Superyacht Wellness trends are taking off

The wellbeing amenities so many owners and guests enjoy on the water actually originate on land—but they’re gaining more onboard real estate. Regardless of a superyacht’s size, you’re hard-pressed to find one without a gym. Similarly, you’ll often find some type of spa area. Although it’s easy to ascribe this renewed focus on wellbeing to Covid, it actually goes beyond that. Superyacht wellness trends have been parallelling home design trends for several years. It’s a reflection of how people increasingly want to live their everyday lives—and helping yachting evolve.

For decades, yachts were lavish escapes, where owners indulged in rich cuisine and hosted parties, for instance. “Areas like salons and formal dining rooms occupied ‘prime real estate,’ which are increasingly unrelated to the way we live today,” says Jim Dixon, a managing partner at Winch Design and creative director of its yachts and aviation division. Owners also spent a scant few weeks onboard. These days, however, it’s an entirely different story. “The amount of time owners are spending onboard is increasing, and yacht owners are prioritising their health more than ever,” Dixon notes.

Because of that priority, space for wellness is expanding. Initially, superyacht wellness trends extended simply to a small gym or an area for activities. They were almost like afterthoughts, too, “in the most remote sections of the yacht, or in beach clubs at the yacht’s stern,” Dixon says. Therefore, they were “isolated locations that received relatively little daylight.” Today, however, it’s a whole different story. In fact, not only are owners planning space for wellbeing from the start, but also “wellness onboard is starting to become a social activity,” Dixon explains.

The 67-meter Sparta, whose owner worked with Winch Design, is a prime example. The owner set aside 98 square meters—essentially the entire lower deck—for wellbeing. Amid a serene, Japanese-inspired ambience with natural materials, guests can slip into an elliptical wooden hot tub. It’s the spa’s centerpiece, in fact, complementing a lounge, a steam room, and a sauna. The sauna is nothing to overlook, with abundant natural light and rounded edges. (On a related note, Dixon says this was quite a technical challenge, of which the studio is quite proud.) Additionally, guests can work out in the spa’s dedicated gym and receive pampering treatments in a beauty area. Topping it all off is a five-meter-wide custom art panel, inspired by natural textures and colors.

Sparta’s spa is just the beginning. Interestingly, Winch Design is fielding requests for things like a cryotherapy chamber, a hydrotherapy pool, and a thermal therapy pool. These are all features that its residential clients simultaneously want in their homes and aboard their yachts. A further request is an experiential shower, a.k.a. a sensory shower. Various water effects like light mist to tropical rainfall and even cold waterfall combine with different lighting and aromas.

If you think superyacht wellness trends are just for large projects, think again. Dixon says the key to a space looking and feeling capable of delivering the right experience is to invite the outside inside. “The use of glass allows plenty of natural light to an area,” he explains. Furthermore, natural fabrics with organic textures and patterns provide tranquility, as does soft and harmonious lighting.

Currently, prioritizing wellness while on the water shows no signs of waning. Dixon has an important take. “While superyachts are all wonderfully different,” he observes, “there is a definite move towards a healthier home-away-from-home lifestyle design.” Ultimately, it’s all about “interiors where comfort outweighs glamour and where owners and guests can feel at one with nature.”

Text by Diane M. Byrne