One trend in the wellness industry is becoming increasingly clear: outdoor treatments and immersive natural environments are emerging as central to high-end spa design.
Biophilic and nature-led design is now widely recognised as a key contributor to cognitive health, emotional restoration, and overall wellbeing (Global Wellness Institute, 2023). Nature-led wellness places the environment at the very heart of the guest experience, not merely as scenery, but as an active and therapeutic partner.
In harmony with nature
In a luxury spa context, this means creating spaces, treatments, and rituals that harmonise with the landscape, the seasons, and the rhythms of the place itself. At Steenberg Hotel & Spa, a 2025 Michelin Key recipient in the ‘Very Special Stays’ category, vineyards, terraces, scented gardens, and mountain breezes are woven into the design of each treatment, ensuring guests experience more than a massage, they experience the land itself.
“Here, nature joins the guest in the healing journey,” says spa manager Monique Lagorie.
Reconnecting with nature
The shift towards outdoor wellness is driven by a growing desire for authenticity and grounding. Amid demanding professional and personal schedules, guests increasingly seek experiences that reconnect them with the natural world.
Research confirms the benefits: a systematic review found that spending time in forests yields measurable improvements in physical and psychological wellbeing (BioMed Central, 2017), while another study showed that nature-based environments significantly reduce stress and anxiety compared with non-biophilic settings (Frontiers in Public Health, 2024).
Outdoor rituals and quiet therapies
For luxury travellers, outdoor treatments provide not only sensory richness but also exclusivity and a sense of presence that cannot be replicated indoors. Positioned where vineyards meet the mountain, Steenberg draws the landscape into every experience.
Outdoor rituals and quiet therapies take place amid the gardens, fostering a slower rhythm and an embodied sense of calm. The Thermal Suite, featuring a sauna, ice-bucket shower, and heated vitality pool, continues this dialogue between environment and wellness.
“Many treatments now take place in the open air, where the sounds, fragrances, and calm of nature become an integral part of the ritual,” notes Lagorie.
Trend mirrored throughout SA
The movement toward nature-led wellness is mirrored across South Africa. At Bushmans Kloof Wilderness Reserve and Wellness Retreat, guests experience the spectacular views of the river and the rugged Cederberg wilderness while a therapist works their magic.
Fairlawns Boutique Hotel & Spa in Johannesburg offers relaxing indoor and outdoor areas, including open-air massage spaces that allow guests to soak in the garden ambience.
Meanwhile, Stellenbosch Hydro provides a range of outdoor facilities that cater not only to nature lovers but also to those seeking relaxation and rejuvenation.
Further research highlights measurable benefits of nature exposure, including lower cortisol levels, improved cardiovascular function, and enhanced mood (Minnesota Department of Health, 2023). In effect, wellness moves from passive relaxation into an embodied, multisensory experience where the guest feels part of the environment, not separate from it.
Quiet luxury
Luxury in this context is intentional and thoughtful. It is not measured by excess or opulence, but through careful design, comfort, privacy, craftsmanship, and bespoke service, all of which is delivered in a space that is open, light-filled, and deeply connected to nature.
True luxury emerges through comfort, privacy, craftsmanship, natural materials and bespoke service, all set in an open, sensory-rich environment. The result: an experience that feels effortlessly elevated, rooted in nature yet supported by world-class spa expertise and hospitality.
Fluid, open spaces
The broader shift in spa architecture reflects this philosophy. Designers are moving away from sealed, artificial interiors and embracing fluid, open spaces that blur the line between indoors and outdoors.
Architectural research emphasises the importance of “permeability and sensory exchange with the outside world” as a principle in affective design (arXiv, 2023). At Steenberg, for example, this manifests in garden walkways that lead seamlessly into treatment lawns, fluid spaces and natural light creating a cohesive dialogue between architecture and environment.
As luxury increasingly becomes defined by meaning rather than material, nature-led wellness is emerging not as a trend but as the next frontier. The future of high-end wellness is developing to include immersive and restorative experiences that are tightly integrated with the surrounding environment, moving beyond traditional design approaches.
