Why Wellness Hotels Are So Popular

Austria has a long history of spa culture and helped pioneer wellness hotels where their guests wellbeing is their first priority. Guests spend their days outdoors enjoying nature, relaxing in the hotel’s spas and savoring good food which all works wonders to rejuvenate both body and mind.

My husband and I have never been a fan of cookie cutter, corporate hotels especially when we travel to Europe. While we have stayed in grand hotels in Europe’s famous cities, we prefer hotels that are located in quaint little towns surrounded by beautiful landscapes and have been run by the same family for generations.

Some years ago, we discovered the Relax Guide for Austria, Germany and South Tyrol in Italy, which features family owned wellness (spa) hotels. We have stayed at many of their highest rated hotels and found that the hotels provide everything we want or need for a wonderful vacation.

You might be wondering what exactly is a “wellness” hotel. Lots of people might presume that a wellness hotel is all about deprivation, a strict diet and an intense exercise regimen. Unless you are spending a week at a medical resort to detox, that couldn’t be farther from what you will experience on a typical day at a wellness hotel in countries like Austria and Germany.

Austria pioneered the wellness trend and their country’s wellness and spa hotels are considered some of the best. The hotels are rated in the 4 and 5-star categories and often the location of the hotel alone is an experience in itself. They provide various relaxation offers that are focused on the healing power of nature, breathing fresh air, drinking pure water, eating local, fresh food, relaxation and peace of mind.

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Imagine staying at one of these hotels. After hours of hiking or sightseeing, which you throughly enjoyed, you return to the hotel tired and need a little pick-me-up. You can relax on the terrace with coffee and cake, then change into a fluffy bathrobe and slippers and go to the hotel’s award winning spa for some well needed relaxation. You spend some time in the refreshing pool, then in several of the saunas and steam rooms and maybe get a massage before you head back to your room to change for the evening.

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You enjoy an aperitif in the bar while you reminisce with your partner about your wonderful day then go to the dining room where you dine on a beautifully presented, delicious multi course meal. Happy and contented, you have a wonderful night’s sleep. You wake refreshed in the morning, have a hearty breakfast in the dining room, read the calendar of what events are being offered and start to plan your new day. Perhaps you will join others in an outdoor yoga class or decide to hop on e-bikes and explore the surrounding area.

Although each wellness hotel is unique, they all have wonderful extensive wellness areas with multiple pools, outdoor sunbathing areas, saunas, steam rooms, massage therapists and beauty experts where you can be pampered from morning to night. Activities range from yoga and meditation to daily fitness and exercise programs and guided walks in the surrounding area. The fitness and wellness classes and use of the spa facilities, other than your spa treatments, are all included.

What might surprise you is that all your meals, excluding beverages, are also included in your room rate. The food and wine served is excellent and and some of the hotels have award winning chefs that are some of the best in their country. They prepare classic Austrian cuisine as well as modern international dishes that they have interpreted in new creative ways using the freshest local and seasonal ingredients available. The hotel’s restaurants offer several different menus to choose from, including traditional, vegetarian and vegan that change daily.

You can find wellness hotels in most regions of Austria and Germany. The beautiful scenery will vary from one spa to another depending on where they are located, but the ones my husband and I particularly enjoy are usually near quaint villages surrounded by majestic mountains and look like something from a movie. Their locations are ideal for both outdoor sports enthusiasts as well as those seeking peace and relaxation. With their large selection of spa treatments, wellness and relaxation areas, the hotels have everything you need to completely relax and wind down after an adventurous day enjoying the outdoors or making day trips to the beautiful surrounding area.

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One of the new Austrian wellness hotels we will be staying at this year.

Each time we plan a trip to Austria, we return to some of our favorite wellness hotels but always want to try new ones, as we will be doing again this year. Join us soon as we travel the back roads of Austria to experience some of the best rated wellness hotels the country has to offer.