Small Luxury Hotels of the World has created a new property collection focusing on emotional intelligence and profound rest after research shows modern life prevents true relaxation for 60% of adults. Olivia Palamountain reports

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has launched a curated wellness collection of 15 properties worldwide following research revealing that nearly three-quarters of travellers feel tired and modern life prevents genuine rest.

The company commissioned OnePoll to conduct "The Restless Traveller Report", a quantitative survey of 6,000 adults across the UK, US and Australia, to understand what drives the need for profound rest. The research found that 72% reported feeling tired, with 60% saying contemporary life doesn't allow for true rest.

However, 89% recognised travel as effective for achieving holistic wellbeing, with 49% identifying nature-based travel as most restorative.With this data in mind, the group has created a 15-property Wellbeing Collection focusing on profound rest and relaxation.

The Wellbeing Collection positions emotional intelligence as an antidote to AI dominance, with all chosen hotels displaying what the company describes as "emotional intelligence superpowers" through intuitive service and exceptional locations.

The collection focuses on three pillars: rest, reconnection and resilience. Each property goes beyond traditional spa offerings to provide what the company terms "soulful sanctuaries" designed for comprehensive restoration."Following an increased desire from guests for wellbeing and inner sustainability, we've created the Wellbeing Collection by carefully filtering the hotels in our portfolio to spotlight those that offer heartfelt hospitality somewhere peaceful," says Richard Hyde, chief operating officer of Small Luxury Hotels of the World.

The collection features unconventional wellness approaches across diverse global locations. Standout experiences include sleeping under stars in Land Rover rooftop tents at Italy's Miramonti Boutique Hotel, consultations with Traditional Bhutanese Medicine doctors at Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary and artistic residencies at Spain's Teranka retreat in Formentera.

The 15 founding members span three regions offering distinct wellness philosophies:

EMEA Properties:

• Acro Suites, Crete - Vagus nerve workshops, ancient Greek bathing rituals, chanting and cacao ceremonies overseen by Michelin-starred chef
• eriro, Austria - Unstructured wellness approach in tech-minimal Tyrolean Alps environment
• Euphoria Retreat, Greece - Ancient healing traditions combined with modern medical science in Peloponnese setting
• FORESTIS, Italy - Druid nature philosophy with wyda (Celtic yoga) and forest sauna rituals using local essential oils
• HUBERTUS Mountain Refugio Allgäu, Germany - European-Indian wellness fusion with silent sunrise hikes and singing bowl meditations
• Miramonti Boutique Hotel, Italy - Paragliding, horse-drawn sleigh rides and sleeping under stars in rooftop tents
• Oasyhotel, Italy - Car-free 1,000-hectare wilderness reserve with forest bathing and wild swimming
• Quinta da Comporta, Portugal - Former rice farm offering UNESCO-protected Alentejo singing and surf workouts
• Teranka, Formentera - Artistic residencies with scarf making, botanical silk printing and ice baths

APAC Properties:

• Bhutan Spirit Sanctuary - Traditional Bhutanese Medicine consultations with fortune teller visits in Himalayan setting
• Gangtey Lodge, Bhutan - Meditation classes with tulku (reincarnated spiritual masters) and monk cleansing rituals
• Keemala, Thailand - Floating treehouses with traditional Thai healing, Muay Thai and forest yoga
• Namia River Retreat, Vietnam - Duong sinh (Vietnamese breathwork), dien chan (facial reflexology) and circadian rhythm lighting

AMER Properties:

• Castle Hot Springs, Arizona - Mineral springs with via ferrata climbing and mindful painting activities
• Rio Perdido, Costa Rica - "Blue therapy" water healing, thermal river experiences and white-water tubing

Properties range from £230 per night at Costa Rica's Rio Perdido to £1,500 at Arizona's Castle Hot Springs, reflecting varying levels of inclusion and location exclusivity.The collection emphasises lasting impact beyond temporary relaxation, with each property providing practical advice for maintaining wellness practices after departure - dubbed "post-trip integration" by Globetrender's VOLT.

To support the launch, Small Luxury Hotels members receive exclusive access to the BeSophro app featuring guided mind-body practices for travel, including techniques for flight anxiety, jet lag and maintaining post-holiday calm. The app incorporates Sophrology, a European practice combining breathing, movement and meditation used in medical and educational settings for more than 60 years.