All about sleep tourism

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More and more travelers are hitting the snooze button on their alarms, trading a morning of sightseeing for extra ZZZs. 

Sleep tourism is on the rise, with people booking vacations that are "really focused on emphasizing high quality sleep experiences," Dasha Westerfield, owner of River Oaks Travel in Houston, told The Week. This might include traveling to a wellness resort to reset your circadian rhythm or a stay in a hotel with an expert who can troubleshoot sleeping issues.  

For some sleep tourists, the specific goal of their trip is to change their habits so they can go home and have restorative slumber, while others just see the sleep and wellness offerings at their hotels as an added perk that will help them feel refreshed on vacation. Westerfield says one reason sleep tourism is becoming increasingly popular is because "post-pandemic, there's a focus more on wellness and self-care and prioritizing the importance of quality sleep every night for physical and mental wellbeing."

Setting the stage for better sleep

One of the more high-tech sleep offerings is at Park Hyatt New York. The star of the One Bedroom Sleep Suites is the Bryte Balance smart bed, which moves and plays audio to quickly induce sleep, and then recalibrates over the night so it becomes softer or firmer based on your sleep stage. 

Each room at Equinox Hotel New York is designed to give guests a good night's sleep, with blackout blinds and king-sized mattresses made of temperature-regulating natural materials. The hotel goes even further with its Art + Science of Sleep package, a two-night stay that includes cryotherapy treatments that increase oxygen and blood flow, meals that boost melatonin production and a 30-minute immersive session on the Wave Table, which provides the equivalent of three hours of sleep.

Fairmont Century Plaza in Los Angeles offers a "biohacking treatment" it says not just improves sleep quality, but also promotes mindfulness and helps combat stress. There are several steps to the treatment, including spending time in the Oakworks Curva Lounger anti-gravity chair, donning compression boots that increase circulation and reduce inflammation, and wearing LED face visors that use red, blue and amber light to boost metabolism and blood circulation and generate collagen. 

Element Hotels and AC Hotels take a natural approach. At Element properties, guests are put at ease with a welcome towel scented by eucalyptus oil, and invited to participate in nightly rituals that include winding down with caffeine-free tea. AC Hotels guests can prepare for a relaxing sleep by stopping by a DIY station and filling sachets with lavender to bring back to their rooms.

Six Senses has a Sleep and Wellness Program for offer at several of its resorts, with a guide who will help guests track their sleep, figure out the optimal time to go to bed and suggest foods to stay away from before hitting the hay. Each location puts its own spin on the program. At Six Senses Ninh Van Bay in Vietnam, guests will receive a wellness screening, personalized yoga and yoga nidra sessions, and massages, while the Ibiza property expands on that with extras including a facial, sound healing treatment and localized cryotherapy session.

Raffles Doha sets guests up for sleeping success before they even arrive. The all-suite hotel contacts travelers not long after they book their reservations to develop an itinerary for their stay and ascertain their linen and pillow preferences. "It's all completely customized," Christian Hirt, managing director of Raffles & Fairmont Doha, told The Week. There is butler service for each suite to ensure that the temperature is ideal for slumber and that all needs — sleep-related or otherwise — are met.