Now that many more of us feel more comfortable about traveling, our personal health and safety continues to be a top priority. It’s not too early to start thinking about where your Wellness Travels, Wellness Vacations and Wellness Retreats might take you later this year and into 2023.
There is indication that 2022 is shaping up to be the Year of Wellness Travel. Perhaps 2022 will also be the year to get truly serious about self-care. We might be ready to learn about ways to be proactive managing stress and anxiety, maybe it’s time to achieve that healthy weight goal, or take up a new fitness practice. It could be that you have promised yourself to spend less time in front of a screen and more time in nature. Regardless of your specific goals and whatever your intention may be, as we move past this crises, getting away to help kick-start the process might be the way to go.
So if you have already begun thinking about where to enjoy your 2022 Wellness Vacation or hosted Wellness Retreat, we’ve got you covered. The vast majority of the following list of hotels, resorts, retreats and geographic destinations are members of the Wellness Tourism Association. Each member has met the basic standards of membership, and when it comes to Wellness Travel, the WTA logo has become a badge of credibility.
This list of Wellness Travel Hot Spots includes properties that help you kick-start a general overall reboot, help you learn about and develop long-lasting healthy habits, allow you to take your fitness on the road, cultivate your inner creativity, learn new ways to manage stress, find your flow with yoga, let yourself simply BE while surrounded by nature, and so much more. There really is something here for everyone looking to nourish and/or balance mind, body, and soul. In alphabetical order, here’s our list of the best for Wellness Travel 2022 and the decade ahead. Something to think about. Smile about. Hope for. And, plan for. Read on and be inspired. We’ve also collected a few of our favorite tour operators plus a eight eight geographic regions of the world to have on your short list.
Hotels and Resorts
1440 Multidiversity
1440 Multiversity is a 501(c)(3) non-profit philanthropic campus committed to creating hope for living well. Located on 75 acres of redwood forest in California’s picture-perfect Santa Cruz Mountains, 1440 co-creates experiences, including Rest & Renewal stays, private group events, faculty-led programs and weddings set among inspiring spaces in nature. Gatherings are complemented by onsite accommodations, sustainable culinary programs with their Teaching Kitchen, wellness classes and teambuilding offerings. The 1440 Grant Program helps mission-aligned groups fulfill their work on campus, and attendees explore new ways to Live, Lead, Love, Work and Wonder Well with the 1,440 minutes we are gifted each day.
The Art of Living Retreat Center
Nestled in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, The Art of Living Retreat Center is the newest outgrowth of The Art of Living Foundation’s 30+ year global commitment to health, happiness, and Ayurveda. The center offers immersive wellness experiences inspired by authentic traditions that include yoga, meditation, and philosophy workshops, as well as holistic and Ayurvedic spa treatments, nature trails, and a wide variety of spaces for you to rest, learn, and explore on your own. From signature workshops in the life-transforming power of breath and meditation, exploring your creativity in the pottery studio, to cleanses that have been practised for thousands of years, the programs and experiences at the Center and its on-site Shankara Ayurveda Spa provide timeless tools that help guests tap into their potential for lasting health and happiness. The Art of Living Retreat Center also grows a variety of fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables. Their garden is as much a place for nourishment for the body as it is a place of nourishment for the soul.
Body Holiday
Built on the cornerstones of relaxation, restorative beauty, exercise and diet, BodyHoliday, on the Caribbean Island of St. Lucia, is an all-inclusive beachfront resort that offers guests a place to recharge and feel energized. It offers healthy cuisine with five restaurants to choose from, plus provides guests the opportunity to customize their own diets with the help of a nutritionist, The Wellness Centre at Body Holiday houses a team of skilled therapists who offer an endless list of treatments such as Ayurvedic treatments and programs related to meditation and stress management. The resort also offers a wide range of activities for those interested in fitness including daily walks, cycling tours, kayaking, T’ai Chi, Pilates and Zumba. For the more sports-oriented guest, BodyHoliday offers scuba diving, sailing, windsurfing, tennis, golf and archery.
