Sleep programs are heightening the hotel experience. Here are some of the best to check out.
March 17 is officially World Sleep Day and although the simple art of catching some zzz’s is in everyone's daily life and we do it without batting an eyelid, sleeping is an under-rated activity – particularly when we travel.
Although hotels have long been regarded as just a place to rest your weary head, nowadays hotels are campaigning for better guest experiences and encouraging more travellers to spend time in hotels rather than venturing outside the confines of their hotel room: strong food and beverage concepts including Michelin-starred chef pop-ups and now, sleep programs are heightening the hotel experience.
Cracking into the billion-dollar wellness industry, more luxury hotels are offering some element of “sleep better, live longer” concepts. Here are some of the best to check out.
Victoria Jungfrau Grand Hotel and Spa is located in a popular destination where tourists flock for paragliding adventures, day trips to nearby Lucerne city and also cable-car rides to mountain tops with stellar views over the German-speaking canton. However, spending your time in Victoria Jungfrau is my favourite activity – the staff are warm and friendly, the afternoon tea session is indulgently good, and the wellness area is both relaxing and rejuvenating for weary souls who need to get away from fighting other tourists. The sleep program here is in collaboration with Nescens, and a strong medical program can be catered to the traveller´s needs if you feel you need greater relaxation during your stay at this iconic hotel. Be sure to tear yourself away from your sleep program and book a seat at Radius by Stefan Beer – it’s jam-packed with good nutrients (from local farmers) for a good night’s sleep.
One of the pioneers of the “sleep hotel” concept was Ellerman house in Cape Town, South Africa, which officially launched back in 2020 when sleep was just an afterthought for many travellers. Minimalism is at the core of this “sleep” program which was created by wellness guru, Harry Jameson, who says that all hotels are “stripped bare” to stop the mind and body from being “overstimulated”. No mini-bar with sweet treats or too much tech in the rooms, instead you will find air purifiers, and also a sleep pack with bath salts to help you relax, as well as CBD chamomile tea. A sleep ritual is also offered to guests who want to recharge completely.
Sleeping in the Big Apple can be very difficult with cabs buzzing up and down 5th Avenue but at the wellness-focused urban hub, Equinox Hotel New York, uses a scientific approach to help guests sleep better. Strong focus on creating the perfect sleeping environment is found at this hotel with special beds which are heated to a balmy 68 degrees Fahrenheit, blockout curtains to darken the room, and also a mini-bar stocked with magnesium-inducing sleep drops. Very NYC!
The Scandic Hotel group may be a chain of hotels across all of Scandinavia but their services are very much geared to the discerning traveller who looks for more oomph to their hotel stay when in Finland, Sweden or Denmark. Like many of the Scandic hotels, the newest addition to Gothenburg in Sweden is one of the best with sustainable rooms (lights darken when you are not in the room to save energy costs) and also a sleep program that helps guests wind down when not touring the sister city to culinary capital, Stockholm. There are sleep TV programs with guided meditation and an on-call sleep wellness ambassador at some of the hotels.
Banyan Tree Veya Phuket is the ultimate place for self-care. Located on Thailand’s biggest island, the luxury hotel is furnished with organic cotton bed linens on quality mattresses, and also rooms are equipped with black-out curtains. The wellness program rounds off the sleep amenities offered, with jet-lagged guests having pre-bedtime meditation classes and also signature aromatherapy sprays to help them fall asleep.
Rosewood Hotel offers a “Alchemy of Sleep” program which includes a Sleep Transformation package at 20 of the hotels. The 2-night sleep transformation program includes a 60-minute spa treatment and a room full of CBD teas, oils and other medicines to help you sleep better. At their British Virgin Isle hotel, Little Dix Bay, the Alchemy of Sleep program includes positive sleeping habits through nutritious meals and treatments with aromatherapy oils and even acupuncture.
The Mayfair-based hotel in London has a new program called “Forte Winks” which allows guests to help sleep their optimal and recommended 8 hours per night. A minimum of two-nights is suggested here and what you get is a curated sleep kit with pyjamas and night cream. During the day you have a facial and also “calming” turndown services with herbal tea blends.
