Wellness and luxury: How London’s elite are combining the two – London Business News | Londonlovesbusiness.com

With wellness seemingly overnight becoming everyone’s favourite pursuit, it’s unsurprising that London’s wealthiest have swiftly begun to incorporate wellness trends into their luxury homes. From ice baths to in-house yoga studios, let’s take a look at how London’s elite are combining luxury and wellness in their living spaces.

Fitness at your fingertips

Long gone are the days when wellness simply involved going on a run and getting eight hours sleep at night — wealthy fitness fanatics have developed a taste for convenience. These days, flashy apartment complexes are expected to house fitness suites for their residents who want 24/7 access to state-of-the-art facilities.

Powerhouse on Chelsea Waterfront has undergone a huge refurbishment, bringing London’s most affluent 260 luxury apartments. One of the Powerhouse’s primary selling points (alongside the fact it’s a gorgeous renovated industrial power station overlooking the Thames), is its premium gym and 20-metre swimming pool. And it’s not just long-term leases offering these amenities, premium short-term rental companies such as Luxury London Listings offer properties with access to similar amenities to those visiting for a brief trip.

Ice baths and cold plunge pools

Ice baths have become a staple of the wellness movement in the past couple of years, popularised by the likes of “extreme wellness” guru Wim Hof and his essential three pillars — breathing exercises, commitment and cold exposure.

It’s therefore unsurprising that premium property developers are incorporating ice baths and cold plunge pools into London’s fanciest complexes and homes. Luxury property advisor Oliver Sanhaji claims that “ice baths are now becoming must-haves, from stand-alone portable baths to built-in luxury baths both inside and out”.

Gardens fit for gurus

The oldest and truest wellness practice, mediation, is having yet another moment in the limelight. In fact, a recent study revealed that in the past 20 years the use of meditation has increased by 300% in the US. UK wellness fanatics have followed suit and, as a result, luxury property managers have found an increase in properties boasting picturesque “meditation gardens”.

In Islington you can find an entire luxury apartment complex centred around London’s largest Zen garden created by award-winning bonsai artist Peter Chan. The £1.2 million apartments are designed to reflect this green space, balancing “tranquillity with vibrant colours and mixed prints”.

Sustainable swimming in natural pools

Wellness enthusiasts are waving goodbye to chlorine and hello to natural swimming pools. The demand for traditional pools is on the decline due to the sheer amount of water and chemicals they require. In its absence, the trendy chemical-free alternative is becoming more popular according to Nigel Bishop from Recoco Property Search.

With companies such as Gartenart Swimming Ponds offering design, construction, and maintenance services to their high-end clients who are seeking “a natural place to swim”, it’s likely we’ll see this trend continue to grow in luxury London-based properties in the coming years.

In-house yoga studios

For many, yoga has become synonymous with wellness. This is no exception for property developers intending to attract wealthy young professionals in London.

The wellness suite in the luxury apartment complex The Doulton, positioned along Albert Embankment, includes a yoga studio for their residents. This studio is said to offer “tranquillity amidst urban chaos”, and considering the residences start at £3.95 million, we can only imagine the level of zen this studio will deliver.