AARP Hearing Center
A spa day can do a body — and mind — good. There’s something about feeling pampered that offers a respite from the demands of everyday life. Massages, facials and body treatments have long been go-tos; however, unique wellness experiences around the world are providing more inspiration to travel and changing how we reboot and recharge.
According to the 2025 Tripit travel report, as Americans age, the need for relaxation ratchets up, with 77 percent of boomers surveyed stating most of their travel is geared toward relaxation. From decompressing to the rhythm of bees in California wine country to water treatments at a Hawaiian hotel and an energy exchange with horses in Mexico, here are a medley of unexpected wellness experiences that might motivate you to pack your bags and take off for a revitalizing reset.
Buzzy Napa Valley
The benefits of honey are well known, but the “Get Buzzed at Carneros” immersive experience focuses on the perks of spending quality time with some prolific pollinators. Akin to a sound bath, the Bee Cottage at Carneros Resort and Spa is located in the Northern California resort’s apiary. The cabin features beehives underneath a relaxation bed (don’t worry, it’s screened for the safety of guests and the bees); the buzz creates low-frequency vibrations, from 200 to 400 hertz.
“This is within the range of human hearing and also has therapeutic effects, which allow for reduced stress in the nervous system,” says Edward Costa, managing director at Carneros Resort and Spa. “As guests are exposed to vibrations in the cottage, they can expect lowered anxiety as their cortisol levels drop, in turn promoting relaxation and overall well-being.”
Additionally, the air in the cottage is enriched with propolis, a compound bees produce, and beeswax, which may support respiratory health and boost immunity.
Castle Hot Springs, located north of Phoenix, is known for its warm mineral water.
Courtesy Castle Hot Springs
Stretching your limits in the desert
There’s a certain magic that engulfs your psyche as your body slowly lowers into the warm mineral water at Castle Hot Springs. Located an hour north of Phoenix in the Bradshaw Mountains, the resort hosted its first guests, who arrived via stagecoach, in the late 1800s. Names such as Rockefeller, Roosevelt and Kennedy grace the hotel register. While hydrotherapy put the resort on the map, no water is required for the property’s Adventure Ready Massage, a sports massage chock-full of assisted stretches.