Canyon Ranch Tucson
Through four decades of innovation, Canyon Ranch has gone beyond the “destination spa” evolved into a highly acclaimed Wellness Resort. At their resort in Tucson, Arizona, you’ll find a place to decompress, take a deep breath, and truly focus on yourself. You’ll find the relaxation and renewal experience you desire at Canyon Ranch that goes beyond health and beauty. They offer expertly guided programs and activities that uplift the spirit and have the potential to spark true change in your life. Here you can truly get away from it all, and give yourself the time and space to concentrate on what’s really important—your health and happiness. This beautiful Arizona resort is the perfect setting for relaxed exploration, inviting you to evolve to an enhanced life with programs including “Gotta Dance At The Ranch™”, Healing Power Of Horses”, “Women’s Wellness Week”, “Gratitude, Creativity & Spirit” and a full panoply of a-la-cart offerings. Travel to Wellness visited for this story on Canyon Ranch Tucson.
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort
Carillon Miami Wellness Resort combines the healing energy of the crashing Atlantic Ocean and a white-sand beach with its 70,000 sq. ft. wellness center to redefine the Miami hotel experience. Along with traditional spa therapies, guests may reconnect with the earth’s electrical force during Radical Grounding, replenish with NAD IV therapy or manage pain with cryotherapy and infrared sauna. The medical division includes experts in nutrition, brain health, chiropractic, acupuncture, relationship counseling, anti-aging and cosmetic surgery. Complimentary offerings include European inspired thermal circuit, a state-of-the-art gym, twenty group exercise classes daily, a two-story indoor rock-climbing wall and four swimming pools. Accommodations include luxury apartments with full kitchen and floor to ceiling windows.
Coral Cove
Located bayside 10 miles from the vibrant city of Negril in Jamaica, the mind-expanding Coral Cove Wellness Resort offerings include farm-to-table dining, on-site gardens, medically-guided plant-based experiences, live musical performances and wellness-themed workshops that cater to the senses – all set in a paradise-like setting. According to CEO and medical lead Dr. Adam Abodeely, the resort is a magical place where healing and wellness are at the forefront of every detail. The cuisine, locally-grown cannabis, and rich culture combine to offer an authentic Jamaican southwest coast experience with relaxation front and centre. Educational workshops focus on breaking stigmas that cling to cannabis, fungi and other nature-based medicines through detailed information, guidance and responsible practices.
Eden Roc Cap Cana
A Relais & Châteaux property set within a 30,000-acre gated community in the Dominican Republic, Eden Roc Cap Cana & Beach Club recently opened a 20,000 square-foot Wellness & Spa Center that goes beyond being a full-service spa. The facility includes a hydrotherapy section, healthy juice bar, a dedicated 1,200-sqft. anti-gravity yoga area with 12 individual aero yoga structures, an indoor and outdoor Aqua Garden with freshwater pool, and a 3,000-sqft. state-of-the-art fitness center with daily complimentary classes such as meditation, yoga, and stretching. Cycling tours are also offered. These facilities sit alongside the spa’s Swedish sauna, Hammam, rainfall showers, and exterior Jacuzzi for the ultimate relaxation experience, and guests will be able to enjoy treatments from the comfort of their suites or in a private beach-side cabana overlooking the lapping waves.
Eupepsia Wellness Center
Whether you are looking to completely rejuvenate and heal from certain conditions, need to de-stress, detox, lose weight, or get fit, plus relax and enjoy the mountains, head to Eupepsia Wellness Center. Set on 256 acres of farm and woodland in Virginia, in the heart of the Appalachian Mountains, bordering the Jefferson National Forest, this wellness sanctuary, a unique destination for health and wellness retreats, is designed to help people reconnect with themselves and align with nature. Founded on the science and philosophy of Ayurveda, Eupepsia offers personalized retreats that are tailored to your needs, combining advanced health screenings with traditional and progressive therapies that will deepen your understanding of your own body, mind, and emotions; improve inner balance; revitalize; and encourage positive energy gain. Guests dine on “farm to table” nutrition, have access to a high-end wellness spa, a state-of-the-art functional training gym, and many outdoor spaces to immerse themselves in the beauty of the natural surroundings.
