In the world of travel, focusing on getting a quality night’s rest is a top priority.
Travel and rest have long gone hand-in-hand. Yet, over the past year, the travel industry has seen quality sleep go from an assumed by-product of getting away to a core focus when booking a vacation. The result? Sleep tourism, the latest travel trend that is entirely built around curating escapes that will not only help travelers rest, but also provide them with tools to improve their sleep patterns back home, too.
Booking a trip to catch up on sleep is certainly not a new concept. From AC-less residents booking staycations in nearby hotels to escape their hot apartments to new parents treating themselves to a night away to enjoy undisturbed rest, the travel industry has always catered to those looking for an indulgently comfortable bed to escape to.
“Our guests are already seeking disconnection and serenity when choosing to stay at Royal Champagne, which is why we have decided to optimize the quality of their sleep on a much larger scale,” says Jennifer Delord, Director of Sales & Marketing at Royal Champagne Hotel & Spa in Champillon, France, which has recently curated specific sleep-focused packages at their property.
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But poor sleep is increasingly becoming an issue. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in three adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day. And this has a direct impact on mental health. The National Sleep Foundation’s Sleep in America® Poll found that half of all individuals who reported fewer than seven hours of sleep per weeknight also reported mild or greater levels of depressive symptoms.
“The causes of poor sleep can vary depending on the person, but the main causes I find are overthinking, anxiety, and poor sleep hygiene,” says Malminder Gill, a hypnotherapist and sleep expert based in London. “Poor sleep hygiene includes the use of technology, and more often than not, people are scrolling through their mobile devices right before going to sleep, which interrupts the body's melatonin production, an important hormone needed for quality sleep. I recommend to my clients to stop using technology at least one hour before bedtime.”
According to Gill, interest in hotels that prioritize sleep spiked post-Covid, when wellness and self-care drastically shifted up people's list of priorities, and those who’d spent much of their careers traveling for work found that their sleep routines significantly improved at home. After the end of the lockdown era, new research and growing demand for a guaranteed good night’s sleep compelled hospitality leaders to up the sleep ante. This inspired Gill to launch The Sleep Concierge, a program she has designed specifically for hotels.
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“The Sleep Concierge is a therapeutic, in-hotel program that consists of in-room guided hypnotherapy audios that I have created for the evening and morning as well as a unique room service dining menu providing food and drink options that promote deeper sleep and well-being,” says Gill. “This includes The Sleep Concierge Mocktail and The Sleep Concierge Hot Chocolate, bespoke recipes created to enhance sleep while giving guests an alternative to alcohol. Hotels also receive a curated pillow menu customized to their guest needs.”
Beyond in-room details, the growth of sleep tourism has seen hospitality leaders build entire programs around sleep. Six Senses partnered with sleep doctor Michael J. Breu to curate its Sleep Cycle ModuleSleep Wellness Program. Designed to improve sleep patterns and establish a sustainable sleep routine, the program includes daily sleep tracking and sleep reviews that analyze sleep patterns including movements, oxygen levels, heart rate, and deep sleep. In Switzerland, pioneering medical brand Chenot has launched the new Sleep Cycle Module at its property, Chenot Palace Weggis on Lake Lucerne. Embracing the latest cutting-edge technology to “fine-tune guests’ sleep architecture,” the Module includes treatments such as cryotherapy and neuroacoustic deep relaxation to synchronize brainwave frequencies using sound, electromagnetic frequencies, and lights. Guests stay in one of four new Sleep Rooms that use soundscapes to guide brain waves into the delta range, which speeds up the onset and promotes deeper sleep.
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Meanwhile at the Equinox Hotel in New York City, the meticulously curated Sleep Experience offers not only a menu of sleep-inducing beverages but also spa services to help the mind and body to unwind, such as the detoxification MLXi3Dome treatment.
“We believe that sleep is more than just the seven to nine hours you spend resting; it’s also about how you wake up feeling refreshed and how you unwind before bed to help reduce stress,” says Katie Tardif, Brand Director for Equinox Hotels. “That’s why we created our Circadian Rhythm Program, affectionately known as Rituals, which helps you feel naturally relaxed and energized at the right times of day. Our RoomBar, for example, features over 80 thoughtfully curated products, from skincare essentials and adaptogens to sleep-enhancing elixirs. Each item is tailored to support your unique journey — whether you’re focused on athletic performance, trying to manage jet lag, or simply looking to unwind.”
But this is just the beginning. For those truly looking to shift their sleep pattern, there are multi-day events and sleep retreats. The intensive medical retreat Lanserhof offers a dedicated Sleep Medicine and Biorhythms program comprised of off-grid retreats in Thailand and Bali entice travelers with week-long stays that integrate yoga classes, meditations, and massages specifically designed to reset your sleep patterns. And this summer, Equinox Hotels hosted its own inaugural Global Sleep Symposium, an immersive event that brought together experts to share the latest research on the importance of sleep, as well as the best routines to maximize sleep quality.
“We consistently observe that our guests do not report lower sleep scores; instead, they experience improvements, typically ranging from medium to high,” says Tardif. “This data reinforces that what we've built is genuinely effective, and it motivates us to continue innovating the overall experience.”