The Best New Wellness Hotels in the World: 2023 Hot List
Nothing makes us more excited to get up and go than putting together our annual Hot List of the best new hotels, cruises, restaurants, cultural destinations, and transportation projects. Now in its 27th year, this curated collection is a labor of love for our global team, which spends the year researching, visiting, and vetting the entries to bring you a definitive directory of places whose style, ethos, and service set new standards for hospitality. The new wellness hotels among this year's winners include desert escapes and tree-house retreats. All that’s left is for you to decide where you’re going first.
Banyan Tree AlUla — Saudi Arabia
Drive through AlUla’s Ashar Valley and there’s a chance you won’t even notice this new desert outpost. Its villas are practically camouflaged, with their surfaces textured like the sands and batwing-shaped canopies protecting them from the sun. Light and spaciousness reign inside calmingly minimal villas, with shaded lounging spaces and firepits outdoors; all are set against the backdrop of the surrounding honey-colored rock formations that have been carved by wind and water for millennia. After a hot day of exploring AlUla’s extraordinary Nabataean tombs, coming home and sinking into a private plunge pool feels like the ultimate treat. The Rock Pool, squeezed between natural sandstone pinnacles next to the spa, has what must be one of the most spectacular settings anywhere for an infinity pool. Nights here are for campfires beneath the constellations that guided ancient Arabian nomads across these deserts. With any luck, the clear skies above will be filled with shooting stars. Rooms from $1,300. —Nicola Chilton
Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection — Gardiner, New York
Step onto this picturesque Auberge Resorts Collection campus, in a meadow in the shadow of New York’s iconic Shawangunk Mountains, and you feel almost as if you’ve entered the world of a Hudson River School painting. It’s that pretty. And for all its comforts, which are considerable—the instant it opened its doors last fall, it became the premier luxury escape in the Catskills—the hotel rightly recognizes that nature is its greatest amenity. Located on a 140-acre site that was once a tree nursery and a dairy farm, Wildflower leans into the region’s agricultural heritage with a working farm that supplies ingredients for cooking classes, the menu of the hotel’s progressive New American restaurant, Clay, and many of the treatments at the excellent spa, Thistle. Guests can swing by to tour the crops, feed the animals, and collect eggs from the chicken coop (to take home or pass along to the kitchen staff at Clay to prepare for breakfast). Just 4 percent of the property has been developed, leaving an extensive network of forest trails for visitors to explore on their own or to visit with a guide for ramp planting or forest-bathing experiences. And it’s easy to continue drinking in the beauty of the place from the 65 rooms, all freestanding cabins, cottages, and suites. In addition to offering fireplaces, well-curated minibars, and a stylishly warm, natural design aesthetic, they have extensive private terraces and floor-to-ceiling windows framing a view of woods, meadows, or mountains. Rooms from $1,250. —Jesse Ashlock
The Cōmodo — Austria
Once upon a time, Bad Gastein was the most glamorous village in the Austrian Alps, famed for its curative waters and elegant Belle Époque architecture. But hard times befell the village, and from the early 2000s onwards, there was an end-of-the-road, almost forgotten feel to the place—but that’s all changing thanks to a passionate, creative community breathing much-needed new life into the village. The Cōmodo is part of the wave of hotels, restaurants, and co-working spaces driving this energy—not to mention one of the most stylish properties in the Alps right now. A mid-century vibe flows throughout the former clinic and health resort, with vintage and custom-made furniture bathed in mountain light. The 70 rooms and suites are filled with custom wallpaper and carpets, and most overlook the valley with spacious balconies. Bad Gastein’s history as a place of healing can be felt throughout the soothing spa, in two dry saunas, and out on the sun deck. If you’re a fan of mid-century modern design, mountain views, Alpine living, and dreamy duvets, The Cōmodo is absolutely worth your time. Rooms from $150. —Nicola Chilton
Ambiente, a Landscape Hotel — Sedona
Set alongside the stunning views of Sedona’s red terrain, this adults-only property is the country’s first landscape hotel. Ambiente features 40 atriums—all detached and private, with 180-degree views of nature—and rooftops that provide even better views. You truly can’t get any closer to nature, as the atriums are built in the most unobtrusive ways (elevated on steel piers) in order to preserve the environment that surrounds them. A hiking and biking trail is located directly on the property and leads to some of Sedona’s other popular trails. An upscale food and beverage program can be found at the property’s Forty 1 restaurant, led by rising star, Chef Lindsey Dale. Exclusivity and extra attention to detail are provided by the resort’s concierge service, accessed via text message. The hotel’s spa offers location-themed experiences that tap into all your senses—try the Dark Sky Lounge, a 30-minute sound and vibration-based therapy that is experienced alone. Rooms from $899. —David Duran
SB Winemaker's House & Spa Suites — Argentina
