Words: Charmaine Yabsley
Travel is no longer just about escape, but about feeling good. And hotels are responding by creating experiences that prioritise longevity, mindfulness and emotional wellbeing over extravagance alone. We visit two London hotels to check in and chill out.
For years, hotels competed on thread counts, rooftop bars and Michelin-starred restaurants. Now, the new luxury is health and relaxation. This month, Get It magazine travelled to London, where hotels are increasingly being designed not just as places to sleep, but as sanctuaries where guests can restore, recover and recalibrate.
From meditation rooms and plant-based menus to thermal suites, sleep programs and biohacking treatments, wellness tourism has shifted from niche indulgence to mainstream expectation. According to the Global Wellness Institute, wellness tourism is now one of the fastest-growing sectors of travel, with travellers increasingly seeking experiences that support physical and emotional wellbeing, whether it’s after a long day of travel, meetings, or merely as city breaks with a healthy twist.
West London wellness
One of the pioneers of this movement is the boutique chain Inhabit. Their Queen’s Gardens address is described as London’s first “mindfulness hotel” and created around the idea that urban travel does not need to come at the expense of mental and physical health. (The chain also has a sister hotel nearby – Inhabit, Southwick Street. Both are just 15 minutes to the West End.)
Nadira Lalji, co-founder of Inhabit says: “Inhabit was created to inspire healthier habits long before wellness hospitality became a trend – supporting how people rest, move, eat and live more consciously in an age of excess and burnout. There’s been a clear shift in what people want from escapism to restoration – guests want to leave feeling genuinely better, calmer and more connected than when they arrived and we hope that a stay at Inhabit makes them feel just that.”
As soon as you enter, you’re whisked away from the bustling Marylebone Road to an oasis of calm. It’s a world of neutral palettes, natural textures and quiet communal spaces designed to encourage reflection. The spacious bedrooms are designed to improve your sleep quality, with clutter-free interiors, soothing aqua shades, and natural materials. Rooms include bespoke aromatherapy products, wellness books, phone lock boxes (ideal if you’re cutting down on screen time), and the luxurious Inhabit sleep kit complete with a magnesium sleep spray, a silk eye mask and cashmere bed socks. The large family rooms also offer a comfortable sofa and enough space for the entire family to unwind.
The spa, Inhale, is inspired by four pillars – Calm, Balance, Awaken, Strengthen – designed to create equanimity. Downstairs, in the Zen-like workout space, yoga sessions, Pilates or guided meditation, and take advantage of the wood-paneled gym, which has a Peloton bike for live or virtual workouts. If nature walks are more to your taste, nearby Hyde Park is just around the corner, where you can also rent bikes to explore. After a day trawling the wares of Portobello Road, the steam and sauna room were a welcome retreat. We’d also had the foresight to book a massage at beauty spa, which offered divine Gaia treatments.
Food is also a continuation of the nourishing theme. The restaurant, a bespoke offering of plant-centric cuisine restaurant Yeotown caters to all health and dietary requirements (don’t miss the morning smoothies!). Guests can skip the greasy fry-ups in favour of homemade granolas, chia and oat waffles, smashed avocado toasts or their classic Yeotown eggs Benedict. Lunchtime brings an abundance of fresh salads, hearty curries and colourful grain bowls, while dinnertime offers a wide range of family friendly meals such as gluten free pizzas – ideal for all tastes.
City Escape
At the luxury end of the spectrum, The Westin London City demonstrates how major international brands are also embracing wellness as a defining feature rather than an optional extra. Opened as Westin’s first UK property, the hotel was designed around the brand’s six wellness pillars, which include sleep, nourishment, movement and mindfulness.
The design itself feels intentionally calming from the moment you enter. Think soft neutral tones, oversized windows flooding the interiors with natural light, pale timbers, textured stone and contemporary furnishings that soften the pace of the city outside. Floor-to-ceiling windows frame views across the Thames, creating an atmosphere that feels surprisingly serene for central London.
What sets the property apart is its extensive spa and fitness offering. The hotel features a 12-metre indoor swimming pool – still something of a rarity in London hotels – alongside a vitality pool, sauna, steam room, sensory showers and an ice fountain. Children of all ages are welcome (at set times). Having space to swim, splash and burn off extra energy makes an enormous difference to your family’s overall enjoyment of a holiday. Being able to return to the hotel for a dip in the pool and soak in the spa before heading out for the evening turned our break from exhausting to restorative.
And for the adults, there’s further escape on offer. The Heavenly Spa by Westin is a destination in itself: it’s open to overnight guests the general public (you do need to book your treatments in advance). Treatments focus on stress reduction, sleep support and recovery, while the fitness studio and wellness programming encourage guests to maintain healthy routines while travelling. If you’re a keen runner who likes to stick to their routine while on holiday, the hotel offers a ‘run club’ for those keen to explore the city streets on foot. Prefer silence? The spa offers a floating sound bath session where your body and mind are treated to sensory bliss
Dining also leans into the hotel’s wellness philosophy. The hotel restaurant, Hithe + Seek, pairs panoramic river views with a menu built around seasonal produce, small plates and carefully curated wines and cocktails. Breakfasts are particularly impressive, with fresh juices, nourishing options and generous hot selections that cater equally well to wellness-conscious travellers and hungry families preparing for a day of sightseeing.
The family rooms are a size that’s rare in London. Two double beds, plus the requested fold-out single bed, would cramp a typical hotel space. At Westin, we still had room to relax and watch the boats sail serenely along the Thames while planning our itinerary.
The location itself is also a treat for little legs. Positioned near the Millennium Bridge and St Paul’s Cathedral, it’s a short walk across the river to the Tate Modern, Shakespeare’s Globe, Borough Market (go early before the crowds), London Bridge and the water taxis that spirit you to the southern pockets of the city. The riverside promenade is lively without feeling overwhelming, filled with buskers, cafés and pockets of green space that make exploring London on foot feel far more manageable with children in tow.
For more information
Inhabit
Nightly rates at both Inhabit Queen’s Gardens and Inhabit Southwick St start from £229 on a room only basis.
1–2 Queen’s Gardens, London W2 3BA.
The Westin, London
Fact Box: Nightly rates staying in a Signature King Room at The Westin London City start from £459. For more information or to book, please visit www.westinlondoncity.com