Do You Need a Sleep Vacation? 6 Luxury Getaways Designed for a Better Night’s Rest

Luxury hotels pride themselves on fulfilling guests’ every desire. Green juice? No problem. White-hot theater tickets? Done. Frette sheets? They come standard. But perhaps the most-sought-after luxury is one that has remained elusive: a proper night’s sleep. Some of hotel life’s greatest perks, like a minibar full of snacks and cocktails and a flat-screen for late-night TV viewing, are more conducive to restlessness than rest—and a recent study from Brown University reveals that we sleep worse when we’re traveling, especially on the first night, than when we are at home. But that needn’t always be the case now that a handful of spas and hotels are teaming up with doctors and sleep specialists to offer sleep packages. Some treatments are scientific; others simply encourage relaxation. Either way, the goal is the same: getting the best sleep of your life.

The Destination: Swissôtel, Berlin
The inspiration for Swissotel’s DeepSleep Package began, like all good ideas, at a dinner party. Christiane Anstoetz, who works in marketing at the hotel, was seated next to Michael Feld, M.D., a somnologist. “We started talking over a second glass of wine about how more and more people have been seeking him out,” she says. “I said, ‘We have more than 600 beds, you work on making people go to sleep, we should come together.’” So they created a program that combines light therapy, aromatherapy, sound, and nutritional supplements. They serve a drink made with dark chocolate, orange, sage, and lavender to help guests calm down before bedtime, and use a sound pillow emitting binaural beats to help them sleep deeper. And since insomniacs often have trouble in the morning, there’s a wake-up call with power drinks, bright lights, and lemon-scented aromatherapy engineered to energize.
From around $207, swissotel.com

The Destination: Canyon Ranch, Arizona
The devotion to guests’ rest at Canyon Ranch is such that the spa offers a pillow menu for those who prefer to sleep on down or buckwheat. But for those looking to troubleshoot their restless nights, there’s also a healthy sleep program. Headed up by Param Dedhia, M.D., the Tucson getaway begins with a consultation. “I ask people to go hour by hour through their day with me,” he says. Then guests can submit to a sleep study, either in their room or in a sleep lab on the property, to see if something medical like sleep apnea or teeth grinding is the culprit. The next day, Dr. Dedhia reviews the results, often recommending behavior modification—such as exercise and meditation—to help quiet the mind.
$2,900, www.canyonranch.com

The Destination: The Alpina Gstaad, Switzerland
The Alpina Gstaad is taking a yoga-based approach to the pursuit of better rest. “We are trying to work holistically, balancing the mind, body, and soul, in a totally relaxed environment, so people can reconnect with themselves and eventually get into a deeper sleep,” Antonis Sarris, the property’s head therapist, says of its Yogic Sleep Retreat. Guests receive wellness consultations, detox-focused massages, and private yoga nidra sessions—also known as yogic sleep, it’s a kind of guided relaxation done while lying down. If that doesn’t do the trick, brisk walks in the mountain air certainly will.
From $2,125, thealpinagstaad.ch

The Destination: The Corinthia Hotel London, London
London’s Corinthia Hotel is located just steps from bustling Trafalgar Square, but the goal of checking into its Sumptuous Sleep Retreat is to forget the outside world. Sleep expert Guy Meadows and nutritionist Jeannette Hyde worked closely with the hotel to design the program. Order from a special menu of tryptophan- and magnesium-rich foods that help induce relaxation, like Loch Var smoked salmon with baby spinach and walnut dressing. Rooms are outfitted with blackout curtains and soundproofed, and turndown service comes with valerian tea and pumpkin seed cookies. The program includes a two-hour-long Sleep Ritual and a gentle massage with oils; it can also include a one-on-one consultation with Dr. Meadows, who specializes in using cognitive behavioral therapy to quiet the anxiety familiar to those who find themselves tossing and turning at all hours.
From $1,325, corinthia.com

The Destination: The Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru, Maldives
The two-and-a-half-hour Om Supti Ritual at the Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru begins at 10:00 p.m. in the property’s Night Spa, a private clearing beneath palm and banyan trees. It starts with high-grade essential-oil blends targeted to the various chakras (vetiver for earth, jasmine for water) applied with particular focus on the feet and back. Then a lymph massage in order to increase circulation, followed by a bath in a carved-stone tub with Himalayan salt crystals, sandalwood, and rose damascene. If you can’t keep your eyes open long enough to make it back to your room, there’s a hanging bed right there in the outdoor spa.
From $750, fourseasons.com

The Destination: Six Senses Douro Valley, Portugal
Six Senses Douro Valley, a luxury resort in Portuguese wine country, is set to launch its sleep program this fall. Upon booking, guests will receive a questionnaire that covers sleep positions and insomnia patterns. One of two trained sleep ambassadors will use the answers to customize the room before check-in. Rooms include two sleep machines—one that blocks disruptive ambient noise and another with LED lighting that tracks sleep—plus a sleep journal, a sinus-clearing neti pot, and moisture-wicking linens.
From $100, sixsenses.com

 

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