The Wellness of Leisure
The boundaries between leisure, wellness, entertainment and hospitality are rapidly dissolving. From Therme’s immersive thermal destinations and Center Parcs’ nature-led escapes to social clubs, active resorts and experience-driven destinations, a new generation of concepts is reshaping how people spend their free time. Around the world, operators are creating places that bring together play, relaxation, connection, activity and wellbeing under one roof.
The leisure and wellness landscape is evolving rapidly as people place greater value on how they spend their free time, their health and wellbeing and the quality of their experiences. Increasingly, consumers are looking for destinations and experiences that offer more than a single purpose, bringing together activity, relaxation, social connection, entertainment, food, nature and wellbeing.
This shift is creating new opportunities across the leisure and hospitality sectors, with traditional boundaries between spas, fitness facilities, leisure centres, resorts, clubs and entertainment destinations becoming increasingly fluid. Wellness is becoming integrated into everyday leisure, while leisure itself is becoming more experiential, social and focused on creating a sense of escape and enjoyment.
At the same time, changing lifestyles, demographics and consumer expectations are driving demand for experiences that support both physical and mental wellbeing. People are seeking opportunities to be active, connect with others, spend time in nature, switch off from technology, discover new experiences and simply enjoy their time away from work and daily routines.
For developers and operators, this presents an opportunity to rethink the traditional leisure offer and create more diverse, flexible and engaging destinations. The most successful concepts are likely to combine multiple experiences and appeal to a broad range of audiences, creating places that people want to visit regularly as well as destinations for longer stays. Ultimately, the future of leisure and wellness lies in creating experiences that help people to live healthier, more connected and more enjoyable lives.
Leisure & Wellness Around the World
Inspired by the bathing traditions of ancient Greece, Rome and Ottoman civilizations, AIRE Ancient Baths first debuted in New York back in 2012, becoming one of the first businesses to jump-start the city’s obsession with all things wellness. Last year, the beloved spa brand debuted its second-ever location in NYC and its ninth globally on the Upper East Side. Inside, patrons can indulge in six different baths, including the Caldarium (a hot bath at 104 degrees), Tepdarium (a warm bath at 97 degrees), Frigidarium (an ice bath at 50 degrees) and a jet bath called Balneum. Unlike the spa’s original location, this one is home to a suspended salt bath (Flotarium) that appears to be hovering between two floors. The site is also home to marble exfoliation beds, massage beds that can be used for single and couples treatments and of course, the spa’s signature orange garden fragrance all throughout the 9,600sq ft of space.
With an expansive slate of new athletic country clubs set to open this year, Life Time is doubling down on the large-scale, resort-style destinations that have come to define the brand. The company is entering untapped markets in Florida, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, New York, Colorado, Arizona and North Carolina and elevating the member experience with upgraded amenities and offerings. Life Time plans to debut 14 new athletic country clubs in 2026 – the highest number of openings per year to date in its 30-plus year history. These clubs represent the latest and greatest iteration of Life Time’s signature flagship build – but with unique finishes and touches that meet the needs of each market, according to Matt Brinza, Vice President of Architecture and Engineering at Life Time.
Opened back in February, Tulåh is a pioneering clinical healing sanctuary situated in the lush hills of northern Kerala. Signaling an important shift in India’s positioning within the global wellness landscape, Tulåh blends the ancient Eastern wisdom of Ayurveda, Yoga, Vedanta, Tibetan and TCM with advanced diagnostics and regenerative medicine. This is a first-of-its-kind destination for integrative, personalised healing and transformational journeys for body, mind and soul. With 65 suites and 14 treatment areas across 30 acres of medicinal gardens and rewilded forests, the design of Tulåh is itself part of the healing journey. Elegant spaces integrate sustainable techniques including rainwater harvesting and radiant cooling instead of air conditioning and natural materials root the flowing architecture in its Keralan landscape. At the heart of the grounds stands The Sonorium, the world’s largest sound healing dome, where harmonic frequencies restore balance at a cellular level. Native landscaping restores native flora and supplies plants for the apothecary and restaurant, where chefs create nourishing menus using herbs, fruits and vegetables from the kitchen gardens, enhanced by responsibly sourced fish and organic meats from local producers.
Capella Hotel Group has announced the launch of Capella Residences Bangkok, a 262-unit residential centrepiece of the WellEra development, located at the intersection of Sarasin and Langsuan Roads and overlooking Lumpini Park in Bangkok’s prestigious Lumpini district. Marking the brand’s first entry into wellness-integrated branded residences, Capella Residences Bangkok forms an interconnected whole alongside BDMS Wellness Clinic, an urban wellness retreat and a curated lifestyle retail offering within WellEra. It was realised in partnership with BDMS Wellness Clinic, the preventive healthcare arm of Bangkok Dusit Medical Services Public Company Limited (BDMS) – Thailand’s leading private healthcare network and one of Asia-Pacific’s most respected names in scientific wellness. From the moment their day begins, residents have a wellness concierge on hand, personalised health protocols, wellness specialist on demand and a vitality checkpoint where biometric monitoring becomes as routine as a morning coffee. They have round-the-clock access to a residents’ lounge offering conversations on longevity, nutrition and well-being and dedicated social wellness and recreation floors overlooking the Bangkok skyline – an infinity pool, plunge pool, spa suite and mindfulness studios among them.
The first Lanserhof in southern Europe will be built on the grounds of the renowned Finca Cortesin, in the immediate vicinity of Marbella and is on course to open in 2027. Finca Cortesin is considered one of the best resort hotels in Spain, with an award-winning hotel and golf course at its centre. Together with AltamarCAM and Inbest-GPF, the Lanserhof Group will invest 93 million euros in the development of a state-of-the-art building that will fulfil the highest sustainability standards. The new 23,500sq m resort will offer 71 rooms and suites as well as the usual first-class medical facilities, state-of-the-art equipment and exceptional services.
