How wellness is reshaping the way we travel

Poolside piña coladas aren’t going anywhere — but travelers are swapping hangovers for recovery. Trips are becoming less about escaping routines and more about enhancing them, as wellness and hospitality brands turn vacations into performance and recovery experiences.

Movement meets wanderlust

Wellness routines aren’t stopping at the airport anymore. In new research from Airbnb and Strava, three-quarters of Gen Z runners in the UK are planning “rural run-cations,” trading city loops for countryside trails.

ClassPass is also merging wellness travel in its own way. The fitness platform partnered with boutique hotel The Manner SoHo, giving guests up to 20 ClassPass credits to access NYC’s top studios, spas, and recovery spaces. No more Googling “best yoga near me.” Partnerships like these make movement feel built-in, not optional.

“Wellness should meet people wherever they are,” says Fritz Lanman, CEO of ClassPass’s parent company Playlist. Translation: Your Pilates practice doesn’t have to pause just because you’re in a different zip code.

Sleep becomes the main event

Wellness isn’t all about keeping up your workout routines. For some, it’s a time to disconnect and rest. Equinox Hotels gets this, going all-in on recovery with a Sleep Lab at its New York property, developed in collaboration with sleep scientist Dr. Matthew Walker. Guests can join research studies, test new sleep tech, and experience a hotel designed entirely around recovery.

Nature as the ultimate amenity

At Fairmont’s $130 million BASIN Glacial Waters at Lake Louise, nature takes center stage. The new destination reimagines the classic spa experience with five curated “Trails,” each designed around a different goal — from nervous-system reset to jet-lag recovery. Guests move through Nordic-style sauna rituals, glacier-fed pools, and mountain-view reflexology walks before ending in the Glacier Lounge, where adaptogenic drinks share the menu with champagne.

BASIN Glacial Waters at Lake Louise

What it signals

Balance, not restriction, defines this new wave of wellness travel, and the rise means adventure and consistency can finally coexist.

You can book the countryside Airbnb and explore new running routes, use ClassPass credits in another city, or spend a long weekend in recovery mode at a thermal spa.

It’s less about maintaining perfection and more about staying connected to what makes you feel good — whether that’s movement, rest, or something in between.