Summer Wellness Trends—What’s In? What’s Out?
Summer 2025 is witnessing a transformative shift in wellness, as enthusiasts move away from fleeting fads and gravitate toward proven, nature-infused and timeless pursuits. Wellness seekers are pivoting towards authenticity and simplicity over flash-in-the pan tech gadgets with dubious claims. Here’s your guide to what’s trending—and what’s fading fast—curated by TLEE Spas + Wellness, a leader in luxury spa design and development.
What’s In?
Back to Basics: Hydrotherapy, Contrast Bathing + Wild Swimming
Worldwide, wellness is returning to its original roots, celebrating all forms of hydrotherapy, or taking to the water. Leading the hydrotherapy charge is contrast bathing—the practice of alternating between hot and cold temperatures—an ageless ritual known to reduce inflammation, boost circulation and muscle recovery and promote deep relaxation.
With the benefits of hydrotherapy well established, there’s a renewed emphasis on clean, mineral-rich spring water—celebrated in its purest form, free from unnecessary additives or filtration. Whether through soaking, swimming or sipping, water remains a fundamental pillar of well-being, supporting digestion, circulation and cellular health.
Wild swimming is also making a comeback, reconnecting people with the rhythms of nature. These practices—central to TLEE Spas’ ethos since inception—spark curiosity, build resilience and elevate both physical and mental performance.Immersion in cold, natural water not only awakens the senses, but is also clinically linked to enhance immune function, improve mood and reduce stress. The beauty of outdoor bathing is its simplicity—and its benefits are more relevant than ever.
“Like outdoor swimming, contrast bathing is one of the most enduring effective wellness modalities. With performance and recovery leading demand, the tried-and-true bathing continues to deliver,” said Tracy Lee.
At the new JW Marriott Laguna Cliffs, reimagined amenities form The Water Garden, a constellation of hot/warm/cold therapeutic pools frame an outdoor scenic sauna, where guests and members soak, sweat and recover in self-directed fashion or through guided sessions—a true intersection of nature, science and sensory design.
Performance & Recovery: Keep it Simple
Contrast bathing is a natural springboard to the topic of performance and recovery. More than ever, people are looking for proven and effective ways to boost physical performance, sharpen mental clarity and bounce back from stress and injury. But with an overload of treatment fads and dubious claims flooding the market, it’s easy to get overwhelmed.
Settings that cut through this noise, with a clear and focused identity stand out, offering a curated approach to personal rather than an endless array of predictable menu of options. The Little Nell in Aspen illustrates this approach. Replacing generic offerings with strategic brand, location and target-audience creativity, service offerings highlight three primary therapeutic pathways: Recover + Repair, Replenish + Restore and Reset + Rebalance, with targeted remedies for the high-altitude environment, active adventure and high-performance living.
“The savvy wellness consumer wants spa experiences that feel authentic, intentional and purposeful,” says Michael Lahm, VP of TLEE Spas. “Focusing on what truly elevates people’s holistic health and lifestyle on a fluid and evolving basis is the key to creating loyalists who drive the bottom line.”
Bio-Harmonization: Nature’s Helping Hand
Another approach gaining momentum is bio-harmonization. Unlike biohacking, which derives it benefits through the lens of aggressive intervention, bio-harmonization is all about aligning with the mind and body’s natural healing mechanisms. Evidenced-based technologies optimize the body’s innate capacities, with proven modalities like cryotherapy, LED light therapy, vibroacoustic therapy, lymphatic compression and Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy (PEMF) that stimulate circulation, accelerate cellular repair and recalibrate the mind-body connection to enhance holistic well-being.
“Guests are increasingly seeking wellness experiences grounded in time-tested traditions and meaningful design that doesn’t feel clinical, and is evidence-based, rather than untested technology,” says Tracy Lee, founder of TLEE Spas.
By incorporating bio-harmonization, spas can effectively blend innovative technology with proven therapeutic results, that fully align with the tangible expectations of today’s wellness-conscious consumers.
What’s Out?
Tech-Dependent Wellness
While purposeful innovations like bio-harmonization expand the boundaries of wellness, consumers are increasingly skeptical of technology for technology’s sake.
In recent years, tech-forward products like hyperbaric oxygen chambers, wired ‘smart’ beds and AI-driven diagnostics have flooded consumer consciousness, promising transformative results with minimal effort. However, as Caline Assilian of TLEE Spas notes, “The market is saturated with wellness ‘snake oil.’ Discerning consumers are looking for substance, not hype.” That sentiment is echoed in Elle’s recent Wellness Report, where experts urge spa-goers to prioritize evidence-based practices over flashy gadgets. As dietitian Diana Mesa puts it, “We always have to be skeptical of those magical health claims.”
Many of these technologies still lack consistent results and credible, peer-reviewed research. In response, savvy spa operators and guests are returning to time-tested methods like bodywork and hydrotherapy—rituals supported by both tradition and clinical evidence.
At TLEE Spas, we welcome innovation—but that comes with a clear sense of responsibility. We’re always monitoring the wellness landscape yet remain committed to sifting through the noise to identify what truly matters. By designing spa environments that integrate thoughtful technology with life-affirming rituals and sensory experiences, we strike a balance: one that celebrates authenticity, supports healing and stands the test of time.
Why These Trends Matter
While the wellness consumer landscape is undergoing a massive disruption through the worship of technology, we endorse a humanist countermovement that prioritizes sustainability and evidence-based practices over spectacle. Today’s consumers are more informed, seeking out experiences that are not only luxurious but also purposeful and proven.
TLEE Spas remains at the forefront of this evolution, designing environments rooted in nature, cultural tradition and elegant simplicity. Rather than chasing fleeting trends, the firm cultivates enduring environments and experiences that deliver lasting impact, human connection and positive change.
This isn’t just a seasonal shift, rather reflective of a broader movement: a recalibration of luxury wellness towards substance, depth and design that serves both the guest and their long-term wellbeing.