Check into these urban escapes
Roula Khalaf, Editor of the FT, selects her favourite stories in this weekly newsletter.
Limited to the confines of our own cities during a time when burnout has become a household word, the idea of a wellness retreat seems like a far-flung fantasy. But three hotels in London, Paris and New York offer immersive wellness retreats in the heart of the metropolis.
Paris: HOY Hotel
(hoyparis.com, from €214 a night)
An acronym for House of Yoga, HOY is the French capital’s first yoga-centric hotel; Franco-Mexican owner Charlotte Gomez de Orozco set her mind on creating a “home away from home that promotes slow travel and a slower life.” Tucked away in Paris’s 9th arrondissement, it welcomes guests with seasonal blooms courtesy of flower shop Les Intimes, while its 22 minimalist-chic rooms replace technology with fitness features such as a ballet barre. In-house YUJ studio features a menu of six hot yoga classes; customised facial treatments include Kobido and Chi Nei Tsang; there is a programme of creative workshops, and soul-nourishing plant-based food comes courtesy of the Mesa de HOY restaurant.


London: Inhabit Hotel
(inhabithotels.com, from £150 a night)
Addressing all the senses, the Scandi-style Inhabit Hotel, composed of six Georgian townhouses off a quiet west London mews, speaks to connectedness of the zen kind. The library is stacked with psychology, art and design books while the hotel soundtrack is set to tune in with the body’s natural rhythms. A meditation pod, aromatherapy massages and reflexology sessions provide doses of positive energy, while a plant-loving menu, magnesium- and kelp-rich sustainable beauty products, and eco-friendly bedding in the 88 guest rooms showcase nature throughout. Mornings begin with meditation classes and can end with a yoga high or mindfulness session. For an extra release of toxins, a Peloton bike means high-energy guests can ride deep into their happy place.


New York: Equinox Hotel Hudson Yards
(equinox-hotels.com; rooms from $725)
A stay at the Equinox Hotel in New York’s Hudson Yards means check-in-length membership to the 60,000sq ft Equinox Fitness Club, the global fitness powerhouse’s largest space. Classes in HIIT, yoga, barre and SoulCycle are balanced with spa treatments in one of the 212 super-plush soundproof rooms. Two pools offer an indoor saltwater experience or rooftop invigoration with a sun deck and views of the Hudson River. Stephen Starr’s terraced restaurant Electric Lemon also offers scenic views of the skyline. Nightcaps at the Broken Coconut bar and restaurant can be offset by on-demand IV vitamin drips.



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