Hey First name / friend,

 

It seems there’s a month or a day for everything now. And even though I’ve been working in wellness in some capacity for over two decades, “Self-Care September” is new to me. But let’s go with it. I pushed this newsletter back a few days for my own self-care (living by example), and I'm going to use the timing to demystify wellness travel and show you why you’ll want a little (or a lot) of it in your life.

 

Most people have some idea of what they think wellness travel is. Some picture juice cleanses or yoga retreats. Others think of intensive medical spa hotels. All are true! 

 

But wellness travel is far more nuanced. It sits on a spectrum. And as popular as it’s become, the buzzwords have multiplied as well as the trends (beer bathing or reptile therapy, anyone?). 

 

Wellness trips can be light-touch, fully immersive, or somewhere in between. And depending on where you are in life, you will likely need one version today and another tomorrow.

 

>>> Read on below to learn how I break down the wellness trip and determine which one is right for you, and see some great hotel examples for each type. 

A short break where wellness supports the trip rather than leading it. Think: a hotel with a great bed, clean food, organic toiletries, and a simple spa and/or sauna. Add treatments like Hammam or massage, some good meals enjoyed at a slow pace, walks through town or the woods, a yoga or pilates class, a good book, and you’re set.

 

Best for: parents needing break, CEOs looking to clear their head, overworked entrepreneurs, anyone craving a pause from the daily.

 

Recommended stay: 2–4 nights

 

Experience: a holiday first, with wellness layered in

 

Hotels I love for a boost: Le Gran Mazarin (Paris), Heckfield Place (UK), Auberge (North America + Europe), Les Fermes de Marie (Megeve), Hotel Barrière Fouquet’s and Greenwich Hotel (New York).

When wellness is part of the property’s DNA, but it’s not the whole story. These are versatile getaways where cultural travelers and wellness travelers coexist beautifully.

 

Expect full spas, dedicated areas for signature treatments, class calendars, farm-fresh food, and a natural rhythm of restoration. You can design your own mini-program or work with the spa and concierge to tailor a stay to your goals. Hikes in the morning, long lunches, learn ceramics and slow arts in the afternoon, and end with a massage, reading, and early to bed. Programs like creative writing and yoga retreats with joyful activities in the destination, sprinkled throughout, fall into this category, too.

 

Best for: travelers with goals such as better sleep, detoxification, reducing overwhelm, boosting immunity, building community, or simply bringing more joy and stillness into their lives.

 

Recommended stay: 4–7 nights.

Experience: you go to enhance your well-being, and the setting complements it.

Hotels I love for a reset: Estelle Manor (UK), Amangiri (Utah), Blackberry Farm (Tennessee), One&Only (global), Six Senses (global).

This is the whole shebang: diagnostics, structured therapies, and measurable outcomes.

 

Programs range from Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine to advanced medical teams with blood testing and personalized plans. Substantial spas are typically a cornerstone of the property. Often, your first day is spent with practitioners building a tailored program. Most travelers who try this once make it an annual or biannual investment, because it’s that impactful.

 

Best for: those committed to health goals, peak performance, or deep healing.

Recommended stay: 7–14 days.

Experience: intensive, guided, and transformative; body, mind, and soul. This one's all in and all about you.

Places I love for immersion: The Ranch Hudson Valley (New York), Palazzo Fiuggi (Lazio, Italy), Lanserhof (Austria/Germany), SHA Wellness (Mexico), and Ananda in the Himalayas.

Travel has a way of restoring and transforming all on its own. Using it as a tool to prioritize your health is an amplifier that supports every other part of your life.

 

How do I know? I’m a certified holistic health practitioner and a Gold-Certified Wellness Travel Specialist. I love seeing people cared for and transformed, and using travel as the way to do it.

 

So what can you do this September? Book your you getaway. Maybe it’s two nights at a hotel a short drive away, a self-designed reset, or your first immersive wellness overhaul. Let’s get it off your wishlist and onto your calendar.

 

You deserve to be a priority. Let’s do it.