00:00Wellness is the biggest buzzword in travel today.
00:03If you've seen it popping up everywhere,
00:05from popular TV shows to your favorite social feeds,
00:08you're not alone.
00:10The pursuit of mindfulness and well-being
00:11might be the hottest reason to travel in 2025.
00:20I'm Sarah Kahn, a travel journalist
00:22and contributing editor at Conde Nast Traveler.
00:25For me, wellness is simply another way
00:27I like to immerse myself in all the wonders
00:29a destination has to offer.
00:32Sometimes I indulge in a spa treatment
00:33infused with local ingredients,
00:35or maybe I'll take a scenic hike
00:37to explore the local landscape while working up a sweat.
00:40I love experiencing places
00:42through their own regional approaches
00:43to health and well-being.
00:45I'm traveling to three of Conde Nast Traveler's
00:48hot list hotels this year
00:49to see how they do wellness.
00:51Come with me to the Six Senses La Sageste in Grenada,
00:55Hotel Du Couvent,
00:56a luxury collection hotel in the French Riviera,
00:59and the Ranch Hudson Valley in Slotesburg, New York.
01:03Set in a historic, Gilded Age-era mansion
01:06in New York's Hudson Valley,
01:08the Ranch isn't just a hotel.
01:10It's a wellness journey,
01:11one that's designed to foster a complete health reset
01:14based on movement,
01:16mindful nutrition,
01:17harmony with nature,
01:18and authentic human connection.
01:21At the Ranch,
01:22I give myself over to the program,
01:24setting out on morning hikes,
01:26indulging in daily massages,
01:28taking yoga classes,
01:29and even trying a sound bath
01:31in the Grand Ballroom,
01:32now reimagined as a fitness space.
01:35I'm not going to lie,
01:36as an avowed carnivore,
01:37I was nervous about the plant-forward menu.
01:40But meals at the ranch
01:41quickly became the thing
01:42I looked forward to the most.
01:44From a bright and flavorful eggplant stack
01:46to meatless Mongolian meatballs,
01:48every bite wowed me.
01:50Another highlight?
01:51The bod pod,
01:52where I learned more about my body composition,
01:54and got to feel a bit like an astronaut
01:56in the process.
01:59So much of the idea of traveling for wellness
02:02is rooted in taking us out of our everyday surroundings
02:04and transplanting us into a place of beauty.
02:08At the Six Senses La Sagesse, in Grenada,
02:10I'm inundated with the majesty of the spice aisle.
02:13This eco-luxury resort is a backdrop
02:15for incredible ocean views
02:17and the sheer expanse of nature.
02:19I'm welcomed to the resort
02:21with a ritual showcasing local spices
02:23like nutmeg and cinnamon.
02:25Then I choose between tea
02:26and a refreshing watermelon juice.
02:29The link between well-being and nature
02:31becomes abundantly clear
02:32as I step into my suite.
02:34I mean, look at that view from my bathroom.
02:37The resort's approach to wellness
02:39includes sound baths and spa treatments, of course.
02:42But it's also about connecting with your senses.
02:45At the Alchemy Bar,
02:46I make my own body scrub
02:47with oatmeal, lavender, oil, and brown sugar.
02:50The smell is intoxicating.
02:53Later, at Earth Lab,
02:54a site dedicated to teaching guests
02:56about the property's environmental initiatives,
02:58I make paper from recycled materials.
03:01And finally, there's an outdoor sound bath
03:03where I really connect back to my body,
03:06just in time for dinner.
03:07The cuisine here feels like the resort itself,
03:10balanced, beautiful, and infused with local flavor.
03:14Dinner is at Seafire,
03:15an oceanfront restaurant
03:17that serves Caribbean and South American cuisine
03:19with locally sourced produce
03:21and herbs and vegetables from an on-site garden.
03:24I order the tomahawk steak
03:25with roasted garlic and chimichurri sauce,
03:28smoked mahi-mahi,
03:29and smoked duck salad.
03:31And for dessert,
03:32manjari emulsion.
03:33That's my idea of wellness.
03:35Next stop, the French Riviera.
03:39In the heart of this bustling region,
03:42Hotel du Couvent,
03:43a luxury collection hotel,
03:45sits like an oasis of calm
03:46amid the glitz of the Riviera.
03:48A historic 17th century convent,
03:51the property has been lovingly restored
03:52with 88 rooms and suites
03:54tucked around the ancient courtyards and cloisters.
03:57Wellness here means long strolls through the gardens,
04:00taking in the scent of fresh flowers
04:02throughout the property
04:03and leisurely dips
04:04in the hotel's Roman-inspired baths.
04:07Food is an important part of a stay here.
04:09You're in France, after all.
04:11And the dishes are local,
04:13thoughtful, and beautiful.
04:15The produce is sourced from nearby farms
04:17and reflects the abundance of the region.
04:20One afternoon, I pop into the herbal shop
04:22where the resident herbalist
04:23crafts custom concoctions
04:25and I leave with tea
04:26made from plants from the garden.
04:28What all of these hot list properties
04:30have in common this year
04:31is that they allow you to do wellness your way,
04:34whether that means hikes and soundbats,
04:36tropical rejuvenation,
04:38or a European escape.
04:39No matter what you choose,
04:40you're sure to leave a different person
04:42than how you arrived.
04:44For more information on all these hotels,
04:47including what to pack,
04:48head to cntraveler.com.
04:49you're just a little bit more.
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