Jessica McMonagle
03 November 2026
Sometimes, all it takes is a couple of days away to feel refreshed. A slower pace, time spent outdoors, and a chance to step away from everyday routines can help create the space needed to recharge.
That's the idea behind a 48-hour reset. Rather than packing every moment with activities, these short wellness breaks focus on simple experiences that encourage rest, relaxation, and reconnection. Whether it's taking a morning swim, enjoying a sauna session, or spending time among the trees, small moments can have a big impact on how we feel.
At holidaylodges.co.uk, we recently analysed lodge destinations across the UK to identify the best places for a restorative 48-hour escape. Alongside destination data, we also explored wellness trends to uncover the experiences people are increasingly seeking out on short breaks. The results suggest a growing appetite for gentler, nature-led ways to unwind, making wellness lodge breaks an increasingly popular choice.
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Wellness experiences rising in popularity across the UK
Wellness retreats are changing. While intensive programmes and challenge-based experiences still have their place, many people are looking for simpler ways to unwind.
Our research found growing interest in activities such as sound baths, saunas, wild swimming, and forest bathing. What connects them is their ability to encourage people to switch off, spend time in nature, and step away from the pressures of everyday life.
If you're planning a wellness break in the UK, these are some of the experiences worth adding to your itinerary.
Sound baths
Sound baths have seen the biggest rise in popularity, with search interest increasing by 182% over the past 3 years. Unlike a traditional bath, there's no water involved. Instead, participants relax while listening to soothing sounds created by instruments such as crystal singing bowls, gongs, and chimes.
The appeal lies in the simplicity. There is nothing to achieve and nowhere to be. You simply find a comfortable position, close your eyes, and allow the sounds to take centre stage.
While organised sound bath sessions can be found across the UK, the principles can be embraced during a lodge break too. Sitting quietly on a deck overlooking water, listening to birdsong in the early morning, or simply taking time away from screens can create a similar sense of calm and presence.
Our top pick: Heron at Rosehill Lodges, Cornwall
If you'd like to experience a sound bath during your wellness break, Soul Sweats in Cornwall combines live rhythmic sounds with the warmth of a sauna to create a deeply relaxing experience. Using instruments such as hand pans and singing bowls, sessions are designed to help participants slow down and leave behind everyday distractions. Conveniently located close to Heron at Rosehill Lodges, it's an easy addition to a restorative weekend on the Cornish coast.
Saunas and heat therapy
Search interest in saunas has risen by 126% over the past three years, while infrared saunas have also grown in popularity (+52%). Together, they point to a wider shift in how people are approaching wellness.
Rather than seeking high-intensity experiences, many people are gravitating towards slower forms of relaxation centred around warmth, comfort, and recovery. Whether it's a traditional sauna session after a countryside walk or spending time in an infrared sauna designed to provide a gentler heat, both experiences encourage you to pause and focus on the present moment.
They're also increasingly becoming a key part of the wellness break experience, sitting alongside spa treatments, outdoor swimming, and mindful movement.
Our top pick: Lower Mill Estate Lodges, Cotswolds
(Property featured: The Cotswold Light House)
For those looking to embrace sauna culture on a wellness break, Lower Mill Estate Lodges in the Cotswolds offers the perfect setting. Guests can unwind in the on-site spa, which includes a sauna and steam room, before heading outside to enjoy the estate's natural surroundings. For a truly restorative experience, take a dip in the reed pool before returning to the warmth of the spa facilities. The contrast between water, heat, and nature creates a wellness experience that feels both calming and invigorating.
Wild swimming
Wild swimming continues to attract attention, with searches increasing by 56%. Whether it's a lake, river, sea, or natural swimming area, open-water swimming offers something many people crave during a wellness retreat: a stronger connection to the natural world.
Stepping into cool water instantly narrows your focus. The temperature, the movement of the water, and the landscape around you become the only things that matter for a few moments. Everyday worries tend to fade into the background as you focus on the experience itself. Away from notifications and screens, it can become a powerful way to reset both physically and mentally.
Our top pick: Silverlake Estate, Dorset
(Properties featured: Skyfall and Chalk Hill View)
Silverlake Estate in Dorset offers countless opportunities to embrace water-based wellness. Spend the morning paddleboarding across the lakes, take a refreshing swim, or explore the peaceful waters by kayak. Back on dry land, nature trails and spa facilities help continue the slower pace. With the Jurassic Coast also within easy reach, it's an ideal setting for combining outdoor adventure with moments of calm.
Breathwork
Breathwork has seen a 45% increase in search interest, yet it remains one of the simplest wellness experiences available. In a world that often feels permanently switched on, breathwork offers a way to slow everything down. By paying attention to your breathing, you can gently shift your focus away from busy schedules, endless notifications, and the mental to-do lists that follow us everywhere.