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise
Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is a unique year-round luxury wellness resort located in the heart of Banff National Park in Alberta. The iconic resort is the first wellness destination in a national park in Canada and has been offering all-inclusive wellness retreats since 2011. The resort has a long history in promoting well-being through connection with the pristine, natural environment. From retreats led by world-renowned facilitators that include many types of Mindfulness & Yoga to immersive outdoor activities available as part of the Mountain Adventure Program, the experiences at the property inspire guests to embrace whole-body wellness and reignite their zest for life.
Fiveelements Retreat Bali
Located 20 minutes south of Ubud along the banks of the majestic Ayung River in beautiful Bali, Fivelements Retreat Bali was founded on traditional Balinese healing philosophies. Since opening in 2010, the boutique retreat has established itself as an innovative leader in wellness retreats, epicurean plant-based cuisine and transformative sacred arts programs that won’t be forgotten. Offering a range of private and group retreats, or just a few relaxing nights, Fivelements Retreat offers guests an experience and the tools to unwind, drive focus and resilience, and enhance one’s daily life. As a testament, Fivelements Retreat has also won numerous international awards including hotel, wellness, spa, culinary and sustainable design industries.
Garden of the Gods
Perched atop a mesa in Colorado Springs, the AAA Four-Diamond and recently named one of the Top 25 Best of the Best Hotels in US by TripAdvisor, Garden of the Gods Resort and Club offers multidimensional concierge wellness services and programs at STRATA Integrated Wellness and Spa. A team of over thirty acclaimed, board-certified physicians and award-winning therapists across more than forty disciplines, integrate the best of Western and Eastern medical science with nutrition, fitness, meditation and mindfulness coaching to provide guests with a fresh perspective, greater level of whole person wellness and a renewed sense of possibility. With over 70 years in operation, this resort has a long history of delivering relaxation.
Grail Springs Retreat Centre for Wellbeing
Located in the town of Bancroft about a three hour drive from Toronto is Grail Springs Retreat for Wellbeing, often voted “best wellness retreat in Canada.” With a developed holistic approach to well-being, its focus is to inspire and renew the body, mind, and spirit through lifestyle experiences and education. Surrounded by one of the most beautiful lakeside settings in Ontario, individuals learn how to manage stress with daily yoga and meditation, enjoy spa therapies, eat healthfully, and connect with nature through daily hikes and a unique equine meditation program. Guests have the opportunity to gain a fresh perspective, and leave with take-home tools. All stays include healthy plant-based meals, daily yoga, meditation, use of saunas, mineral tubs, healing installations, a labyrinth, hundreds of acres of pristine forest, evening talks and an alkaline spring-fed lake.
Half Moon
Framed by the postcard-worthy Caribbean Sea to the north and lush hillsides to the south, Half Moon in Jamaica offers guests 210 elegantly appointed rooms and suites, plus 27 villas with easy access to resort amenities, along a two mile stretch of pristine beachfront. Here, activities include water sports, tennis, squash, walking and cycling excursions throughout the 400 acres of lush property. Yoga and fitness classes are available for both solo and private groups. There is also the Half Moon Equestrian Centre for the horse enthusiasts. Multi-day wellness packages that allow guests to work from “home” can also be arranged. Half Moon partners with the community on sustainability, environmental and educational initiatives.
Hilton Head Health
Designed to leave guests feeling better than when they arrived, Hilton Head Health is recognized as a world leader in weight loss and wellness resorts. Their community of supportive dieticians, psychologists, wellness educators, fitness trainers, chefs and spa therapists draws upon H3’s decades of experience to create personalized medically based weight loss programs that will help guests achieve real results and set all on a path towards sustained health and wellness. An H3 wellness vacation promises more than a souvenir. Each guest is given the opportunity to return home a changed person with a game plan for living a healthy life.
Jade Mountain Resort
Rising majestically above the 600 acre beachfront resort of Anse Chastanet, Jade Mountain Resort located on St. Lucia’s south-western Caribbean coastline is a cornucopia of organic architecture celebrating St. Lucia’s stunning scenic beauty with its 24 infinity pool sanctuaries. Attention to every view was incorporated to ensure the full glory of St. Lucia’s Pitons World Heritage Site and Caribbean sea. Guests can relax at the Kai en Ciel boutique and fitness studio or take part in one of the several activities including scuba, bicycle riding around the island, selected water sports, and many more.
