and vitality of the body.” Centered around a private infinity-edge saline pool with in-water chaises overlooking the Pacific, guests can enjoy personalized service from dedicated Poʻe Mālama attendants (meaning “one who takes care”). Daily programming begins with a traditional oli (Hawaiian chant) and includes mini spa treatments, live music, culinary tastings, culminating in a celebratory champagne saber toast at sunset. Olakino is available to resort guests through a dedicated day pass, while non-guests can access the full experience and daily programming via ResortPass. The space is also available for private buyouts from 8 am to 10 pm, making it an ideal setting for intimate poolside gatherings or group wellness events.
Luxury Hydrothermal Wellness at Rimrock Banff – Banff, Alberta
Perched high above the Bow Valley within Banff National Park, Rimrock Banff, Emblems Collection, has debuted following a $115M CAD property-wide reimagination. Wellness at Rimrock is built around contrast — heat and cold, movement and rest, indoor and outdoor. The all-new 9,600 square foot Bathhouse, Banff’s first luxury hydrothermal wellness experience, is designed as a series of interconnected thermal spaces, where a vitality pool, hot pool, salt sauna and steam room are arranged to move guests through contrasting environments. Outdoors, a mountain-facing infinity pool sits above the treetops, connected by heated pathways that allow for year-round immersion. From the Bathhouse, a wooden spiral staircase leads upward to the Active Center, a 3,800-square-foot, purpose-built training space designed to support both mind and body with Technogym and Peloton equipment for functional, strength and endurance training, along with climbing and bouldering walls. Quieter moments unfold in the suspended meditation room and Aurora Room, an immersive Northern Lights-inspired audio-visual experience designed to encourage stillness and reflection. Wellness continues into nine dedicated Wellness Studios equipped with Technogym and Hyperice recovery tools, aromatherapy touches, meditation playlists and private terraces opening to the mountain air.
Equine Connection at Mandarina — Riviera Nayarit, Mexico
Set between the Pacific Ocean and rainforest-covered cliffs of Riviera Nayarit, Mandarina has emerged as one of Mexico’s most compelling wellness destinations, where restorative experiences are deeply connected to the surrounding landscape and local traditions. At Mandarina’s Polo & Equestrian Center, guests can experience the restorative power of connecting with horses amid lush jungle and Pacific coastline. Through expert-led riding and equine connection experiences, guests engage with the sensitivity and intuition of horses, encouraging emotional awareness, mindfulness and a deeper sense of calm. Available to guests of both Rosewood Mandarina and One&Only Mandarina, the experience offers a distinctive approach to mental reset and immersion in nature that extends wellness beyond the traditional spa setting.
Hydrothermal Rainforest Indulgence at Mayakoba — Riviera Maya, Mexico
Spanning 595 acres of mangroves, lagoons and Caribbean coastline, Mayakoba offers a destination-wide approach to wellness shaped by its natural surroundings and Mexican heritage. Across its four luxury properties, guests can experience restorative rituals that draw inspiration from local culture and centuries-old traditions, from Rosewood Mayakoba’s traditional Temazcal Ceremony and Banyan Tree Mayakoba’s eight-step hydrothermal Rainforest Indulgence to Fairmont Mayakoba’moon cycle-inspired Signature Journeys and newly opened Alila Mayakoba’s Ixchel Water Blessing, rooted in the sacred Mayan calendar. With each property offering its own distinct approach, Mayakoba provides an expansive range of wellness experiences designed to immerse guests in restorative practices inspired by the destination’s natural surroundings and rich cultural traditions.
Mayan-Inspired Rituals at Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya – Cancun, MX
Recognized by the Forbes Travel Guide, Waldorf Astoria Riviera Maya Spa offers an enchanting escape with a strong connection to Mayan culture. Each treatment combines the best of modern wellness practices with ancient traditions, incorporating locally sourced oils, fresh garden herbs, and healing crystals. A standout feature of the spa is its spiritual menu, where guests can participate in ancestral ceremonies and healing therapies guided by the resort Shaman. At the heart of the spa’s signature offerings is the Yaxché Journey, a ritual inspired by the Mayan Tree of Life. This transformative experience helps guests release deep emotions and connect with their ancestors at the spa’s sacred Tree of Life. Following this spiritual awakening, the journey continues with a personalized massage, allowing guests to carry the sense of renewal and balance into the rest of the day. Spanning 40,000 square feet, the spa boasts 21 indoor and outdoor treatment rooms with a variety of experiences from private massages to eucalyptus steam rooms.
