Hilton’s 2027 Trends Report identifies wellness, nature and hydrotherapy as significant considerations for travellers
61 per cent of respondents say they’re more likely to engage in water-based wellness experiences while travelling
20 per cent would choose accommodation specifically for its sauna or steamroom, while 35 per cent would book for outdoor relaxation spaces
Morning Consult surveyed 14,744 intending travellers across 14 countries for the research
Thermal bathing, hydrotherapy and nature-based wellness are emerging as important considerations for hotel guests, according to Hilton’s 2027 Trends Report, The Great Rebalance.
The global research, conducted for Hilton by Morning Consult, surveyed 14,744 adults who expect to travel during the next 12 months across 14 countries, including the UK, US, Germany, UAE, Saudi Arabia, China, India, Japan and Australia.
Among the findings, 61 per cent of respondents said they’re more likely to engage in water-based wellness experiences while travelling, while 60 per cent said they’re more drawn to these experiences when they can share them with others.
The findings support a direction Hilton’s global wellness team previously discussed with Spa Business – that thermal and water-based experiences are increasingly being positioned as social and restorative elements of the hotel stay.
One in five respondents (20 per cent) said they would choose accommodation specifically because it offered a sauna or steamroom, while 29 per cent would book a hotel specifically for its pool.
The figures suggest thermal facilities could become a meaningful point of differentiation for hotels, particularly as operators look to create wellness experiences that can be incorporated into the wider guest journey.
Speaking to Spa Business in 2023, Louise Moore, then Hilton’s director of spa operations and development for Europe, said she was already seeing the thermal trend gathering momentum.
“I’ve seen a significant increase of interest in thermal bathing,” she said, adding: “Thermal bathing lends itself to social activity so it’s perfect for guests seeking connection.”
That observation is particularly pertinent to the new research, with 60 per cent of respondents now saying they’re more drawn to water-based wellness experiences when they can share them with other people.
Jessica Shea, Hilton’s vice president of wellness, retail and leisure operations for the Americas, also identified the trend towards shared wellness experiences in the same Spa Business interview.
“Social wellness has a massive impact on our spas as people continue to seek more healthful and fulfilling ways to connect during their travels,” she said.
Nature also emerged strongly from the new research. Almost eight in 10 respondents (79 per cent) said fresh air and the outdoors were important to the way they relax while travelling, 54 per cent said they spend more time immersed in nature while away than at home and 35 per cent said they would book a hotel specifically for outdoor spaces designed for relaxation.
This, too, echoes Hilton’s previously stated wellness strategy. In an article for the Spa Business Handbook, Hilton’s then vice president of wellness, Amanda Al-Masri, argued that hotel wellness should extend throughout the guest journey rather than being confined to the spa and fitness centre.
“As more people crave connection with each other and the world around them, today’s wellness experiences should evolve to reflect this mindset,” she said.
Al-Masri advocated creating wellness touchpoints throughout hotels, including in guestrooms and lobbies, alongside traditional spas and fitness centres.
The findings form part of a wider trend Hilton has called ‘Wellness, Rewired’, which explores travellers’ interest in combining technology with nature, human connection and restorative experiences.
According to the survey, 34 per cent of respondents said trips centred on rest, recovery and holistic wellness had helped them grow or change in some way, while 76 per cent said travel enabled them to recharge mentally and physically in ways they found difficult to achieve at home.
Hilton is seeing some of these preferences reflected within its own portfolio. Conrad Tulum Riviera Maya, for example, has expanded its wellness programme from two to 11 immersive experiences during the past three years, with Hilton saying around 20 per cent of wellness reservations now include experiences such as traditional limpia purification journeys, shaman-led experiences and fire ceremonies.
The company also reports growing demand for the outdoor Water Garden at Conrad Orlando, saying monthly outdoor bath treatments have increased by 60 per cent year-on-year.
Technology is another strand of Hilton’s wellness strategy. Conrad Washington DC offers robotic massage company Aescape’s AI-powered massage system, with Hilton reporting that 48 per cent of Aescape bookings at the property are for 30-minute sessions and 54 per cent take place after 4pm.
Meanwhile, Signia by Hilton Indianapolis has introduced Signia Restore, an integrated concept combining fitness, recovery technologies, personalised wellness guidance and retail.
The report also points to an appetite for sleep-focused hospitality, with 32 per cent of respondents saying they would book a hotel specifically for spaces designed to support deep rest and sleep.
The findings build on Hilton’s longer-term move to integrate wellness beyond the traditional hotel spa. When Spa Business interviewed Hilton’s global wellness leadership team in 2023, the company outlined plans to embed wellness touchpoints across its hotel portfolio, with sleep, fitness, outdoor experiences and culturally relevant programming among its priorities.
At the time, Al-Masri told Spa Business: “If we want to democratise wellness and scale it up, we need to embed touchpoints outside of [spa and fitness] walls.”
The 2027 research was conducted by Morning Consult on behalf of Hilton between 18 May and 1 June 2026 among adults intending to travel during the following 12 months in the US, Mexico, Brazil, Colombia, UK, Germany, Türkiye, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Australia, China, India, Japan and South Korea.
Hilton states that the overall margin of error is approximately ±1 percentage point, rising to around ±3 percentage points for individual markets.
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More: Read Hilton’s full 2027 Trends Report
Background: Read Spa Business’s interview with Hilton’s global wellness leadership team
Background: Read Amanda Al-Masri on nature, sense of place and 360-degree wellness touchpoints