Joali Being
Designed as a nature immersive wellbeing retreat, the first of its kind in the Maldives, Joali Being offers personalized programs designed to be transformative, and with the ultimate aim for guests to return home feeling renewed, uplifted, and inspired, with a new sense of ‘weightlessness’. The retreat offers an array of facilities and unique spaces, including those for hydrotherapy and sound healing experiences. Each of out 68 well living spaces come with private pools and special inclusions, such as mini-bars stocked with healthy products, and musical instruments set out along the Discovery Sound Path. With the island’s wild forest remaining untouched, JOALI BEING has been built using Biophilic design principles, a scientific system of integrating architecture and design with nature, aiming to achieve harmony and enhance energy flow.
Le Monastère des Augustines
A health and wellness facility dating way back to the 1600s, Le Monastère des Augustines in Quebec City, Canada, invites guests to immerse themselves in a location dedicated to healing and serenity for nearly four centuries. The renewal experience offered at Le Monastère includes accommodation in a 17th-century cloister, healthy cuisine highlighting local products, immersive museology, daily activities such as meditation and yoga classes, spa treatments, soothing concerts, and personalized two- to seven-day retreats. Le Monastère is a non-profit organization, and by staying with them guests contribute to the many local initiatives as well as their “sustainable tourism” efforts.
Meliá Punta Cana
Meliá Punta Cana, an adults-only, wellness-inclusive, beach resort in the Dominican Republic, offers a collection of wellness experiences and rituals designed to guide and inspire guests into conscious and personalized physical, mental, spiritual, emotional, social and environmental journeys through five signature Well-Spaces – Social, Silent, Sensory, Culinary and Personal. Activities include yoga, bike tours, painting, sound healing, meditation and spiral labyrinth rituals. There are also opportunities to develop a respect for the natural habitat, and participate in running tours exploring the land, local traditions, food, communities and natural wonders of the region. The resort also offers organic, vegan, vegetarian-inspired meal options. Travel to Wellness visited for this story on Melia Punta Cana.
Palmaïa – The House of AïA
Set between the lush undisturbed jungle and the stunning Caribbean Sea in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Palmaïa – The House of AïA is a forward-thinking beach enclave where plant-based cuisine and sustainability set the tone. With 234 ocean-front suites, the resort is a delightful combination of wellness, luxury and nature connection. Its guided personal growth program is built on an array of ancient rituals and practices. Wellness-focused activities range from Yoga to Gravity Control, Multi-musical Vibration, Pranayama, Tai Chi and Vipassana. For families, it operates the only holistic fun children’s activities program in hospitality run by certified Waldorf Educators.
Pritikin Longevity Center + Spa
Located in Miami, Florida, Pritikin is world-renowned for their scientifically proven medical and wellness program, plus healthy dining options and luxury accommodations. But for the point of distinction, since 1975, Pritikin has been one of the very few medically supervised, all-inclusive resort-based program to provide scientifically proven and consistent results. The program’s pillars are safe and effective exercise, a healthy eating plan, and a healthy mindset. Pritikin’s physicians and experts teach guests how to make sustainable lifestyle changes to help prevent and reverse the progression of conditions including coronary heart disease, diabetes, and hypertension, and help them lose weight. For some who choose Pritiki, the primary goal is losing weight. Others want to prevent or address specific health issues. Travel to Wellness visited for this story on Pritikin.
The Ranch
The Ranch is an acclaimed, results-oriented fitness retreat centered around the principles of endurance, nutrition and wellness. Through a guided fitness regime, wellness support and properly calibrated nutrition, their immersive programs allow guests to detoxify their bodies in a healthy, sustainable way, all while getting back to basics in natureWith a variety of products including cookbooks, food, supplements and personal care items, The Ranch was founded in September 2010 with the launch of a seven-day program in Malibu, which is annually featured on Conde Nast Traveler’s Reader’s Choice Awards and Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards. Programs are designed to recalibrate the mind and body through an intense fitness and wellness regimen paired with a highly structured plant-based, nutritional diet.
