Zedwell
People want better rest, wherever they sleep.
What’s happening: With more consumers wanting to rest and recharge, sleep tourism has become an essential part of wellness travel.
From meditation retreats to mindfulness content and smart mattresses to sleep coaches, health optimizers are paying a premium for better shut-eye.
What it means: Sleep is a pillar of overall health. Yet, 35% of adults don’t get enough sleep, while 50–70M Americans suffer from chronic sleep disorders.
But, as personal well-being becomes a priority post-COVID, more people are focused on sleep, even when traveling.
- 68% of travelers are planning trips to improve mental well-being.
- 61% of women and 48% of men now say sleep is a major priority.
- 78% of travelers who experience better-than-expected sleep say they “definitely will” return to a hotel property.
Sleep sanctuaries. Travel is often at the expense of sleep, thanks to busy vacations or packed business schedules. But now, relaxing on the road isn’t enough; some people are traveling to sleep.
In response to consumer demand, a growing number of hotels now offer snooze tech, from 24/7 sleep concierges to guided hypnosis.
- Park Hyatt NYC partnered with Bryte for a Restorative Sleep Suite, while LA’s Hotel Figueroa tapped Eight Sleep for its own Rest & Recovery room.
- Rosewood Hotels & Resorts launched a collection of retreats called the Alchemy of Sleep, which include meditations and sound baths, aromatherapy, and naturopathy consultations.
- London’s sleep-focused Zedwell offers screenless, electronic-free rooms with purified air, gentle lighting, and more.
- Swedish mattress maker Hästens opened its first Sleep Spa Hotel in Portugal, complete with pillow menu, time-specific playlists, and sleep hygiene instructions from an expert.
Taking to the skies, digital content producers like Calm, Headspace, Open, obé fitness, and Peloton have struck deals with major airlines, providing breathwork and sleep meditations for in-flight entertainment. In the JetBlue x Open partnership, its mindfulness videos have become the second-most-viewed content.
Meanwhile, health optimization platform Fount recently released a DTC digital therapeutic using customized sleep, diet, and light exposure recommendations to combat jet lag.
Takeaway: Hospitality brands have offered exclusive wellness packages for years, including sleep-enhancing amenities. But, beyond Egyptian cotton sheets and blackout shades, sleep optimization is a microcosm of the greater wellness industry — meaning supplements, programming, and biometric data are nothing to snooze on.