Unlike many wellness activities, breathwork requires no equipment, no experience, and no special setting. That's part of its appeal. Whether you're sitting beside a still lake, wrapped in a blanket on your lodge decking or watching the mist lift from the countryside at sunrise, a few mindful breaths can help create a sense of calm and bring you back to the present moment.
A wellness break provides the perfect opportunity to give it a try. Start the day with a few minutes of slow, controlled breathing before heading out for a walk or settling into a slower pace of life.
If you're new to breathwork, keep it simple:
- Breathe in slowly through your nose for four counts
- Hold for four counts
- Breathe out gently for four counts
- Repeat for a few minutes
Our top pick: Thompson Hall Retreat, Norfolk
(Properties featured: Bishy Spa Cabin, Whoa-Stop Spa Cabin and Hartley Spa Cabin)
Waking to birdsong and open meadow views at Thompson Hall Retreat creates the sort of environment where slowing your breathing starts to feel effortless. Surrounded by Norfolk woodland and open meadows, it's easy to find a quiet spot to pause, breathe deeply, and enjoy a slower pace of life. Alongside wellness treatments, outdoor bathing, and spa experiences, it's a place designed with restoration in mind, making it the perfect backdrop for embracing simple wellness rituals.
Forest bathing
Forest bathing has grown by 24%, making it one of the fastest-rising nature-based wellness experiences in the UK.
Originating in Japan and known as Shinrin-yoku, forest bathing isn't about hiking long distances or reaching a destination. Instead, it's about slowing down and fully immersing yourself in the sights, sounds, and atmosphere of a woodland environment.
Rather than rushing through nature, participants are encouraged to move gently, noticing the textures, sounds, and changing light around them. It's a reminder to be present and reconnect with the natural environment.
Our top pick: Bulworthy Forest Lodges, Devon
(Properties featured: Woodpecker Lodge and Foxglove Lodge)
Embrace the principles of forest bathing at Bulworthy Forest Lodges. Surrounded by flourishing flora and fauna, this secluded lodge park offers the perfect setting to slow down, reconnect with nature and immerse yourself in the calming sights and sounds of the forest. Wander through the woodland surroundings, listen to birdsong echoing through the trees, or simply unwind on your private deck overlooking the lake.
Hot tubs
While newer wellness trends continue to emerge, hot tubs remain a firm favourite. Search interest has continued to grow, and it's easy to see why. They're accessible, relaxing and require very little effort. Few things signal the start of a wellness break quite like sinking into warm, bubbling water after a day outdoors.
Our 48-hour reset research also found that hot tubs remain one of the most common features among top-performing wellness destinations. For many travellers, they're still one of the simplest and most effective ways to switch off.
Whether you're planning a countryside escape, a coastal getaway or a lakeside break, our collection of lodges with hot tubs makes it easy to add a little extra relaxation to your next wellness getaway.
Our top pick: Bluewood Lodges, Cotswolds
(Properties featured: Duet Lodge and Oxford Lodge)
Unwind in the warmth of your own private hot tub at Bluewood Lodges, a luxury retreat nestled in the heart of the Cotswolds countryside. With every lodge featuring a hot tub, relaxation comes effortlessly, whether you're soaking under a canopy of stars after a countryside stroll or easing into a slower pace surrounded by nature. Framed by woodland, rolling fields and far-reaching rural views, Bluewood Lodges offers a peaceful escape from the demands of everyday life. Combining luxurious comfort with tranquil surroundings, it's an idyllic setting for a restorative wellness getaway.
Ready to plan your 48‑hour reset?
The growing popularity of wellness experiences shows that modern wellbeing isn't necessarily about doing more. Instead, it's about creating opportunities to pause, reconnect, and recharge.
Whether that's floating in a reed pool in the Cotswolds, soaking beneath the trees in Ireland, listening to the sounds of nature from a lodge deck, or unwinding in a sauna after a day outdoors, a 48-hour reset looks different for everyone.
What matters most is finding the experiences that help you embrace a slower pace.
Methodology
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This analysis explores wellness experiences commonly associated with restorative short breaks and 48-hour resets. For each experience, we collected:
- Average monthly UK search volume
- 3-year change in search interest
- Related and breakout search queries
- Commonly reported benefits and considerations based on publicly available sources
The data was used to identify changing consumer interest in wellness activities across the UK. The findings are intended to provide insight into search behaviour rather than measure the effectiveness of any specific activity.
All data was collected on 4 June 2026 and represents a snapshot in time. Search interest and wellness trends may change over time.
Written by Jessica McMonagle
Regional Marketing Manager
A proud Northumbrian who enjoys inspiring UK holidays, from countryside lodge escapes to family glamping breaks.
Disclaimer: Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information at the time of writing,
please ensure you check carefully before making any decisions based on the contents within this article.