Red Mountain Resort
Blended into the red rock landscape of southern Utah, Red Mountain Resort the rocky terrain is the point of distinction for anyone wanting their wellness retreat to allow for the rediscovery of their passion for adventure. The resort has been offering travelers a blend of adventure and solace for over 20 years. Their Essential Retreat package includes three healthy meals daily, guided morning hikes, and invigorating fitness and wellness classes. Outdoor adventures include an e-bike tour of Snow Canyon or a day trip to nearby Zion National Park. Nature-inspired treatments are available at the resort’s award-winning Sagestone Spa & Salon. Guests can choose to be as active or relaxed, social or private as they wish.
RESET Telluride
Set in the awe-inspiring San Juan mountains of Telluride, Colorado, RESET Telluride is a luxury wellness and trekking retreat for the lovers of the great outdoors, hiking, and resetting. Each weeklong retreat includes daily treks, along with fitness, yoga and meditation classes in the private RESET wellness center. Guests also enjoy decadent plant-based meals, restorative full-body massages and oxygen enhancements in their elegantly-appointed RESET room at the Madeline Hotel & Residences, Auberge Resorts Collection.
Richmond Nua Wellness Spa
Located about an hour’s drive from Istanbul, Richmondnua Wellness-Spa, Turkey’s first and so far only wellness retreat (as of 2019), pioneered the concept of wellness in Turkey. Where the forest and lake views intersect at Lake Sapanca the 2,700-square-meter Richmondnua Wellness Spa offers water therapies (including sauna and steam rooms with temperatures ranging between 40°C and 100°C), healthy meals via the Beautyfood menu, and self-discovery under the guidance of expert therapists through customized programs. Along with many prestigious awards received over the last decade, Richmondnua has been selected as Best Luxury Destination Spa at the World Luxury Spa Awards for seven consecutive years.
Sensei Lāna‘i, A Four Seasons Resort
Sensei Lāna‘i, A Four Seasons Resort is an ultra all-inclusive wellness enclave on the secluded Hawaiian island of Lanai. Unmatched hospitality, reputable experts and natural beauty combine to offer a completely customized experience to discover well-being. Surrounded by pine-covered mountains and fresh tropical breezes, guests enjoy the luxury of limitless options to create a personalized itinerary for each journey. Always included is round-trip airfare from Honolulu on Lāna‘i Air, private wellness consultations, spa treatments, fitness and yoga classes, dining by Nobu (including wines, beers and spirits), and island activities in pursuit of movement, nourishment and rest.
Spa Eastman Health & Wellness Retreat
Spa Eastman Health & Wellness Retreat, located on 326 acres and with an incredible view of Mont Orford, is just an hour’s drive from Montreal, Quebec. Spa Eastman is one of Canada’s oldest and best known wellness retreats. Facilities include seven pavilions for accommodation, miles of hiking trails, pristine gardens for relaxing, Nordic baths, a gym for daily fitness and yoga classes, customized seven- or fourteen-night Health Immersion packages, and daily workshops and conferences. The on-property restaurant offers their signature Tonic Cuisine, a unique gastronomy experience based on current scientific research that food can be one’s medicine. Food is not only beautifully presented and delicious but wholesome and nutritious.
Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence
Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence, a year-round health concept hotel, located 3,600 plus feet (1,100 m) above sea level in one of Switzerland’s most prominent alpine retreats – the Buergenstock Resort – combines the themes of holistic health retreat and medical care sanctuary in an exclusive, 136-unit, five-star hotel environment. High above Lake Lucerne and a 50-minute drive of train ride from Zurich International Airport, Waldhotel Health & Medical Excellence introduces guests to the holistic ‘Healthy by Nature’ concept that is typical of the southern Swiss mountain region.
The wellness retreat’s Waldhotel’s tailor-made programs can include holistic medical treatments combined with validated medical therapy methods and the latest scientific researches, plus sports, fitness activities, spa facilities plus other wellness offerings all surrounded by untouched nature. The hotel brings a new approach of customer care that focuses on the highest Swiss medical quality and wellness expertise combined with luxury accommodations.
Looking for a tour operator offering wellness focused trips? Check out a few of our favorite tour operators Perhaps you’re considering a specific geographic region of the world? Here are eight suggestions to have on your short list.
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We’ll continue to add to this list of hot spots for your Wellness Travels 2022. Not sure where to begin planning? Start thinking about your intention for planning your future wellness travels. If your goal is weight loss or to get fit check out our list of top spas and fitness retreats
