How far would you go for a good night’s sleep? An increasing number of sleep-focused stays on offer in hotels and resorts around the world indicate distance is no barrier for guests in search of the Land of Nod. Sleeping in is the new going out.
Interest in sleep tourism has soared since the height of the pandemic, with many accommodation providers taking notice. The Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine recently published the results of a study that found at least 40 per cent of the 2,500 adults surveyed were not sleeping as well since the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Shut-eye specialists
It’s created a groundswell of interest and demand for calming experiences and products that promote better rest. Enter wellness concierges specialising in shut-eye, cutting-edge bed technology, snooze playlists and cannabidiol (CBD) infused everything.
Rosewood Hotels & Resorts has launched Alchemy of Sleep retreats from St. Barth to Paris, while soundproofed rooms are the new height of luxury at Zedwell, London’s first sleep-focused hotel. The world’s premier sleep spa hotel has opened in Portugal, at the behest of a Swedish bed manufacturer.
Who needs nightclubs when the most exclusive club of all is in the shut-eye suite? “During the pandemic, sleep quality was decreased for many people, causing us to soon identify the importance of sleep for our overall wellbeing,” says Lana Labrecque, Spa Director at Four Seasons Hotel One Dalton Street, Boston. “In the ‘new normal’, many travellers want to be well rested in order to explore new places, cuisines and experiences.”
Best of the rest: 6 hotels offering soothing escapes
Hotels and resorts worldwide have enthusiastically embraced the rising sleep tourism trend, with new rest-enhancing amenities for guests ranging from special treats on the pillow and treatments to white-noise machines and guided visualisations
Mayflower Inn & Spa, Connecticut
Mayflower Inn & Spa, a country retreat in theUS state of Connecticut, has partnered with cannabis and botanical wellness company oHHo to offer a complimentary turn down amenity of chocolates infused with soothing CBD in custom floral packaging by London-based artist Emma Bond.
Saffire Freycinet, Tasmania
At the high-end Luxury Lodges of Australia properties, restful experiences are tailored to the destination. Guests at Saffire Freycinet return from dinner to find a Snooze Blend tea service, to be sipped while reading bed time stories about the Freycinet Peninsula. Baillie Lodges beds promise a blissful night’s sleep at Capella Lodge, Longitude 131° and The Louise.
Park Hyatt, New York
To catch some zzzzs in the city that never sleeps, make a reservation at the Bryte Restorative Sleep Suite at Park Hyatt NewYork. In addition to the optimal rest you’ll have in the designer Bryte bed, amenities include an essential oil blend and diffuser, eye masks and a collection of sleep-related books
JOALI, Maldives
The Sleep Ritual at JOALI in the Maldives includes a tailor-made experience where expert healers guide guests through breathing and visualisation techniques to release physical and emotional anxiety. A relaxing ESPA body and scalp massage is the key to a blissful night’s sleep.
Enchantment Resort, Arizona
Whether the challenge lies in falling asleep or staying asleep, a consultation with the caring therapists at Enchantment Resort in Sedona, Arizona will provide helpful tools. In the privacy of your own luxe treatment suite (each has a fireplace, views of the red rock canyons and a lounge area), sink into the 60-minute Sacred Sleep experience.
The Gabriel South Beach, Miami
Guests at The Gabriel South Beach in Miami can make the most of sleep-inducing amenities from the in-room Nappy Hour menu. The curated offering includes SNOOZ white-noise machines designed specifically for hotel rooms, aromatherapy bath products and Calm by Wellness CBD lavender lotion.