Mendoza has long been a magnet for well-heeled Malbec lovers, so Susana Balbo, Argentina’s first female enologist, has done the logical thing and created a swank retreat there for oenophiles. Together with daughter Ana Lavaglio Balbo, she refurbished a century-old property in Chacras de Coria, blending well-being with art, haute cuisine, and a plethora of wine-making references across the seven exquisite suites. It’s Ana’s former home, so she knows every nook and cranny, and her eye for detail honed by winemaking has translated well, as evinced by touches like the wellness butler who organizes in-room experiences, the thought-provoking Espejos mirror collection by renowned Argentine artist Julio Le Parc, furniture from female designers, and even heated sun loungers and firepits on each private patio. Meals are a focal point; at lunch, don’t miss the entraña (skirt steak), grilled your way over open flames at the outdoor parrilla counter and best enjoyed alongside Susana’s very own Nosotros Malbec 2018. Come dinner, book a table at La Vida restaurant and sample the paired 14-course tasting menu created by chef Flavia Amad Di Leo. After a day around the swimming pool or sipping and swirling in local vineyards (the family’s Susana Balbo Wines bodega in Agrelo is a must-visit), kick back in extremely comfortable living quarters. Each suite has a wet room or a soaking tub (the ingeniously upcycled egg-shaped wine fermentation tank), and opening a Torrontés from the generously stocked minibar to savor in a bubble bath is a perfect way to end the day. Rooms from $839. —Sorrel Moseley-Williams
W Costa Navarino — Greece
A chug through Messinia’s olive-dotted countryside, past bare-chested octogenarians driving ancient tractors, brings you to this 32-acre waterfront property, designed in the form of a Greek coastal village. The first W hotel in Greece offers everything you’d expect from the famously fun, tongue-in-cheek brand—poolside DJs, geometric cushions, a central infinity pool begging to be Instagrammed—plus some added doses of wellness, eco-consciousness, and inclusivity. In line with the rather chummy W vernacular (staff quarters are labeled “Talent”), there are 246 Fabulous, Spectacular, and Wow! room options spread throughout the property—try to book one of the infinity swim-up rooms, which grants access to a shared ground-level 90-meter pool. Like the other hotels in the Costa Navarino collection, there is a true sense of warmth at the heart of the hotel from the 350 staff members—even though it is a big brand hotel, ultimately this is a family-run business, and that hospitable embrace is felt throughout. Rooms from $269. —Jemima Sissons
Sensei Porcupine Creek — California
Toeing the line between self-improvement sabbatical and bona fide vacation, Sensei Porcupine Creek is the ideal getaway for the chronically over-achieving: a place where real R&R is achieved proactively, through science and strategy, and in utter seclusion. Formerly the private estate of tech wizard and Silicon Valley billionaire Larry Ellison, Sensei’s co-founder, this intensely isolated retreat hidden in the foothills of the Santa Rosa mountains (studded with monumental Robert Indiana and Keith Haring sculptures from Ellison’s personal collection, no less) is only the second outpost for Sensei and marks the brand’s debut in the continental United States. (Its first, Sensei Lānaʻi, A Four Seasons Resort, opened in 2019.) But it’s also the brand’s first true standalone property, and with a lush, 75-acre golf course, a glamorous lagoon-style pool, and tennis facilities modeled after those at the nearby Indian Wells Tennis Garden—which hosts the annual BNP Paribas Tennis Tournament, in addition to a fleet of world-class wellness professionals, all poised to help you hit your marks—it really does stand alone. Rooms from $1,525. —Betsy Blumenthal
Osborn House — Australia
Bundanoon in the Southern Highlands of New South Wales has always had low-key charm. Two hours from Canberra and Sydney, this well-heeled country town has buildings below tree lines, beautiful properties, and antique shops. But, since the opening of Osborn House, a fresh new crowd of movers and shakers have been revving their sports cars for weekend jaunts to Bundanoon. Surrounded by manicured gardens and giant pine trees, Osborn House, in its pretty palette of duck egg blue and soft greens, may look like just another twee country estate—but behind its heritage-listed, shutter-front façade is an interior by former Soho House Design Director Linda Boronkay, who has followed the tried and tested formula and transformed the space with the same clubby members’ house feel. Eclectic and quirky furniture, carefully curated prints and textures, cheeky artworks, and bric-a-brac from local designers and flea markets are scattered around—a squiggle bench here, a chubby desk there—creating playful nooks and crannies. The 13 suites inside the main house, some with four-poster beds, feature paisley print curtains and walls in rich shades of teal and navy, mixing English country style with on-trend details like scalloped marble counters, wavy lamps, and dressers by local Australian makers. Outside, the timber-clad cabins have a rustic farmhouse feel with fireplaces and outdoor baths. Dinner in the elegant powder-blue dining room “Dinah’s” attracts the Southern Highland’s smart set, but the hot ticket in town is the “fire feasts.” Here, chefs trained by Segundo Farrell, himself a protégé of Francis Mallmann, show off fire-cooking skills in a jovial Argentina-by-way-of-Australia barbecue, where locals and guests mingle around juicy carcasses of meat and vegetables that theatrically hang over coals and open flames. Rooms from $450. —Chloe Sachdev
