What if the path to wellbeing wasn't paved with should-dos and must-haves? The typical January narrative is one of restriction and reinvention, but somewhere between the wild swimming movement and the rise of home saunas, there’s been a revolution in wellness escapes. This year, we're championing a gentler approach – one that begins with extraordinary spaces designed for natural restoration.
Here, health and vitality grow from deeper roots: architecturally striking homes that blur the lines between inside and out, features that encourage natural rhythms, and environments that nurture your route to renewal. Whether it's sliding into a mirror-still pool at daybreak or a moonlit soak in a wood-fired hot tub come evening, each home extends its own invitation to unwind.
Roserai, East Sussex
A French soul beats at the heart of this Grade-II listed oast house, where wellness comes with a sense of Parisian refinement. Within its 10-acre estate, Roserai orchestrates a thoughtful blend of active and passive restoration, from invigorating swims in the heated pool to languid afternoons in the spa area. Beyond the pool house and hot tub, serene gardens unfold: wander through roses and ornamental blooms, or find stillness beside the rippling reflections of the boating lake.
The Black Cabin, Wales
Set your alarm for dawn at this modernist retreat in the Black Mountains – you'll want to watch first light touch the hills from the wood-fired hot tub. The Black Cabin's wellbeing credentials run deeper than its soul-soothing amenities (though the infrared sauna and cold plunge pool make a compelling case). It's in the quiet details: three acres of meadowland, strategically placed windows that frame the changing light, and interiors that let the landscape do the talking.
Ellesmera Mill, Devon
Tucked into a wooded vale, Ellesmera Mill weaves an unexpected tale. This former millhouse channels North African luxury through its Moroccan tiles and vintage rugs, creating an exotic retreat within time-softened walls. Here, the landscape itself becomes part of the escape – follow winding footpaths through wildflowers to Blackpool Sands, while back at base, days drift between wood-fired hot tub, sauna, and the log-burning linhay made for lovebirds.
The Marlings, Cotswolds
Forget everything you thought you knew about wellness retreats. This converted grainstore and barns near Stroud turns the concept on its head, creating spaces where health and joy intertwine naturally. Swim laps in the heated pool, rally on the tennis court, or simply watch the resident alpacas graze. The real luxury? Enough room for three generations to find their own rhythm, from morning green juices in the heritage gardens through to midnight sauna sessions.
Hiraeth, Pembrokeshire
Two centuries ago, forestry workers used the Afon Nyfer to transport their logs downstream. Today, their former dwellings – one traditional white cottage, one contemporary black bothy – have been reimagined as a Swedish-Welsh wellness fusion. Sloping adobe walls and textured ceilings ground you in the space, while outside, a riverside sauna and hammock invite quiet contemplation among the sessile oaks.
Mirana, Cornwall
The Helford River's ancient beech woodland cradles Mirana like a well-guarded secret. This transformed duo of barns understands the art of slow living, centring life around a natural swimming pond where beneficial plants maintain their own delicate ecosystem. Earth-plastered walls and vast windows dissolve into wilderness, while the Finnish sauna and wood-fired hot tub invite evening rituals in the velvet dark.
The Palladian, Cotswolds
This Georgian manor wears its history lightly. Set in 15 acres of Jane Fearnley-Whittingstall designed gardens, it reminds us that wellness isn't all meditation and mindfulness – sometimes it's about tennis matches, pool parties, and letting loose. When quieter moments call, there's the indoor hot tub and wild meadows for restoration. Even the cinema room, wrapped in calming violet hues, feels like a sanctuary.
Senara, Cornwall
Ask any surfer – there's no better reset than Gwithian's cresting waves. Senara harnesses this wild energy, its clean-lined architecture rising above the dunes to create a contemporary wellness retreat. Here, restoration flows through both connection and contrast, from social gatherings in the heated pool to therapeutic circuits between hot tub and sauna, all set against the panoramic backdrop of St Ives Bay.
Lightkeepers, Cornwall
They say limitation breeds creativity. When the owners of Lightkeepers discovered this windswept collection of barns near Gwithian, they saw past the weathered stones to envision something extraordinary. Now, selenite crystals catch light from thoughtfully positioned windows, each framing a different aspect of Godrevy Lighthouse. Outside, a heated plunge pool and hot tub embrace the elements, creating a year-round haven for contrast hydrotherapy.
Feeling inspired? Discover our collection of wellness retreats, with flexible payments now available.