Therme Group, a global leader in large-scale urban wellbeing destinations, have announced a strategic alliance with Marriott International, to explore a series of targeted initiatives focused on the future of wellbeing in travel and hospitality. The alignment brings together Therme’s expertise in wellness, longevity and social experiences at scale with Marriott’s global platform. Therme will collaborate with the Marriott Design Lab, which serves as Marriott’s research and development hub working at the leading edge of design and innovation and provides a proving ground for products and services that enhance hotel operations and travel experience. The two organisations have aligned around a series of priority areas spanning customer experience, design innovation, wellness research and future global development opportunities. Initial efforts will focus on introducing Therme to Marriott Bonvoy members including the development of travel and lodging packages connected to Therme destinations and enhancing the way guests experience wellbeing throughout their travel journey. Therme will contribute its expertise in large-scale wellbeing environments to help inform the reimagining of hotel amenities, from spas and fitness to guestroom concepts. These efforts are intended to deliver near-term initiatives while informing longer-term opportunities across product innovation, service models and destination planning.
Meanwhile, one of Therme Group’s ongoing projects, Therme Manchester, is targeting completion by the end of 2028, with active construction underway on site next to the Trafford Centre. Therme Manchester is the UK’s first urban wellbeing resort designed to deliver an immersive experience combining water, nature and relaxation with plans to welcome 1.7 million visitors in the first year. It will feature a variety of experiences, including pools, waterslides, saunas, steam rooms, botanical gardens, wellbeing treatments and cultural attractions. Therme Manchester responds to a demand for shared community spaces, serving as a new type of social hub for the North West. From waterslides and a wave pool, to concerts and exercise classes, Therme Manchester will support community wellbeing through relaxation, recreation and fun.
Six Senses, part of IHG Hotels & Resorts’ Luxury & Lifestyle portfolio, has unveiled its first property in the UK. Breathing new life into the former Whiteley’s department store on Queensway, Six Senses London becomes a cornerstone of the brand’s emerging collection of urban properties which introduce a different rhythm into city life. It follows Six Senses Rome and Six Senses Kyoto, with further openings to follow within the coming years. This period of considered and purposeful growth, stewarded by IHG, demonstrates that the core DNA of Six Senses can be authentically replicated across different locations. Whether on sun-soaked islands, high in the mountains or now at the heart of vibrant cities, guests can recalibrate and reconnect while enjoying the brand’s signature emotional hospitality, grounded in wellness, sustainability and crafted experiences.
For guests looking to unwind, The Cascades Spa & Thalasso – which sits at the highest point of the Somabay peninsula – offers 65 treatment rooms with state-of-the-art amenities spanning over 7,500sq m, offering endless ways in which to relax and recharge. The jewel in the spa’s crown is its 750sq m Thalasso-Tonic hydrotherapy pool, which offers the only Thalasso-Tonic seawater-based therapy in the Red Sea. Containing 830 cubic metres of seawater split into different jet zones, currents and counter currents, each section of the pool targets a different part of the body, from the toes right up to the top of the head, ensuring guests leave feeling rejuvenated. The spa also offers a wide range of treatments, from traditional massages and facials to body wraps and specialised beauty treatments designed to leave guests feeling their very best. Whether looking to relax, heal, or target specific concerns, the treatment menu has been curated to restore the mind and body to its best state, washing away the pressures of daily life.
Jumeirah’s Dubai portfolio offers a range of new wellness therapies that will be sure to leave guests feeling recharged and refreshed. Guests looking to enhance their physical performance and restore internal balance can opt for Jumeirah Al Qasr’s range of red-light therapies, blending cutting-edge science with soul-soothing serenity. Whether through a dynamic red light yoga flow, a rejuvenating session in a full-body red-light bed, or complementing a spa treatment with the addition of an LED mask, guests are invited to experience wellness with purpose beyond basic pampering. A first in Dubai, red-light yoga sessions help guests move through gentle, low-impact postures on medical-grade red light mats, helping to ease muscle tension, calm the nervous system and support flexibility. For those looking to take their treatment to the next level, the red-light therapy bed offers a full-body immersion in healing light – ideal for post-training recovery or holistic rejuvenation – while for a targeted facial treatment, the LED light therapy face mask delivers a skincare boost, leaving the skin visibly brighter, firmer and more radiant.
Red Sea Global (RSG), the regenerative tourism developer, has announced the opening of Equinox Resort AMAALA, marking Equinox’s second hotel globally and its first outside the US. Located at the Marina Village in Triple Bay, the resort brings Equinox’s distinctive approach of performance luxury to recovery to AMAALA. The resort features 128 rooms and suites across six accommodation categories, including two penthouse suites, alongside 21 branded residences. Designed by Foster + Partners with interiors by Rockwell Group, the resort draws inspiration from the natural features of the Red Sea landscape including its coastline, marine environment and surrounding mountains. Equinox Resort AMAALA brings the brand’s integrated ecosystem of movement, nutrition, regeneration and community to the Red Sea coast, creating an experience designed to support physical performance, recovery and overall wellbeing. The resort features 704sq m of indoor and outdoor training space and the largest fitness facility in AMAALA, as part of a broader performance and regeneration experience. Guest rooms are conceived as environments for deep recovery, informed by Equinox Hotels’ sleep science platform, with circadian lighting calibrated to support the body’s internal clock, advanced acoustic isolation designed to minimise sleep disruption and precision climate control engineered to support optimal rest.
