Top Wellness Retreats in the United States

WellNewTime approaches the concept of wellness retreats with a conviction that such experiences can transcend mere vacation into deeply transformative journeys. In a world where stress, digital overload, and lifestyle imbalances have become endemic, the retreat becomes a sanctuary for restoring alignment among body, mind, and spirit. This article highlights some of the top wellness retreats across the the United States in 2025, offering insight into their unique strengths, program designs, and considerations for discerning travelers seeking meaningful renewal.

The Rise of Wellness Retreats as Strategic Self-Investment

Wellness tourism has emerged as one of the most resilient sectors in the travel industry, and the United States stands at the forefront of this shift. According to industry forecasts, the global wellness tourism market may reach a valuation of USD 1.35 trillion by 2028, propelled by consumers’ growing insistence on travel that heals rather than merely entertains. The U.S., with its wide expanses of nature, diverse climates, robust wellness infrastructure, and concentration of expert practitioners, continues to attract both domestic and international retreaters seeking depth over indulgence.

For readers of WellNewTime, which spans domains such as wellness, health, fitness, business, lifestyle, and environment, the retreat journey aligns with core values: a commitment to experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Each center featured below offers not just luxury or escapism, but curated environments where skilled facilitators, integrative programming, and immersive settings converge.

In selecting retreats for this guide, emphasis was placed on program depth, reputation, breadth of modalities, environmental context, and accessibility. The following ten destinations represent a cross-section of styles and geographies, from desert solitude to forested hideaways to coastal sanctuaries.

Notable Wellness Retreats Across the U.S.

Lake Austin Spa Resort — Austin, Texas

Recently named the top destination spa in the United States and ranked sixth worldwide in the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers’ Choice Awards, Lake Austin Spa Resort embodies the intersection of rustic charm and high-caliber wellness. Its 25,000-square-foot spa, “LakeHouse,” blends Eastern and Western modalities, offering therapeutic facials, vibroacoustic treatments, and CBD-infused recovery therapies. The resort weaves in daily movement classes such as yoga, barre, and paddleboarding, and its culinary program emphasizes seasonal, locally sourced produce and in situ ingredients. Its lakeside ambiance, cottages, and open-treatment settings contribute to a deeply immersive retreat experience.

Guests often highlight the gentle rhythm of programming, the ease of transitions between spa, movement, and rest, and the sense of surrender fostered by nature’s presence. As a standout in U.S. wellness, Lake Austin exemplifies the kind of retreat that balances sophistication with soul.

For those reading on WellNewTime, this retreat underscores how spa + fitness + lifestyle design converge to craft a holistic escape.

The Ranch Malibu / The Ranch Hudson Valley

The Ranch brand has cultivated an esteemed following for its structured, results-driven wellness programs, often described as “bootcamps for the soul.” The Malibu location continues to be a flagship, offering daily hiking, strength training, yoga, and plant-forward cuisine, all in a Mediterranean coastal setting. In 2025, The Ranch expanded its footprint to the Hudson Valley, closer to New York City. Its Hudson Valley retreat presents a more accessible option for East Coast guests while maintaining the brand's signature discipline and transformational design.

The program’s intensity, rhythm, and accountability attract guests seeking measurable shifts in fitness, metabolic health, and mindset. For many, the retreat functions less as a vacation and more as an immersive reset.

Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health — Stockbridge, Massachusetts

Situated in the Berkshire Mountains of Massachusetts, Kripalu Center for Yoga & Health has earned its reputation as an ideal gateway retreat for seekers new to immersive wellness. Since its founding in 1983, Kripalu has offered multi-day immersive programs that blend yoga, meditation, creative expression, and workshops led by renowned teachers. Some offerings incorporate silence, conscious eating, and deep self-reflection.

Kripalu’s strength lies in accessibility: whether one is beginner or seasoned, its infrastructure is supportive, nonjudgmental, and well curated. The natural backdrop—forests and hills—reinforces a sense of steady grounding, and the programming invites both inward attention and gentle exploration of body, breath, and purpose.

Sensei Lānaʻi / Sensei Porcupine Creek

Co-created by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison and physician Dr. David Agus, the Sensei brand embodies a scientific, data-informed approach to wellness. Its Lānaʻi property in Hawai‘i and Porcupine Creek estate near Palm Springs (opened 2022) integrate biometric assessment, personalized programming, nutrition science, and holistic therapies. Emphasizing that wellness is not a destination but an evolving journey, Sensei programs calibrate restorative and performance elements.

Guests can expect state-of-the-art diagnostics, fitness regimens, spa therapies, nutritional optimization, and mindful modalities such as meditation, breathwork, and sleep optimization. Sustainability, design elegance, and high staff-to-guest ratios round out a premium wellness experience.

