Sitting by the pool and sipping a spritz is no longer enough.
Travelers are increasingly opting for intense health-focused vacations that leave them with benefits beyond a sun-kissed glow.
According to Allied Market Research, the wellness retreat market was valued at $180 billion in 2022 and is expected to double by 2032. Twenty-one percent of global travelers cite health- and wellness-driven reasons for leaving home, according to research conducted by the luxury travel network Virtuoso and YouGov.
As the market grows, longtime stalwarts are expanding, opening new locations and revamping beloved brands.
Here is NYNext’s global guide to luxury wellness retreats.
Lanserhof
Sylt, Germany; Tegernsee, Germany; Lans, Austria
Pricing: Varies by location and program. At Lans, the starting price for a seven-night program is around $6,400; comparable programs start for around $6,860 at Sylt and $9,190 at Tegernsee.
Past guests: Victoria Beckham, Cara and Poppy Delevingne, Karlie Kloss, Patrick Schwarzenegger
The vibe, from someone who knows: “Lanserhof Sylt is the Hamptons of Europe,” a founder who recently sold her company to a Dubai investor, told NYNext.
Each of the three locations of this longevity-focused getaway is distinct, but they all have a strict set of rules in common. Phones are confiscated at check-in and liquids are banned during meals to sharpen focus on mastication, with guests instructed to chew each bite 30 to 50 times.
Lans, the original and flagship location, pairs alpine serenity with sleek, modern architecture — light-wood interiors, floor-to-ceiling windows and minimalist soaking tubs. Sylt, the most remote, is accessible only by private plane. Tegernsee — where Beckham enjoyed sipping on moon water, a spring water bottled beneath a full moon — offers stunning views of the Bavarian alps.
The resort’s approach is rooted in the teachings of the late Dr. Franz Xaver Mayr, who emphasized gut-heatlh, mindful eating and fasting. The one-week “Lanserhof Classic” program features several medical exams and abdominal treatments, a urinalysis and a detox algae pack with liver wrap. An ample range of aesthetic skin treatments are also on offer.
Lanserhof.com
The Ranch
Malibu, California; Sloatsburg, New York
Pricing: A six-night program in Malibu starts at $7,600; in New York, the three-night program starts at $2,575.
Past guests: Michelle Obama, Elle Macpherson, Jessica Alba, Brooke Shields
The vibe, from someone who knows: “It’s the aspirational vacation you’ve always wanted to take. And it somehow made me okay with a 5:30 a.m. wake-up call,” a yoga instructor with a notable social media following told NYext.
Founded in Malibu in 2010, the Ranch built a cult-like following with an intense regimen that includes 5:30 a.m. wake-ups, grueling six-hour hikes, serious yoga sessions and a restrictive diet — think a snack of just six almonds on your long hike.
The fun actually begins well before arrival, with guests expected to follow a 30-day detox — no sugar, alcohol or caffeine — prior to stepping foot on campus.
In 2024, The Ranch expanded east with a stunning Hudson Valley location set on a 200-acre lakefront estate built by J. P. Morgan. Just an hour north of New York City, the new outpost is supposedly less stringent than the California original, with heartier food and an option to go for as few as three nights, instead of Malibu’s minimum of six.
TheRanch.com
Dhamma Mahimā
Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar
Pricing: Free.
Past guest: Jack Dorsey
The vibe, from someone who knows: “The amenities are more Motel 6 than Aman but it’s the best thing I’ve ever done,” a tech executive on a sabbatical told NYNext.
It’s not luxury but it is quiet. This 10-day residential Vipassana retreat outside Mandalay strips life to its barest essentials.
Guests rise at 4 a.m., meditate for 11 to 12 hours per day and surrender phones, books and writing tools at check-in. Eye contact, talking, reading, writing, music and exercise (beyond walking), are also banned.
Accommodations are appropriately austere: metal-frame beds and thin mattresses, shared dorms segregated by gender and cold showers. Meals are vegetarian and come just twice a day — breakfast and lunch.
Despite the ascetic conditions — Jack Dorsey reportedly endured 117 mosquito bites during his stay — open spots often fill within minutes. The retreat is totally free, funded by donations and staffed by volunteers, but seekers must apply in advance.
DhammaMahimā.com
Clinique La Prairie
Montreux, Switzerland; Anji, China; Phuket, Thailand (opening 2026); Amaala, Saudi Arabia (opening 2026); Hudson Valley, New York (opening 2028)
Pricing: The six-night “rebalancing retreat” in Switzerland starts at $17,590 per person.
