Rife with all manner of snooze-inducing rituals, the wellness industry has never been better poised to lull us into sweet dreams. Here’s a look inside the billion-dollar boom of sleep tourism – and the top sleep retreats to try this year. By Eleanor Edstrom
It’s no longer passé to hit the snooze button. Do not disturb is modish. From blackout blinds and doze doctors to AI-powered beds, the message is clear: the world is severely sleep deprived. Sleep may be democratic in theory, but in practice it’s a luxury. Roughly 66 per cent of Australian adults report one or more sleep-related problems and almost half of the population are riddled with at least two, the AIHW found. It’s no wonder the pursuit of undisturbed shut-eye has become a global obsession. For every insomniac vexation, there is a memory-foam mattress waiting to bid you goodnight and a sleep-tracking ring to reset your circadian rhythms. But it’s not just the commercial market cashing in on our collective exhaustion.
More than ever, travellers are prioritising rest and improved sleep quality, and hospitality spaces are leaning into the slumber surge. According to HTF’s 2024 Market Intelligence Report, the sleep tourism sector is worth more than US $690 billion (AU $1 trillion) and is forecasted to grow by another US $400 billion by 2028.
What is sleep tourism?
Not long ago, holidays were about ticking things off: pyramids, museums, tan lines. Now, the latest travel craze asks you to do absolutely nothing – and charges you handsomely for it. Sleep tourism is a growing trend in wellness travel focused on achieving optimal rest and sleep patterns. Think: week-long sleep retreats, tech-free rooms, circadian lighting, personalised sleep coaching and melatonin mocktails.
But what have hotels got to do with all this pillow talk? Hilton’s 2025 Trends Report tells us that that more than half of the world – and two thirds of Americans – sleep more soundly in hotel beds than at home. Moreover, 70 per cent of luxury travellers are choosing hotels that offer sleep-centric amenities. But sleep tourism goes far beyond short-term fixes such as blackout curtains and weighted blankets.
Across the globe, hotels and spas are reimagining rest as the pinnacle of indulgence. Let psychoacoustic soundscapes guide your mind through ideal sleep cycles at COMO Metropolitan Singapore, or perhaps consult the in-house sleep concierge at The Cadogan, A Belmond Hotel, London.
At Dior Spa Plaza Athénée in Paris, guests can now book ‘Le Rituel Étoilé’, a 90-minute treatment using light therapy to reset your internal clock. Over in California, Santa Monica Proper offers a Surya Lullaby Sound Bath performed bedside, while Mandarin Oriental Barcelona has launched a new ‘Rest & Recharge Sleep Experience’ combining aromatherapy, guided breathing and massage techniques.
Other hotels are riding the sleep tourism wave by way of collaborations with snooze specialists. Equinox Hotels has teamed up with renowned sleep scientist Dr Matthew Walker to transform guests’ nighttime experiences with cutting-edge sleep technology. Meanwhile, Hilton has partnered with Calm, a leading global app for mental wellbeing, to provide hotel guests with in-room meditation, sleep stories and soothing soundscapes.
What are the benefits of sleep tourism?
Sleep tourism offers travellers the opportunity to restore and rejuvenate in a calm environment distanced from the distractions of everyday life. It also promotes education around sleep issues and techniques for overcoming them.
Why is sleep tourism booming?
Nowadays, lucrative screen times snatch us from slumber and binging emails follow us to our beds. Post-pandemic burnout and hyper-paced lifestyles have no doubt also played a role in fuelling the global yearning for rest.
Why is sleeping important?
Sleep is a mood-boosting, immunity-enhancing pillar of longevity that helps our brains and bodies to function properly. It is also when the body does its deepest housekeeping – flushing toxins, consolidating memories and clearing out metabolic waste. According to neuroscientists, sleep deprivation now rivals alcohol in terms of cognitive impairment.
The best sleep retreats to try in 2025
Sleep and Recovery Package at Shanti Maurice, Mauritius
If you thought sleep tourism stopped at pillow menus, dream on. At beachside resort Shanti Maurice, guests can be gently hushed into slumber with magnesium therapies, pranayama breath techniques and the soothing sound of the waves just metres away. The five or seven-night sleep retreats are designed to induce a deep state of relaxation with the aid of tailored yoga and meditation sessions.
Sleep Programme at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda, Italy
Stress has nothing on this science-forward sanctuary of somnolence. Tucked on the peaceful shores of Northern Italy’s lake district, Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda hosts one of the world’s best sleep retreats. Acupuncture sessions promote sleep through stimulating energy lines, Qigong workshops tune the mind into the body and the saltwater grotto pool provides a spectacular haven for relaxation.
Sleep with Six Senses
Sleep tourism is all about curing poor snoozing habits, and Six Senses has just the fix. Available at many of the brand’s global properties, ‘Sleep with Six Senses’ begins with an in-depth sleep consultation and tracking analysis, before pampering guests with personalised spa and fitness treatments, plus sleep-inducing snacks (and nutritional advice on what foods to avoid). Did we mention the body temperature-regulating bed linens?
