Search for meaning instead of bling-bling: Today’s wellness traveler is looking for emotion

"Wonder is the beginning of all knowledge." This quote, attributed to the philosopher Aristotle, touches a nerve of our time. Many travelers today don't want experiences that just tick off the list, but rather ones that get under their skin: deep, sensual, transformative.

The modern wellness industry is responding to this need, becoming a stage for what ancient philosophers described as the origin of thought: wonder. For Aristotle and Plato, "thaumazein" was not just a feeling, but the key to true insight – today, it is what redefines emotional luxury.

Andrea Labonte has an unusual profession: As a wellness hotel tester for the online hotel guide Wellness Heaven, she has been discovering unique spa destinations for 20 years – places that inspire with fabulous natural surroundings and bright ideas for more health and regeneration. As part of the interview series "Mindful Moments – Conversations that Touch" in Wellness Heaven magazine, she also regularly speaks with outstanding personalities from the travel industry. Her professional background: She studied business administration in Mainz and Paris and worked in marketing in various sectors, most recently for six years for one of the largest international luxury goods groups. Having tested over 500 wellness hotels, Andrea Labonte has a broad basis for comparison and knows what matters to the discerning wellness traveler.

Instead of status symbols, meaningful moments count today. Figures support this trend: According to a study by luxury travel provider Virtuoso (2024), 77 percent of respondents say they specifically seek out experiences and discoveries that trigger curiosity and joy (65 percent) or awe and wonder (57 percent). It's not just the place that counts, but the feeling it evokes.

In the Wellness Heaven interview series " Mindful Moments – Conversations that Touch," I regularly speak with leading figures in the industry. They all confirm: In addition to prevention and longevity, many wellness travelers yearn for meaning, moments of reflection, surprises, and genuine connection. But the desire for attention and to be seen also seems omnipresent among wellness travelers.

Particularly in demand are wellness hotels that don't leave wonder to chance, but consciously celebrate it as part of an emotionally curated overall experience. Whether through unusual architecture, multisensory experiences, philosophical impulses, or encounters with extraordinary people and nature.

It's especially astonishing when the hotelier succeeds in touching the inner child in the guest. When the visitor is allowed to be a child again in the truest sense of the word: walking barefoot across the forest floor, riding a horse through nature, participating in campfire rituals, painting, dancing, singing—simply being, without a role, without a mask. These experiences offer lightness, a joy of play, curiosity about the world and life, and a form of emotional security that many people have lost in their hectic daily routines.

In addition to wonder, awe also plays a central role: When we gaze at the starry sky, hear the sound of a mantra, or hear the silence of the forest, we sense that we are embedded in something greater than ourselves. This feeling touches our innermost being – it broadens our perspective and can have a healing effect.

Another trend, also attributable to the collective trauma of the pandemic years, is that the modern wellness guest is seeking resonance—with themselves, with others, with what is essential. Formats such as the Soneva Soul Festival in the Maldives or the Festival of Joy at the Stanglwirt demonstrate how wellness is becoming an experiential space for personal development, questions of meaning, and exchange.

Psychologically, this trend ties in with self-determination theory: For sustainable well-being, people need autonomy, competence, and belonging. Festivals and retreats at modern wellness retreats offer precisely this sense of belonging, as well as the sharing of skills and knowledge.

A stay is often made truly touching by small, sincere gestures. After all, isn't life and interpersonal relationships always about attention? For Thomas Peruzzo, Cluster Manager of the iconic One&Only One Za'abeel and SIRO One Za'abeel in Dubai, true luxury hospitality is no longer defined by things, but by feelings and lasting memories. Attention and anticipating guest wishes play a central role for Peruzzo. For him, the feeling of being seen is the key and foundation of every interpersonal connection. And that begins with the employees. If the employees feel comfortable in the hotel, their joy and sense of well-being is also transmitted to the guests.

A thoughtful gesture from a satisfied hotel employee can make all the difference during a wellness stay : A while ago, a waiter at a wellness hotel touched me in a special way: At breakfast, he handed me an envelope with a quiet smile. Inside was a handwritten recipe for the lemon risotto I had praised so much the night before. Attached was a personal note: "For you to cook at home, so that the taste of your stay lingers a little longer." It was only a small gesture, but it had a profound impact on me. Moments like these are what stay with you, because they are based on appreciation and care.

Wellness hotels of tomorrow will no longer define luxury through status symbols, but through emotions. They create space for contemplation, enthusiasm, but also for genuine emotion and interpersonal encounters. They leave behind feelings of happiness and fulfillment, but also inspire reflection, and these days, that's often worth more than gold taps and a glass of champagne.

This article is from the EXPERTS Circle – a network of selected experts with in-depth knowledge and many years of experience. The content is based on individual assessments and is aligned with the current state of science and practice.