Cenote-Inspired Wellness at Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya – Riviera Maya, MX
Wellness at The Conrad Spa is thoughtfully woven into every aspect of the guest experience, from its jungle-set destination to daily movement and mindfulness offerings. Inspired by centuries of Mayan culture and the mysticism of cenotes, the resort’s spa delivers personalized treatments that blend ancestral healing rituals, locally grown medicinal botanicals, and modern science, beginning with a traditional limpia purification ceremony. Offering an atmosphere designed for intentional relaxation, Conrad Tulum offers a holistic wellness escape rooted in place, culture, and balance.
Wellness Suites at Solaz, a Luxury Collection Resort, Los Cabos — Los Cabos, MX
Solaz features two thoughtfully designed Wellness Suites that elevate the spa experience through immersive, restorative therapies. The Relaxation Wellness Suite offers a double-bed massage table and private steam room, creating a serene setting for shared treatments, deep relaxation, and complete rejuvenation. The Whole-Body Therapy Wellness Suite pairs heated loungers with meditation visors and halotherapy to promote balance, encourage the body’s natural alkalization, and support overall well-being through a calming, multisensory experience. Together, these dedicated wellness spaces provide a holistic escape designed to restore both body and mind.
Multi-Gen Spa Treatments at South Bank – Providenciales, Turks and Caicos
Grace Bay Resorts’ newest resort, South Bank, is setting the new standard for luxury spa offerings. With a unique, customizable treatment list, South Bank is the perfect oasis for any couple, family, or individual looking for a wellness retreat. For those looking to maximize relaxation every day of their stay, The Spa’s week-long spa journeys include the Three Days Renew, the Five Days Renew and the Seven Days Retreat, each including a mix of 50-minute massages and 50-minute facials. Specialty treatments include the specially designed in-villa treatments like the Under the Stars couple massage which takes place on the terrace of your private villa. For those expecting, try the Mother to Be massage and foot ritual, and any families bringing the kids, South Bank has a full junior experience treatment menu so they can experience the tranquility of TCI as well. The spa is set alongside TCI’s first ever man-made swimming lagoon for optimal views. For those looking for an extra level of privacy and personalization, all treatments can also be offered in room/villa for an additional fee.
Anguilla’s Only Hammam at Zemi Beach House – Anguilla
Originally built in Thailand 309 years ago using traditional techniques and “Mai Sak” teak wood without nails, the Thai House at Zemi Beach House was carefully dismantled, transported piece by piece to Anguilla in the early 1970s, and reassembled to its original design from Chiang Mai. Since Zemi opened in 2016, the house has been home to the Zemi Thai House Spa, featuring five treatment suites, the island’s only Hammam, and the Juice Bar, once the house’s original Rice Barn. The spa offers an extensive menu of customizable massages, facials, body treatments, and signature rituals designed to restore, hydrate, and rejuvenate. It is also home to Anguilla’s only Hammam, offering traditional Moroccan bathing rituals featuring Beldi black soap, Rhassoul clay, and North African massage. Set against the backdrop of Anguilla, named the #1 Beach in the Caribbean for 2026 by The World’s 50 Best Beaches, the Thai House Spa offers a truly distinctive island wellness experience.
Dedicated Wellness Concierge at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi, South Male Atoll, Maldives
The Waldorf Astoria Spa at Waldorf Astoria Maldives Ithaafushi is the largest spa in the Maldives, set entirely overwater across 10 individual treatment pavilions. Several treatment rooms feature glass floor panels with views of the marine life below. The spa is paired with the Maldives’ first-ever Wellness Concierge service, designing personalized treatment and fitness programming around relaxing, rebalancing and results. Guests can also access the Maldives’ first Aqua Wellness Centre, a custom-built hydrotherapy hub with an ice fountain, steam room and sauna. The spa is a destination in and of itself, and a natural fit for travelers seeking restorative, nature-immersed wellness getaways.