Sleep Retreat at The Reef House Adults Retreat, Australia
The Reef House Adults Retreat in the picturesque Palm Cove, Tropical North Queensland, offers three, six and eight-night sleep retreats geared towards helping you learn about and achieve better sleep. Expect an in-room Sleep Easy Support Guide and Sleep Portal, custom-made mattress and private sessions with sleep scientist Sabine Christelli.
Sleep Well Programme at Lanserhof Sylt, Germany
Germany’s Lanserhof Sylt is a trailblazer in the sleep tourism movement. Extensive (but not intrusive) medical examinations and check-ups, from heart rate variability tests to metabolic assessments, are used to create a personalised wellness plan targeting sleep disorders. Guests can opt in for daily movement therapy and relaxation training, along with themed lectures, meditation sessions and cryotherapy.
The Deep Sleep Ayurveda Program at Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle, Sri Lanka
At Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle, you’ll have all the tools to calm a busy mind. Overlooking the brilliant Indian Ocean, the Sri Lankan sleep retreat invites guests to unwind with sleep-inducing Ayurvedic treatments, mindful practices and contemplative local experiences over five blissful days.
Sleep Enhancement at Kamalaya Koh Samui, Thailand
Forget counting sheep, the solution to your bedtime woes lies in a lush beachside sanctuary along the Gulf of Thailand – Kamalaya Koh Samui. Succumb to an Indian head massage, let bioresonance therapy re-establish calm in the nervous system and learn to recreate the optimal mental and physical conditions for a deep, replenishing snooze. If this isn’t sleep tourism at it’s finest, what is?
Sleep Well & Reset Retreat at Revivo Bali, Indonesia
Designed to address the root causes of disrupted sleep, the three-day ‘Sleep Well & Reset’ programme at Revivo Bali aims to combat health imbalances through expert-led sleep science and holistic therapies. There are even sleep butlers and bedside offerings of breathing devices, bath rituals and mandala colouring.
Sleep Well Retreat at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort, America
Customised beds that sync your mattress movements to curated sleep audio? Check. America’s largest thermal hydrotherapy circuit? You bet. Lounging in a purple Infared room that uses vibroacoustic electromagnetic therapy? Absolutely. Crafted in collaboration with Bryte, the brand behind the sleep-optimizing Bryte Balance Smart Bed, this snooze-worthy retreat at Carillon Miami Wellness Resort ticks all the boxes of elevated sleep tourism.
Sleep Enhancement Specialisation at Chiva-Som Hua Hin, Thailand
When it comes to the best sleep retreats in the industry, few rival the expert-guided programme at Chiva-Som Hua Hin Wellness Resort. To monitor and correct sleeping patterns, guests wear an ApneaLink device through the night and are tested for melatonin and cortisol levels. Then, a naturopath will devise a personalised pathway to heavenly slumber, including pre-sleep rituals, dietary recommendations and supplements.
Soneva Soul Sleep Programme, Maldives
Also tucking into the sleep tourism movement is Soneva Soul. The flotation pod experience and medicinal herbal baths are sure to ease you into dreamland (the breathtaking Maldivian surrounds might have something to do with it, too). Based on the latest research into the circadian rhythm and autonomic nervous system, the seven or fourteen-day sleep retreats integrate ancient and modern wellness practices to equip guests with lasting tools for better rest.
More hotels leaning into sleep tourism
Slip between the sheets at one of several ‘sleep suites’ at Park Hyatt New York and let stress slink away. Everything from sleep-related literature and relaxing oil diffusers to AI “smart” beds that adjust mattress pressure points are at your disposal.
The ‘Art + Science of Sleep’ is an overnight experience by Equinox Hotel New York featuring rejuvenating AM and PM rituals, spa treatments and sleep IV-drips.
The Pan Pacific Melbourne has designed a ‘Happy Sleepers Programme’ to cradle guests into rest with the aid of a premium bedding collection, ‘slumber supper’ and sleep-enhancers.
Four Seasons Koh Samui contributes to sleep tourism in the form of a starlit ‘Secrets of the Night’ ritual, which sends guests into a dreamy state using Tibetan singing bowls and a lotus petal bath.
Read more: This Four Seasons Hotel will soon host White Lotus-themed experiences
Who can resist a ‘sacred nap’? The 60-minute session at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan sees guests suspended in an aerial silk hammock while being gently swayed to the sounds of nature.
At SHA Wellness Clinic on Spain’s Alicante coast, onsite sleep experts study guests’ sleep patterns using advanced technologies such as Night Polygraphic Diagnosis.
At COMO Metropolitan Singapore, sleep tourism devotees can opt to bed down in a COMO Suite that uses neuroscience-backed SleepHub technology to guide them through optimal sleep cycles.
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