Past guests: Tony Robbins, Alex Pettyfer, Carla Bruni, Winston Churchill, Pablo Picasso, Marilyn Monroe, Pope Pius XII.
The vibe, from someone who knows: “Its healthcare for CEOs, billionaires, and models,” a PR executive told NYNext.
Founded in 1931 on the shores of Lake Geneva, this was one of the world’s first modern medical spas. It remains one of the best, and it will cost you. Some of the most elaborate packages cost upwards of $50k for just seven nights.
La Prairie’s philosophy rests on four pillars: medical care, nutrition, movement and wellness. Each day is carved into 15-minute increments, with guests rotating through cryotherapy chambers, audiovitality sound therapy, infrared saunas and customized “cellular reset” facials. Other offerings include genetic and epigenetic tests, abdominal ultrasounds, chest X-rays and intravenous antioxidant injections.
CliniqueLaPrairie.com
SHA Wellness Clinic
Alicante, Spain; Cancún, Mexico; AlJurf, Abu Dhabi (opening 2026)
Pricing: A four-day stay in Alicante stars at $6,000.
Past guests: Barbra Streisand, Donna Karan, Naomi Campbell, Kylie Minogue, Monica Bellucci
The vibe, from someone who knows: “It’s zen incarnate” a marketing expert with family money told NYNext.
When conventional treatments failed to heal his colon cancer in 2002, Spanish entrepreneur Alfredo Bataller turned to macrobiotics and holistic medicine under the guidance of the Japanese educator Michio Kushi. His health dramatically improved — he remains alive and well today — and the experience inspired him to launch SHA Wellness in 2008 with his son, Alejandro.
All three global locations follow SHA’s signature nine-discipline method, which spans advanced diagnostics, cognitive therapy, acupuncture, ozone IVs and transcranial stimulation.
The clinic’s 300 specialists design personalized health plans for guests that target everything from detox and hormone balance to executive burnout.
A new generation of SHA devotees are flocking to Cancún, where SHA opened its second location, a sprawling beachfront compound, in 2024.
SHAWellness.com
Chenot
Weggis, Switzerland; Merano, Italy; Gabala, Azerbaijan; Herceg Novi, Montenegro; Casablanca, Morocco
Pricing: All locations have a one-week minimum. The most basic package in Switzerland starts at $6,275 per person for treatment; accommodations are billed separately and start at about $455 per night.
Past guests: Naomi Campbell, Luciano Pavarotti
The vibe, from someone who knows: “You feel ten years younger after just one week. I’m shocked they can make 800 calories taste so good,” a Hollywood agent told NYNext.
Founded in 1974 by Henri and Dominique Chenot, pioneers in preventive and integrative medicine, the brand blends Western diagnostics and Eastern healing. Its signature Chenot Method starts with a comprehensive battery of medical and bioenergetic tests — including body composition analysis, oxidative stress levels, metabolic function and vascular age — and builds to a rigorously structured weeklong protocol of hydrotherapy, cryotherapy, acupuncture and red-light therapy.
Guests follow the Chenot Diet — an 850-calorie detox regimen developed by Dominique that features meals like tomato gnocchi with almond cream and mushroom broth. Caffeine, alcohol, added salts, processed sugars, red meat, poultry and dairy are not allowed.
Chenot began in Merano, Italy, and has since expanded to five global locations. Its Swiss flagship, Chenot Palace Weggis, opened in 2020.
Chenot.com
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Palazzo Fiuggi
Fiuggi, Italy
Pricing: The three-day Get Fit program starts around $5,220.
Past guests: Oprah, Gayle King, Pablo Picasso, Sophia Loren
The vibe, from someone who knows: “Never have I ever experienced anything like this,” Oprah Winfrey said of her stay on OprahDaily.com.
Tucked into the Apennine hills an hour from Rome, Palazzo Fiuggi is built around the storied Fiuggi spring — a mineral-rich water source famed for its healing properties since the time of Michelangelo.
Guests begin with full-body diagnostics: ECGs, hormone panels, ultrasounds, posture and biomechanics scans. Based on results, programs like “Hiking for Longevity,” “Deep Detox” and “Full Body Check-Up” (ranging from three- to 21-night stays) are prescribed.
Even biohackers need to unwind, and Palazzo Fiuggi makes room for that, too. The 6,000- square-meter campus includes three thalasso pools (a Fiuggi mineral, salt and magnesium-rich option), cryotherapy, a hammam and a kitchen staffed by a chef with three Michelin stars.
Guest rooms range from compact “Charme” rooms to palatial suites with Murano chandeliers and private gardens.
PalazzoFiuggi.com
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