Atlantis The Royal on the Future of Luxury Wellness Travel

This sponsored content was created in collaboration with a Skift partner.

Travel is no longer simply about getting away — it’s about coming back better. Once centered on escapism, today’s vacations are often driven by a desire to recalibrate and rejuvenate. The expectation for health and wellness services to be seamlessly integrated throughout the guest journey has been steadily growing in the luxury travel market. As reported by Skift, 94 percent of travelers are incorporating wellness into their trips and prioritizing experiences that offer mental, physical, and spiritual rejuvenation.

“Whether it’s the importance of sleep hygiene, community wellness events, combining different temperature techniques, or seeking more natural remedies to feel good, there is a desire for wellness offerings when traveling,” said Lyndell Nelis, director of wellness at ultra-luxury resort Atlantis The Royal.

Recognizing this trend, Atlantis The Royal has created immersive and innovative well-being experiences and amenities to attract travelers now and into the future, empowering guests to feel their best at every stage of their stay. The resort offers a range of sophisticated wellness facilities, including spa treatments, regenerative medicine, advanced aesthetics, fitness, and personal styling, all personalized to meet each guest’s unique needs. By extending wellness beyond dedicated spaces, Atlantis The Royal has created a new path forward at the intersection of ultra-luxury and wellness in Dubai.

“We are expanding the well-being concept outside of the spa perimeter and into the guest suites, the lobby, the lounges, and all areas of the resort,” Nelis said. “Guests are interested in more than just looking well, but feeling full of health, energy, and vitality. Luxury travelers expect science-based, performance-proven products and services delivered with warmth in a beautiful, peaceful environment. Many of our guests also come for both the holistic and the medical, and we offer both.”

Holistic Spa Meets Modern Technologies

Integrating wellness across all facets of the luxury travel experience, Atlantis The Royal aims to make stays truly memorable. The resort blends holistic spa services with modern technologies to make a lasting impression from facilities to guest rooms, establishing its status as a leader in the space.

“We know that wellness is important during stays. Guests are looking for a space to relax, and resorts are seeing value in building separate facilities for fitness and spa,” said Nelis. “AWAKEN Spa is a true wellness escape with complete silence and privacy. With guests looking to explore alternative practices, we want to provide unique experiences. Recently, we offered a seven-week Chakra series — offering programs like this within our luxury spa that allow guests to tap into emerging trends in a space where they feel comfortable.”

Given its location in the ultramodern, luxurious, and cosmopolitan city of Dubai, discerning travelers from around the world have come to expect the highest level of hospitality and service from the region to suit a variety of preferences. In positioning itself to lead and adapt through evolving trends and tastes, Atlantis The Royal and AWAKEN Wellness continue to anticipate diverse guest needs, leveraging international services and talent to accommodate them.

“Our service providers hail from all corners of the globe, and we love to showcase their hometown healing modalities,” said Nelis. “Custom curated playlists sync to each signature treatment perfectly, played at different hertz to resonate with each person’s body. All therapists are Reiki trained, and many hold sound healer accreditation.”

Nelis explained that each treatment is backed by a menu of custom-made AWAKEN skin care products made in the UAE. “We use these products professionally in treatments and sell them through the AWAKEN Boutique for a truly unique experience found nowhere else in the world. The beauty of having our own AWAKEN skincare line is that guests can take that experience home. So, the wellness experiences shouldn’t end once they leave but continue impacting their daily lives.”

Another in-demand service the resort offers is regenerative medicine and advanced aesthetics to assist travelers in looking and feeling their best for any occasion. As these therapies have continued to rise in popularity, the need for availability, advanced technology, and talented therapists will continue to be paramount for top-level spas.

At Atlantis The Royal, AEON Clinic are pioneers in the anti-aging and wellness space, enhancing AWAKEN Wellness spa treatments and packages through scientific advances. “We partner with AEON Clinic for regenerative medicine, which can incorporate expert spa therapies with IV drip infusions that can even be done in the comfort of guest rooms,” said Nelis. “While AWAKEN Wellness helps our guests go within to unlock their spiritual alchemy, AEON Clinic offers the most advanced technological innovations to increase longevity, promote healing, and allow the mind and body to reach their ultimate potential.”

Modern Luxury Fitness Facilities And Personal Styling Services

Beyond traditional treatments, overall well-being comes in many forms, including state-of-the-art fitness facilities. Luxury guests expect modern gyms to provide first-rate equipment and atmosphere, and Atlantis The Royal has curated these elements into AWAKEN Fitness. Here, physical and mental well-being is prioritized, from fitness technology to meditation experiences, indoor-outdoor exercise classes, virtual classes, lap pool, and more, to support and encourage health awareness for all guests.

Similarly, beauty services are a natural extension of physical fitness services. ALKEMY Personal Styling at Atlantis The Royal offers hair and nail services to meet guest needs, offering ease of experience and valuable time-saving services on the property. The impact of providing such an array of wellness experiences during an immersive travel journey focused on the fully realized well-being of guests can be immeasurable yet memorable.

“A high percentage of resort guests prioritize wellness experiences at the spa, with half of those guests coming back for a second or even a third treatment,” said Nelis. “We can see that our experiences — whether it’s fitness, mental wellness, meditation sessions, guest room offerings, or treatments — are having a fantastic impact on our guests.”

Expanding Immersive Wellness Touchpoints

Beyond the facilities and treatments, Atlantis The Royal crafts an overarching wellness journey for its guests to make sure each touchpoint is meaningful — even within the privacy of a Suite, where aspects such as sleep, rest, and relaxation have all been taken into careful consideration when curating the guest experience.

“We’ve taken the spa into each guest room with thoughtfully crafted wellness-themed experiential amenity programs, such as the Elements Bathing Rituals,” said Nelis. “We offer in-room sound healing and meditation sessions so guests can bring that into their space during stays. For the best nights’ sleep, we offer custom turndown Dream Mists, Dream Drops, or a Dream Journal with a QR code featuring selected spa meditations — all delivered bedside each night, along with a pillow selection box. Our guests truly anticipate each night’s sleep theme and special gift and appreciate that their well-being has been considered during the stay.”

As Atlantis The Royal prepares for the future of wellness travel, it will continue to adapt to changing consumer behavior and cultural shifts across all travel types, building on trends to proactively shape the future of the industry.

Learn more about Atlantis The Royal.

This content was created collaboratively by Atlantis The Royal and Skift’s branded content studio, SkiftX.