Carillon Miami Wellness Resort — Miami, Florida

Carillon Miami Wellness Resort delivers a beachfront wellness immersion in tropical settings. Its offerings include cryotherapy, hyperbaric chambers, aquatics therapy, acupuncture, movement classes, and health coaching. The resort’s commitment to blending resort-style comfort with clinically oriented wellness establishes it as a destination where both indulgence and integrity coexist.

For wellness travelers who prefer coastal energy, warm weather, and varied modalities within one retreat, Carillon provides versatility. Its proximity to South Florida also makes it logistically favorable for travelers arriving via major airports.

Omni Grove Park Inn – Spa at Sunset Mountain — Asheville, North Carolina

Nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Omni Grove Park Inn melds Appalachian heritage with wellness luxury. Its expansive spa offers mountaintop views, thermal mineral baths, salt rooms, and signature treatments grounded in local botanical traditions. Movement classes include guided nature walks, yoga, and gentle modalities that harmonize with the slower mountain pace.

Its architectural grandeur, deep-rooted history, and integration into the surrounding landscape lend the retreat a sense of timelessness and grounded wellness appeal. Many guests describe the experience as less “program-driven” and more “restorative by design.”

Miraval Resort & Spa

Miraval remains a marquee name in U.S. wellness, with multiple locations (e.g. Tucson, Austin, Berkshires). Known for its immersive programming in mindfulness, equine-assisted therapy, movement, and transformative workshops, Miraval curates guest journeys that stimulate self-knowledge, emotional agility, and sustainable habits.

Miraval’s approach weaves together luxury hospitality, expert guiding, and intention-rich programming. It often appeals to those who want a refined retreat experience with enough structure to coax deeper insight, without the rigidity of bootcamp-style formats.

Omega Institute for Holistic Studies — Rhinebeck, New York

Though not a “retreat resort” in the strict sense, the Omega Institute offers a campus-based model of immersive learning and holistic retreating across more than 190 acres. Since its founding in 1977, Omega has hosted tens of thousands in workshops, wellness intensives, and contemplative residencies. Programs span emotional health, somatic healing, spiritual inquiry, creativity, and integrative health.

Omega’s strength lies in its educational depth, network of acclaimed faculty, and the flexibility to stay for brief or extended stints. It attracts professionals, creatives, and wellness-minded travelers seeking a blend of community, learning, and personal growth.

Karmê Chöling — Barnet, Vermont

Karmê Chöling is a Shambhala Buddhist retreat center set in 717 acres of woodlands in Vermont. It offers meditation retreats, silent periods, archery training, contemplative arts, and simplicity-based living. Its infrastructure includes cabins, meditation halls, dining rooms, and gardens, fostering immersive silence, instruction, and introspective practice.

For those drawn to spiritual depth and sustained introspection, Karmê Chöling provides an atmosphere of gentle rigor grounded in tradition and contemplative lineage.

Breitenbush Hot Springs Retreat & Conference Center — Oregon

Located within the Willamette National Forest in central Oregon, Breitenbush Hot Springs serves as a co-op retreat center emphasizing holistic, spiritual, and countercultural transformative experiences. Guests are welcomed into a setting powered by its own hydroelectric plant (with diesel backup) and offerings include hot spring immersion, saunas, steam, workshops, and nature immersion.

Though in 2020 a fire damaged many structures, the site’s symbolism, ethos of sustainability, and historic depth remain compelling for those seeking rawer, more elemental retreat experiences.

Selecting the Right Retreat: Criteria & Considerations

Choosing the optimal wellness retreat involves more than picturesque settings. Discerning travelers—especially WellNewTime’s audience of wellness-conscious professionals—should evaluate several axes of fit:

Program Depth and Methodological Coherence

Retreats vary widely in structure: some emphasize spa treatments and replenishment, others lean into performance, others into spiritual or psychological transformation. A retreat’s program should align with the traveler’s intention—be it rest, reset, performance, insight, or healing.

Expertise and Staff Credentials

The credibility of practitioners—therapists, movement instructors, medical consultants—matters deeply. Well-established centers tend to attract top-tier instructors, which elevates both safety and depth of experience.

Integration of Modalities

The best retreats thoughtfully integrate movement, nutrition, rest, treatments, lectures, and free time. Seamless transitions and gentle pacing often distinguish a cohesive retreat from a disjointed itinerary.

Environment and Immersion

Nature, silence, design, and aesthetics shape psychological and physiological rest. Whether desert, forest, mountain, or shore, the surrounding environment should support inward reconnection.

Duration and Intensity

Short retreats (3–5 days) are ideal for stress relief, while weeklong (or longer) immersions enable deeper shifts. Some guests benefit from adaptive pacing, while others thrive in more rigorous formats.

Accessibility and Logistics

Proximity to airports, ease of arrival, visa and travel considerations, and local infrastructure all affect the overall feasibility.

