I am a tired person. I do all the things I need to do to get a good night's sleep, and yet I often get sad thinking about leaving my bed, counting down the hours until I can be in his embrace again.
Is it London, which always demands more? Or am I just one of those people who has to go to bed at 9 p.m., but sneaks in a few extra hours and isn't allowed to? Anyway, when I heard that sleep tourism was an emerging wellness trend, I decided I wanted to learn more about it.
It seems like a sharp contrast to the idea of going somewhere to explore and get to know the place, but studies show that sleep is what people really crave. Found the Hilton in a study that "the top reason people will want to travel in 2024 is to rest and recharge," while Fortune says that "the sleep tourism market is estimated to grow by nearly 8% and more than $400 billion between 2023 and 2028 "
This is all well and good, and I too have often booked a break with the intention of decompressing so that I could return to London full of energy, but I find that many hotels do not actually aid my sleep, but rather hinder it through a series of crazy little things. A by no means exhaustive list of the things that bother me: ridiculous and endless light switches; lights on various structures that don't turn off or flash all night, and an air conditioner that rages, driving me into a rage.
That's why it was with some skepticism that I started testing the following sleep retreats that have popped up in London. Here are my findings...
The Laslett Sleeping Shrine
Named after local activist Rhaune Laslett, this hotel is located in Notting Hill, making you feel more like you're spending a night in your (rich) friend's mansion, complete with record player and sliding windows overlooking the iconic surroundings. As for sleeping, if you book the package you can expect dinner at the restaurant, The Henderson, complete with Feragaia mocktails to avoid sleep-inhibiting alcohol, followed by time in the room decorated with gifts of botanical skin care from Votary, a DIRTEA cocoa tin for a relaxing mix before bedtime, and a DROWSY silk sleeping mask.
The magic here was in the simplicity of it - yes, there is the option of a treatment in the Recharge Rooms, but instead I decided to just listen to some music before going to bed. My plan worked well and I left feeling happy the next day.
The West London Sleep Sanctuary package starts from £420 per night for a double room. To book, go to livingrooms.nlThe Four Seasons Hotel London at Park London Sleep Escape
Room rates start from £895 including VAT. Sleep Escape treatments from £190 for 60 minutes. fourseasons.comThe sale here is the Four Seasons Signature Deep Sleep Lavender Massage - a long name that gives you all the information you really need, but I must add that it is damn effective. I went at 8pm, then stumbled a bit into the adjacent relaxation pod and then to the amazing bed, complete with a pillow menu, and slept and slept and slept. The turndown service may have something to do with how ill I was: not only do they do the usual things like dim the lights and take off slippers etc, but they also set the temperature to between the 16 and 18 degrees (perfect for sleeping), and imposed a 'blackout' on all those device lights that I find unbearable. I would recommend doing this solo if you need complete peace and quiet and want to disappear from the toil of the world.
Room rates for Corinthia London start at £800 per night. For more information please visit hastens.comCorinthia London Ultimate sleep experience
The Intentions Stay is a £250 add-on to any room booking and includes the 90-minute spa treatment, classes, journals and comfort zone amenities that retail for over £70. Book the Intentions Stay with marriott.comEvery time I go to a fancy hotel, I sink into bed wondering how on earth they can provide such a superior level of comfort, hoping I can achieve the same at home. The answer could be a serious investment in Hästens, the 172-year-old brand that now supplies the beds in 35 of the rooms in the palatial Whitehall Corinthia. The 'ultimate sleeping experience' relies heavily on the charms of beds made in Sweden from natural and breathable materials - with great success in my case. After eating al fresco at the courtyard restaurant, The Garden (worth knowing for summer evenings), I fixed mine and sleep washed over me before I even had a chance to complete my usual rituals (room fragrance, hand cream, lip balm, magnesium pills).
Rates start from £500 per night, including £160 spa credit. Book via 1hotels.comW Hotel Intentions Stay
You might not easily associate Soho with sleep, but the W hopes to provide a haven in the storm through an Intentions Stay, where the room comes complete with a bundle of products curated by manifestation coach Roxie Nafousi. They are all thought out, from the diary to the sleep-promoting set from Anatome. Despite liking the change from the frenetic pace of London and the quiet of my room overlooking the red lanterns of Chinatown, I decided to watch a movie fairly quickly (ET, solid choice) before doing some writing and relaxed. If you want something more intensely sleep-inducing, AWAY Spa offers sessions from breathwork specialist Jamie Clements along with writer Ciara McGinely's guided meditations to bridge the gap between fight or flight and rest and relax. You can also try the Signature Essentials 60-Minute Stress Relief Massage and Express Facial, or head to the bar for a DIRTEA drink.
Room price from € 399,- incl. breakfast. The Room To Dream package can be added to any Kimpton Fitzroy London room or suite booking for the price of £50, kimptonfitzroylondon.com.1 Hotel Mayfair Rest & Reset Package
Everything about the 1 Hotel is designed to feel like an oasis, from the 1,300 plants that populate the hotel to the immense amount of natural materials that feel immediately soothing, including some beautiful stone walls (they come from West Sussex). The Rest & Reset package is all about showcasing the Bamford spa and products, and the hotel is rightly proud of the partnership. My work involves testing many products and rarely have I been as captivated by a scent as by that of the organic bath oil from B Silent Collection. Book a massage in the whitewashed wooden spa, return to the room for a bath and then rest. It's an eco-friendly hotel, there's a drinking water dispenser (this should be standard in hotels) and they'll even recycle/donate unwanted belongings - just leave them with the wooden block on top to tell them you haven't forgotten them, and they will find them a home.
Kimpton Fitzroy The space to dream
Before I talk about my evening at the Kimpton Fitzroy, let's take a quick tour of the building's impressive history: Built in 1898, The Hotel Russell was designed by Charles Fitzroy Doll. This gave rise to the expression 'all dolled up'. On the stairs you will find a copper dragon called 'Lucky George'; his twin brother sank on the Titanic.
Now the sleep package: When you enter your room you will find a package containing a headset, a dream diary, a lucid dreaming guide and LabTonica's Unplugged range. The idea behind the headset is to take you on an AI-driven journey designed to enable lucid dreaming, like zooming out with images changing before your eyes; your mind becomes buttery and soft while you 'sleep' - but clear, meaning you are in control of your body and can determine what happens while drifting. Dream expert Charlie Morley says it "helps people reduce stress and improve their emotional processing, as well as improve their sleep quality and patterns." I found the format innovative and surprisingly effective, and felt inspired and rested the next day.
