Stargazing Hotels Bet on Wellness Trend

Galaxy wellness is becoming a significant trend in the travel industry, merging the intersection of two major sectors: wellness and stargazing. Luxury resorts are betting on this combination by marketing light pollution-free skies and star bathing parties as high-end offerings. Properties like Bliss and Stars Retreat and Kosmos Stargazing Resort + Spa in Colorado promote their dark environments as a key selling point for mental health benefits.

The Science Behind the Stars

Research into nighttime behaviors suggests that the night sky offers unique psychological benefits. Mark Westmoquette, an astrophysicist and meditation teacher, notes that the fading light heightens other senses, encouraging a shift into a different mode of awareness. This shift helps individuals awaken to the present moment.

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Curiosity leads to wonder, which Westmoquette identifies as a precursor to awe. Awe is well known to have a powerful positive effect on mental health, producing a measurable ego reduction. Heine Rasmussen, a Danish-born astrophysicist and co-owner of Bliss and Stars, explains that this psychological mechanism has a name: the small self effect. “Your problems, your self importance, your mental chatter all briefly contract when you stargaze,” he says.

Whether you use a telescope or the naked eye, you still get benefits. Dominc Vertue, Project Lead of the Astronomy for Mental Health Project, explains that telescopes narrow attention and add learning, while naked-eye viewing provides a broad, immersive sense of the sky that may better support awe and restoration. “A good session might combine both: a little guided noticing, then some quiet open-ended looking,” he says.

High-End Star Experiences

Hotels are introducing high-tech equipment to facilitate these experiences. The observatory at Four Seasons Resort Lanai in Hawaii boasts a high-tech, PlaneWave PW1000 telescope used for identifying celestial bodies. However, the experience is less about identifying stars or constellations, and more about reconnecting with the light within, according to Caroline Reese, wellness supervisor at the resort. Through moments of opening and closing the eyes, participants experience the changing layers of the starry night while entering a space of reflection, stillness, and presence.

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Resorts and retreats are getting creative with their offerings. At Six Senses Kanuhura in the Maldives, moonlight meditations are accompanied by a soundtrack of singing bowls and ocean waves. In the Florida Keys, Little Palm Island’s new $50,000 Moonlit Soak experience includes a Champagne sail aboard a 36-foot Hinkcley beneath a waxing gibbous sky, lunar-inspired baths soaks, and a moonrise photography session.

How to Practice at Home

You don’t need to travel to the stars to experience these benefits. DarkSky International has a searchable database of the world’s starriest skies. Glamping company Under Canvas has six DarkSky-certified camps throughout the US. “I’d say put aside the telescope, binoculars, star maps, and constellation guides; lie on a blanket or sun lounger; and open your senses to what’s around you—sounds, smells, feelings, and sights,” says Westmoquette. It takes around 20 minutes for your eyes to fully adjust to the dark, so start with eyes closed and listen and feel, he says. Then open your eyes and observe.