Sustainability and Cultural Coherence

Given WellNewTime’s interest in environment and conscious living, retreats that incorporate sustainable operations, regenerative land management, community engagement, and ethical sourcing are often preferential.

Sample Itineraries and Guest Experiences

At Lake Austin Spa Resort, a guest might arrive by midday, settle into lakeside accommodations, and receive a wellness consultation before entering a gentle yoga session. Over subsequent days, they would alternate movement, treatments, nature walks, and educational workshops, culminating in a private ritual or closing circle. The seamless integration of food, rest, and wellness modalities helps participants ease into a regenerative rhythm.

At The Ranch Hudson Valley, the structure is more measured. Each day begins early, with guided hikes, strength circuits, yoga, and nutritious meals. Midday may involve cold plunges, therapies, or learning sessions. The evening includes reflection, journaling, and restorative practices. Its pace aims to habituate new patterns rather than relax entirely.

At Kripalu, attendees often choose from a menu of workshops. One day may include restorative yoga, breath-based practices, group dialogue, and optional silence time. Meals are often vegetarian, and the campus invites meandering, journaling, or informal connection. Many guests describe a “holding container” effect, where structure supports softness.

At Sensei, biometric assessments, nutritional profiling, fitness coaching, spa modalities, data-led tracking, and individualized plans combine. Guests often undergo diagnostics on arrival, followed by personalized protocols that adapt dynamically. The environment encourages optimized performance and recovery as two sides of the same coin.

At Breitenbush, a guest might wake before dawn for forest meditations, step into hot springs or steam, attend a workshop in the afternoon, and end the day in silence or group sharing. Minimalist lodging, limited tech, and communal rhythms foster intimacy with the cycles of nature.

Trends in U.S. Wellness Retreats for 2025

Several macro trends are shaping retreat design, guest expectations, and market differentiation.

Regenerative Wellness & Agritourism

Wellness retreats are increasingly embedding regenerative farming, food sovereignty, and ecological restoration into guest experiences. Guests may harvest produce, tend gardens, or engage in soil healing as part of embodied wellness. This trend aligns with the larger movement toward climate-conscious travel. Vogue has chronicled regenerative farming as a rising anchor in wellness escapes.

Data-Driven Personalization

Programs such as those at Sensei reflect a shift toward informed, data-backed personalization—wearable integrations, biometrics, metabolic profiling, sleep tracking, and adaptive coaching. Guests now expect more than spa menus—they seek protocols with measurable feedback loops.

Hybrid Modalities & Crossover Wellness

Retreats are blending modalities such as psychedelic-assisted healing, breathwork, sound therapy, forest bathing, neurofeedback, and longevity science. While regulatory frameworks remain cautious, many wellness destinations are creating curated cross-disciplinary offerings.

Proximity Retreats & Micro-Retreats

For travelers constrained by time, weekend or “micro-retreat” formats—3-day intensives near major hubs—are gaining traction. Retreats closer to urban centers allow professionals to step into deep work without long travel displacement.

Environmental Mindfulness & Low Impact

Sustainability is no longer optional. Retreats are adopting carbon-neutral infrastructure, renewable energy, water recycling, regenerative land practices, and minimal-waste hospitality models to align values with operations.

Tips for Prospective Retreat Attendees

Begin with clear intention. Are you seeking rest, transformation, or actionable change? Let that guide your choice more than branding or trendiness.

Choose a retreat that offers a consult or intake ahead of scheduling—quality centers will assess your readiness and tailor the experience.

Prioritize retreats that allow “white space” or buffer time—too rigid a schedule can trigger resistance rather than renewal.

Ask about practitioner credentials, staff-to-guest ratios, program transparency, and safety protocols.

Consider post-retreat integration support—journals, follow-up coaching, or online communities can sustain transformation.

Travel logistics matter: arrive a day early, use transfers, and minimize fatigue from transit.

Be open to surrender. Growth often lies in yielding to rest, discomfort, or the unknown.

Conclusion

For the WellNewTime audience—readers engaged across wellness, lifestyle, business, environment, and health—well-chosen retreat experiences can act as catalysts for deeper alignment and sustainable growth. Whether one seeks a rhythmic reset at Lake Austin, a structured reboot at The Ranch, or subtle inward expansion at Kripalu or Karmê Chöling, these U.S. wellness destinations offer portals to transformation beyond mere leisure.

In 2025, wellness retreats are maturing in sophistication, coherence, and ambition. A discerning traveler, equipped with reflection, intention, and practical insight, can choose a retreat that resonates personally and ushers in change that endures long after departure.

Explore WellNewTime’s relevant domains—wellness, health, fitness, environment, lifestyle, and innovation—for deeper context and inspiration. For instance, you may wish to consult our pages like wellness, fitness, environment, health, lifestyle, and innovation to further design your path to holistic renewal.