Shiguchi — Japan
From Shiguchi’s hot tub—a giant rock, sliced in half, its excavated interior filled with volcanic onsen water—the dazzling whites of the valley are broken only by an ink-line of trees and the scarlet legs of a woodpecker in a nearby birch tree. Such is life at this escapist nirvana in a wild corner of Niseko, on Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. Named after a traditional Japanese carpentry technique that joins beams without nails, Shiguchi is about connection: between humans and nature, art and architecture, and possibly bathers and birds. English artist, collector, and longtime resident Shouya Grigg, who was also behind the area’s beloved Zaborin ryokan, meticulously relocated five old kominka farmhouses from across Japan. Shiguchi’s heartbeat is its gallery and restaurant, Somoza, where impressive woodwork is tempered by shelves of ceramics, abstract paintings, and walls of glass framing valley views. Days might be whiled away drinking matcha in a floating tatami mat space wrapped in steel screens, discovering Ainu art artifacts in the lower-level gallery space, or talking art with Grigg over dinners of wild Niseko, from foraged mushrooms to melt-in-the-mouth venison. Pathways cut into walls of snow lead to five spacious and atmospheric villas, with high-tech kitchens, rock or cypress bathtubs, and deliciously soft Babaghuri pajamas. Sturdy timberwork is the backdrop for antique furniture, fire stoves, and artworks. But the real privilege here is switching off and tuning in to the rhythms of the woodpeckers. Rooms from $612. —Danielle Demetriou
Sommerro — Norway
Sitting on an elegant tree-lined street in Frogner, one of Oslo’s oldest neighborhoods, this 231-room hotel occupies a prominent 1930s building—the former headquarters of the city’s first electricity company. The eclectic interiors are a decadent embellishment to the original mishmash of Art Deco and sober, functionalist details—from the handsome timber wall panels in one of the suites, the former director general’s office, to the grand staircase in the lobby. Designed as a social hub with a roster of cultural events for visitors and Oslo locals, the ground floor is a sweep of humming restaurants and bars, plus a cinema and a theater. Meanwhile, the top floor, with sublime Oslo views, is home to a restaurant by Nordic sushi pioneer Frida Ronge as well as the city’s first rooftop pool and sauna. A spacious subterranean wellness floor occupies the building’s former public baths, where you’ll find the original pool and a restored mosaic wall by Norwegian artist Per Krohg. From bathrobes by local bed-linen company Abate to tote bags and cushions from Sisters in Business, a sustainably focused social enterprise that employs immigrant women, Sommerro acts as a showcase for Oslo’s relatively undiscovered brilliance. Rooms from $273. —Lauren Ho
Buahan, A Banyan Tree Escape — Bali
Waking up at this “no walls, no doors” resort is nothing short of magical: Only a gauzy curtain hangs between your bed and the chlorophyll-rich Buahan Valley fanning out right below your villa. The air smells damp and jungly (in the best possible way) and is sweetened with a hint of frangipani. There are just 16 villas and a two-story central pavilion from which a dreamy, lounger-lined infinity pool protrudes into the valley. Before opening Buahan, the Banyan Tree group ran a five-year long research project to study how the hotel would impact the social, agricultural, and cultural aspects of the surrounding area. As a result, guests are provided with a level of immersion into the Balinese way of life that few other hotels of this caliber have managed to deliver. The 16 villas afford once-in-a-lifetime views of Bali’s jungles and terraced rice fields, and The Open Kitchen sources almost every ingredient from within a one-hour radius of the lobby. If you want to experience Bali in its purest form—but don’t necessarily want to rough it—Buahan is waiting for you. Rooms from $1,000. —Chris Schalkx
Caravan by Habitas Agafay — Morocco
The rocky sparseness of Morocco’s Agafay desert has long attracted travelers wanting a break from the sensory explosions of Marrakech. It’s an ideal landing spot for the Habitas group, which since 2016 has been setting up their minimalist, sustainable eco-retreats in places like Mexico, Namibia, and Saudi Arabia. Their oasis among the lunar dunes eschews bells and whistles in favor of communal vibes and engagement with nature—or “luxury for the soul,” as founders Oliver Ripley, Kfir Levy, and Eduardo Castillo call it. They have now applied their ethos to Agafay’s 41 Berber-inspired tents and lodges. Each en suite tent—solar-powered, with eco-bathrooms—embodies stylish pared-downness: no minibars or TVs, just wooden floors and earthy cream and ochre tones reminiscent of the regional rock. Like all Habitas retreats, Agafay uses light-impact building materials as much as possible, either upcycled or sourced locally, which are designed to blend into the landscape. Weekenders escaping European cities sink into poufs and Berber rugs inside the communal glass-wrapped lounge. On the semi-open dining veranda, beneath raffia lamps, they tuck into lamb slow-cooked in the underground oven before knocking back market sangrias by the open-air bar, silhouetted against the Atlas Mountains and flame-red sunsets that give way to heavenly constellations. This is what travel is about—less guilt and more meaning amid tranquility, good conversation, and cleansing nature. Rooms from $350. —Noo Saro-Wiwa